If the area traveled has hard
water to which we are not accustomed, severe digestive upsets may result
if, while getting used to it, we absorb more than small amounts at any
one time. Boiling may be of some help, but that is all one can do, until
one gets used to it.
A WAY TO SWEETEN WATER
If you are camping by a swamp
or pond with an unpleasant odor, you will want to sweeten and purify
the water in a single operation.
Just drop several bits of charred
hardwood from the campfire into the boiling pot. 10 or 15 minutes simmering
will do the job.
Then you can skim away most
of the foreign matter and strain the water through a clean cloth or
if time permits, merely allow it to settle.
WATER HAZARDS and SICKNESS
Diseases from water make one
of the greatest threat to survival, if not THE greatest, immediately
following injuries, cold and man! Among them we find: Dysentery, Cholera,
Typhoid, Douves.
DYSENTERY
This sickness causes general
diarrhea, painful and of long duration with bloody stools and weakness.
If you think you suffer it, eat
frequently and drink, if possible, coconut milk and boiled water. As
for coconut milk being a laxative, drink only a small amount. Boiled
rice is strongly recommended as food during this illness.
CHOLERA AND TYPHOID
Even with vaccine, you are vulnerable
to these diseases if proper care isn’t taken of water drinking habits.
Be sure to read how to cure cholera and typhoid
at this link and have Terramycin on hand at all times..
DOUVES
They abound in stagnant and polluted
water especially in the Tropics. When you swallow them, they infiltrate
the blood causing severe sickness and often death. These parasite worms
penetrate the body even through the skin. Don’t walk or bathe in contaminated
waters.
Nowhere does the addition of
liquor to ice or water rid either of germs. (Germs keep well in ice;
they don't die).
LEECHES and HOW TO GET RID
OF THEM
The small leeches abound most
particularly in water streams of Africa. When swallowed, they cling
to throat and nose passages. They suck the blood and cause wounds. These
parasites move and each time they do, they cause new open wounds which
leads the way to infection.
Clean your nose as quickly as
possible by sniffing very salted water or remove the leeches with improvised
tweezers or with the heat from a cigarette. Another old jungle trick
is to rub salt on them which will make them leave.
WHERE TO FIND WATER?
One is ALWAYS learning from
nature. Several principles serve to aid; water flows downhill. So we
are not surprised to find water near the tops of mountains indicated
by a lush area or a thread of green "verdancy" coming down a slope.
Water is also prone to lie near
the base of hills where it can often be recognized by the density of
vegetation. When country is flat and open, long meandering tangles of
such brush and shrubs as alder and willow will tell us their tale.
WHEN TO FOLLOW GAME TRAIL
Those trails often indicate
water presence. A usually reliable indication is a marked increase in
the deepening and widening of the trail. So do follow these trails.
If traveling in the North America, you will come to recognize that such
trails commonly mean a muskeg (bog) lies ahead and that the easiest
procedure will be the following an animal’s path around it.
DESERT WATER
Water seeks the lowest level
available and in the desert, these may be underground. If you see hills,
head toward them, for the likeliest place to find water is at their
base.
Perhaps you have come across
the thin shallow bed of a stream. Even though it is dry, water may lie
beneath the surface. Hunt for a low place in the bed and dig. The same
procedure applies in the case of dry lake bottoms. The presence of any
water will soon be indicated by damp sand.
Game trails in desert country
usually lead to water. Follow them downhill if the land so slopes that
you can do this with certainty. Otherwise scout around till you can
MAKE SURE which direction the paths have become more frequented; this
will be the way to go.
If you happen upon a palm, you
can depend on water being at hand generally within several feet of the
base of the tree. Reed grass is also a sound sign that moisture is near.
However, in general, it is futile
to search for water near desert plants, for this one has already taken
it. Instead, use the plant roots which you dig, pull and section off.
For cactus, cut off the head and avoid the milk.
In the Arizona desert there
is a cactus in a bottle shape which contains near 7 quarts of water
but only in Arizona. With a good knife it will take nearly 40 minutes
of hard work to cut the very tough and prickly skin.
The water is in the plant, not
in the soil. The only danger comes from milky sap as seen from cactus
in African desert. The Barrel Cactus is the milky exception.
One may not find Barrel Cactus
if in the wrong region of the desert. If you find one, to get the juice,
cut off sections of that Cactus and be wary of spines. Mash them in
a container.
You can drink any resulting
fluid on the spot or pour it into a second container as often as needed.
If you have no utensils, you can mash segments of the cactus one by one
and suck the pulp.
DESERT WATER PART 2
1) Where you see damp soil,
dig in surface.
2) One can find water just under
the surface of a dry river. The water goes down at the lowest point
of the river bed, in the exterior part of the elbow of its bed. Digging
under the concave bank of the exterior side of the river curve is the
place to find water, whereas the convex side is nil. Help the water
to flow by digging small holes.
3) Look behind rocks, in trenches
and small ditches, on the flank of canyon or under the sharp edge of
cliff and maybe you will find natural reservoirs. Often in those places,
the soil is made of solid rock or very hard soil well packed that collects
water. If you can't find those clues, search for water where the animals
leave their traces.
