Transporting and boiling water with NO supplies

[Magpie]

This might be a stupid subject that has been touched up on before, but what the heck, I'm having trouble finding exactly what I'm looking for. From what I've read and seen it seems common knowledge to boil your water if in doubt, but that's about all they tell you. I read a thread that had some great ideas for making containers to boil water in, but they seem complicated and very difficult to achieve without a hardy knife. In a real survival situation the average joe will not have a knife and most likely nothing to start fire with. Now assuming he can figure out how to make fire on his own, and also make tools capable of manipulating his surroundings, what would be ideal to use/make for transportation? What would be the best method of making the tool itself? Sharpening rocks? Tying a rock onto something sturdy to give length or would something handheld be more ideal? I would think the structure built to actually boil the water in would be somewhat easier, and it seems like these other equally important subjects are rarely touched up on. Also, in an even worse situation, on an island or somewhere where sea water is your only option and distillation is your best bet, what could be used simply utilizing what nature provides? Hope that's not too many questions.

[SARKY]

Even Tom Hanks was able to make fire in "Castaway"! Why wouldn't the average joe not have a knife with them?

[Magpie]

Well of course the average joe SHOULD have a knife on him at all times but sadly they really don't. It's been awhile since I've been on a plane but considering how much security has tightened I would assume you aren't allowed to carry one on board. Not every survivor of a plane wreck will find ice skates either lol!

[crashdive123]

Magpie - you're kind of all over the place with your question/questions. Why not take a look at this guide http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=5477 so as to make your question more specific. This way you will get answers that are more useful to you.

[finallyME]

crashdive is right. Your question is way out there. Maybe a lot more clarification. As for me, I always carry a knife, more than one way to start a fire, and something to boil water in. I keep on in the car, and carry something when out in the woods. One thing to remember, I am not the average guy. I never worry about the average guy. I don't care if he dies or not. I only care about what I would do. I can carry a firesteel on a plane. Everything else, I can improvise.
Anyways, follow crashdives' link and be more specific so we can all help.

[Magpie]

Yeah I kind of suspected that I was doing that Crash, I just didn't want to ask different questions in different places that are so similar, but I feel it all to be important and don't want to leave anything out. Believe me I've got a lot more questions, I'm trying to refrain myself! It's the details that go unnoticed most often, you might examine a situation and think you've got it all figured out but actually being in the position you most certainly will find all sorts of variables that change everything. I don't want to come off as the guy that comes and asks questions that could have been answered had he done some more reading. The thing is I DO read a lot and it only brings up more questions!

[Magpie]

But anyhow, I can create a hypothetical situation using that checklist if you'd like: Joe is shipwrecked and loses all material in the crash, save for the clothes on his back. He is stranded on a remote island in a tropical climate (sorry for the simple example that's covered quite often, but I think this way people can think up more detailed solutions that you don't see on tv). It's summertime in the area and hot. He is the only survivor. He is at this time lucky to be unscathed. He's already thirsty and there's not a cloud in sight.

[finallyME]

A remote island is still pretty vague. Are there coconut trees? Is there a source of fresh water? If there is a stream, chances are, no giardia or other stuff. Why? no people or cattle. I would just drink from the stream. No boiling necessary.

[Magpie]

Well okay then allow me to elaborate on poor ole Joe's situation a little more. The island that he is on is particularly small and no fresh water source can be found. He knows that digging above the high water mark especially around plants might produce water, but is unsure whether this is safe to drink or not, or how abundant the source may be. There are coconut trees nearby but considering how thirsty he is and knowing that coconut milk is a laxative and may produce diahhrea depleting even more of his liquids he is unsure whether he should drink it as well.

[crashdive123]

I'll play, but if you really want to learn, something a bit more realistic in the realm of possibilities might be in order.

If there is no fresh water on the small island that Joe is on, all of the digging and filtering through sand is meaningless. It will still be salt water. Joe has a couple of options - drinking some coconut milk to stave off dehydration (small amounts so as to minimize the laxitive effects) - since there are no clouds, and it is hot - rainwater collection is not an immediately viable option. Having spent a time in the tropics, neither is dew collection from the vegetation in the mornings, as the type areas you are inferring do not get cool enough for condensation to form. Where does that leave Joe? Probably dead. Unless Joe can get a fire started via friction (does he have eyeglasses?), boil some salt water in the husk of a coconut, use banana leaves to collect the steam as it rises, have that steam drip fresh distilled water into another coconut for drinking.

