How to Quench Thirst in Extreme Conditions in the Tian Shan Mountains

How to Find Water in Extreme Conditions?

One of the first steps to survival is to prioritize correctly. First and foremost, a person needs water, food, fire, and shelter. The importance of these elements depends on your location, but water always comes first. An adult can survive without food for three weeks, but only three days without water. Do not wait until your water supply runs out to start replenishing it. Keep a certain amount of water as an emergency reserve and constantly look for new sources of clean drinking water.

The human body loses 2-3 liters of water daily. Fluid loss through breathing and sweating increases with the intensity of physical activity and rising temperatures. Vomiting and diarrhea further exacerbate dehydration. Fluid loss must be compensated with drinking water or water contained in food.

Overcoming Thirst

Thirst is the drying of the mucous membrane of the mouth due to dehydration and breathing excessively dry air (both in high and low temperatures). The feeling of thirst arises significantly earlier than the body has depleted its water reserves for evaporation. It is sufficient to ensure the functioning of the salivary glands to minimize thirst, and in difficult situations, to assist your body. In Central Asia, the so-called "kurt" is well known. This sun-dried, rock-hard salted sheep cheese (brynza) is the size of a pea. A piece of kurt placed under the tongue for 3-4 hours stimulates saliva production. In other conditions, it is enough to place a small stone under the tongue to induce salivation. You can even just chew on a blade of grass. In the North, thirst can occur at air temperatures below -45 degrees Celsius and in the absence of wind, when the air becomes very dry. Snow or ice placed in the mouth, due to additional cooling, only increases the feeling of thirst.

Those with beards and mustaches have an advantage in these conditions. Icicles formed from breath can be sent to the mouth, and they "relieve" the feeling of thirst.

How to Retain Moisture

To minimize fluid loss from the body, you should take the following measures: always drink water in small sips, holding it in your mouth for a long time.
Do not overexert yourself, rest more, do not smoke.
Stay cool, remain in the shade; if there is none, create some form of shade; do not lie on warm ground or hot stones.
Eat as little as possible - digestion uses up fluid, which increases dehydration. Fat is particularly difficult to digest.
Do not drink alcoholic beverages; alcohol draws fluid away from vital organs and binds it with other substances.
Do not talk.
Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.

If you have gone without water for some time, when you find it, do not rush to drink it greedily.

First sip the water in small amounts, as a large quantity entering a dehydrated body can cause vomiting, leading to even greater loss of precious moisture.

How to Obtain Drinking Water in Hiking Conditions

When in extreme conditions, it is useful to recall the general scheme of the water cycle in nature and try to identify places where water accumulates. At each stage of the cycle, you can find an optimal place for collecting water.

If there are no open water bodies nearby, dig into the ground in search of groundwater (water from rain and melting snow that has soaked into the soil). The level of groundwater and water reserves depend on the terrain and soil type. Among the rocks, look for green grass on the slopes of the mountains. Dig a hole where the grass is the greenest and wait for water to start seeping in. Before digging, look around for signs of water presence. Dig in the valley under a steep slope or in areas thickly covered with grass, where a spring may have existed during the rainy season.

WARNING: If you find a water source in an area with no vegetation, animal tracks, or signs of humans, it is better not to drink that water. A questionable source can be tested for water quality using an old Cossack method: fill a cup with water and spit into it. If the saliva disperses and dissolves, the water can be drunk. If the saliva settles, do not drink the water.

Water in the Forest

In forests growing in lowlands, along coastal areas, and in river valleys, the level of groundwater is close to the surface. Therefore, even a small hole dug in the forest can become a good source of water. The level of groundwater and their reserves depend on the terrain and soil type. It is easiest to find water where the soil has a loose structure. Groundwater is closest to the surface in the lowest points of valleys, under steep slopes, or in areas thickly covered with grass.

Rainwater accumulates above the groundwater level and forms streams, ponds, and swamps, but this water is considered contaminated and dangerous to drink.

