Procuring water in a survival situation
 

In the Southwestern US desert, I know you can get water from the base of a barrel cactus using a knife.

In what other ways can you procure water in a survival situation?

Where are we???
 

If you tell me in the desert and all I have are my skivvies with my tab I am gonna be upset...

Eagle

Re: Where are we???
 

I'm actually hoping the Team Sergeant will take over this thread. In the meantime, though, let's say you're in the Sonora desert and all you've got are your clothes, a knife and a cup. :)

Look for any intermitant stream beds on your map (if you have one), proceed to it and look for any healthy vegitation (scrub brush, cactus, sage, etc...) in quantity along the banks.

Find the lowest spot near this vegitation, wait for nightfall and dig. The reason for night time digging is that you'd waste a shite load of energy and body fluids doing it in the desert heat.

If you find continually damper sand/dirt as you dig deeper chances are good that you may find water at some point.

Some good clues as to weather there is water under ground are -

1. Animal tracks dried in the mud near the stream banks

2. Lush vegitation in a seemingly otherwise completely dry area

3. Insects (namely ants and termites) in the immidiate area

This technique will most likely only work in valleys and low areas where flash flooding occurs once or twice a year.

Check small, rocky canyons and draws. We camp in far west Texas every summer and you would be suprised how much water you can find in rock pools.

Re: Re: Where are we???
 

It’s time to make your peace with your creator.

It’s really no different then a venture out into the ocean. You don’t go out 150 miles low on gas, bad weather approaching and with minimal knowledge of ocean adventures. In the same manner one should not enter a desert without proper training and preparation.

The number one piece of equipment you could take with you into the desert here would be a signal mirror. And that’s useless if you do not know how to use it.

The Arizona desert is currently the number one desert to die within in the United States. The Sonora desert has claimed the lives of over 400 people since 1999.
It’s not a hospitable place to vacation or try to cross illegally. Unless one has had advanced desert survival training one should not be running around in the Sonora desert, it can and will kill a person very quickly otherwise.

The Team Sergeant

Damn, Team Sergeant.

Guess it's a good thing he didn't ask how to survive in the Negev. ;)

Re: Re: Re: Where are we???
 

This would be a tough one for about 3 days or so...
Along with a mirror, I always carry plastic in a desert environment. Lightweight multiple use item, solar still, shade, collection material for water out of very shallow pools and rain (if your are lucky)

Sorry RL...I think I'm dead...:(

Eagle

Suddenly finding yourself in a survival situation (plane crash etc) is one thing. Walking out into one of the most hostile deserts in the United States with no equipment plans or training is stupid. It's not for novice hikers.

The only water I've found while conducting a mission in he desert is stated above, digging where you see a lot of green growth. Otherwise we carried water for three-5 days and planned on re-supply.

Locating water in the in the desert is tougher to find than an honest politician.

TS

Agree entirely. And American deserts are some of the more hospitable on Earth. But it is doable, either with some preparation or with some creativity in using whatever you have at hand (although I'd hope it was more than shirt, trousers and pocketknife).

Team Sergeant:

Would you be willing to discuss this issue with respect to a different terrain of your choice? I would like to learn.



:)

Found this:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/water-1.php

RL,

What we should do is obtain tips concerning water procurement on all the major land masses.

Things like, you should wait 30 minutes before collecting water from a downpour while in the jungle to let the bird shit first wash off the leaves. This is tip worthy information.;)

Trying to build a solar still, while a wonderful idea is pure bullshit, the reason is simple, how many carry a large portion of plastic and a long piece of surgical tubing in your survival kit? (If you do not know what the tubing is for you should not construct a solar still.) Footmobile answered the desert water procurement question. Except that dried animal tracks thing…. I’ve yet to see much of dried mud tracks in real nasty deserts. (otherwise good post Foot)

We could also consider how to treat your water after you’ve procured it.

Team Sergeant