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Finding Water
How to Find Water in the Wild
BY CHARLES
W. BRYANT
Getting
lost or stranded in the wild is something that could happen to just about
anyone.
Day
hikers, tourists, Sunday drivers and experienced outdoorsmen are all subject to
circumstances beyond their control.
Any
and all of them could end up alone and lost, with only their wits to rely on
for survival.
The
single most important thing you need to live is water.
If
you're resourceful and know where to look, you can find or collect good
drinking water in just about any environment on Earth.
To
maintain good health, the human body needs a minimum of two quarts of water per
day [source: Field Manual 21-76-1].
If
you're lost in the wild, chances are you'll be exerting yourself, and you may
be in a hot or cold environment.
Both
of these factors mean you should drink more than the minimum amount.
It's
easy to think that a cold environment might pose less of a risk, but that's not
the case. You may perspire less, but you lose water through your skin because
of the dry air. You should also drink more water if you're in heavy winds.
Your
body is about two-thirds water and uses it to help circulate blood, process
food and assist other internal processes.
If
you use more water than you take in, you'll begin to suffer from dehydration.
With
severe dehydration, your cells shrink and circulation stops, causing a
lack of oxygen flow to your muscles.
Dehydration
can start as soon as six hours of not having water, and more than a full day
without water is cause for serious concern.
The
human body can only live about three days without it.
Now
that we understand the importance of water, it should be pretty clear that your
shelter should be as close to a water source as possible.
If
you're lucky enough to find a source, you need to make sure you purify it.
Clear
rivers and lakes may look clean, but there are millions of organisms in fresh
water.
If
you don't purify it, you can get extremely sick from bacteria or viruses.
Freshwater
springs can be safe to drink from without filtering, but in a survival situation
you should err on the side of caution.
In
this article, we'll take a look at different ways you can find or collect safe
drinking water in the wild.
Water Basics
The first thing you should do if you're stranded in
the wild is find a source of drinkable water.
The
most obvious sources are streams, rivers and lakes.
Animals
always know where the water is, so be on the lookout for wildlife or animal
tracks.
Lush
green vegetation is also a sign that water is nearby.
Swarming insects may be a hassle, but they also signal that a
water source isn't far away.
Bird
flight paths in the morning or evening can point you in the right direction.
Stay
on the move until you find a water source. When you pause to rest, use
your ears -- rivers can be heard in the quiet woods from
great distances.
Remember
that water always flows downhill, so low-lying areas and valleys are a good
bet.
If
you find a muddy area, there may be groundwater available.
Dig
a hole about a foot deep and one foot in diameter and wait.
You
may be surprised to find that the hole is soon filled with water.
This
groundwater will be muddy, but straining it through some cloth will clean it
up, and it will get you by in the short term.
It's
crucial to remember that any time you drink found water without purifying it,
you're taking a risk.
Rainwater
in most rural areas can usually be consumed without risk of disease or illness.
If
it rains, use any and all containers you can get your hands on to collect it.
If
you have a poncho or can find some plastic sheeting, spread it out and tie the
corners to trees a few feet off the ground.
Find
a container and tie the poncho on a slant with a slight sag to allow the rain
to collect and drain. If you can't find a container, tie it level on all four
corners and give it even more of a sag -- it will serve as a makeshift water
bag.
If
the rainwater tastes a little different, it's because it lacks certain minerals
that are found in groundwater or streams.
If
you're near snow and ice, melt it and drink the water. Don't ever eat it frozen
-- it'll reduce your body temperature and lead to dehydration.
The
melted snow and ice should also be purified if you have the means.
Heavy
dew can also provide potable water.
Before
the sun rises, tie some absorbent cloth around your
shins and take a walk through some high grass.
You
may be able to soak up enough water for an early morning drink.
Vegetation
helps supply you with water as well. Fruits, coconuts, cacti, vines, palm trees and bamboo can be good sources of
liquid sustenance.
Bend
the top of a green bamboo tree down about a foot off the ground and tie it off.
Cut a few inches off the tip, put a container underneath and leave it
overnight.
The
next day, you should have a nice amount of clear, drinkable water.
No
matter how dire your circumstances, you should never drink the following:
·
Blood
·
Urine
·
Fish juices
·
Salt water
·
Alcohol
·
Fresh sea ice
Fresh
sea ice is milky or grey, has sharp edges, does not break easily and is
extremely salty.
Older
sea ice is usually salt-free, and you can spot it by its blue or black tint,
rounded edges and breakability.
As
with snow, you should melt old sea ice and ideally purify it before you drink
it.
In
the next section, we'll look at some water collection methods.
Water Collection
Techniques
If you're stranded and there isn't a fresh water source
around, then you need to get to work on collecting water.
There
are a few techniques to do this, and it doesn't hurt to set up more than one
system.
The
more water you can collect, the better your chances of survival.
One
pretty basic way you can collect water is to make a belowground still.
To
do this, you'll need some plastic sheeting, a digging tool, a container, a
drinking tube and a rock.
·
Choose a moist area that gets
sunlight for most of the day.
·
Dig a bowl-shaped hole about
three feet across and two feet deep, with an additional sump dug in the center.
·
The sump should be flat and big
enough to hold your container.
·
Place the container into the
sump.
·
Put the drinking tube in the
container and run it up and out of the main hole.
·
Place the plastic over the hole
and cover the sides with rock and soil to keep it there.
·
Put your rock in the center of
the sheet and let it hang down about 18 inches, directly over the container to
form an inverted cone.
·
Add more soil on the edges for
stability.
The
moisture from the ground reacts with the heat from the sun to produce
condensation on the plastic.
The
still forces the condensation to run down the plastic and into your container.
You
can also add vegetation inside the hole to increase the amount of moisture --
just make sure the plants aren't poisonous.