In rocky soils, it is important to search for springs and wells. It should be noted that there are more and larger springs in limestone soils because limestones dissolve easily, and groundwater forms depressions in them. Springs should be sought in places where a dry canyon passes through a layer of porous sandstone.

In the mountains, water can be found by digging in the beds of dried-up rivers, where water is often found beneath a layer of gravel, in crevices at the base of cliffs, near green plants.

Glacial Water

Glaciers are a rich source of water. To obtain water from them, take the necessary amount of snow or ice (even better), place it in some container, and put it in the sun, in a wind-protected place, or melt it over a fire. Ice yields more water and can be obtained faster with less energy expenditure.

Since glacial water contains a lot of rocky sediment, it should be allowed to settle for several hours (8-10). After sediment forms, the water should be filtered and only then can it be used for drinking.

Water on the Coast

When on the seashore, you can find water in the dunes above the shore or right on the beach. In search of water, carefully inspect the depressions between the dunes. Where the sand is moist, dig a hole in the sand during low tide (about 100 meters beyond the high water mark during high tide). The water may taste brackish, but it is safe to drink. It is advisable to filter it using a sand filter.

Water in the Desert

To find water in the desert or steppe, pay attention to the flight direction of birds, the location of vegetation, and converging animal trails. Where groundwater approaches the surface, you can find plants such as bulrush, willow, elder, sedge, and saltwort. The proximity of groundwater is sometimes indicated by swarms of midges and mosquitoes observed after sunset, as well as bright green patches of vegetation amidst vast expanses of bare sand.

The Method of Brian Kovach

In the absence of a nearby water body, water can be obtained using the method proposed by Australian Brian Kovach. For this, you will need to have a plastic bag, which should be placed over a tree branch (any tree), preferably one with dense foliage, tightly tied at the base, with the open side of the bag facing up and the corner directed downwards to collect water formed by condensation. You just need to be patient and wait for water to accumulate in it. Using this method, you can collect up to a liter of water in a day.

Solar Distiller

To create such a water collector, dig a hole in the ground about 90 cm in diameter and about 45 cm deep, place a container for collecting water in the center, and cover the hole with plastic wrap, shaping it into a cone. As the temperature of the air and ground below rises due to solar heat, evaporation begins. When the air becomes saturated with water vapor, water condenses on the inner surface of the film and drips down the cone into the container. This method of collecting water is especially effective in deserts and everywhere that is hot during the day and cold at night. Using this method, you can collect at least 550 ml of water in 24 hours.

Collecting Dew and Rainwater

Use as wide a drainage surface as possible to collect water in a container. A hole in the ground, coated with clay and covered on top, will hold water well. If you do not have waterproof material, use large leaves or bark to line the hole. You can use cloth to collect water: wrap clean items around your calves and ankles and walk through wet vegetation. The water obtained this way can be squeezed out or sucked from the fabric. Early in the morning, you can wipe clean linen or cotton fabric over the grass and then squeeze it out. When it rains, wrap a cloth around a tree. The water running down the trunk is absorbed by the cloth and drips into a container placed underneath.

Animals as Indicators of Water Proximity

Mammals. Most animals constantly need water. Herbivores usually do not stray far from water, as they need to drink twice a day - at dawn and late in the evening. Converging animal tracks often lead to water; follow them downhill. Predatory animals do not indicate water as well - they obtain a significant portion of it by consuming their prey.

Birds. Grain-eating birds, such as finches and pigeons, always stay close to water and drink in the morning and evening. When they fly straight and low, they are heading for water. When returning from drinking, they fly from tree to tree, often stopping to rest. Waterfowl and birds of prey drink rarely and therefore are not good indicators of water sources.

Insects. Bees are particularly good indicators of water. They fly a maximum of 6.5 km from their nests or hives.

Ants also depend on water. A column of ants marching up a tree is heading towards a small natural reservoir where water has accumulated. Such reservoirs can be found even in arid areas.

Most flies stay within 90 m of water.

Reptiles. They obtain a small amount of the necessary liquid by consuming their prey or drinking dew. Reptiles are not good indicators of WATER SOURCES.

