Outdoor Survival: A Guide to Staying Safe Outside (Adventure Skills Guides)

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Benjamin Sobieck is a former editor of Living Ready magazine, a publication dedicated to preparedness. His credits have also appeared in BLADE, Gun Digest, Deer & Deer Hunting, Turkey & Turkey Hunting, Trapper & Predator Caller, and Tactical Gear, among others. He lives in Minnesota.

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WATER

Water Is More Important than Food Staying hydrated will keep your mind and body sharp. You can’t go more than three days without water, which is why it comes before food on the list of priorities.

Don’t Ration Your Water Rationing clean water that’s already on hand may seem like a smart move, but it hastens dehydration. Drink as you would normally to keep yourself primed while you search for other sources of water.

Think about it: Does it make sense to willingly muddy your senses at a critical moment if you know that most people are rescued within 48 hours? Also, you can’t spill or lose water that’s already inside you.

Making Established Water Sources Safe to Drink By default, assume that water found in lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers is dangerous to drink. It doesn’t matter if the water is moving or standing―consider it all unsafe.

That said, you’re in a great position should you find yourself near an established source of water. All you need to do is make it safe to drink. To do so ideally involves two steps:

• Filtering (a physical process) that removes organic materials, sediment, and most parasites and bacteria
• Purifying (a chemical process) that kills viruses, parasites, and bacteria

Filter first, then purify. Note that a dedicated survival product that filters may not require purification, although filtering by any means is always recommended prior to purification. Filtering can be done several ways:

• A survival product, such as the LifeStraw or a filtered pump
• Cloth, such as socks, shirts, or bandannas (use in tandem with a purification method)
• Coffee filters (use in tandem with a purification method)

Following filtration, purification is up next:

• Boiling is the classic way to ensure safety. It’s also easy to recognize when the water is safe, as most people are familiar with how to boil water. The water tastes best, too. This is the best choice. According to CDC recommendations, 60 seconds of a rolling boil is enough to kill the baddies unless you’re at a high altitude, in which case you need to boil water for 3 minutes.
• Purification tablets, provided they are not expired and you follow the directions on the package. Don’t wing it. (Note that the water will taste gross.)
• A UV-light device, such as the SteriPen.

Please remember to wipe up or disinfect any part of a drinking container that has come in contact with untreated water.

How to Find Water When There Aren’t Established Sources When water isn’t present as an established source, you’re not out of options. Here are a few ideas.

Dew. One concept will be true no matter where you are: When temperature changes, so does water in the air. Air releases moisture when it cools, which means the mornings often will be full of dew.

This is a prime opportunity for harvesting water. Like rain, fresh dew doesn’t need to be purified before you drink it.

This is where the water-absorbing properties of cotton can actually help you. Run a T-shirt, bandanna, or other lightweight clothing through dew on low-hanging branches, in tall grass, or just above the ground. Squeeze what you gather into your mouth or a container. One trick is to tie a T-shirt around your leg and walk through tall grass. Regardless of how you do it, gathering dew is worth the energy.

Tapping Trees. Tapping deciduous (i.e., not pine) trees works best in fall when sap (which can be consumed like water) is moving toward roots. Late winter and early spring can also work, too. If you get this technique right, you’ll end up with a wilderness water faucet (albeit one that provides drips of water). Maple and birch are prime choices.

Before putting any holes into trees, observe your surroundings. Where is sap already dripping onto the ground? Look for snapped-off tree branches and listen for drips. If there aren’t any, are any trees leaking sap down their trunks? You’ve found a candidate for tapping.

If you’re lucky enough to find a drip, catch the sap with a bottle or container. It’s generally safe to drink raw, but filter/purify it if you can.

To make your faucet:

• Using a knife, make a 33-degree upward cut into the tree’s trunk about 2–3 inches deep. Twist the knife to create a small hole.
• Sharpen a small, stubby stick and place it into the cut so that the point facing you is angled downward.
• Water should drip off the end of the stick. You may have to wait several minutes for the drip to start, so come back to the stick later if necessary.
• Hold a bottle to catch the water. Wrap cordage around the trunk to hold the bottle in place.

This may take a few tries, even on the same tree. Go with mature trees for the best odds.

Rain and Snow. Rain and snow are obvious sources of ready-to-drink water, but there are a couple of pointers.

With rain, be strategic and purposeful about how you catch water. A well-placed tarp can act like a trough to fill smaller containers.

Snow should be melted in a container before it’s consumed. Not only is this easier on your body, but it also separates water from debris in the snow.