Drinking Water

IF AT ALL POSSIBLE AVOID COLLECTING WATER FROM STAGNANT PONDS, OFTEN INDICATED BY SURFACE FOAM AND DENSE GROWTHS OF CATTAILS AND BULLRUSHES.

Boiling Water

· Boiling water is an effective way to make water safe to drink. Find something to boil your water in and put it on your fire. Bring the water to a good boil and boil it there for 15 minutes. Let it cool before you drink.

Sand Water Filter

· To start with, you need a container. If you can find a large, empty can, use it. Punch 5-10 holes in the bottom of the can. A large plastic bottle is also fine. Cut the end of the bottle off evenly. If there is no container available, you have to use what material that nature can provide, or that you brought with you. If you find a birch tree, make a cone of birch bark. The cone will need to have a fairly small hole in the bottom. Tie the cone with rope to keep it from opening up. First, you need to stop the sand from getting out of the container. Find some filter material you can place at the bottom. Like a couple of inches of pebbles, a small piece of your cotton shirt or a grass mesh but make sure it’s nonpoisonous grass or cotton material. To improve your water filter, add a layer of charcoal between the gravel and sand layer. Get charcoal from your fire and crush it, not to powder but just fine gravel size. Add a layer of gravel. The main purpose of the gravel layer is to strengthen the filter material and prevent sand mixed with the water you get from the filter. Fill your bottle or cone with sand. Collect some water. Pour your collected water through the filter. Catch it in another container at the bottom. Look at the water that comes out of the filter. It should be clear. If not, you may have to pass the water through the filter more than once. This should be safe to drink now but to improve your water filter, add a layer of charcoal between the gravel and sand layer. Get charcoal from your fire and crush it, not to powder but just fine gravel size. Add a layer of gravel. The main purpose of the gravel layer is to strengthen the filter material and prevent sand from mixing with the water you get from the filter. To insure that this water is 100% free of parasites and bacteria you may want to boil it if you can.

Solar Still

· Build your solar still in the lowest, dampest area you can find. Areas such as dried up creek beds or at the base of a hill were water will accumulate is the best place for gathering it. For this method you will need a large sheet of plastic a cup or container and about six feet of tubing. Dig a large hole in the ground about two feet deep and around three feet in diameter. Place your cup or container in the bottom of the hole in the center then place one end of your tubing in the cup. The tubing will be used as a long straw. Cover the hole with your plastic sheet and place dirt on the outside edges of the plastic to keep it from moving. Now place a small rock in the center of the plastic sheet directly over the cup. This will create a cone over the cup with the point pointing into your cup allowing the water to drip off into your cup. The way this works is as the sun's rays heat up the soil, moisture evaporates and condenses to the plastic. Then the water will run down the cone shape and drip into your cup.  

Rain Water

· A simple way to get drinking water is to catch rain water in a cup. 

Plant Condensation

· You can tie a plastic bag around a tree branch or plant with good leaves that is exposed to direct sunlight and the leaves will excrete drinking water.  

The human body is made up of 75% water. In a survival situation it is vital to replenish your body’s water. You must make finding water one of your top priorities.