It’s no secret that we need more water than anything else. Even if we have an ample supply set aside, it still will only last for so long. I’m sure everyone knows that they can, and will, supplement their water supplies with rain water
I just wanted to take a few minutes to share a way to get some water. Someday, you might find yourself in a situation where it seems that there is no water at all. This may be especially true if you live in the southwest, where a large desert could be your bug out location. In this situation, you can make the heat of the day work to your advantage. All you will need is a tarp, a bowl or something that will hold water, a handful of stones, and the means to dig a hole.
Start by digging a hole, about 3′x 3′ square and about 2 ft deep(or deeper), preferably in a place that gets sun most of the day. Place your bowl in the center of the hole and cover with the tarp. Use the heavier stones to place on top of the tarp around the edges to hold in place. Then place a smaller stone in the center of the tarp. You will then need to tinker with the tarp to make sure that it has enough slack in it to allow the center stone to dip in towards the center of your hole about at least a third of the depth.
When the heat of the day arrives, the hot sun will cause the cooler air under the tarp to condense. The condensation will start to collect on the bottom of the tarp. Since your tarp is weighted in the center, the condensation will run down to the central location and then drip into your bowl.
Clearly this is not going to give you a large water supply, but it will be enough to keep you alive. Just make sure you are not loosing more water than you are taking in. In desert environments, it’s best to do most of your labor at night. This way you will not sweat so much.
Another condensation trick… If you happen across some water that looks like you don’t want to risk drinking. You can use that same trick in reverse. Set up a place to boil the water you found. Place your tarp centered over the location of the steam produced from the boil. This time, allow your tarp to trail downward toward a collection point. When the water boils, the condensation collects on your tarp and drips into your bowl. The water you found may not be safe to drink, but the condensation is.
Good luck to you all….
Dean in Michigan..
{ 6 comments }
That was a really good post. I remember reading about that some time ago but I forgot exactly how to do it and now I know. Water is one of those things that it is nice to have about 10 different ways to get so you can feel confident you will always have water to drink if nothing else. Good work.
Good information to have. I am printing this and adding to my "book". Thanks for the posting.
Here's a twist to the still that I learned in desert survival training at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. cut up pieces of cactus, and lay them around your catch can in the bottom of the still. As the water in the cactus ecaporates and re-condences on the tarp, it will drop into the can. This is much faster.
TheGrillSgt.
Way to go Dean and Grill Sgt. You both are a step up for this blog along with M.D. for posting this.
Grill is right on- and I'll add that any plant will work though not as moisture rich as cacti. Also, if you're going to be parked a while in the same spot, no need to disturb your 'still' to get a drink if you take a piece of hose or tubing and insert one end into your 'still pot', clip the topside end to the tarp/plastic, and use it as a straw to suck out moisture during the day.
Watch out for little critters that need water, too- could be quite a surprise under that tarp.
Shy III
Hey! I remember this trick: We did it in Boy Scouts many (cough) many years ago. We used black trash bags. Removing them from the hole without getting dirt in the water cup took two people and a bit of practice. Four stills made enough water in eight hours for one or two people, and it tasted horrible. Putting vegetation in the hole improved production but also meant more bugs in the water.
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