Finding Surface Water in the Wilderness
Generally speaking, surface water refers to water sources such as muddy water, rainwater, and dew. These types of water are relatively easy to obtain, but it's important to disinfect them before drinking.
Purifying Muddy Water
To purify muddy water, first fashion a cone-shaped grass filter about a foot long using straw. Pour the muddy water through the filter, collect the filtered liquid in a container at the bottom, repeat the filtration several times, and then disinfect the water before drinking.
Collecting Rainwater
If it happens to be raining, you can make a hole in a large tree trunk, insert a bamboo tube, and let the rainwater flow down the tube into a container placed at the bottom. 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 of the cloth inside the container, and the rainwater will be channeled into the container via the cloth.
Collecting Dew
To collect clean dew, use a metal sheet. Place the metal sheet outdoors in a cool, open area at night, and dew will naturally condense on its surface. Once enough water droplets have formed, tilt the metal sheet to pour the dew into a container. If no metal sheet is available, you can also use stones. Dig a shallow pit about three feet in diameter on the ground, cover it with a tarp (or paper, cloth, sweet potato leaves, etc.), then arrange stones on top to form a V-shape about three feet high. The dew will run down the stones and accumulate in the tarp. The next day, remove the stones, and you’ll get about 3–5 cc of water, which can be disinfected and consumed.
Finding Plant-Based Water Sources in the Wilderness
In the wild, if both ground and underground water sources are dry or contaminated and undrinkable, you can find alternative water sources from plants. Just remember a few common water-rich plants, and hikers can extract water from them.
Water Tree
Any tree that is thick in trunk, has broad leaves, and bears plenty of fruit usually stores a lot of water within. Use a sharp tool to make a hole in the trunk, and water will flow out. However, it’s best to make the hole after sunset—dusk is when you’ll get the most water.
Water Vine
Water vine is a plant with very high water content, commonly found in wet areas and along streams below 800 meters in elevation. To extract water, simply cut a section of the stem, and water will flow out steadily. Once the flow stops, cut another section about a foot higher up, and water will begin to flow again.
Cactus
Cacti contain a lot of water. Cut off the top, and the juice will flow out from the cut. Alternatively, you can mash the flesh and pulp and suck the juice through a straw. However, if the juice is milky white, do not drink it, as milky cactus fluids are often toxic.
Wild Banana
You can get water by making a hole in the trunk of a wild banana tree, or by cutting off its branches and leaves and directly drinking from the cut. Wild bananas taste somewhat astringent, but when there are no other ways to get water, they are one of the best plant-based alternatives.
Bamboo
Many types of thick bamboo, such as Ma bamboo, Moso bamboo, and Matsu bamboo, contain small amounts of water inside their stems. You can drink the water from inside the bamboo joints, but be sure to check whether the water inside the bamboo is clean.
Wild Luffa
If you find wild luffa, you can cut off its stem and root, place the stem into a container, or wrap the cut end with plastic bags. Retrieve it the next day, and you can collect about 5–6 cc of drinking water.
Evaporation-Based Water Collection in the Wilderness
If there are no surface water sources or plants nearby, you can still collect about a cup of water using just a piece of plastic sheeting. Dig an appropriately sized deep hole in damp soil or sand, place a water collection container in the hole, cover the hole with plastic sheeting, and place a small rock in the center of the plastic right above the container to create a depression. Through solar evaporation, moisture from the ground will rise, condense on the underside of the plastic, and then drip down into the container. With some time, you’ll have collected water.
Finally, a reminder to all hikers: when water is scarce, ration your drinking water wisely. Don’t gulp it all down just because of momentary thirst. Even if your drinking water runs out, stay calm. Using the methods described above to find and collect water can help you survive in the wild and get through water shortages.
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