Making a survival water transpiration bag still is similar to the vegetation bag, only easier. Simply tie the plastic bag over a leafy tree limb with a tube inserted, and tie the mouth of the bag off tightly around the branch to form an airtight seal. Tie the end of the limb so that it hangs below the level of the mouth of the bag. The water will collect there. The same limb may be used for 3 to 5 days without causing long-term harm to the limb. It will heal itself within a few hours of removing the bag.
CAUTION Do not use poisonous vegetation. It will provide poisonous liquid!
Survival Water Transpiration Bag
The water filter is a three tier system. The first layer, or grass layer, removes the larger impurities. The second layer, or sand layer, removes the smaller impurities. The final layer, or charcoal layer (not the ash but charcoal from a fire), bonds and holds the toxins. All layers are placed on some type of straining device and the charcoal layer should be at least 5-6 inches thick. Layers should be changed frequently and straining material should be boiled. Remember, this is not a disinfecting method, cysts can possibly move through this system.
Survival Water Filtration Devices
If the water you find is also muddy, stagnant, and foul smelling, you can clear the water--
- By placing it in a container and letting it stand for 12 hours.
- By pouring it through a filtering system.
Note: These procedures only clear the water and make it more palatable. You will have to purify it. ( ie. boiling, iodine, chlorine etc. )
To make a filtering system, place several centimeters or layers of filtering material such as sand, crushed rock, charcoal, or cloth in bamboo, a hollow log, or an article of clothing
Survival Training Notes
The following are excerpts from notes on survival training that was used while an instructor at the Special Forces School (1983-1985) where he was fortunate enough to serve under LTC James N. (Nick) Rowe, and the US Army Ranger School (1986-1988). They reflect his opinions and understandings of survival techniques and in no way should they be accepted as "gospel." If you have a need or interest in wilderness survival, I suggest you research the subject by reading any of the many excellent sources on the market to include: FM 21-76: Survival, The Boy Scout Handbook, Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen, Bushcraft by Richard Graves, or Bernard Shanks' Wilderness Survival.
by Carl J. Archer MAJOR (USAR), Special Forces
The key word "SURVIVAL" is an acronym to be used as an "immediate action drill" to be performed at the outset of a wilderness survival situation. Use this simple phrase to plan measures that will assist you in surviving in the wilderness and returning to civilization. The Key Word "SURVIVAL" will provide you with two of the most important survival skills--the ability to organize yourself and the ability to stay calm.
A. "S" stands for "Size up the situation."
(1) Consider your physical condition and perform any first aid required.
(2) Concentrate your senses on getting a feel for the area.
(3) Conduct an inventory of the equipment you have.
(4) Begin planning.
B. "U" stands for "Undue haste makes waste."
(1) Reacting without thinking or planning can result in faulty decisions and could result in your death.
(2) Acting in haste, just for the sake of action, will make you careless. The natural tendency in a stressful situation is to run. You must overcome this tendency and think of your objectives.
(3) If you act in haste, you may lose or forget equipment, you may not make a survival plan, and you may become disoriented and not know your location. As a cultural group. Americans have little patience. Know this weakness if it is your own particular Achilles' heel.
C. "R" stands for "Remember where you are."
(1) Always knowing where you are on the map and how it relates to the surrounding terrain is a principle no outdoorsman should violate.
(2) If in a group, always know the location of the maps and compasses.
(3) Guard against the natural tendency of allowing someone else to be responsible for navigation. Always be aware of your route, regardless of the mode of travel.
(4) Whether you are in a base camp or on the move, you should always know the following things:
(a) Direction or location of the nearest populated area.
(b) Direction or location to the nearest major transportation artery (river, highway, railroad track, etc.)
(c) Location of local water sources.
D. "V" stands for "Vanquish fear and panic."
(1) Fear and panic are two of the greatest enemies in a survival situation. These are not unusual emotions. The secret is to recognize them and control them.
(2) Fear, panic, and anxiety take their toll on the body. They divert needed energy.
(3) Many people have never been alone and without diversion. This could subject them to anxiety.
(4) The best way to control fear in a survival situation is preparation, prior planning, and training.
E. "I" stands for "Improvise."
(1) Make the wrong tool and do the right job.
(2) Make an object do more than one job.
F. "V" stands for "Value living."
(1) A man's will to survive, to endure, to live, is the key to survival. Maintaining a positive mental outlook and a desire to live will allow an individual to overcome tremendous odds.
