Water is vital to survival and according to medical experts; the average person cannot survive longer than 72-hours without water/fluid intake unless the individual dramatically reduces movement to prevent sweating. In a survival situation, you would limit activity to ration sweat instead of rationing water. In extreme circumstances, such as being unable to find shade/shelter from the sun and you sweat heavily you can succumb to dehydration in a matter of hours unless you can replace the lost fluids (Packer, 2013).
During the normal course of the day, you will need roughly two quarts/liters of water to maintain a healthy hydration level. In a survival situation, your activity level is likely to increase and in warm/hot climates expect to need a gallon or more of water daily to prevent dehydration. In addition in a survival situation you will need water for most emergency survival foods.
Water weighs approximately 8.5lbs/3.8kg per gallon depending on the container. Practically speaking this means you cannot carry more than a 72-hour supply if you use the one gallon per day recommendation. This means if you find yourself lost or stranded water is a priority, and because your supply is limited, you must have the knowledge and materials to collect, filter and purify water found in your environment.
Not purifying a water source can cause severe illnesses or even worse. Animal feces, animal carcasses, insects and even humans will contaminate surface water sources typically found in a wilderness environment. The water may contain harmful bacteria, parasites and pathogens that are present in animal and human feces and are present in the intestinal track of warm-blooded animal carcasses.
Emergency purification methods include boiling and chemical treatment after filtration. Water sources that do not require purification include morning dew, direct and indirect rainfall and natural springs. Direct rainfall is collecting rainwater in an open container as it rains or by absorption using suitable material. Indirect rainfall is collecting it from vegetation by absorbing with a clean cloth or collecting it as it drips from vegetation.
The thermal heating of moisture in the atmosphere during the day creates dew. Once the sun goes down and surfaces begin to cool the moisture in the atmosphere also cools and condenses on certain surfaces such as plastic, glass, vegetation and metal. Typically, dew will not collect on rocks or soil because theses surfaces have not cooled overnight sufficiently to allow condensation. Dew is not normally present if there is heavy cloud cover that prevents rapid cooling of the atmosphere. The rapid temperature change is what allows the moisture to condensate on surfaces.
Absorb the moisture using an absorbent material such as a ShamWow® that according to the manufacturer's website absorbs 12 times its weight in liquid. If there are sufficient surfaces available, you could conceivably gather up to several quarts in the early morning hours (https://www.shamwow.com).
You can of course use bandanas or articles of clothing to absorb moisture from surfaces as well. Squeeze the water into a suitable container or directly into your mouth.
Create your own surface for dew to collect on by placing a sheet of plastic, poncho or thermal blanket over exposed vegetation ensuring you leave creases and depressions in the material for the moisture to collect in. Animals can contaminate the material if you place it on the ground.
Surface Water Collection and Purification
It is recommended that you always have at least two water containers for collection of surface water. Use one container to collect the contaminated water and then filter into the clean container. The collection container will have contaminates on the drink line and cap of the water bottle or canteen. This container must be disinfected before it would be considered safe.
If you only have one container and have the means to boil water, submerge the container in the boiling water for three minutes. If purifying using chemicals such as purification tablets or liquid iodine then treat the water and loosen the cap enough so when you tip the container the treated water flows over the threads and into the cap. Reseal and wait the recommended time as stated by the manufacture if using purification tablets.
Emergency water filtration using a two-liter plastic bottle
This illustration is presented as an example (any container can be used if it did not contain toxic chemicals or substances). You can make a filtering device using any container with an open top and a hole(s) in the bottom for water to filter out. Filter into another container for boiling or chemical treatment.
Filtering mediums include coffee filters, activated charcoal or charcoal you make from burning hardwoods, sand, gravel and cheesecloth. Layer the filtering mediums by placing the finer materials such as sand or charcoal at the bottom and coarser materials at the top. The coarse material will filter out larger debris such as insects and other organic material. As the water flows through the finer material, it will filter out micro-particles such as cysts and other organisms.
