Locating Water In Mountain Terrain

Water is one of your most urgent needs in a survival situation. You can' t live long without it, especially in hot areas where you lose water rapidly through perspiration. Even in cold areas, you need a minimum of 2 liters of water each day to maintain efficiency.

More than three-fourths of your body is composed of fluids. Your body loses fluid as a result of heat, cold, stress, and exertion. To function effectively, you must replace the fluid your body loses. So, one of your first goals is to obtain an adequate supply of water.

Mountainous terrain provides a good possibility for locating water. Try to locate streams or springs of water in the draws coming off hill tops. Large green vegetation in pastures that contain a large variety of trees, besides the evergreen trees, provide an indication that there may be surface water nearby or under ground water close to the surface.

Game trails may also lead to water. But they could go on for miles before leading up to the water source.

In the early morning hours when dew is on the grass you can tie a rag or t-shirt around the lower part of your legs and walk through the grass. The cloth will soak up the moisture and then can be wrung out into a container or directly into your mouth. The moisture may taste a little dirty, but its better than nothing.

Dew can also be collected off of non-poisonous leaves from trees. Rain water can be collected from rock crevices. If you are in a jungle type mountain terrain, water can be collected from the hanging vines. Do not drink water from vines that look milky. To get the water from the vine, cut the bottom of the vine completely off and then make a notch approximately 3 feet up the vine. This releases suction in the vine allowing water to flow out of the vine.

Green bamboo will contain drinkable water in each of its sections.

A clear plastic bag can be tied over tree leaves and secured. Water condensation will build up on this inside of the plastic and will drip to the lowest end of the bag. Make sure you use a tree that does not have poisonous leaves.

Old homesteads that are abandoned and miles from civilization may have under ground cisterns. These cisterns may have water, although it will probably be stagnant and dirty. Use purification techniques to make the water safe to drink.

The following fluids should never be substituted for water: blood, urine, sea water.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie