9 Ways to Find Water in the Wilderness Survival to Help You Survive

Water is essential to keeping us alive in the wilderness survival but that’s exactly why it’s so dangerous. Finding a water source on your own is risky because it could be contaminated with hidden toxins or deadly microbes. If you’re stranded and need to find water for survival, it’s important to know the most effective ways to stay safe while doing so.

We’ve put together a list of 9 different ways to find water in the wild so that you’ll have plenty of options if you ever find yourself in this situation. Follow these tips and tricks and you’ll be fine!

• Look for Natural Depressions

This is probably the easiest way to find water in the wilderness survival. Natural depressions can be found in clusters of trees, or along cliff walls. These are spaces where rainfall and dew condense for long periods of time, forming small pools of water. If you stumble upon one, you’ll be able to tell it by how dark and mushy the ground looks.

2 . Look for Trails and Sites

You can look for signs of past or present human activity. If you stumble upon a large, fresh pile of trash, there’s a good chance that it came from the campsite near a water source. Look for trails and signs of old campsites and you may find creeks or ponds in the area – though be wary if the pond is located near an old outhouse as contaminants may have seeped into the soil.

3. Natural Springs or Seeps

Springs are the most reliable source of fresh water in the wilderness survival. Luckily, it’s easy to spot a spring: look for a wet area on level ground or in a valley, at the base of a rock face or cliff, or in an oasis in the desert. You will usually find an abundant supply of water running over rocks or flowing out from under rocks into pools of water.

Seeps are another type of spring that is not as obvious as their more robust cousins. A seep is simply an area where water flows out from below ground and forms small ponds or puddles. Seeps may be located under trees, at the bases of hillsides, along rivers, and even on other types of flat terrain that are not near mountains or cliffsides.

4. Use Plants for Clues

In order to identify plants that may lead you to water, you need to know the attributes of plants that require a great deal of water. Plants also give off clues from their surrounding environment.

Green or lush vegetation means water is nearby. However, there is a catch – green or lush vegetation can also mean poisonous plants are growing in abundance, so use caution when drinking from unknown sources.

Acacia trees are good signs of water because they keep their leaves all year round, even in dry seasons, provided there is groundwater available beneath the surface. In addition to acacia trees, other desert shrubs such as cacti and desert ferns are good indicators for finding groundwater. Mosses and lichens found on rocks are excellent signs too since these lichens only grow near water sources; often near streams or melting snowpack’s during the winter months.

5. Follow an Animal’s Lead

• Look for animal tracks leading to water

Animals will always be in close proximity to water, as they need it to survive. If you look around, you’ll surely see some animal tracks (unless there aren’t any animals around). Look for one that is heading in a distinct direction and follow those tracks. They may lead you straight to water or at least closer to where you can find it. If the animal produces droppings along the way, that’s an even better sign of how near or far away the water source is.

• Dead animals. If you happen to see a dead animal, follow its trail backward and find out what killed it. Odds are that it died of dehydration, which means that if you follow its trail for long enough, you should come across some water somewhere along the way.

• Bees and honeycombs. Bees need some form of moisture, so keep your eyes peeled for hives on trees or other structures as well as honeycombs on plants or rocks. As a general rule of thumb, if bees are present then there’s a good chance that there’s also freshwater nearby!

6. Collect and Drink Rainwater or Snow

The fastest way to get clean water is to wait for it to rain. It’s also very unexpected. It is the simplest and safest outdoor water source because it has the lowest danger of bacterial contamination. Water may be collected using bottles, cans, tarps, and raincoats.

If boiling isn’t a possibility, rainwater is the safest, untreated choice.

Also, you can access the water by melting ice or snow. To avoid reducing your core temperature, it’s best to melt it rather than consuming it raw. Also, ice is preferable to snow since it produces more water for the same amount of energy.

If you don’t have a fire, put the ice in your water bottle and put it beneath your jacket to melt. It will eventually dissolve as a result of your body heat.

7. Transpiration from Plants

When moisture is transferred from the roots to the underside of the leaves, this is called transpiration.

You can capture water on a tree branch by putting a plastic bag around it. Water will fall into your collecting bag. The collected vapor will turn into liquid water, which you can drink.

8. Fruits and Vegetation

Water is abundant in fruits, vegetables, and plants. Coconut, for example, is a good source of hydration. When trying to live in a tropical area, you can employ this approach of gathering food for water.

It’s beneficial to understand more about the edible plants and fruits in your region and how to prepare them for eating. While certain plants are water-rich, they can also cause serious digestive problems.

9. Dig for water

If you’re in a hot, dry desert with no water in sight, the last thing you want to do is dig. But if you’re stuck in sand or a dry riverbed, then digging might just be your best bet.

The best places to dig are at the base of a hill or ravine—digging uphill won’t give you any water. You’re looking for an area where rainwater will naturally collect.

Dig a hole about one meter deep and wait for it to fill up with rainwater (if there’s any). The water will be relatively clean, but might be muddy or cloudy—use iodine tablets or boiling to disinfect the water.

IMPORTANT TIP!

Knowing how to purify the water you’ve gathered is the second most crucial talent to have after discovering a water source. Remember that you aren’t the only one hunting for water. When you have the opportunity, treat water! You never know what’s around the corner if you drink from an untrustworthy source.

How to Purify Water in the Wild:

• Boiling.

• It is the simplest technique to purify it, assuming you have the necessary tools and a campfire or camp stove. In a saucepan, boil water over high heat until rolling bubbles appear, then let them roll for at least five minutes. Cool it down then ready to drink.

• Pumps that filter or purify water.

• If you go to a camping and outdoor supply store, you’ll almost certainly discover a variety of pumps with filters and purifiers to ensure that non-potable water enters but drinkable water exits – directly into your water bottle. Squeezing water through a ceramic or charcoal filter and treating it with chemicals accomplishes this.

• Drops and pills for purification.

• Dropping in a few of purification tablets or drops is a simple and affordable – but not always the greatest taste-technique of purifying natural water. Iodine is the most frequent ingredient, but chlorine and potassium permanganate are also useful. Allow at least 20 minutes for the chemicals to treat the water before drinking it, then mix it with powdered mixes to conceal any flavor.

So, in conclusion, when you’re lost in the wilderness survival and feel like you’re about to dehydrate, don’t panic!

There are plenty of ways to find water to wilderness survival in the wild. The most important thing is to realize that you can do it—and that it’s possible. And by using the strategies above, you’ll be on your way to hydration in no time!