While filtering water using the described method will not destroy bacteria and parasites, it can remove some of them that are contained in waterborne cysts. Waterborne cysts can harbor bacteria and some may not be destroyed by boiling or chemical treatment. It is important that you filter your water even if it is only through an article of clothing or ground up leaves and grasses.
Boiling
Once filtered and if at sea level rapid boil for one minute. If you know or suspect you are significantly above sea level, boil for three minutes, and if in doubt boil for three minutes. Air pressure is less at higher elevations, which means water boils at a lower temperature, so it must boil longer to destroy waterborne contaminates. Boiling longer than the recommended times however will not increase the water's purity. Over boiling may result in the loss of water volume through evaporation, and this can be problematic if you have a limited water source.
Purification Tablets
Because each manufacture's has different requirements and instructions this article will only say that it is important that you carefully read the instructions before purchasing and before using. Some products do have a waiting period after treatment of up to four hours, and some purification tablets may not destroy certain bacteria found in surface water.
Alternative Sources of Water
Ground water typically does not need to be purified if you can collect directly from the source and not from any water that has collected nearby such as in a cistern feed by an underground spring.
Natural springs that percolate from underground, collect the water where it comes out of the ground and not from the pool unless you have the means to purify the water. Water that bubbles up from the ground is usually free of contamintes and can be consumed in an emergency situation without purification.
Dry wash or dry creek bed usually caused from flash flooding. The green vegetation along the sides may indicate water is just below the surface. Begin digging close to the sides of the bank. Once you find moist soil, enlarge the hole so you can insert a water bottle to fill it. Dig until you have standing water and then wrap a piece of clean cloth around the water bottle to filter out any sediment. Water obtained from this source generally does not require purification but filtering will remove any sediment, otherwise let the water bottle set allowing time for the sediment to settle.
Dry wash in an arid region and the green vegetation indicates there may be a natural spring seeping from a rock fissure; the spring may be filling a natural or manmade cistern. In years past people would build cisterns to make water collection easier and for their livestock to drink from. Once again, do not drink from the cistern because animals will have used it and may have contaminated the standing water. Collect directly from the source so you do not have to purify the water.
During the normal course of the day, you will need roughly two quarts/liters of water to maintain a healthy hydration level. In a survival situation, your activity level is likely to increase and in warm/hot climates expect to need a gallon or more of water daily to prevent dehydration. In addition in a survival situation you will need water for most emergency survival foods.
Water weighs approximately 8.5lbs/3.8kg per gallon depending on the container. Practically speaking this means you cannot carry more than a 72-hour supply if you use the one gallon per day recommendation. This means if you find yourself lost or stranded water is a priority, and because your supply is limited, you must have the knowledge and materials to collect, filter and purify water found in your environment.
Not purifying a water source can cause severe illnesses or even worse. Animal feces, animal carcasses, insects and even humans will contaminate surface water sources typically found in a wilderness environment. The water may contain harmful bacteria, parasites and pathogens that are present in animal and human feces and are present in the intestinal track of warm-blooded animal carcasses.
Emergency purification methods include boiling and chemical treatment after filtration. Water sources that do not require purification include morning dew, direct and indirect rainfall and natural springs. Direct rainfall is collecting rainwater in an open container as it rains or by absorption using suitable material. Indirect rainfall is collecting it from vegetation by absorbing with a clean cloth or collecting it as it drips from vegetation.
The thermal heating of moisture in the atmosphere during the day creates dew. Once the sun goes down and surfaces begin to cool the moisture in the atmosphere also cools and condenses on certain surfaces such as plastic, glass, vegetation and metal. Typically, dew will not collect on rocks or soil because theses surfaces have not cooled overnight sufficiently to allow condensation. Dew is not normally present if there is heavy cloud cover that prevents rapid cooling of the atmosphere. The rapid temperature change is what allows the moisture to condensate on surfaces.