4) In desert, REMEMBER to observe
the flight of birds particularly at dawn and dusk. The birds glide and
hover around these marshes. Go there every day, parrots and pigeons
are rarely very far from it.
5) In the GOBI desert, don't
count on plants to quench your thirst. In the SAHARA, the Wild Gourd
or Pumpkin can quench thirst. The pulp of the Barrel Cactus in USA is
safe and will give 1 litre of milky fluid. (This is the exception to
the milky rule) but it is tough to get to it, with a good knife you
cut the upper part. Use this cactus as last resort.
6) The roots of certain desert
plants are found very near the surface soil. The Australian Water Tree,
the Desert Oak and the Blood Wood are examples.
Remove these roots and
cut them or better break them in length of 60-100cm. Remove the skin
and suck the water contained in it.
7) The Madagascar Traveling
Tree of Western Africa and the Australian and African Baobab are among
the plants capable of supplying water.
Don't attach too much importance
about stories of contaminated wells. The acid taste of certain salty
or alkaline waters rich in magnesium are the cause.
Desert waters by the nature
of their surge are generally better filtered and clearer than your city
water. Yet, better boil that water or add Iodine or Halazone pills especially
in native villages or near inhabited places.
DESERT SURVIVAL - WALKING
In the Desert, adapt yourself
to it, rather than try fighting it.
Desert natives refuse to do
any violent effort during the hottest hours of the day and as the animals
do; they drink and drink as soon as possible.
It has been registered desert
walking of 140 to 350 miles between 10 to 20 days; while walking only
at night and with only a little water from plane crashed survivors.
Here is another illustration
to prove the point. An American called Rodger Jones, in August 1953
was stranded on a road in the Great Salt Lake Desert, when an axle of
his car broke down.
As a former marine he had taken
a short survival course and he did the right think, he lay down in the
shadow of his car (outside) and slept through the hottest part of the
day.
Around 6pm when the sun had
lost its full impact, though the temperature was still around 95; he
set off along the road. He knew there were steel water tanks for tourist
at regular intervals.
Twice that evening he came to
one of those tanks painted bright red and drank as much as he could,
also filling up his water bottle. Wherever he found any shade he stopped
for a rest.
Every so often he collected
large stones and laid them out on the road to spell the word HELP with
an arrow showing the direction he was walking in.
The next day a car driver saw
one of those signs, at once followed the arrow and caught up with Jones
after a 4 hours drive.
He was resting in the shade
of a rock and his condition was excellent despite a midday heat of 110
F.
Another family who also got
stranded did survive by laying close to the car shadow, applying lipstick
to the blisters and swollen lips of the husband and children and covering
everyone cheeks and arms with rouge.
Discovering that the ground
was cooler a few inches below the surface, she and her husband buried
the children up to the neck in sand and applied sand to the children's
faces, then they did the same for themselves.
In most deserts the temperature
a foot below the surface is less than 72 F and on hot summer day; it
may be 18 degree cooler than at the surface directly above.
Using urine collected earlier
during the day, they dipped some bit of clothing in the can and press
them on children's face, the smell was unpleasant, but the moisture
was refreshing cool.
They were later rescued in good
health, but if they had decide to walk off in bright day, they would
have been either dead or in very bad conditions. It pays to learn the
tricks of survival.
DESERT TRAVEL HINTS
TRAVEL AT NIGHT! AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE!
-
1) Cover yourself as much as
possible. Clothing stops sweat evaporating too quickly and helps you
benefit from its cooling effect. If you remove your shirt, you will
feel more at ease but you'll also sweat much more beside risking sunburn.
-
2) Keep your clothing on. You
will walk further if you don't sweat too much.
-
3) Unless you have a lot water,
don't waste it washing.
-
4) When drinking, don't swallow
big gulps in one shot. Drink small quantities. If low in water, then
only dampen your lips.
-
5) Keeping a few small pebbles
in your mouth will ease your thirst, breathe through the nose and don't
talk.
-
6) Absorb salt only with water
and only if you have a lot of water.
-
7) Drink as often and as much
as you can; the saving of water will not get you much farther, yet don't
waste it.
-
8) When extremely thirsty any
liquid is tempting but don't drink any alcohol. Aside from its effects,
it only dehydrates the body..
-
9) Urine is harmful and only
increases thirst. (This point is debatable! Many of the
survivors of the Bataan Death March were shipped to Japan in the cargo
holds of ships. Many of those who survived did so by drinking
their own urine, according to the book "We Shall Be Remembered."}
-
10) Smoking dehydrates your
body and heightens the need to drink.
Sluggishness of the digestive
system is a natural consequence of going without normal amounts of water
and nourishment.
This condition need not cause
concern and will re-adjust itself when normal conditions resume. So
don't take any laxative under such conditions for it depletes the body
of further fluid.
DEW
Dew which settles after cold
nights in many stretches of deserts has also been a life saver. Survivors
have mopped it from the metal of their wrecked plane or collected it
in tarpaulins.
Dew must be collected before
the sunrise, for it evaporates quickly. An abundant dew can give a little
more than 1 litre of water/hour. Thirsty Bedouins sometimes dig up cool
stones just before sunrise and wait till dew settles on them, then lick
the stones dry.
