ABOVEGROUND WATER STILL


 
The aboveground water still, used for drawing moisture from green leafy plants, is one of many methods of obtaining safe drinking water in a wilderness survival situation.  Collecting water in an aboveground water still is a time consuming process (you might get a quart in twenty-four hours) so if this is one of the methods you will be using, build more than one if you have the materials and, if possible, start the process before you actually need the water.  (You should also consider building an underground water still to augment your efforts.) It will take two or three to meet an individuals daily water intake. 

Gerber backpack axe for cutting foliage for an aboveground water still.

A small back pack axe (such as the Gerber Blades Backpack Axe) would help you gather foliage as well as perform many other chores around your emergency camp.  One tool can do many jobs.







Materials needed for the above ground water still:

1.  A clear plastic bag
2.  Green leafy vegetation
3.  Something to add weight like a small rock

  
Construction of the aboveground water still:

  • Drawn image of an aboveground water still. Scoop air into the plastic bag or turn the opening into the wind to fill it with air.
  • Fill the bag three fourths full of green leafy vegetation (minus anything that might puncture the bag). Place your rock inside the bag and tie the opening as close to the end as possible to maintain maximum air space.  The open end of the bag must be sealed to keep air from escaping from your aboveground  water still.
  • Maneuver the bag in place, in full sun, on the slope with the mouth on the downhill side.  If necessary, you can create a slope using rocks and soil or whatever else is available. 
  • Position the bag with the mouth higher than the low point where the rock will be sitting.
 
  
 
 
You can retrieve water from your aboveground water still by gently tipping the bag and running the collected water into a container, then reseal the bag  to collect more moisture.  A collapsible funnel will make it a lot easier to transfer your collected water into your container without taking up a lot of space in your survival kits.
 
Once you have extracted most of the water from the vegetation, replenish your aboveground water still with new vegetation and start the process over again.
 
Water purification is necessary to remove harmful microorgnaisms and render your collected water safe to drink. To ensure that you have enough water for your survival needs, you should have several collection methods in place including the aboveground water still.
 

 
 



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