Escape from Tucson: Day 3 – Friday (morning)

I slept like a log! One of the best night’s sleep I have had in years. And that worries me. I can’t be sleeping that deeply, I just can’t. Someone could have walked right up to me and I would have never known it. That tells me I better be pretty well hidden when I go to sleep each day. Maybe try to figure out how to put up some “early warning devices” somehow. Now I understand the “battle buddy” concept a little better. You gotta have someone watching your back. If there was two of us we could take turns between sleeping and guard duty.

Then there is the matter of trust. You gotta trust your battle buddy to be there for you. Lisa is the best battle buddy I can imagine. She was so willing to take some of those weapons classes, even without me saying anything. No, she might not be at the Delta Operator level, but she can shoot well, coordinated movement with me, and I can trust her. I miss her, I really miss her.

I am going to rest all day today, drink as much water as my bladder can handle, and then head out about dusk. I want to walk at night, then rest and sleep during the day. I think it will be far less risky and easier on my water consumption as well. And I won’t get so exhausted by walking in the sun. Granted, the weather is way better than normal for this time of year but that could change at a moment’s notice. Besides, I figure I am going to be walking for a month maybe and that means the dead of summer in the desert. Nighttime walking is way easier on this poor old man. I do fear stepping on a rattle snake. That rattle just creeps me out, scariest sound I think I have ever heard. But…nothing compared to scorpions. I hate scorpions. They look like minions of the devil himself.

I really wish I would have included 50’ of 550 Paracord in my pack. I thought I would have had it in there, but nope, I blew it. I have that camo poncho but I am limited on how I can sting it up due to my lack of Paracord. I will keep my eyes open for any kind of rope or string to use. I also decided I am going to hold off on using the AquaTabs. I am going to save them for a time when I hit really nasty water. In the mean time I will fill up my containers with stock tank water and us my NDUR safety straw water filter to drink through. I won’t put dirty water in my CamelBak bladder. I am going to try and keep that full as my emergency water. I will only put clean water in it.

And, the MacGyver that I am, I figured out a water filter system. Actually, it will only clear up sediment but that is a huge help in making water agreeable, and safe, to drink. Drinking muddy water, no matter how safe, is tough to do.

I found a two-liter soda bottle and I cut the bottom off. When I left the motel I took my three spare white cotton handkerchiefs with me, I thought I might use them as bandages. But, I will use one all folded up at the neck of the bottle (turned upside down). Then I will layer in some charcoal (when I can find it) and then sand, pebbles, grass, etc. I will leave about one-third of the bottle free for pouring water into. The water will seep through all of that removing the sediment. Hopefully the charcoal will help make it safer to drink as well as remove whatever nasty tastes and smells the water might have. I will hang the handkerchief out in the sun during the day. I think the UV rays from the sun should kill any bad junk collecting on the handkerchiefs while filtering water. If needed, I can always use the hand sanitizer on it.

I am going to go poking around the canyon for an hour or so and see if there is anything I can scavenge up and use on my trip. It would have been a whole easier making this trip back without a stupid freaking EMP. You know…I haven’t even put any thought to “who” hit us with an EMP. Actually, I never put any thought to who was shooting up the air force base back in Tucson. Too tired to think about it much.

But what ever happened and by who…the idiot we have for a president, a total disaster, was rattling his saber for the last couple months. He has to be behind this one way or another. For the previous seven years he was dismantling the military as fast as he could, especially the good leadership. Then all of a sudden he starts playing tough guy with Russia and China. How stupid was that! So now I ask myself, “why?” then again…does it make a difference?

Going to get some exploring done while I can enjoy the cool of the morning.

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