In many desert regions according
to Israeli scientist Shmuel Duvdevani dew falls in a quantity which
would amount to 25 inches in a year.
During the war one of the strangest
source of water were the wreck of burned out or shot up jeeps and tanks
and trucks. Airmen after crash walked 20 miles a day filling up their
water bottles regularly from the radiator of such vehicles. (This is
a good idea unless the radiator contains glycol ether which is anti-freeze,
a toxic substance.)
BEDOUINS WATER EXPERTS
Survival experts have taken
great interest in the methods of Bedouins with their amazing sixth sense
which again and again leads them to sources of water.
Morning and evenings for instance
they listen to the twittering of birds to locate where the birds get
their drink. They also find water holes by watching the direction in
which the birds are flying or by following animals trails. Flocks of
birds circling over one spot, excepting vultures, usually indicate a
drinking place in the desert.
Of course the water there is
not ALWAYS pure said a survivor who found such a water hole. There was
such a stench of sh** that he was almost sick. But his thirst was greater
than his disgust, he has no iodine to disinfect water nor anything to
make a fire with and boil it, but he drank it and was none the worse.
I should point out, that he should have dug a hole near by (9 FEET)
and let the water seep through thus safer in some ways. 9 FEET would
also get rid of water contaminated by radiation.
Dense clouds of flies swarming
over a place in the desert show Bedouins where there was water only
a short while before and they ALMOST ALWAYS FIND IT WORTH DIGGING THERE.
Bedouins also have discovered
fairly large supplies of water either on the edge of a desert very near
salt lakes or in the middle of deep dune valleys. Rain water collects
there, seeps into the ground and settles between different layers of
soil.
If while digging they hit upon
wet sand with a dry layer underneath it, it is a sign that the water
has already drained off farther downhill or evaporated in which case
they start digging again in a lower lying spot.
Almost every desert has wadis,
where sometimes water is still found only a few feet under a surface
which is apparently bone dry. Of course there is often no more than
a layer of mud left, but thirsty people have pressed it into a cloth
and drunk the water unharmed. Those who died from it never told their
stories.
AFRICAN BUSHMEN
They dig a small hole in the
mud, stick a suction pipe into it, then suck the moisture out of the
ground drop by drop. A grass filter stops any sand getting into the
bottom of the pipe. Water not needed at once is stored in blown-out
ostrich eggs in which quite a large amount of liquid can be carried.
If water taste very soapy or
salty it may be poisonous. In the GOBI desert for instance, there are
springs which contain alkali. In Arizona several springs contain arsenic
and a spring in Sahara contains so much chlorine that it corrodes clothes.
WHERE TO FIND WATER IN ROCKY
SOILS
Water easily disintegrates lime
stone and digs caverns which you will find springs and water sweating.
LAVA ETC.
Because of its porosity, lava
retains much water, so you will find springs along valleys which crosses
old lava flows.
When a dry canyon cuts across
a sandstone or gritstone layer, there is water which sweats on its walls.
In region rich in granite, dig
a hole in the green grass and you will discover water coming up.
IN SOFT SOILS
Water is ordinarily more abundant
and easier to discover in soft than in rocky soils. The phreatic sheets
often come to surface in valleys and slopes.
The springs and sweating are
found in the high level line of the river waters after those have retracted
away.
BEFORE DIGGING TO FIND WATER,
TRY TO DISCOVER THE SIGNS WHICH INDICATES ITS PRESENCE. The bottom of
a valley, at the foot of a sharp slope, a corner of vegetation which
has sheltered a spring during rainy season, a low forest and sea shores
are among many places where the hydrostatic level lies under the surface.
There is no need to dig deeply
in order to find water. Above the level of the phreatic sheet, there
are small streams and ponds. However, those waters are contaminated
and dangerous even when far away from any civilization. Ex. Springs
below towns.
ON MOUNTAINS
Dig in dry spring beds, for
water often hides itself under the gravel. Mountain slopes usually hide
springs at their feet.
OTHER SOURCES OF SUPPLY
Creosote plants, Willows, Elder
Berry, Salted Herbs grow only where water is near surface.
By a starry night, one can with
a handkerchief mop up and gather up to 1 quart of water per hour from
damp soils where you see flies.
INSECTS, BIRDS AND ANIMALS
INDICATORS OF WATER
Bees in an area are a certain
sign of water. Rarely will you find a hive of wild bees more than 3
or 4 miles from fresh water. A bee flies a mile in 12 minutes.
So you can be sure if you see
bees that you are not far from fresh water, but you will probably have
to look for further indications before you find the water supply.
ANTS
Many ants need water, so if
you see a steady column of small black ants climbing a tree trunk and
disappearing into a hole in a crotch, it is highly probable that you
fill find a hidden reservoir of fresh water stored away there. This
can be proved by dipping a long straw or thin stick down the hole into
which the ants are going.
If wet, then water is there.
To get the water, do not on ANY account chop into the tree. If the hole
is very small enlarge it with your knife-point at the top. Make a mop
by tying grass or a rag to a stick. Dip the mop into the water and squeeze
into a container.