Do you see where I'm going? The scenario that you have provided, while romantic by Hollywood terms, probably isn't too realistic.

[Magpie]

Just because it's portrayed in books and movies does not mean it's unrealistic, if anything that should lend validity to how often it does happen. Planes go down, ships wreck, various other things happen to leave people stranded in oceans or shallow seas and sometimes they survive, when they do a small island (when far enough away from populated land) is the most probable place they will end up IF they end up anywhere. But really I don't see why the the location is such a big factor in hypothetical discussion. The whole point of me starting this thread was to see what could be improvised in various conditions for transporting, boiling, and if need be distilling water. Crash gave the most simple and logical for that particular scenario, but it's just one of many. I don't see why I have to list out all the variables of every possible situation/atmosphere/climate in order for people to think up various ideas for various situations.

[finallyME]

He could always look for the buried stash of rum left by pirates.

Well, with no fresh water, can you say SOL.

I would drink coconut milk. It would probably make me constipated. I am opposite of everyone else.

Anyways, with no fresh water, you either cut open plants for it, dig for it, or distill sea water for it.

Magpie said
"I don't see why I have to list out all the variables of every possible situation/atmosphere/climate in order for people to think up various ideas for various situations."

This is mostly because you have to be really specific with your question to get a good answer. It looks like you want a bunch of ways to boil water without a pot, or anything not naturally found. The answer depends entirely on the locale, and what is available. But, sometimes, you get answers that you didn't think about, and initially don't want. Those answers are usually the ones to really think about.

[crashdive123]

Magpie - you don't have to list anything that you don't want to list. You are the one asking the questions and supposedly seeking answers. If the scenario that you have described will give you the answers you seek, then good on you.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

i would use vegetation to collect dew from moist nites and get the water that way. i have a video on the 7 ways to get water in an arrid enviroment.
www.youtube.com/trapperjacksurvival 7 ways to find water

[pocomoonskyeyes]

Well there is another way to get water,potable water, some vines (like grapevines) can be cut and then go up higher cut again to allow water to drain. also water can be gotten from other plants (trees like coconut) the same as maple syrup is collected. Water is the most important thing in a situation like this. Fair sunny weather the only shelter needed is to stay out of the sun to avoid sunburn. Some trees (like sycamore) actually purify water from contaminated sources.

[Rick]

Not to belabor your scenario but why does it have to be portable? There are many ways to collect water even on a deserted island. Not many deliver up large quantities but you can acquire fresh water. Why is transporting it necessary? Why not just go to the water?

[Magpie]

Well because if you had to distill salt water you couldn't very well make a fire right there on the shore could you? That situation makes transporting easier though because there are coconuts but I'm sure it is not unlikely to find yourself in a situation where transporting water is ideal, I would think.
And what if there is one reliable source of fresh water (not running) and you need to bathe yourself? You wouldn't want to do that in your primary water source right? But that of course is not in relation to the above scenario. And apologies for the weakness of that by the way, I could have done better.

[Durtyoleman]

For transporting if you can find a good sized hardwood branch and break off a piece take the rest of the wood and make a fire...then use some of the coals to burn a dish shape into the remaining piece, similar to the way dugout canoes are made. To boil water...soak your newly made dugout hardwood bowl in water and fill it, place some large stones in the fire to heat and useing sticks as tongs transfer them to your dugout bowl to heat the water. this is time consuming but is how some tribes cooked meals. Caution: do not use river rocks as trapped moisture tends to make them explod when heated.

D.O.M.

[neondog]

If you fall out of the sky, the chances of floating ashore between two coconut trees is minimal. Your best bet if you are a frequent flyer is to study as diverse a group of scenarios as possible.

It seems logical to me to start with plants common in hot arid regions since these are the places that would kill you the fastest. When you get a good grip on five or six water sources for that scenario move to the next deadliest setting, study and repeat.

[Batch]

The laxative quality of coconut milk is stronger in more mature coconuts.

Also in saltwater environments if there are dunes dig on the in land side of the dunes. If there aren't dunes dig about 100 yards from the high water mark. You may have to dig down several feet. As soon as you see water start coming into the hole stop digging. You might be able to get some potable water before the water gets salty.