Water makes up nearly 70% of the human body. All physiological reactions in the body depend on water. It is involved in metabolism, heat dissipation, and detoxification, and is an indispensable substance for maintaining life and health. Statistics show that the human body can survive without water for about 150 hours (affected by ambient temperature). Therefore, the most important thing for outdoor adventurers in extreme situations is to first find water.
Hunger can be endured, but thirst is hard to bear. Today, we’ve consulted many experienced outdoor veterans to introduce some methods for sourcing water in the wild.
Finding Water Sources
Listen: Rely on your keen sense of hearing. Pay attention to whether there are sounds of mountain streams or waterfalls at the foot of mountains, in valleys, basins, or low-lying areas, as well as the sounds of frogs or waterfowl.
Smell: Use your nose to detect damp odors, or the scent of soil carried by the wind, and the smell of aquatic plants. Then follow the direction of the scent.
Observe: With rich experience and knowledge, observe animals, plants, weather, climate, and the geographical environment to locate water sources.
Finding Water Sources Based on Weather Changes
Where you see a rainbow, there must have been rain; under dark, thunderous cumulonimbus clouds, there is definitely rain or hail; in valleys perpetually shrouded in thick fog, there is water; collecting dew can also provide temporary relief.
Finding Water Sources Based on Plant Growth
Areas where cattails, sand willows, reeds, daylilies (also called yellow flowers), and mustard greens grow usually have higher groundwater levels and better water quality; places with shepherd’s purse, mugwort, or sand-loving plants also have groundwater, but the water quality is poor, often bitter, astringent, or rusty; in early spring, when other tree branches haven’t sprouted yet but one spot has, there is groundwater; in autumn, when leaves elsewhere have turned yellow but one patch remains green, there is groundwater; additionally, plants like cottonwood, plane trees, willows, and salt cedar only grow where there is water—digging beneath them will likely yield groundwater.
Finding Water Sources Based on Terrain and Geology
“As people go uphill, water flows downhill.” This proverb tells us we can look for water in low-lying areas, valleys, and gentle slopes. Sandstone and shale are widely distributed across China, and springs often emerge in valleys, basins, or at the contact surfaces between sandstone and shale. Additionally, deep within caves and along fracture zones in sedimentary, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks, mineral-rich spring water suitable for direct drinking can often be found.
Finding Water Sources Based on Animal and Insect Activity
Places where mosquitoes gather in summer and fly in a cylindrical shape definitely have water; areas where frogs, large ants, or snails live also have water; additionally, the flight paths of swallows and places where they build nests with mud are all indicators of water presence or high groundwater levels. Furthermore, quails fly toward water in the evening and away from it in the morning; flocks of turtle doves fly toward water sources at dawn and dusk—all are clues to locating water.
Improving Water Quality
Once we’ve found a water source, how to extract the water is another issue.
Collecting water in the wild can sometimes be quite difficult, especially as industrialization progresses—many previously high-quality water sources have been more or less polluted, particularly downstream sections of rivers. Therefore, it’s important to understand the industrial activities upstream. For murky lakes or ponds, observe whether there is any life in the water and the condition of surrounding vegetation (whether flowers and grasses are withered or discolored). Poor-quality water that must be consumed should be purified and filtered. If you don’t have purification tablets, medical iodine, bleach, vinegar, or similar items, check out the methods below. Reported by our reporter Huang Lei, illustrated by Liang Jinming.
Sedimentation Method
After collecting the water you’ve found, you can add a small amount of alum or mashed kapok twigs, cactus, or walnut kernels, stir well, and let it settle for 30 minutes. This way, you’ll get relatively clean water.
Filtration Method
When the water source you find is muddy, with floating debris, microorganisms, or worm larvae, and digging a pit isn’t feasible due to the surrounding environment, you can use a plastic bag (preferably sturdy and not prone to tearing), poke small holes in the bottom, or use a cotton glove, handkerchief, sleeve, or pant leg. A cola bottle can also be used—first remove the bottom, then poke several small holes in the cap with a knife, and layer 2–4 cm of clean fine sand (5–7 layers thick) from the bottom up, pressing it down firmly. Slowly pour the unclean water into this makeshift filter. Once water begins to drip out from the bottom, you can collect the filtered clean water using a basin or kettle.
Improving Saline-Alkaline Water
In the deserts and Gobi regions of northwestern China, what you can mostly find is saline-alkaline water, which is undrinkable. What to do? Veteran traveler Lao Zhou suggests: in areas with moist sand or brackish water, dig a sand pit 1.5 meters in diameter and 1 meter deep, cover it with a layer of transparent plastic film, secure the edges with stones, and place a small stone in the center so the plastic film forms an inverted cone. Remember to place a water-catching container above the cone in advance. Sunlight passing through the plastic film causes the moisture in the sand pit to evaporate, and the water vapor condenses into droplets on the plastic film, dripping down the tip of the cone into the container.
Seawater Desalination Method
By the sea, you can desalinate seawater by boiling it to collect distilled water. When boiling seawater, place a towel inside the lid of the pot to absorb the water droplets, then wring them into a large seashell or other container. Repeat this process to obtain the required drinkable freshwater. In winter, you can freeze seawater in a container—the resulting ice can also serve as drinkable freshwater.