Another method is to take a
long hollow straw and suck the water you need from the reservoir. These
natural tree reservoirs are VERY COMMON in Dry areas, and are often
kept full by the dew which condensing on the upper branches of the tree,
trickles down into the crotch and into the reservoir inside the tree.
Water reservoirs are very common
in the She-Oaks (casuarinas) and many species of Wattle.
MASON FLIES
Theses large, hornet-like creatures
are a certain indicator of water. If you see a mason fly building in
an area, you can be sure that you are within a few hundred yards of
a soak of wet earth.
Search around carefully and
you will see the mason fly hover and then suddenly drop to the ground.
If you examine the place where she landed, you will find the soil is
moist and that she is busy rolling a pellet of mud for her building.
By digging down a few inches or at most, a couple of feet, you will
surely find a spring and clear, fresh, drinkable water.
BIRD INDICATORS FINCHES
All the finches are grain-eaters
and water drinkers. In the dry belts, you may see a colony of finches
and you can be certain that you are near water, probably a hidden spring
or permanent soak.
WILD PIGEONS
They are a reliable indicator
of water. Being grain and seed eaters, they spend the day out on the
plains feeding and then with the approach of dusk, make for a water
hole, drink their fill and fly slowly back to their nest. Their manner
of flying will tell you the direction of their water supply.
If they are flying low and swift,
they are flying to water but if their flight is from tree to tree and
slow, they are returning from drinking their fill. Being heavy with
water they are vulnerable to birds of prey.
GRAIN EATERS
All the grain eaters and most
of the ground feeders require water, so if you see their tracks on the
ground, you can be fairly certain there is water within a few miles
of your location. An exception are parrots and cockatoos which are not
seen as reliable indicators of water.
CARNIVORES BIRDS
Being flesh eaters, they get
most of the moisture they need from the flesh of their prey thus not
reliable water-drinkers. Nor should you regard the water living birds
as indicators of fresh or drinkable water.
MAMMALS
Nearly all mammals need water
at regular intervals to keep alive. Even the flesh eaters MUST drink,
but animals can travel long distances between drinks and therefore,
unless there is a regular trail, you can not be sure of finding water
where you see animal trails. This is a general rule.
However, certain animals NEVER
travel far from water. Ex. A fresh track of wild pigs is one sign that
there is water near by. Also fresh tracks of rooster and most of the
grazing animals, whose habit is to drink regularly at dawn or dusk.
In general, water is found by following these trails downhill.
FROGS ETC.
Frogs, salamanders, weevil charancons
ALWAYS look for a damp place to rest and usually, if we dig under them,
you will find water points, even springs.
REPTILES
Most of the land-living reptiles
are independent to a very large extent on water. They get what they
need from dew and the flesh of their prey and thus, not an indicator
of water.
WATER FROM VEGETABLE SOURCES
The roots and branches of many
trees contain sufficient free-flowing fluid to relieve thirst. This
can be collected by breaking into 3 feet lengths the roots or branches
and standing these in a trough of bark into which the collected fluid
will drain to the container.
In some plants the amount of
stored water is truly unbelievable. The water will gush out literally
when the plant is cut.
WARNING!:
THESE VEGETABLE "DRINKING-WATERS"
CAN NOT BE KEPT FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS.
The fluid starts to ferment
or go bad if stored and might be dangerous to drink if in this condition.
The nature of the plant if judged by the properties of its foliage is
no guide for the drinkability of the fluid which is its sap.
For example, the Eucalyptus
whose leaves are heavily impregnated with oils of Eucalyptus and in
many cases poisonous to human beings, contain a drinkable fluid, easily
collected from the branches or the roots. The fluid is entirely free
from the essential oils and with no taint of the Eucalyptus. Its roots
measure from 12 to 25 metres, crawling under low depth. Pull them off,
remove the bark, and the sap will sweat at both ends which you have
put containers.
The Liana or Monkey ropes found
in tropical regions are an example of a prolific abundant source of
water.
There are certain precautions
and a few danger signs with regard to vegetable fluids. If the fluid
is milky or red or colored in any way it MUST be regarded as DANGEROUS,
not only to drink but also to the skin. Many of the milky saps except
those of the ficus family which contain latex or a natural rubber are
EXTREMELY POISONOUS.
One exception known = Barrel
cactus USA.
The milky sap of many weeds
can poison the skin and form bad sores and if allowed to get into the
eyes cause blindness. With ALL vegetable sources of fluid even though
the water itself is clear, taste it first and if quite or almost tasteless
or flavorless, it is safe to drink.
For vegetable sources of water
in arid areas, the best volume is generally obtained by scratching up
the surface roots. They are discovered close to the ground and if cut
close to the tree, may be lifted and pulled, each root yielding from
10 to 20 feet. These MUST be cut in 3-4 feet lengths for draining.
Many persons who have tried
to obtain drinking water from vegetable sources failed to get the precious
liquid to flow just because they did not break or cut the stalk or root
into lengths. UNLESS THESE BREAKS ARE MADE, THE FLUID CAN NOT FLOW and
the conclusion is that the root, branch or vine is without moisture.
