In the wild, you can’t survive without water. You can survive for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Here’s a beginner’s guide to finding and safely purifying water:
Step 1: Finding Water Sources
Look for natural signs: low spots, animal tracks, and clumps of green vegetation often indicate nearby water.
Listen: sometimes you can hear streams or rivers before you see them (be careful, there could be vicious animals there).
Step 2: Collecting Water
Use containers if you have them.
If not, improvise: large leaves, pieces of bark, or even plastic bags can hold water.
Step 3: Purifying Water (also very important)
Raw water may contain bacteria or parasites. To make it safe:
Boiling: Bring the water to a rolling boil and boil for at least 1 minute. This will kill most pathogens (it’s the easiest way).
Filtration: Use a cloth or makeshift filter to remove dirt and debris.
Purification tablets: If you have them, they’re lightweight and effective (but for some reason I’m sure you didn’t bring them).
Remember this.
Always carry more water than you think you’ll need. Chopping logs or running from animals is very draining, so it’s better to take more than you’ll die before reaching the next stream.