As you enter the Water Training Facility you see a large
rectangular hall with five smaller cubicles sectioned off from one another. In each of
these cubicles a computer controlled holographic image provides trainees with the
instruction needed to explain the particular method of water collection. It then provides
a simulation in which the trainees can test out the method of
water collection that has been covered.
The Lieutenant Commander in charge of Water training welcomes you to the facility and begins his lecture:
"When in a survival situation, ordering your priorities is one of the first steps to ensuring survival. Our basic needs are:
Their order of importance will depend on where you are and the environmental conditions, but water is always essential.
It is essential to remember that, an adult can survive for three weeks without food, but only three days without water. Don; wait until you run out of water before you look for more. Conserve supplies and seek a new source of fresh running water, though all water can be sterilized.
It is also important that you realize that the human body loses 2-3 litres of water each day. Loss of fluids through respiration and perspiration increases with work rate and temperature. So it is important to conserve energy and remain cool. Maintaining good health is also imperative since vomiting and diarrhoea increase water loss further. This water must be replaced either by actual water or water contained in food.
In order to keep fluid loss to a minimun, you should observe take the following precautions as much as possible:
She then points you to the five cubicles and says:
In these cubicles you will find a number of ways to obtain water in the wilderness. Listen to the holographic instructions for each method carefully. You can feel free to "re-run" the instructor segment as often as you need. You should try out at least two of the procedures yourself to get a better feel for how they work and how well they work. Remember that while boiling water can kill any organisms that live in it it will not remove harmful minerals or chemicals that may be present in it." She then dismisses you to begin your training.
Water runs downhill, so look in valley bottoms where water naturally drains. If there is no stream or pool, look for patches of green vegetation and dig there (green plants need a good water supply to survive).
In arid regions, dig in gullies and dry stream beds. In the mountains look for water trapped in drevices. On the coast, dig above the high water line, or look for lush vegetation in faults in the cliffs, you may find a spring.
Nature can also provide you with water in the form of rain, condensation and dew. You can collect this moisture to use as a water source. In the case of rain, use as big a catchment area as possible, running the water off into containers. A covered hole in the ground lined with clay will hold water. If you have no impermeable sheeting, use metal sheets or bark to collect the water. Dew is the moisture that appears on the grass or plants over night. As the ground cools the water vapour condenses and is deposited on the surface of plants. You can also use cloth to soak up this water. Tie clean strips of around your legs and walk through wet vegetation. These cloths can then be sucked to remove t the water.
You can also collect the water vapour that is given off by plants as they photosynthesize. Trees can draw moisture from a water table 15 meters or more below the surface. Far too deep for you to dig. So let the tree pump the water for you.
In cases where you can not find clean water, or any water at all, you can create a device known as a solar still. This tool works best in areas where it is hot during the day and cool at night. It allows you to collect pure water vapour from the earth or from impure water sources.
A solar still can also be used to distill pure water from poisonous or contaminated liquids. Place a container of impure water inside of the still and the sun's heat will cause the water to evaporate from it. The still then collects the vapor as pure water.
The still can also double as a trap. Insects and small snakes, attracted by the plastic, fall down into the "cone" or slither under the plastic and into the hole from which they are unable to escape.