In general water is more plentiful
from plants in gullies than on ridges. And the flow is wasted if the
roots are broken into sections and NOT CUT. Cutting tends to bruise
and seal the capillary channels
DEW COLLECTION
In barren areas where there
are no trees, it may be possible to collect sufficient moisture from
the grass in the form of dew to preserve life.
One of the easiest way is to
tie rags or tufts of fine grass round the ankles and walk through the
herbage before the sun has risen, squeezing the moisture collected by
the rags into a container.
Many explorers saved their life
that way. Pig-face and Ice plant and Pig weed contain large proportions
of drinkable moisture.
WATER ON SEA COAST
FRESH WATER CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND
ALONG THE SEA COAST BY DIGGING BEHIND THE WIND BLOWN SAND HILLS WHICH
BACK MOST OCEAN BEACHES! These sand hills trap rain water and it floats
on top of the heavier salt water which filters in from the ocean. Sand
hill wells MUST be only deep enough to uncover the top inch or 2 or
water.
SAND WELLS
If dug deeper, salt water will
be encountered and the water from the well will be undrinkable. It will
be noticed too that the water in those wells rises and falls slightly
with the tides.
THESE SAND WELLS ARE COMPLETELY
RELIABLE SOURCES OF WATER ALL OVER THE WORLD.
When digging, it is necessary
to rivet the sides of the well with brushwood, otherwise the sand will
fall into the well. On coastal areas where cliffs fall into a sea, careful
search along the lower edges of the cliff will generally disclose soaks
or small springs. These, in general, follow a fault in the rock formation
and frequently are evident by a lush growth of ferns and mosses.
I personally found that near
the cliff, at the bottom of them where you find fallen rocks meeting
the sand beach, if you dig there yet not too close to those rocks, you
will find water about 1 foot down. It is a perpetual source of water,
as much as you want, even for 20 persons. It keeps filling up every
day.
MAKE SURE you rivet the side
also and just cover the hole with some planks or drift board and mark
it well so that it keeps animals away, for sand will cover it fast after
a while from the nearby sand hill.
I know about them I survived
on them for 5 months on a deserted island. Brion Island. QC.
SEA! MOISTURE FROM FISH FLESH
Another source of liquid sufficient
to sustain life at sea, when no fresh water is available, comes from
flesh of the fish.
The fish are diced and the small
portions of flesh are placed in a piece of cotton cloth and the moisture
wrung out. This moisture is not excessively salty and can sustain life
for a long period.
CONDENSING SALT WATER
It is possible to condense sea
water without equipment and obtain sufficient fresh water.
A coolamon is made or alternatively
a hole is scraped in the ground and lined. The salt water is put into
this hole. A fire is built and stones are put into it to heat up. These,
when hot, are put into the salted water which soon boils and then water
vapor is soaked up by a towel or thick mat of cloth.
In time, this will become literally
saturated and may be wrung out, yielding a fair quantity of fresh drinkable
water. Once the cloth is cool the collection of water vapor is fairly
rapid.
MOISTURE CONDENSATION IN
ARID AREAS
This still produces about 50%
more water between 8pm.. and 8 am. than during the day, but it still
works day and night. Don’t depend to drink this water immediately for
it takes 24 hours before collecting 1 quart (1 litre) of water sometimes.
A simple still for water condensation
in arid areas can be made from a piece of light plastic sheeting about
4 feet (122cm) square. A clean garbage bag which has been fully cut
and open will do. A hole is dug in the ground in a sunny position. The
hole should be about 3 feet (1 meter) across and 15" to 18" (38cm
- 46cm) deep or deeper if possible.
The site should be preferably
in a moist ground, a depression in a creek bed is ideal if one can be
found. If green material such as shrubs or succulent herbage is nearby,
the hole should be lined with this and the materials packed down. It
may be necessary to weigh down the material with a few flat stones.
In the centre of the hole and in the deepest part, a container is placed
to catch the moisture from condensation.
Lay the sheet of plastic across
and covering the hole using some of the earth scooped from the hole
to seal the edges lightly.
Place a stone in the centre
of the upper side of the plastic sheet above the approximate centre
of the water container to weigh it down to just over the container below.
Moisture in the soil and in
the greenery placed in the hole will be drawn off by the heat of the
sun and condense on the underside of the plastic. The condensed moisture
will collect into droplets, coalesce and trickle down the underside
to the lowest point where it drops off into the container.
If the underside of the plastic
sheet is slightly roughened with fine sandpaper or similar fine abrasive
such as a piece of finely grained stone, the droplets will coalesce
and run off more cleanly than if the underside is absolutely smooth.
Body waste such as urine, waste
food, moist tea leaves etc. can be put into the hole. The pure moisture
only is condensed. From 1 - 4 pints of water a day can be collected
by this method.
If the stay in the area is likely
to be of some duration the top few inches of the hole can be removed
and fresh green material replaced and the still will continue to work
when this is done.
FRESH STILL SITES MAY BE NECESSARY
EVERY 2ND OR 3RD DAY.
This still can also bring you
food! Since water under the plastic will attract snakes and small games
which will crawl under the still cone but can not go out.
