For all your outdoor adventures

Finding water

Water is necessary for survival. You cannot live long without it, especially in hot areas where you lose water through perspiration. But even elsewhere, 2 liters a day is an absolute minimum to maintain effciency. Check basic survival medicine to find out more about your body's water requirements. In this section we focus on finding safe sources of water. Finding a source of water should be one of your primary objectives when you are in a survival situation.

Sources of water in wilderness

Water can be fund in almost any environment. Below you can find a brief description of water sources in various areas with information on how to make the water potable.

Environment
Source of water
Means of obtaining or making potable
Remarks
Frigid areas
Snow and ice
Melt and purify
>Do not eat ice or snow without melting it. This can reduce your body temperature and lead to even higher dehydration.

>Snow and ice do not have to be pure (even if white). You should always purify water you obtain from them.
>Sea ice that is gray in colour or opaque is salty. You have to desalt it before using. Sea ice that is crystaline with bluish cast has little salt in it.

At sea
Sea
Use desalter kit
Do not drink sea water without desalting. On every lifeboat you should be able to find a desalter kit.

Rain

Catch rain in traps and in other holding material.
It may hapen that the trap or water holding material becomes encruster with salt. It is worthwhile to wash it in the sea before using. Very little salt will remain on it.
Sea ice

See remarks above for frigid areas.

Beach
Ground
Dig holes deep enough to allow water to seep in. Obtain rocks, build fire, heat rocks and throw them in water. Hold a cloth over the hole to absorb steam. Wring water from cloth.
If you have a container or a bark pot you can use an alternative method. Fill the container or the pot with the sea water, build fire and boil the water to produce steam. Again, hold cloth over the the container to absorb the steam. Wring water from cloth.
Desert
Ground
  • in valleys and low areas
  • at foot of concave by river beads
  • at foot of cliffs or rock outcrops
  • at first depression behing the first sand dune of dry desert lakes
  • wherever you find damp surface sand
  • wherever you find green vegetation
Dig holes deep enough to allow water to seep in.

In a sand dune belt, any available water will be found beneath the original valley floor at the edge of dunes.

Depressions or holes in rocks
Periodic rainfall may collect in pools, seep into fissures or collect in holes in rocks.
Cacti
Cut off the top of a barrel cactus and mash and squeeze the pulp.
CAUTION: Do not eat the pulp. Place pulp in mouth, suck out the juce and discard the pulp.

Without a machete, cutting into a cactus is difficult and takes time since you must get past the long, strong spines and cut through the tough rind.

Fissures in rock
Insert flexible tubing and siphon water. If fissure is large enough you can lower a container into it.
Without a machete, cutting into a cactus is difficult and takes time since you must get past the long, strong spines and cut through the tough rind.
Porous rock
Insert flexible tubing and siphon water.
Condensation on metal
Use cloth to absorb water and then wring the cloth.
Extreme temperature variations between night and day may cause condensation on metal surfaces.
When in the desert look for following signs that can help you find water:
  • In the desert almost all tails lead to water. You should follow the direction in which the trails converge. Also look for signs of camps, campfire ashes, animal droppings.
  • Flocks of birds will circle over water holes. Some birds fly to water holes at dawn and at sunset. Their flight at these times is usually fast and close to the ground. Bird tracks or chirping sounds in the evening or early morning sometimes indicate that water is nearby.