More Water Collection Techniques

If your energy is low, you'll want to avoid the digging involved in a belowground still. All you really need is a clear plastic bag, and you can use the transpiration technique to collect potable water:

  • 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.

Transpiration bag.

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.

Beach Well

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.

Don't Drink the Water
­Giardiasis isn't the name of a fine Italian wine. 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 doesn't sound too inviting either, and for good reason. It's 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 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.

­

­Now that we've collected water, it's time to purify it.