Navigation on the Go
-I’m getting pretty good at using the “Tactical Nav” app for navigation while on the go. A MGRS coordinate is relayed via radio and I plug in the numbers. I then look to see if there are any named roads to use, and then it’s about looking at the satellite picture for “off road” trails. Really good that I paid for the 1-month subscription for offline maps, as this would not have been feasible otherwise. To save iPhone battery, I’m also consistently going into airplane mode – so I’m definitely off the grid. I’ve been creating waypoints and naming them, which has worked overall, but I’m forgetting to save them – so I lose them if I quit out of the app. I just need to remember to save them after creating. The method I’m using is the date and the number — eg for today (6/13 – I entered this: 16 – 1 (16th day and first position). This number links to my small paper notebook that I’m initially writing the MGRS codes in.
Kit Fox (and other animals)
-Saw a mother Kit Fox with a small animal (kill) in her mouth. There were several (5+ cubs) that were playing and then going up the hill with her. Pretty cool to see all that.
-Saw an Hawk (not sure which kind) with what looked a squirrel in the talons. Had to wait for the Hawk to take off before we could drive further.
-Saw what we thought was a cobra snake – was just a piece of wood, but fun to consider.
-Found a really nice set of antlers – one of our team scored this
Sniper
-One of our team asked the Snipers if we could photograph the rifle. He graciously said we could hold it while taking the photo.
Lotion
-Using SPF30 (basic Albertsons Suntan Lotion). Getting good at applying liberally once at home, and then a couple times throughout the day. It’s definitely working as I don’t feel burned. We’re also out in the full sun.
Checklist
-Need to create a checklist (for when leaving home) — I forgot the Electrolyte stuff I bought yesterday.
Soldiers
-Meeting some interesting National Guard soldiers on our various routes. They all come from a varied background – VA Admin; IT; etc.