G. "A" stands for "Act like the natives."
(1) Many situations we would consider to be "survival situations" are dealt with on a daily basis by primitive peoples all over the world. To them, these situations are a way of life and hold no specific danger. Read about these people and our own ancestors. They survived in a world without electricity, stores, or fast food; you can too.
H. "L" stands for "Learn basic skills."
(1) Learn to put together a survival kit that will meet your specific needs and probable survival situations. Learn to use your survival kit.
(2) Learn to make fire in different environments with different materials.
(3) Learn to build shelter from natural materials.
(4) Learn to find and purify water.
(5) Learn first aid and the treatment of most common survival dangers such as insect stings, snake bites, climatic injuries, etc.
(6) Concentrate on "doing" as opposed to "knowing". Many people know how to build a fire, but cannot build a fire in a rain storm with damp tinder. That is the fine line between surviving or dying.
The physiological and psychological aspects of survival and their significance on an individual in a wilderness survival situation is very subjective. Know your mental, emotional, and physical limitations and prepare for their impact on your ability to survive.
A. Fear is a normal reaction to a threatening situation. Acceptance of this fear will lead to purposeful rather than random behavior. This way will greatly increase chances for survival.
B. How a person will react to fear depends more on himself than on the situation. Timid and anxious persons may respond more coolly to fear than the physically strong or happy-go-lucky.
C. Two factors frequently reported to decrease or help control fear are:
(1) Having confidence in your abilities and your equipment.
(2) Concentrating on the situation at hand and the job to be done.
D. The seven "enemies" of survival are pain, cold, thirst, hunger, fatigue, boredom, and loneliness. They are mental distractions and difficult to overcome.
(1) Pain is uncomfortable but in itself is not harmful or dangerous. It is a symptom of underlying problems and should be monitored. It can be controlled and can become subordinate to efforts to carry on.
(2) Cold numbs the mind, the body, and the will.
(3) Thirst dulls the mind. Serious dehydration may occur in a survival situation even when there is plenty of water available.
(4) Hunger lessens your ability to think rationally.
(5) Even a moderate amount of fatigue can materially reduce mental ability. Fatigue can make you careless and promote the feeling of hopelessness.
(6) Boredom and loneliness are two of the toughest enemies of survival to overcome.
E. Everyone has experienced pain, cold, thirst, hunger, fatigue, boredom, and loneliness, but not to the extent that their survival has been threatened. The more you know about these and their effects on you, the better you will be able to control them, rather than letting them control you.
F. One of the most important psychological requirements for survival is the ability to accept immediately the reality of a new emergency and react appropriately to it.
G. Much of the available evidence demonstrates the importance of having a "preparatory attitude" for whatever emergency may occur. Knowledge and rehearsal of survival and emergency procedures bring about a feeling of confidence and preparation for survival. While you can't prepare for every situation, you can prepare for the most probable situation.
H. Survival may depend more on personality than upon danger, weather, terrain, or nature of the emergency. A person is more prone to survive if he can make up his mind; can improvise; can live with himself,; can adapt to the situation; can remain cool, calm, and collected; hopes for the best, but prepares for the worst; has patience; can take it; and knows where his special fears and worries comes from. The will to survive, along with a positive mental attitude, are key ingredients to surviving.
I. In summary, development of self-sufficiency is the primary means of protecting yourself against the physiological and psychological stress that could affect you in a survival situation. If you have not learned self- sufficiency, it is not too late to begin.
Preparedness for a survival situation is the cornerstone of success. You should build a personal survival kit based on your own needs and the probable situations you will encounter. This kit should be carried whenever you could be placed in a wilderness survival situation.
A. Survival planning begins with realizing that you may be placed into a survival situation at any time. Realizing this, you must take steps to enhance your ability to survive. Be aware of your environment, whether you are entering a strange building or leaving your camp for a short hike.
B. A person's ability to survive cannot be fully judged prior to actually being involved in a survival situation. Training, practice, and preparation may mean the difference between life and death.
C. Become familiar with the contents of any survival kit you have access to. Practice using the contents of your personal survival kit under differing conditions.
D. Carry some forms of survival kit with you at all times. This could range from spare cash on a trip to the city; extra identification, credit cards, and medicine on a trip overseas; or a wilderness survival kit that you carry on a backpacking trip.
E. Before constructing a survival kit, consider your skills, the environment you are working in, and where the kit will be carried.
