HOW TO FIND Water IN THE WILDERNESS

Water usually lies nearby. It hangs heavy in the air before it condenses on grass. It dwells within plants, drips down rock, and pools in crevices before it’s absorbed by roots, lapped up by animals, or evaporated into the atmosphere. But in the vast wilderness, you can’t refill your canteen until you first find fresh water, and filter it, if necessary. If you’re in a familiar area, you’ll likely know the locations where water pools, or where running water abounds. If you’re in an unfamiliar area, you’ll have to recognize universal patterns, use past experience, and engage in some trial and error to locate what you’re looking for. Finding water requires using your senses, as well as a hefty dose of common sense. The following clues and cues will serve you well.

Hidden in Plain Sight

You can collect water first thing in the morning from the dew that forms on grass in open woodland fields. All you need to do is tie a handkerchief or spare T-shirt around your ankle and walk through a field, then wring out the cloth into a container. Water also condenses