GUIDE TO FINDING WATER IN THE WILDERNESS

This article is a guide to finding water in the wilderness. When outdoors in a survival situation this should be your first priority, followed by building a shelter and starting a fire.

To stay healthy, people need around 2 Liters of water per day. In a stressful survival situation, and when facing either hot or cold temperatures (where you lose moisture from perspiration or through your skin to dry air, respectively) the body needs even more water.

Dehydration will start affecting you just 6-12 hours in, so it is essential to secure a water supply as quickly as humanely possible. In this article we will cover different ways to find water in the wilderness.

FILTERING AND PURIFYING WATER

When water is found, it must be put through a filtering and purifying process. This site has covered this subject in great depth, so if you require more information on the topic you can find it in these articles:

Emergency Water Filtration and Purification

How to Distill Water at Home

Emergency Water Filters

Creating an Emergency Water Supply

Again, I need to stress: this article is about finding water. Once it is found, IT MUST BE FILTERED AND PURIFIED! There are all kinds of materials that may be harmful to humans in an unknown water source. Do not neglect this step.

SOURCES OF WATER IN THE WILDERNESS

Lakes, Rivers and Streams

The most obvious sources of water are large ones like lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, etc. Remember that fresh water is better than salt water, moving water is always better than stagnant, and cooler water is better than warm.

Signs that a water source may be nearby:

The presence of wildlife

Animal tracks

Lots of vegetation

Swarming insects

Birds flying towards the area

Water flows downhill obviously, so low-lying areas are a good place to look for water.

Rivers can be heard from a large distance, so give a listen and follow the sound of water if you hear it.

Groundwater

If an area is muddy, there may be groundwater underneath. Dig a hole 1 foot deep, 1 foot wide. If groundwater exists, the hole will fill up rather quickly. Once collected, strain this water through a cloth to get rid of the dirt before putting the water through the filtering and purifying steps.

Rainwater

Rainwater outside of the cities is relatively clean and safe to drink. Use containers to collect it. Set up plastic sheeting and tarps at an angle to collect as much rain as possible, and direct it into a container. You can even form plastic sheeting into a bag shape and collect water that way.

 Dew

Moisture collects on plants and can be collected at dawn. Consider tying a plastic bag around the branch of a tree. Another clever idea I heard of was to cover your legs in cotton cloth, and walk through high grass before sunrise. The cotton will absorb a lot of moisture, which can then be strained and collected.

Vegetables and Fruits

Different vegetation can supply you with moisture. Various fruits, cacti, coconuts, bamboo and vines can be harvested for their water.

Snow and Ice

In a snowy environment, you have a steady supply of water. Remember two guidelines- 1) always melt and warm the water (eating snow will torpedo your body temperature) and 2) always filter and purify it. Just because it is frozen doesn’t mean it is safe!

figure 1

Solar Stills

An advanced idea is creating a solar still. Here’s how to do it (see figure 1):

1) Dig a hole a few feet deep in moist soil.

2) Put a cup in the center of the hole.

3) Collect moist vegetation and place it around the cup inside of the hole.

4) Place a plastic sheet over the hole, using stones to hold it in place.

5) Place a pebble or a coin on the plastic sheeting, directly above the cup.

Moisture will evaporate from the soil and vegetation, collecting on the plastic sheet. It will move to the lowest point, created by the pebble/coin, and drip into the cup. After a while you will have a cup filled with distilled water (what is distilled water?) ready to drink.

FINDING WATER IN THE DESERT

Finding water in the desert is a bit of a unique situation, so here are a few guidelines, should you ever find yourself in this unenviable situation:

Pay attention to any wildlife or vegetation. They will give you clues as to where the nearest water source is.

Dig a foot-deep hole in any dry river beds or near vegetation. If there’s no water above, there must be below…

URINE FOR A SURPRISE...a popular notion these days is drinking urine in survival situations. Thsi can be used as a last resort, but generally urine is high in salt which will increase dehydration, and will be marginally helpful if at all. Plus it tastes bad!

Good luck and stay prepared!