F. When selecting items for your kit, avoid redundancy and look for items that will perform more than one function. Build flexibility into your kit.
G. The container for your kit should be water repellent, accept components of varying shapes and sizes, and be durable. Your kit should be small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket. A survival kit doesn't do any good if you don't carry it.
H. As a minimum, your wilderness survival kit should allow you to make a fire, build shelter, and purify/carry water. Also consider first aid, signaling, and food procurement.
I. Do not delay the completion of a survival kit to support you in various situations. Do not buy "high speed" components. Concentrate on sturdy, inexpensive components that will perform the required functions.
J. Maintain a survival log in a survival situation. Entries into the log should be clear and concise. They should explain who you are, how you got into a survival situation, and an inventory of your equipment. Further entries should include your activities, what you eat/drink, amount/description of urine/feces, and physical/mental state.
K. Draw a map of the local area. Include a legend, north arrow, location of your shelter, water sources, game trails, your traps and snares, major terrain features, roads, latrine area, and an alternate camp site.
Fire building is one of the three critical factors in a wilderness survival situation. A fire can improve your mental well-being, keep you warm, purify water by boiling, be used as a signal, and cook your food.
A. Selection of a site takes into consideration the possibility of grass or forest fires, wet or flooded ground, rain, and snow.
B. Heat, fuel, and oxygen are needed to build a fire.
C. Heat can be obtained by matches, lighter, magnifying glass, friction, battery, or the discharge of a weapon.
D. Fuel falls into three categories:
(1) Tinder ignites with a minimum of heat. Examples of tinder are birch bark, wood shavings, dry straw/grass, sawdust, waxed paper, bird down, hemp rope/twine, a candle, cloth squares dipped in paraffin/wax, or gasoline mixed with dirt.
(2) Kindling is readily combustible fuel that is added to tinder once sufficient flame is obtained. Examples of kindling are small twigs, cardboard, and split wood.
(3) Sustaining fuel is added to maintain the fire once it is started. Examples of sustaining fuel include deadwood, logs, and split green wood.
E. Holly and fir should not be used for fire building since they can explode.
F. To build a fire, place a small amount of tinder on a clear dry surface; ignite the lower windward side of the tinder; slowly add kindling after the tinder has ignited; slowly add sustaining fuel after the kindling has ignited. Build your fire "loosely" to ensure oxygen can circulate around the fuel.
Exposure to the elements is the biggest killer of people in a survival situation. The ability to shelter yourself from the extremes of the elements will go a long way to improve your chances of survival. Shelter can be portable and carried as part of your kit or built from natural material.
A. In selecting a site for a field shelter, consider what the shelter will protect you from. Ideal sites in winter and summer will differ. Select a winter site near fuel and water that will offer protection from the wind. In summer, choose a site that will protect you from rain, sun, and insects. Evaluate your environment.
(1) In coastal areas, consider high tide levels.
(2) In foothills, avoid flash flood (low) areas.
(3) In mountainous areas, avoid potential avalanche sites.
(4) In all areas, choose a site that is well drained.
B. Ponchos and tarps can be used to construct quick, effective, temporary shelters. Using a poncho or tarp, you can construct a lean-to, pup tent, hammock, or envelope.
C. A timber lean-to is similar to a poncho or tarp lean-to, but it is made from locally procured, natural materials (brush, pine needles, etc.).
D. When building a shelter in snow, insulation from the ground is extremely important.
E. A simple, effective dessert/beach shelter can be made by digging a man sized hole approximately 18 inches deep in the sand and covering it with two layers of shade producing material (poncho, tarp, etc.). There should be an air space of approximately six inches between the shade layers.
The ability to procure and purify water in a survival environment is one of the most critical and difficult tasks to accomplish. Dehydration is second only to exposure as a killer in survival situations. Many survival manuals and kits emphasize food procurement, but water procurement is much more crucial. A person can go weeks without food but only several days without water.
A. Seawater, blood, urine, or alcohol should not be used as a substitute for water. Your body will expend more fluid purifying them than it will derive from them.
B. Snow and ice are an excellent source of water but must be melted prior to use.
C. Rainwater or dew may be collected in waterproof material such as a poncho or tarp. It may be soaked up in cloth and wrung out. Shallow wells may be dug to collect rainfall and run-off. Water may be obtained from hollow trees, puddles, crevices, and leaves.