This effective method was first
used by the Water Conservation Laboratory in Arizona.
It is not necessary, but very
useful, if you have a flexible plastic tube about 1.5m long which will
permit you to drink from the bottom bucket without having to remove
it and stopping the recuperation.
OTHER WAYS TO FIND WATER
EXPERIENCE WITH A OIL LAMP
At night, dig a hole 2 feet
deep, cover the bottom with very dry wood and place an oil lamp which
has very little oil (just so the wick is imbibed), light it up and place
it on the wood floor.
Cover up the hole with branches
and wait till morning to see if your oil lamp is still burning. If so,
then there is water at a certain depth. Dig and you shall find it. Why
is that?
Because the dampness of the
under water sheet increases the air condensation furnishing more oxygen
and thus, makes the oil last longer which keeps the flame to your oil
lamp. If however it has died, then there is a lack of dampness. The
oil alone has not sufficed for the night’s duration having burned faster
than the air which was too dry.
WATER FROM A LANTERN
- PART 2
If all other means of getting
water have been exhausted, any metal container and lighted lantern may
be used to obtain water.
Remove one end of the container
and submerge the closed end in a foot or more of salt water. Place the
lighted lantern inside the container on the bottom. Cover the open top,
allowing only enough air to enter to keep the lantern burning. The heat
will cause moisture to form on the inside container. This can be soaked
up with a rag and squeezed into a cup.
EXPERIENCE WITH A WOOL BALL
Do as for the oil lamp but replace
it by a wool ball. Put a very dry wool ball on the dry wood and cover
the hole. The following morning look at your ball and press it strongly,
the quantity of water will tell you if its worth digging.
RAIN WATER
ALWAYS SAFE TO DRINK and easy
to collect with any tarp but unfortunately there are 3 exceptions. A
chemical, atomic or bacteriological warfare would render this water
unsafe unless filtered and boiled. Man has created its own worst problems.
WATER IN COLD CLIMATE
Snow: Clean snow can be eaten
any time one is thirsty. The only precaution is to treat it like ice
cream and not to put down too much at once when overheated or chilled.
Rather, let it melt down in your mouth. It is better not to eat snow
when extremely cold, for it has the tendency to dehydrate the body and
provoke chill. Let it melt slowly into your mouth in small quantity
One of the most pleasant wilderness
desserts is ice cream made with snow. Pour milk into a container, add
sugar and some flavor such as chocolate and stir in preferably fresh
light snow till taste and texture are satisfactory.
Snow drawback is that a considerable
amount is needed to equal a glass of water. Packed snow gives more water
of course, ice even more.
Particular care has to be taken
when melting snow to not burn the pot. Melt the snow until the bottom
of the pot is safely covered with several inches of water before adding
more snow. Use any tool to pack the snow as it melts to avoid the bottom
of your pot drying up and burning. This nuisance is compensated for
by the fact that snowfall makes water readily available throughout wilderness.
One needs a lot more water in
cold weather than one expects, because the kidneys have to take over
much of the process of elimination otherwise done by the sweat glands.
ICE and FRESH WATER
This is the water supply of
many an Arctic establishment but the tasks of cutting and melting is
sufficiently inconvenient that when it is feasible, most prefer to chop
or chisel holes in the lake or stream to get water.
Such holes MUST be covered to
discourage their freezing. Also it is the preferable method since you
waste no fuel. To obtain water you need twice the amount of fuel to
melt snow than if you melt ice for the same quantity of water.
To break ice, it is better to
use a pointed tool. First, hit a few light strokes to create a split
then a hard blow to break an ice piece the length desired. On a great
lake or long river, cut toward an already existing split to avoid making
only small bits.
If one wants to dig a hole in
a lake or river to obtain water, one MUST be careful doing it to avoid
splashing.
First, start to axe all around
your hole but make very sure not to puncture the ice all the way to
the water, until your hole is deep and wide enough for your bucket.
Then and only then, once you are near water on all sides, give a sharp
blow to break the ice completely. If you don't do this, the water will
seep into the hole and you will get dangerously wet while trying to
enlarge it. However, as far as purity is concerned, ice and the water
obtained from melting ice differ in no respect from the water originally
frozen.
SALT WATER ICE BECOMES FRESH
The soundest reasoning leads
to the [worst] conclusions when the premises are false. We are certain
that the ocean is salt, so it is logical than that the ice of salt water
MUST also be salted
Wrong! It so happens as Dr.
V. Stefansson notes, the sea ice becomes fresh during the period intervening
between its formation and the end of the first summer thereafter.
If, during freezing weather,
you are ever in a position where you have no other source of water but
salted water, you'll want to catch small amounts of the available brine
and allow ice to form in it. The slush and any remaining liquid should
then be removed.
The ice you'll find fresh enough
to use in emergency. Ocean ice loses its salt so rapidly that ice over
1 year old is nearly fresh.
And ice formed 2 or more years
old can not be distinguished as far as taste goes from river ice unless
waves have been breaking over it recently or spray has been dousing
it.
Melted hollow otherwise will
usually be found to contain ample fresh water. Salted ice is grey and
opaque whereas unsalted ice is bluish and crystal colored.