Absorb the moisture using an absorbent material such as a ShamWow® that according to the manufacturer's website absorbs 12 times its weight in liquid. If there are sufficient surfaces available, you could conceivably gather up to several quarts in the early morning hours (https://www.shamwow.com).
You can of course use bandanas or articles of clothing to absorb moisture from surfaces as well. Squeeze the water into a suitable container or directly into your mouth.
Create your own surface for dew to collect on by placing a sheet of plastic, poncho or thermal blanket over exposed vegetation ensuring you leave creases and depressions in the material for the moisture to collect in. Animals can contaminate the material if you place it on the ground.
Surface Water Collection and Purification
It is recommended that you always have at least two water containers for collection of surface water. Use one container to collect the contaminated water and then filter into the clean container. The collection container will have contaminates on the drink line and cap of the water bottle or canteen. This container must be disinfected before it would be considered safe.
If you only have one container and have the means to boil water, submerge the container in the boiling water for three minutes. If purifying using chemicals such as purification tablets or liquid iodine then treat the water and loosen the cap enough so when you tip the container the treated water flows over the threads and into the cap. Reseal and wait the recommended time as stated by the manufacture if using purification tablets.
Emergency water filtration using a two-liter plastic bottle
This illustration is presented as an example (any container can be used if it did not contain toxic chemicals or substances). You can make a filtering device using any container with an open top and a hole(s) in the bottom for water to filter out. Filter into another container for boiling or chemical treatment.
Filtering mediums include coffee filters, activated charcoal or charcoal you make from burning hardwoods, sand, gravel and cheesecloth. Layer the filtering mediums by placing the finer materials such as sand or charcoal at the bottom and coarser materials at the top. The coarse material will filter out larger debris such as insects and other organic material. As the water flows through the finer material, it will filter out micro-particles such as cysts and other organisms.
While filtering water using the described method will not destroy bacteria and parasites, it can remove some of them that are contained in waterborne cysts. Waterborne cysts can harbor bacteria and some may not be destroyed by boiling or chemical treatment. It is important that you filter your water even if it is only through an article of clothing or ground up leaves and grasses.
Boiling
Once filtered and if at sea level rapid boil for one minute. If you know or suspect you are significantly above sea level, boil for three minutes, and if in doubt boil for three minutes. Air pressure is less at higher elevations, which means water boils at a lower temperature, so it must boil longer to destroy waterborne contaminates. Boiling longer than the recommended times however will not increase the water's purity. Over boiling may result in the loss of water volume through evaporation, and this can be problematic if you have a limited water source.
Purification Tablets
Because each manufacture's has different requirements and instructions this article will only say that it is important that you carefully read the instructions before purchasing and before using. Some products do have a waiting period after treatment of up to four hours, and some purification tablets may not destroy certain bacteria found in surface water.
Alternative Sources of Water
Ground water typically does not need to be purified if you can collect directly from the source and not from any water that has collected nearby such as in a cistern feed by an underground spring.
Natural springs that percolate from underground, collect the water where it comes out of the ground and not from the pool unless you have the means to purify the water. Water that bubbles up from the ground is usually free of contamintes and can be consumed in an emergency situation without purification.
Dry wash or dry creek bed usually caused from flash flooding. The green vegetation along the sides may indicate water is just below the surface. Begin digging close to the sides of the bank. Once you find moist soil, enlarge the hole so you can insert a water bottle to fill it. Dig until you have standing water and then wrap a piece of clean cloth around the water bottle to filter out any sediment. Water obtained from this source generally does not require purification but filtering will remove any sediment, otherwise let the water bottle set allowing time for the sediment to settle.
Dry wash in an arid region and the green vegetation indicates there may be a natural spring seeping from a rock fissure; the spring may be filling a natural or manmade cistern. In years past people would build cisterns to make water collection easier and for their livestock to drink from. Once again, do not drink from the cistern because animals will have used it and may have contaminated the standing water. Collect directly from the source so you do not have to purify the water.
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