D. Water may be condensed from the steam of boiling seawater.
E. The basic water still will provide water in almost any environment. The water still can be in ground (a sheet of plastic, weighted in the center, spread over a hole in the ground, with a collection vessel underneath), above ground (a plastic bag filled with non-poisonous green vegetation and placed in the sun), or a transportation still (a plastic bag, tied over the end of a living, non-poisonous plant or tree branch). The in ground still is the best expedient way to purify water in a contaminated environment.
F. Muddy, stagnant, or polluted water should be made clear by filtration through layers of sand, gravel, and charcoal; or by settling prior to purification.
G. Water must be purified by boiling for 5-10 minutes; adding purification tablets per package instructions; adding 5-10 drops of 2% tincture of iodine per quart of water (let stand for 30 minutes); adding 5-10 drops of chlorine bleach per quart of water (let stand for 30 minutes); or using a portable purifier available commercially.
Water Procurement: Depressions in Living Hardwood Trees
Description:
Here's a quick tip on where to find water and how to gather it from natural depressions found at the base of some hardwood trees.
To the surprise of many, the need for water is much higher than for food. Many people have lived for 30 days with no food, but without water, after three or four days you are in serious trouble.
People tend to underestimate how much water is actually needed to perform normal, routine tasks of daily living.
Drinking water is the primary need, but you may need additional water for baths, cooking, flushing toilets, cleaning eating utensils, washing clothes and other chores.
Water availability is affected in natural and man made disasters. In every disaster, the majority of the general population is totally unprepared for even a small interruptions in normal utility and food distribution services. In most disasters, the victims expect and sometimes demand that "someone" provide needed protection, water, shelter and food.
There are myriad ways the water supply can be disrupted. The most common way is due to lack of electricity. With no electricity, there will be no water from water purification plants or your well unless it is a non-electric well.
The second most common way is a water main rupture. Recently, more than 10,000 people in the southeastern United States were out of water for over two weeks due to such a rupture.
Wells can be contaminated by flooding, and well pumps can become damaged by flooding. Freezing weather also takes its toll on well and city water lines.
Local streams are never safe during disasters because raw sewerage and polluted surface water can enter the streams.
During a recent hurricane , the wind blew an excessive amount of leaves into the affected area's reservoirs. The water turned yellow for three weeks and acquired an objectionable taste due to the abnormal amount of leaves that were decomposing.
Container storage -- certain plastic containers such as drywall buckets and plastic trash containers are not intended for food contact and may leach undesirable chemicals into stored water. These containers should be used for transporting water or for storage of water not used for consumption.
Although the 5 gallon drywall bucket is not good for storing drinking water, it is an excellent choice for transporting water and for storage of water not used for consumption.
Any container used for transportation or for storage needs a top during transportation, the top reduces spillage. Tray transporting water in the care trunk in a bucket without a top and you will see how much sloshes out. During storage, the top keeps out dirt, dust, insects, etc.
The 5 gallon buckets used by restaurants for food products are excellent for storing drinking water. If no containers are available, plastic sheets or bags can be used to line porous containers for storing water in emergencies. A depression can ever be dug in the ground and lined with plastic to hold water temporarily.
In storing water for emergency uses, most authorities recommend a minimum of 2 gallons per person per day. This should include one half gallon for drinking and the balance for other uses. It is preferable not to ration water in a survival situation because this may have adverse affects on the health of people involved.
I store non-drinking water for dish washing, toilets, washing clothes, etc. in 5 gallon plastic drywall buckets. My drinking water is stored in out bleach bottles and plastic milk jugs. I add 16 drops of liquid bleach (4-6 percent sodium hypochlorite) per gallon of clear water to protect it during storage form the growth of micro-organisms. I suggest storing an extra jug of bleach to purify any new water that is of questionable quality.
Be careful not to misidentify bleach bottles as containing drinking water if you also have bleach on hand. This is especially dangerous where children are involved. Always remove the bleach label and replace it with the word "WATER" in large indelible letters on the jugs in which the water is stored.
The Utah State University Extension Service offers the following instructions for heat sterilization when using glass containers to store water: "fill clean fruit jars with water, leaving one inch of head space at the top of the jar. Place clean sterilized lids on the jar and process the water in a boiling water bath as fruit juice is processed. Quart jars should be processed 20 minutes. Two quart jars 25 minutes."