FINDING DRINKING WATER ON
OCEAN
Rain water will often furnish
drinking water at sea. When it starts to fall, the precaution is immediately
taken to let it wash any accumulated salt from everything that is to
be used for catching it and storing it.
Dew is heavy enough is some
areas to merit being caught in a sail or tarpaulin stretched with sufficient
sag to allow any condensation to collect.
One may be out of sight of land
and yet so near the mouth of some great river that even far at sea the
water will still be fresh.
OBTAINING WATER FROM FISH
The proportion of water in fish
is so high that at sea, except when large enough emergency water supplies
can be secured from ice or rain, fish are the most dependable source.
They can be caught in many different
ways and in some waters many fish will even leap freely aboard at night
especially if a light is shown to attract them. Most sea life can be
used although crabs and sharks are excessively salty.
Sea snakes which, unlike eels,
have no scales are edible but have poisonous fangs. They are 10 times
worse than the land ones.
Unless the fish you catch has
ordinary scales and looks like most fish you are used to seeing, a good
rule, especially in warm waters, is to leave it alone. For example,
Jelly Fish should neither be handled nor used.
WATER FROM FISH
Water can be obtained from freshly
caught fish in several different ways.
The most fundamental method
is to divide the fish into small portions and chew each of these thoroughly
spitting all solid matter before going to the next morsel. The fish
can also be sectioned and twisted within a cloth, the freed juice is
either sucked or caught.
One primitive way of dealing
with a large fish is to hack holes in its side and allow moisture from
the lymphatic vessels to ooze into these. If you like the juice of raw
clams or oysters you are apt to find all this surprisingly pleasant.
You'll be able to satisfy thirst as long as you can catch sufficient
fish for your needs.
REMEMBER, it will take you several
hours to obtain 1/2 litre of this liquid, so be patient while squeezing
the fish.
BODY WATER PRESERVATION
Even when you have found water,
you have won only half the battle. You MUST make this reserve last and
for that to happen you MUST not sweat or do so as little as possible.
Your body exits heat either
by evaporation or sweating. As soon as the body fluid volume lowers,
sweating diminishes, the body temperature rises and you exhaust quickly.
An increase of only 6 degrees
in your normal body temperature is of lethal consequences. Even though
you seem to be less hot when you remove clothing; you also quickly lose
your organic fluid that way. If you stay clothed; you will prevent the
heat to penetrate and this will also slow down the evaporation.
YOU MUST BOTH DRINK AND AVOID
SWEATING TO AVOID DEHYDRATION.
Experience proves a man in normal
working condition spends 3,000 calories a day and that a man in good
health can subsist for a long time on only 500 calories per day without
bad effects on his organism.
Of course in condition of great
fatigue or cold exposure, one has to eat more to maintain his body temperature.
Water is still much more necessary than food. One generally needs at
least 1/2 pint (2 cups) per day minimum. Once exposed to desert heat,
one needs a minimum of 3.8 litres (1 gallon) of water per day.
This will enable you to cover
a distance of 30km (18.64 miles) as long as the sweating is well-controlled
and the moving is done at night. During the day, it would give you 15km
(9.32 miles) distance on the same amount of water.
WHAT TO DO IF WATER IS SCARCE
If you have ample water at the
moment but may have little or none later, the soundest procedure is
to drink as much as we reasonably can before quitting the source of
supply. Fill up before abandoning a ship or a plane.
If in dry country; drink a lot
while and just before leaving the water hole unless there are extenuating
circumstances. Every effort MUST be made to take adequate water with
you when leaving what may be an isolated supply. Water comes first.
We repeat that an unbelievable
amount of water is exuded through the skin’s pores and the rate of perspiration
is markedly increased both by heat and by exertion. The need for water
intake can be much lessened by your keeping as quiet as possible and
as comfortably cool as one can.
Keeping the clothing wet will
help at sea in hot weather although it should be rinsed in the latter
part of the afternoon to prevent collecting too much salt. Allow to
dry out before evening if the nights are chilly.
If in desert without sufficient
water and obliged to depend on your own resources to get out, your best
chance will be to stay as relaxed and cool as possible during the torrid
hours. Travel at dusk, night and dawn.
If on flat shelterless desert,
one can ALWAYS scoop a narrow pit in which to lie while the sun is blaring
down.
The utmost shade will be obtained
if this trench extends East and West. Two or 3 feet of depth can result
in as much as 30 degree or more difference in temperature between its
shadowy bottom and ground level.
Before you take such refuge,
you should leave some sign of your presence in case help passes near
by. Weighting a shirt over one of the excavated piles may serve this
purpose.
WHEN WATER IS REPLENISHED
When water has missed for a
long while, you MUST NOT DRINK A GREAT DEAL AT ONCE; once you find it.
It will cause nausea beside the body will not retain it, thus wasting
much of it later.
MISCELLANEOUS TIPS
WATER FROM AN OLD HAND PUMP
Many of us have seen those old
water hand pumps but few of us REMEMBER or know how to make them pumping
water.
Before one starts to pump himself
crazy and not get any water, remember that water MUST be added to the
upper cup at the base of the crank.
