Here we are with the second part of the “How To Find Water in the Wild” series.  We started talking about how important is to be able to do this last time; now it’s time to get to the point.

Digging

Keep your eyes on the ground. If you encounter any muddy spots it means that there is water underneath, so all you have to do to get to it is dig a hole. It’s not a lot of work really; water will appear in the hole in a few minutes. In order to get clear water, use a filter to clean it.

Snow and Ice

If it’s winter, they you’re in luck; you can melt ice and snow into water and drink it. Be careful though, frozen water might cause dehydration and will decrease the body temperature. It’s better to purify the water before drinking it.

Vegetation

This will depend on the region where you are, but every place has its specific vegetation; be it cacti, fruit, flowers and coconuts, you can collect morning dew from them.

How to Collect Water

Now that you know where to find the water, you have to know how to collect it.

Belowground still:  To create a belowground still you have to get a moist piece of land that’s exposed to a lot of sun. There should be some green foliage in it. Dig to get to the hole and then put a container in it. Cover the hole with a transparent plastic sheet. Place dirt and rocks to fix the sheet and one rock in the center of it to weigh it down. With the help of the sun, the water will be easy to collect from the sheet and then poured in the container. If you want, install a drinking tube.

Beach well: If you find yourself near an ocean or a lake, you can make a well to collect water by yourself. To begin, you should dig a 3-foot hole  in the depression that forms behind the first sand dune, 100 feet from the waterline. Put rocks at the bottom and place wood on the sides, in order to stabilize the well and to prevent too much sand from kicking up. It will take a few hours for the well to fill with filtered water. If the water is salty, you should probably move a bit farther from the water line.

I hope this was useful and it will save you from dehydration or thirst during outdoor emergencies!