If one day you find yourself at the summit of towering mountains, spending the whole day traversing vast forests, and run out of drinking water while suffering from thirst — with dense woods ahead and no water source behind — how will you use your wits to obtain the water you need? It’s likely none of us have had this experience, but if you were in such a situation, could you quickly find a water source?

Where Is the Water Source?

  Unless you are in a vast desert, finding water sources is usually not difficult, and plant-based alternative water is everywhere — as long as you have a deep understanding of plants and keen powers of discernment and observation, you can easily obtain it. First, let’s talk about common water sources:

Groundwater:This includes snowmelt from high mountains, stream water, rainwater that has seeped underground, water accumulated in valley lowlands, and spring water flowing from rock crevices. All these can be considered groundwater. Such water sources are relatively easy to access, but you must pay attention to disinfection.

Surface Water:This includes muddy water, rainwater, dew, etc. Methods for collecting them are as follows: Muddy Water: First, fashion a conical grass device about one foot long from straw, pour the water into a filtering container, and collect it at the bottom in another vessel. Filter it several times, then disinfect before drinking. Rainwater Collection: When it rains, make a hole in the trunk of a large tree, insert a bamboo tube, and let the rainwater gather and flow down the tube. Collect it at the bottom in a vessel. If you don’t have a tool to make a hole, you can wrap a long cloth strip around the tree trunk, leaving about a foot inside the vessel, and the rainwater will flow along the cloth into the vessel. Dew Collection: Place a metal sheet outdoors overnight. When dew condenses into water droplets, collect them. Alternatively, you can dig a shallow pit about three feet in diameter on the ground, cover it with a tarp (or paper, cloth, taro leaves, etc.), then arrange stones on top to form a V-shape about three feet high. The dew will flow down the stones and accumulate on the tarp. The next day, remove the stones and you can collect 3–5 cc of water, which should then be disinfected before drinking.

  If both surface and groundwater sources are dried up, or if the water is unclean and undrinkable, you can find alternative water from plants. Methods for collecting it are as follows:

Water Trees:Trees that are thick-trunked, have broad leaves, and bear many fruits usually store abundant water within their trunks. Just use a sharp tool to cut a hole in the trunk, and water will flow out. However, you should make the hole after sunset when it is dusk to get the water.

Water Vines:Found in wet areas near streams below 800 meters altitude. Cut a section of the vine, and water will gush out. Once it stops flowing, cut another section about a foot above the previous one, and water will flow again.

Cactus:Various types of cactus contain a lot of water. Cut off the top, and the juice will flow from the cut. Then mash the fruit’s shell and pulp, and suck the juice with a straw. But if the juice is milky white, do not drink it as it may be toxic. Wild Sugarcane: Just cut a hole in the stalk, and water will come out. You can also cut off the branches and leaves and drink directly from the cut, though it tastes a bit astringent. But if there are no other options, wild sugarcane is also one of the best plant-based alternatives for water. Palm Trees: This method takes more time. Cut down the trunk, remove the top, lay it on the ground diagonally, and collect water at the root using a container. Remove a section of the stem every eight hours — you can collect about 5–8 cc of water per day.

Bamboo:For thick bamboo species like moso bamboo, ma bamboo, and Phyllostachys edulis, the stems naturally contain a small amount of moisture. Dry-harvested bamboo stems contain even more water, especially convenient to collect after rain — but be sure to check whether the water inside the stem is clean.

Coconuts:Unripe young coconuts are edible. Ripe coconut fruits contain juice that is incredibly thirst-quenching and cooling, and can help treat constipation and indigestion.

Wild Luffa:Cut the stem and roots, collect the water in a vessel, or wrap the cut area with plastic bags. Retrieve it the next day to get about 5–6 cc of water.

  You can also use animals to guide you to water, because where animals appear, there is usually a water source nearby. Also, be sure to check whether the water is clean. A common way to test it is to spit on the water’s surface — if it spreads quickly, it’s safe to drink. If it stays clumped together, the water is not clean and must be disinfected before drinking.

Common Disinfection Methods:

  Boiling Method.

  Iodine Tincture Disinfection Method: Add iodine tincture from a first aid kit at an 8.2% ratio to 1000 cc of water.