Whatever the container used, it is probably a good idea to date each container with a large magic marker or other marking instrument. I'm glad I did mark my first water storage jugs because I now have water that is 8 years old. Water is used on a first- in first-out basis. My water supplies have been used many times in the last 8 years.
Since I do own a generator, a power outage will shut down my well. No electricity, no electric well pump. On several other occasions, my well pump had maintenance problems and the stored water came in very handy while the pump was being repaired.
Don't store plastic containers near fuels, pesticides or similar materials. The vapors from these can penetrate the plastic and contaminate the water. Also, store water in the dark to protect the plastic from sunlight.
One problem commonly encountered in water storage is inventory control. You must be diligent in replacing the water you use and rotate your inventory at least every several years. Use the oldest inventory first. Any questionable water you have in storage can be used for non-drinking purposes.
The local county extension service will test your water for purity. This is a good idea when you have water supplies that have not been rotated for several years.
If you have enough advance notice of a coming water emergency or possible emergency, fill up extra empty mill cartons, jars, bathtubs, sinks, wading pools, trash cans and or any other available container. Obviously water in garbage cans would be used for non-drinking purposes unless filtered and purified.
OTHER WATER SOURCES -- You can use the water for the toilet tank (not the bowl) and it will offer several gallons. You may want to look in your tank right now to see if it needs a good cleaning.
Trapped water in house plumbing lines offers several gallons of clean water. As soon as the water pressure goes off, be careful to shut off your house lines from the street. This action will insure you do not draw in contaminated water or allow your trapped water to flow back into the connecting municipal system. Next, turn off the heat sources to your water heater. To gain access to trapped water in the house line, crack the faucet at the lowest level and drain the lines. I have installed a faucet in my basement to insure I can collect the water from the lines that run under my house. The basement is where I plan to be during a weather alert.
Your water heater tank holds 30 - 40 gallons. Check your water heater tank because it may have a foot or more of sediment in the tank bottom. Sediment removal is a good reason to drain the tank every year. In addition, the removal of sediment will improve the water heater's efficiency. The hot water tank can be drained by opening the faucet at the bottom of the tank. You may need to open the hot water faucet elsewhere in the house to allow the release of the vacuum to allow a free flow of water. The water inlet valve (faucet) should be turned off if you doubt the quality of the inlet water. If the inlet valve is turned off, you may need to vent the water tank by opening the "pop off" valve lever that is used to allow over heated tanks to vent excessive pressure. The faucet at the bottom is threaded to receive a regular garden hose.
The water in a water bed can also be used. Only use this water for non-drinking purposes because of the possibility of algaecide chemicals in the water and plastic chemicals being leached into the water.
A swimming pool offers a large volume of stored water for non- drinking use. In one case a swimming pool provided a whole neighborhood with water after a hurricane. The neighbors set up a temporary shower in the backyard next to the pool. Others who lived nearby carried the water back home in any containers they could find.
If it rains, place buckets or barrels under rain gutter down spouts. You may have to cut or disconnect them so the water can flow into the container. If your container is not clean, you can line it with plastic such as a clean garbage bag. Plastic sheets can be placed on a hillside or be strung between trees to funnel water into your containers.
PURIFYING WATER -- Pollution can affect ice, snow, water in streams and in shallow wells causing these water sources to be unsafe. Even clear streams can have parasites in them. Unpolluted water must be boiled to assure complete destruction of any dangerous organisms.
Properly stored water is the safest in an emergency. If you have to use water from an unknown source or of unknown quality, be aware that the following methods of purifying water do not guarantee the safety of the water but will reduce the risks involved.
Boiling water is one of the safest methods of water purification. It should be boiled for at least 20 minutes to insure that bacteria are killed. Boiling does not remove pollution. The boiling process will make the water taste flat since some air has been driven out. To add back the oxygen and to improve the taste, pour the water several times from one container to another. Another method is to pour the water into a closed container and vigorously shake it. A small piece of wood or a pinch of salt can be added to the boiling water to improve the taste.
Learn how to start an outdoor fire to be used in boiling water. Do not depend on electricity or gas for your heat source.
Only use chemical purification for questionable water if boiling is not possible. Understand that organic matter in the water increased the amount of chemical needed. The colder the water, the more time needed for the chemical to work.
Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water for clear water and double that amount for cloudy or sediment-filled water. Mix well and wait for 30 minutes before using. You should be able to smell the bleach after 30 minutes. If not, repeat the process until you smell the bleach, otherwise do not use the water. If you leave the container uncovered for several hours, the chlorine taste will be reduced and the water will be more palatable.