The reason is simple. The addition
of a cup or two of water will create the suction needed to pump the
water. If you don't add this water, you will pump air and think there
is no water underground which would be false.
Every morning or after a couple
days without use, this same process must be repeated in order to create
the vacuum. So better leave a jug nearby which contains enough water
to get the machine going. This might sound silly or childish to say
such a thing but one would be surprised how few of us know this tip.
WATER PRESERVATION AT SEA
TIPS
Precautions to take to save
your body fluids are equally important as your necessity to drink water.
-
1) If you don't have water to
drink, don't eat. Food needs water to be digested, especially protein.
-
2) In hot countries, avoid sweating
as much as possible so you will avoid losing body water faster.
-
3) Dampen your clothes in the
sea, wring them and wear them. Take advantage of any cooling wind. If
your body is covered with a salt crust, remove it with a cloth.
-
4) Stay in the shadows as much
as possible.
-
5) Sleep and rest as much as
you can. You will reduce to a minimum the loss of body fluid.
-
6) Prevent if you can sea sickness;
there are pills for it.
-
7) Don't drink any alcohol,
for it increases the dehydration process.
-
8) If you smoke, you will increase
your thirst. If you must smoke, make it in the evening or at night.
-
9) To remove the thirst temptation,
suck on a button, it will make you salivate more.
FINDING WATER
There are no handy kitchen faucets
in the wilds---except in the larger campgrounds with their trailers
and recreation vehicles bumper to bumper, and six-man tents guy line
to guy line. If you're not in one of these, and don't happen to be hiking
along the course of a river or canoeing over chains of lakes, where
do you find water?
Your map will help if it's detailed
enough. Almost any water source of any size, including annual spring
freshets, will be marked on a geodetic map. Even so, it's a good idea
to be aware where water is most likely to be found, in case you left
the map at the last log rest stop. Besides, knowing nature, being familiar
with its habits, gives you a real sense of understanding and accomplishment
that is very much a part of the joy of camping.
In mountainous and forest regions
such as Eastern and Western Canada, and the United States, and most
of Northern Europe, water rarely presents a problem. Almost any downhill
country, be it a long slow valley or a deep gorge, will lead to it.
These natural formations developed through water erosion and the sculpture
tells the tale.
As you walk, keep your eyes
open for a change not only in terrain but in vegetation as well. If
you see a crooked line of Willows or Willow like trees in the distance,
IT'S ALMOST A SURE BET YOU'LL FIND A STREAM WHEN YOU GET THERE.
The mountain ahead is bare,
with no water or greenery in sight. One side comes down steeply to a
heavy rock formation; the other side slopes gently down to a valley
and gently up to another mountain. Head for the sloping side rather
than the steep escarpment. It has a much slower run off larger surface
area, and thus a greater likelihood of retained water.
COTTONWOODS
In arid country, cottonwoods
serve much the same purpose as willows in country more hospitable.
A chain of cottonwood indicates
a river bed. Whether that bed turns out to be wet or dry is another
question. But if its dry, examine the ground by one of the largest and
most ancient of the cottonwoods. On the inside bank of the old river's
curve, you will usually fund a small pool of water. At least there should
be enough ground moisture so if you really need water you can dig down
a foot or so and find seepage.
REMEMBER THOUGH IT DOES NOT
USUALLY PAY TO DIG FOR WATER.
With the amount of energy used,
the moisture lost in sweat usually far exceeds that gained from the
hole you have dug.
ANY LUSH VEGETATION IN ARID
TERRAIN INDICATES WATER IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER. Birds such as Doves
or Blackbirds, in flocks on the ground or quail in any quantity, are
other signs of a water source nearby.
You will need 2 quarts (2 liters)
a day under average conditions but in the desert or during periods of
heavy activity, this raises to 4 quarts (4 liters) or more per person
per day.
IF WATER BY THE BARREL
If water is plentiful, as well
as wood, MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS HAVE SOME HOT WATER boiling or close to
the flame to keep it hot. REMEMBER, to sterilize water, it takes 10
minutes boiling no matter what some may say. Be safe.
THIRSTY
Drink when thirsty often and
in small amounts. DON'T ATTEMPT TO RATION LIMITED QUANTITY OF WATER,
LIFE WILL NOT BE PROLONGED. DON'T gulp water, swish first mouthful around
mouth, swallow slowly, otherwise you will be sick and vomit this precious
water.
Avoid unnecessary activities
that cause perspiration. Seek shade. The less you perspire, the longer
you'll live without water.
SURVIVAL TIME CHART NO WATER
Some examples of expected survival
times are: Fahrenheit 50 F. temperature without water, with minimum
exertion- life expectancy is 14 days, with 1 gallon = 16 days. 120.F.
Under same conditions = 3 days with 1 gallon = 4 days.
Those are rough estimates for
adults. For children and sick folks, the estimate is about 1/3 less.
As you see, water is more important than food. Limit food and salt intake
when water is limited, especially protein foods which absorb much more
water from your body.
FINDING WATER and PURIFYING
Under hot, dry conditions where
little possibility of finding water exists, the search for water will
cause greater fluid loss than amount of water found. It is best to stay
in shade, move as little as possible and wait for help.