SERIES NUMBER 1
FINDING DRINKING WATER IN A SURVIVAL SITUATION
By: Jim Moran 2/6/06
Water
is more essential to your life then food in a survival situation. Many
people have died because they did not know how to find water or that
they were dehydrated. Water composes more than half of the human body;
it is impossible to live without it. Water regulates body temperature,
protects organs, assists digestion, transports nutrients and dispels
waste.
There
are a few things you must do to survive in an emergency; one is to
prevent dehydration. Dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion and
possibly heat stroke. In the SERIES to follow, you will learn how to
prevent dehydration. Of course, how do you know that you are
dehydrating? Not just in a survival situation is staying hydrated
important, but it is also very important for a healthy life. It is
important to drink before any signs of thirst appear. Thirst is a way
the body tells us that we are already dehydrated. So drink before this
happens. Here’s another way we can tell if we are dehydrated? Check
the color of your urine. It should be a very pale yellow, almost
clear. If it is darker, you are already dehydrated. Note: however
certain vitamins and supplements will cause the urine to be darker.
When you get dehydration it causes you not to think correctly and
could cause you to wander, instead of planning. You should drink 2
quarts of water per day to stay healthy. Finding this much water in a
survival situation is sometimes very hard. It is also hard to measure
2 quarts without the right equipment, so while you are at home measure
how much water you can fit in your mouth, see how many mouthfuls it
takes to fill a two quart jar. It takes me about 20 mouthfuls for 2
quarts.
As
Scouts, you have the opportunity to learn survival techniques. You can
survive up to 60 days without food, but only 3 days without water
before you start having problems.
With
the help of Mother Nature you could find drinking water, no matter
where you are; oceans, forests, deserts, etc., if you are trained.
I know
you are saying, “I’ll never be in a situation like that”, and I hope
you are not, but you never really know, do you, so why not learn as
much as you can, just in case. Live up to the Scout Motto, “Be
Prepared”.
Do
you know that insects and wildlife can lead you to water? Everything
growing on earth needs water. Some need to drink it, while others
absorb it through the food they eat.
Grain eating birds,
sparrows, finches, cardinals, etc., must have water to digest their
food. They will not nest more then a mile from a good water source,
either a hidden spring or a small pond. Finches and sparrows stay
together in colonies, so they are easy to spot at dusk when they
head for the old water hole.
Rock Doves or Wild
Pigeons as they are called in the USA are also a reliable indication
of water. They too are grain eaters. They spend all day feeding and
then when dusk approaches, they head for a water hole-drink their
fill and fly slowly back to there nesting area. Their flying manner
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 their water
hole. Being heavy with water they are vulnerable to hawks, so they
try to hide by flying from tree to tree.
Insects such as flies
are also an indication of water; they live with-in a few hundred
yards from water. You will need to notice more then one. Sometimes
all they need is damp ground. If you notice flies on a damp spot,
dig down for the source, perhaps a few feet, remember the damp
ground has to come from somewhere. May not be enough for you to get
a glass full, but may be enough that you could put the mud in your
T-shirt and squeeze out the water.
Carnivorous birds such
as Crows, Hawks, Eagles and Vultures are not a source of finding
drinking water. They get their moisture from the flesh that they
eat, thus they are not reliable water drinkers.
All bees and wasps are
another source of finding water. Mud Wasps need water to drink and
build their nests. If you see a nest, water is near, with-in a mile.
Also watch flowers. Bees go from one flower to the next, when they
have their fill on nectar, they head for their nest.
Parrots and Cockatoos
are not a reliable indicator of finding drinking water. They too are
grain eaters, but they don’t have the same habits.
Sugar Ants or small
brown ants are another indication that there is water nearby if you
observe them climbing up the bark on a tree, one after another in a
column and then disappear into a hole in a tree. (Don’t mistake
these for carpenter ants.) They too are heading for water. Inside
the tree is a reservoir that is filled by condensation and
rainwater. You can obtain this water by sticking a straw down in the
hole or a piece of cloth. You may have to open the hole a little.
Later we will talk about making a straw.
Dense clouds of flies
swarming over a place in a desert show you where there was water
only a short while before and you will almost always find water if
you dig down. Again, the wet sand may need to be squeezed on through
your T-shirt.
Watch for animal trails
such as deer, raccoons, etc that are heading downhill, chances are
they are heading for water. Also watch for ducks and geese flying
overhead. Watch how they are flying, are they heading for water?
Only Raptors (hawks,
etc.) migrate during the day, all other birds migrate during the
night using the stars to guide them, so if you see ducks or geese
flying overhead during the early part of the day they are probably
heading for water.
Print a copy of this
for reference.
Your in Scouting,
-
Jim Moran
-
Charter Representative
Pitching Your
Tent. Look down--do not pitch
it in a low spot or you will have water inside when it rains. Look
up--do not pitch it under dead limbs ("widow-makers") hanging overhead.
Look around--if there is driftwood and leaves in the trees and shrubs,
you are in a flood plain.
Firewood.
Wet firewood won't burn. But, if you peel off the bark
or split some smaller limbs, it will be dry inside. You may be able to
get enough of a fire going to dry the remainder of the wood you want to
burn.
An emergency fire starter can be made
from Vaseline or grease, and cotton balls or dryer lint. Mix the fiber
with the greasy stuff, and put it in a film can. If you need an
emergency fire starter, remove the lid and light the fiber.
Stoves In
Tent.
Don't Even
Think About It !!!!
You might be able to cook in a vestibule, but light your stove outside first to avoid flame-ups that
could burn your tent. If it's raining you might have to sit inside your
tent with the stove outside in the rain, but do not risk fire and
boiling liquids inside your tent.
Scenic
Overlook. Avoid camping near a "scenic overlook".
Persons answering a call of nature during the night can easily become
disoriented and fall over the edge. Especially, don't combine the scenic
overlook with alcohol or drugs.
Vent Tent.
Do not close up your tent
completely, regardless of how cold or rainy it may be. When you breathe,
water vapor is released inside the tent. You need to give it a way out.
The alternative is water inside your tent.
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