Finding Water
By Oscar Mike
Shiner, Texas –-(Ammoland.com)- Water: The essential requirement for all life. It seems simple enough for any survivalist to keep water high on their list of priorities.
While it may seem obvious to pack plenty of water or keep water stockpiled during a survival/SHTF/WROL situation, what happens if you’re stuck away from home and social services collapse?
What do you do if you find that egress is the most practical and sound solution to your situation? Simple, right?
Pack up water in your hydration sources and bring your trusty water filtration device and head out.
How long though will it be until your supply runs out?
There’s only so much water one can pack out considering the weight of water (8.34 lbs per gallon) and the weight of other essential gear. In a situation where mobility is key, finding water from natural sources to supplement your ready supply is essential to keeping your pack weight low and to keeping you on the move. In this article, I’m going to cover just a few of the easy ways to procure water in a survival situation.
1. Transpiration Bags
One of the easiest and simplest ways to obtain water in the wild is by the use of a transpiration bag.
While this method may not be one of the more mobile methods for obtaining water, it is reliable in any environment that contains living and green vegetation. This method does require you to carry large, clear polyethylene or similar bags in your kit. In a pinch, gallon-sized or larger Zip-Loc bags will work as well.
The first step in gathering water from plant materials is to first ensure the plant you’re planning on using is not toxic. There are plants that release toxic alkaloids as they transpire as well as plants that have a surface coating of irritating chemicals such as urushoil oil. Always determine beforehand whether or not the plant you’re going to use to obtain water is safe.
The concept of the transpiration bag is simple. As plants undergo photosynthesis, pores on the leaves open to allow the passage of carbon dioxide and oxygen. During the period that these pores are open, oxygen exits and water vapor is also released. Your goal in this process is to trap this transpiring water as it escapes.
The first step in setting up your transpiration bag is to secure a fairly large leafy branch (preferably one that is under full sunlight) and place it gently into your transpiration bag. Try to ensure that one of the corners of the bag is on the bottom as this is where the water will collect. Additionally, you can add a small clean stone to that corner of the bag to ensure that the water pools there. Secure the mouth of the bag as tightly as possible to prevent the transpired water from escaping the bag. With the bag secured, the only thing left to do is to wait and allow the water to collect during the heat of the day.
Once the temperature begins to cool it should be time to gather the water. Keep the small pool of water in the bag low and gently shake the branch that the bag is on. Then carefully untie the mouth of the bags and slide them off the branch. Collect the water in your hydration source and pick out any leaves or bugs that may have fallen in and consume within 24 hours. While the water may be clean and safe to drink, fallen plant materials or insects may contaminate the water if they are left to sit for too long.
The advantages to this system are: the fact that the bags are easy to set up, that multiple bags can be set up to increase your chances of both collecting water and to increase the volume of water collected, and that this system can be used indefinitely. In addition, the water that is transpired through the plants is clean and ready to drink. The main disadvantage to this system is that it is only effective during the day.
Read the Entire Water Survival Tips article at : https://savedrounds.net/survival-series-pt-i-finding-water/
About Shield Tactical;
Shield Tactical is a family business. Though we are not all related by blood, the bond of 2nd ammendment supporters is just as strong. My name is John W. Harrington and I am the president and founder of Shield Tactical. I have been involved in student based firearm instruction for over ten years. Over that period of time, my philosophy has been simple – make it about the shooter. Every member of our team has heard me say (more than they care to count) “People don’t come to us to hear about how great we are or what we have done, they come to us for what we can do for them”. Visit: www.shieldtactical.com