Always use fresh liquid bleach because it will lose its strength over time. Double the recommended amounts if the bleach is over one year old and do not use it if over two hears old.
Water purification tablets can be used to purify water. They are readily available from sporting goods stores and military surplus outlets.
Use fresh tablets. Normal shelf life for iodine tablets is 3 to 5 years if unopened. iodine tablets work better than bleach or halazone tablets for certain intestinal parasites.In addition, halazone tablets have a shelf life of only 2 year.
Commercial filters combine a filter substance and active ingredients to filter and treat the water at the same time. Some brands are not as effective as they claim.
Clear water should be used whenever possible when purification is needed. If sediment is present, it will settle out in time and the clear water can be poured off or the water can be poured through a cloth or coffee filter to speed up the process.
A novel method to clear up water is to use a cloth siphon arrangement. Place the full cloudy water container higher than the empty clean water container. Roll up a clean dry piece of cloth and put one end in the upper container and the other end in the lower clean container. If the cloth in the lower container is several inches below the cloudy water's water line, then a siphon effect will begin and the water will be filtered. This is a very, very slow process, but is good to know about.
In the distilling process, questionable water is boiled and allowed to condense into safe water.
One method is to allow the water vapor escaping out of a tea kettle to enter an inverted milk jug. The water vapor will condense in the milk jug and run out into a pan set nearby to collect it.
Another method is to run the water vapor through copper tubing (same as used in your house) to condense the vapor into pure water. For quantity production, try to visualize a moonshiners still. Use a larger closed container heated over a fire with copper tubing coiled several times to make such a still.
CONSERVATION -- The more you conserve your water in an emergency, the less you will use or need from storage. For example, toilets use 3-4 gallons per each flush. Add several bricks in the tank to reduce usage (be careful not to have too much waste for each flush). And toilets need not always be flushed after each use. You might also want to build an outdoor toilet trench such as is described in "The Boy Scout Handbook" or other publications.
Stretch out the periods between your baths or showers, or use a Navy type shower procedure, where you turn on the water to wet down, turn off water, soap up and then turn on the water to rinse off. If water is very limited, take a sponge bath when ever practical.
Do not waste water washing clothing other than under clothing. Before you wash, leave clothes outside over night and they will pick up additional moister reducing the amount of wash water needed. A heavy dew will make a wash towel moist enough to use for a sponge bath. It is even better to roll the clothes in the dew to make them very wet before beginning the wash.
Never throw water away without figuring out other uses for it. For example, use the tub water for flushing a toilet. Save the water when you wash your hands and use it for the initial clothes washing water.
Do not dispose of dirty water just because it has sediment in it. You will be surprised how much sediment in dirty water will settle out over night or in several days if left undisturbed. The clearer surface water can be used again for non-drinking purposes.
Finally , it is very important to wash hands when preparing food. Intestinal problems can rapidly dehydrate the body and cause severe health problems.
As you can see, water storage is very simple to accomplish. A little advance preparation can add a great deal of security in our current water-sensitive and highly technological times as well as in any emergency situation.
How to Make a Solar Still to Purify Water
A solar still uses the power of the sun to purify water. The sun's heat evaporates water, and the vapor leaves contamination behind. Once the water vapor hits the top of the solar still, it condensates and slides down the lid into a collection basin. A solar still is one way to purify water. A still is easy to make and good for use in a wilderness survival emergency.
- Shovel
- Water bottle
- Sheet of plastic
- Rock
Step 2 Dig a 3-foot-deep hole. You want to dig into moist soil, because the moisture from the ground will become the potable water. Add vegetation, contaminated water or urine to the hole to add moisture. Remember, a solar still purifies any water; so even urine will be drinkable.
Step 3 Place your water bottle into the center of the hole. To support the bottle upright, you can push dirt around its base.
Step 4 Cover the hole with a sheet of plastic. Seal the edges of the plastic sheet with dirt and rocks. Make sure the plastic is taut and the seal airtight. Place a rock in the center of the plastic and over the bottle. The sheeting should bend to a point over the bottle. When the moisture evaporates, it condensates against the plastic. The condensation slides toward the rock and drips into the bottle.
Step 5 Wait two hours, a solar still will purify one quart of water in two hours. Drink your purified water and reset the still to make more.
Basic Wilderness Survival Skills : Wilderness Survival: Safe Drinking Water
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