Use
the tube to drink directly from the container. If you don't have one, you can
remove the container and reassemble it after.
A
good still can produce up to one quart of drinking water per day.
For
better-tasting water, let it sit for 12 hours if you can afford to.
You
can also make a filter to remove any visible particles:
·
Find a large can, hollow log or
plastic bag. Hollow bamboo will also work.
·
Punch 5-10 small holes around the
base of your container and suspend it from the ground.
·
Fill it with alternating layers
of rock, sand and cloth.
·
Use both fine and coarse layers,
the more the better.
·
Pour your collected water into
the filter and catch it in another container below.
·
The water should come through
fairly clear, if not you can pour it through again. Add charcoal from your fire
to remove odor -- just make sure you filter the charcoal out with some
cloth. This method merely removes large sediment and improves the taste. You
should always purify the water by boiling it.
·
In the next section, we'll look
at some other techniques for collecting water.
More Water
Collection Techniques
If your energy is low, you'll want to avoid the
digging involved in a belowground still.
All
you really need is a clear plastic bag, and you can use the transpiration
technique to collect potable water:
·
In the morning, take a bag and
tie it around a leafy green tree branch or shrub.
·
Weight the inside with a rock to
create a low point for the water to collect.
Over
the course of the day the plant will transpire and produce moisture that will
collect at the low point.
Poke
a hole to drink the water or pour it into a container for later.
The
water will taste like whatever plant you choose, but it's better than nothing.
It's
also important to use non-poisonous vegetation. Once you're done, tie the hole
shut and reuse the bag.
If
you're near the coastline, a beach well is an excellent way to
get drinkable water.
Dig
a 3-5 foot hole in the depression behind the first sand dune. This is typically
about 100 feet from the waterline.
Put
rocks in the bottom of the well to keep sand from getting too active and line
the sides with wood if you can -- this will prevent the walls from caving in.
In
a few hours, you could have up to five gallons of filtered water. If it tastes
too salty, you should move further back behind the second sand dune.
This
well technique works near any body of water. Dig swamp and lake wells closer to
the water than the beach version.
The
same method also works in the desert during the wet season -- just dig at the
low point between dunes, near vegetation.
Look
for moist soil in dry river beds and chances are you can find groundwater
underneath.
Now
that we've collected water, it's time to purify it.
Purifying Water
If you're lost in the wild near a river or lake, half
the battle is over.
In
order to safely drink this water, you need to purify it.
Boiling
is the best and easiest way to make fresh water safe -- 10 minutes at a steady
boil is a good rule of thumb.
Of
course, boiling water means you need fire and a container of some kind.
If
you don't have a container, you can probably find one or more of these items:
·
Aluminum can
·
Tin can
·
Large shell
·
Plastic bottle
·
Glass jar
Use
your shirt or other cloth to filter out large bits of sediment before boiling.
Believe
it or not, plastic bottles do work for boiling. One method is to
completely fill the bottle with water, cap it and drop it into some hot coals.
The
lack of air in the bottle should keep it from melting.
If
you don't have enough water to fill the bottle, suspend it above the fire with
rope or vine so the flames just touch the bottom.
The
risk of boiling in a plastic bottle is that your bottle and main collection
device may be gone.
If
you can't start a fire, leave the water in the sun in a clear container to
help kill bacteria.
Another
way to purify water is to use purification tablets.
Many
companies manufacture them, and they're mandatory in any survival kit.
The
tablets use either iodine or chlorine to treat the water. Many people are
allergic to iodine, so make sure you know if you are before you use them.
Murky
water often needs more than one tablet to make it safe, and any tablet needs at
least 30 minutes to be fully effective.
Like
with boiling, it's best to give the water an initial straining with some kind
of cloth.
It's
also safer to drink warmer water, so if it's from a cold mountain stream, allow
it to heat up a little in the sun first.
When
you drop the tablet in the bottle, swish some of the water onto the cap and the
mouth's threads.
After
boiling it or treating it with tablets, pour the water back and forth between
two containers. It will add oxygen and improve the taste.
Giardiasis isn't
the name of a fine Italian wine. It's actually the most common waterborne
disease in humans. Giardia lamblia is a parasite that lives in the intestines
of humans and animals. It's expelled from the body in feces, and if it's near a
body of water, the lake or stream will be contaminated.
Cramping, nausea and diarrhea are
the most common symptoms of giardiasis. Symptoms may not show up for two weeks
and once present can last as long as six weeks. If infected, get medical
attention as soon as possible.
Cryptosporidiosis doesn't sound
too inviting either, and for good reason. It's another waterborne illness
involving parasites found in feces. The same symptoms as giardiasis can be
expected, but more severe. Both of these parasites can be found in soil and
vegetation as well, so wash anything you plan on eating in purified water and
remember -- to give yourself the best chance at survival, you should always
boil your water, even if it looks clean and clear.
About Charles W. Bryant
Charles
W.(Chuck) Bryant co-hosts the 'Stuff You Should Know' podcast along with his trusty
sidekick, Josh Clark. He was born in Atlanta in the early 1970s under the sign
of Pisces. Twenty-four years later, he earned an English degree at the
University of Georgia. He spent the next decade traveling, pursuing creative
endeavors and getting street smart. He and his wife-to-be moved back to Atlanta
in 2004, with four pets in tow. He hooked up with HowStuffWorks.comshortly after co-host Josh was hired,
and the pair bonded immediately over their love of Hunter S. Thompson, the
fight-or-flight response and dive bars. In his off-time, Chuck enjoys hanging
out with his wife, cooking and playing in his old-man band. He loves his neti
pot and hates cold bathroom floors. You can find Chuck on Twitter at @SYSKPodcast and on Facebook at the
official Stuff You Should Know page.
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