Wild Distillation
Water Distillation
Steps to Distill Water
Part 1:
Dig a hole and place a plastic bag inside of it fill with water and add burning hot rocks.
Part 2:
Hang a shirt or shammy over the rocks to catch the steam. you can also weave ferns into a filter.
Part 3:
The steam is absorbed and distilled and turned back into water, drink up and enjoy
How to Filter, Purify & Distill Water in the Wild
Find Water
Rainwater collected on a clean tarp is your best source of fresh water, but you cannot always depend on rainfall. Plants are another source – tie a large plastic bag around a leafy branch of a nonpoisonous plant and weight it with a small rock. Throughout the day, the plant will transpire water to collect in your bag. Look for clues in nature to direct you to a stream. Animals know where there is water, so look for and follow any tracks you find. Walk upstream to the source to collect water and be sure to boil it before drinking to kill any water-borne parasites.
Dig for Water
When the only source of water available is a stagnant pool or muddy ground, it is still possible to filter, harvest, and purify water. A gypsy well also called a ‘seep’, is a method of clarifying stagnant water and wringing water from the soil. Dig a hole large enough for a few gallons of water beside the muddy area or stagnant water. Water will begin to seep through the ground, leaving large particles behind, and eventually filling the hole. Line the bottom and sides of your well with stone to prevent sediment from fouling the water. As with all collected water, it must also be purified before use.
Make Water Safe to Drink (Boil)
The crystal clear water from a creek may appear to be clean, but chances are it contains, at least, some invisible bacteria, virus, or parasites. Keep your family healthy by making the effort to purify any water you collect from the wild. Boiling is an efficient and preferred method; just bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for ten minutes. Other methods include water purification tablets, lightweight backpacking water filters, and hydrogen peroxide at a rate of two tablespoons per gallon of water.
Filter Water
Water collected in the wild should be filtered to remove impurities and then purified to remove bacteria and parasites before you use it. The easiest method of filtering water runs it through a course layer (grass or gravel) to remove debris, a layer of sand to remove dirt and particulates, and finally, a layer of charcoal to remove some bacteria and chemicals. A plastic jug or bottle works well – just cut off the bottom, turn it upside down covering to top with a cloth, fill the bottle with the appropriate layers and slowly pour water through, allowing it to collect in a container underneath.
Purify Water
The sun purifies water through exposure to UV rays, which kill over 90% of pathogens found in water. Solar water disinfection, SODIS, is a simple and quick method of purifying water with materials you are likely to have on hand. Fill a clear plastic bottle with water that you have filtered and place it in the sun for six hours or more; uncap and enjoy. Using a battery-powered, handheld UV water purifier is an even quicker method – almost instantaneous – with the capacity to purify a larger quantity of water.
Distill Water
In a national maritime forest, it is unlikely that you will find fresh water. With a large container, a smaller container, plastic bag, bungee cord, and rock – you can make a solar water distiller. Pour salt water into the large container, making sure it will not overflow into the smaller container, and place the small container in the middle. Cover the top with plastic and secure it with the bungee cord. Put the rock in the middle, making the low point of the plastic over the small container. Salt is left behind as water evaporates, condenses on the underside of the plastic, and runs into the middle container.
Distilling Water in the Wilderness
Vegetation Bag
For this technique you'll need a plastic bag and access to health and nonpoisonous plants. Your life will be easier if you also have a section of surgical tubing that is 4 to 6 feet long.
The first step is to find a sunny slope preferably early in the day.
Fill the bag with air as this will help with putting the vegetation in to it.
Fill the bag one-half to three-quarters full of the lushest and greenest vegetation you can find while being careful to not puncture the bag.
Place a small rock or something similarly heavy into the bag.
If you have a surgical tubing, slide one end inside and toward the bottom of the bag. Tie the other end in an overhand knot.
Close the bag and tie it off as close to the opening as possible.
Place the bag on a sunny slope so that the opening is on the downhill side and slightly higher than the bag's lowest point.
Position both the rock and the surgical tubing at the lowest point in the bag.
If using surgical tubing, simply untie the knot to drink or collect the water. If no tubing is used, loosen the tie and drain off the available liquid. Be sure to drain off all liquid before sunset, or it will be reabsorbed into the vegetation.
For optimal results, change the vegetation every two to three days.
Transpiration Bag
The advantage of a transpiration bag over a vegetation bag is that the same vegetation can be reused once it has been given enough time for it to rejuvenate. As the name suggests, you'll need a bag to construct a transpiration bag and a 4 to 6 foot section of surgical tubing will make collecting the water easier.
Find a tree or shrub that has direct sun exposure throughout a majority of the day.
Open the plastic bag and fill it with air to make it easier to it over the vegetation.
Place the bag over the lush, leafy vegetation of the tree or shrub. Try to aim for the side with the greatest exposure to the sun. Don't let the bag get punctured!
Place a small rock or something similar in size into the bag's lowest point.
At this point, if you have surgical tubing, place one end at the bottom of the bag next to the rock. Tie the other end in an overhand knot.
Close the bag and tie it off as close to the opening as possible.
When water has gathering, simply untie the knot to drink any collected water using the tubing. If no tubing is used, loosen the tie and drain off whatever water is available. The water will be reabsorbed during the night so be sure to collect the water before nightfall.
Change the bag's location every two to three days. This will ensure optimal results and allow the previous site to rejuvenate so that it might be used again later.
Below Ground Solar Still
Should you be in a survival situation where water and vegetation are scarce, you still have one option for using a still to obtain water. Unlike with the other stills, you don't need a bag, but you do need a sheet of about 6 feet square and a container in which to catch the water. A 4 to 6 foot section of surgical tubing will make drinking the water easier. In addition, you'll need to move the solar still every two to three days.
Look for a location where the ground contains moisture such as bend in a dry stream, near lush vegetation, or a low-lying area where water may have recently collected.
Dig a hole approximately 3 feet across and 2 to 3 feet deep.
At the bottom of the hole, dig a flat-bottomed sump that is large enough for the bottom third of your container to fit in.
Place the container into the sump and then put one end of the surgical tubing in it while keeping the other end up and out of the hole. Tie a loose overhand knot in the tubing to anchor it in the container while still allowing for water flow.
Cover the hole with the plastic sheet and place a small rock onto its center, allowing it to drop 18 to 24 inches into the hole so that the lowest point is directly above the container. If done correctly this should look like a funnel with the spout (if there was one) directly over the container.
Secure the plastic into place with rocks and clumps of dirt, but be careful that it does not come into direct contact with the dirt within the hole. If contact occurs, condensation destined for the cup will instead be absorbed into the ground.
Tie a knot in the free end of the surgical tubing to prevent the loss of moisture through evaporation.
If using surgical tubing, simply untie the knot to drink any collected water. If surgical tubing is not available, you'll need to open the still to drink the water that has been collected.
The water yield from a below ground still can be increased with these additional techniques:
Add nonpoisonous plants to the sides of the hole. For best results, change the vegetation every two days.
Urinate on the ground inside the still. As the moisture from the urine evaporates, clean water is produced.
Pour polluted or salt water onto the ground in the still. Again, as evaporation occurs, clean water is produced.