Water sourcing in the wild
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When you venture outdoors, you need to prepare for the worst getting lost or stranded is always a possibility.
Knowing where to get drinkable water is not only a good thing if you are hiking on a particularly hot day, but it could also be the difference between a dramatic anecdote and a sad story with a tragic ending.
Keep in mind that even though you may find water quickly, you should only drink from wild sources when absolutely necessary.
Usually two liters per person, per day, as the National Park Service recommends. And, if you get lost or stranded, know that your ultimate goal is to stay hydrated enough to survive and be rescued.
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.
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.
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.
It's crucial to remember that any time you drink found water without purifying it, you're taking a risk.
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.
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.
Giardiasis...... 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 is 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 remember to 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.
Freshwater springs can be safe to drink from without filtering, but in a survival situation you should not make a mistake on the side of caution.
An environment characterized by blazing hot sun and extremely dry air is much worse. “The heat and some wind will take water out of you really quickly,”
Once you have handle on your situation, consider your available hydration resources.
You’ll find three types of surface water outside the wild, such as...
Rivers and lakes.
Groundwater from springs.
Rainwater.
When you find some, there’s one thing to check for first... Life of the water.
“If you find a beautiful pool of water and it looks sterile there’s nothing living in it......Please don’t drink it,”
“Life wants water, and if even algae can’t grow in it, it’s probably not good to drink.”
Look for animal tracks, swarms of bugs, and green vegetation nearby, if other living things are drinking from it, you probably can, too.
Most of what makes water dangerous isn’t visible, and that’s true of taps as well as streams.
Natural water sources can become contaminated for a host of reasons....
Heavy rains creating nasty runoff...
Dead animals rotting away upstream, and, near campsites...
People not knowing how to poop in the woods...
Getting a gastrointestinal disease outdoors is no joke and can be deadly. Contaminated water sources may contain pathogens such as cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery.
Groundwater, as its name suggests, is found beneath the Earth’s surface. While it is generally free of bacteria and larger microorganisms, that doesn’t mean it’s always safe to drink.
Any larger contaminants were likely filtered out as the water slowly flowed through dirt, sand, and stone, but chemical pollution, like landfill leakage, may remain.
Rainwater is also not entirely safe, since it carries with it anything it hits on the way down, including air pollution and whatever’s on your roof.
How to find the cleanest source possible...
Running water and groundwater are the most common water sources in the wild, and you’re most likely to find them in valleys, ravines, and other low points, thanks to gravity. The faster the water is flowing, the better, so prioritize running sources over groundwater.
Groundwater moves, too, just on a much smaller scale. The lower you are, the more groundwater you’ll generally find. The best way to track it down is to look for signs of saturation, such as mud, and begin digging.
If a source is cloudy in some way, take a sample, let it sit, and wait to see what you’re dealing with. If it’s just dirt or organic matter, it’ll settle to the bottom and you can carefully pour the potable water into another bottle.
Rainwater is the least-reliable source, but it is easy to collect....
Find an open space, set up something to catch it with, and wait. If you have a tarp or a large plastic sheet, spread it out and tie it up off the ground at all four corners, resting a rock in the center.
No matter where you get your water, don’t just start chugging. You’ll need to purify any water source as much as possible...
* 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 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.
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