Humans. Tracks usually lead to a well, artesian well, or spring. It may be covered with branches or stones that prevent it from drying out. After replenishing your water supply, cover the spring again.

Here are several possible methods for purifying water in extreme conditions.

Water Disinfection

Before consuming the obtained water for drinking or cooking, ensure its safety.

Any water body without greenery or animal bones around it should raise suspicion. Most likely, the water in it is contaminated. Do not drink raw water (except for spring water and from clean mountain streams), especially from standing water bodies or downstream from populated areas. Such water must be disinfected before use.

There are three main methods of water purification: boiling, chemical disinfection, and filtration.

Boiling has been used for centuries to purify water and is one of the most reliable methods. Water is usually boiled for 8-10 minutes. If the liquid is taken from a suspicious or heavily contaminated source (which should only be done in extreme cases), it should be boiled for about half an hour.

If boiling is not possible, chemical methods of water disinfection can be used.

Disinfecting Tablets. For example, “Aquatabs.” Such a tablet can be thrown into water contaminated with oil, dysentery bacilli, or soap scum. After a minute, all dirt and toxins settle to the bottom, and the upper layer can be poured off and drunk. Clean water obtained this way has a terrible taste and smell. But if you are thirsty, you will be ready to drink even your own liquid waste.

Pantoic acid tablets (more harmful) 1-2 tablets dissolve in 1 liter of water and let it sit for 30 minutes. In cases of heavy water contamination, the dose of pantoic acid should be doubled. After using Aquatabs and Pantoic acid, it is better to filter the water through a charcoal filter.

In the absence of Aquatabs and Pantoic acid, you can use other available means from your first aid kit.

To disinfect water, you can use aluminum sulfate (a pinch per bucket), potassium permanganate (until the water is a weak pink color and let it sit for one hour); the main thing is not to overdo it - the water should be light pink.

You can also use a 5% iodine solution (2-3 drops per 1 liter of water), which should be well mixed and allowed to sit for an hour.

Hydroperite. One tablet per 1.5-2 liters of water.

Table salt as a last resort. Use one tablespoon per 1.5-2 liters of water.

The above-mentioned means should definitely be part of your first aid kit. After any disinfection method, let the water sit for 15-30 minutes.

In the middle latitudes, young branches of fir, pine, spruce, cedar, or common juniper can be used to sterilize water at a ratio of 100-200 grams per bucket of water and boiled for 30-40 minutes. Then you can add a few pieces of alder, oak, willow, or birch bark and boil the water for another 10-15 minutes, after which let it cool. After the branches and bark are removed from the container, a brown, poorly soluble sediment will remain at the bottom. Carefully pour off the water up to this sediment; it should not be consumed. For similar purposes, the grass of feather grass, tumbleweed, yarrow, or field violet can be used at a ratio of 200-300 grams per bucket, which should be boiled for 20-30 minutes.

Water Filtration

Cloudy, stagnant, and swamp water should always be filtered before consumption.

There are several methods for filtering water in field conditions:
1) pass water through a container filled with sand, charcoal, and fine gravel;
2) pass water through a container filled with clay and fine gravel;
3) pass water through pieces of cloth filled with grass, sand, and charcoal.

It should be remembered that even after filtration, the water must be boiled for at least 10 minutes and allowed to sit for at least 45 minutes, after which the clean water should be carefully poured off.

Note

To make a simple hiking water filter, you can take an empty two-liter bottle, cut off the bottom, and hang it on a tree with the neck down. The bottle is layered (starting from the bottom):
1) gauze;
2) moss;
3) gauze;
4) charcoal (take small pieces about one centimeter or smaller);
5) gauze;
6) needles (juniper, spruce);
7) moss (preferably cut so that it has no soil or dirt from the roots);
8) grass.

Solar Disinfection

You can purify water using solar energy. The procedure in this case is as follows:
1. Find a clean, transparent plastic PET bottle of up to three liters in volume.
2. Fill the bottle three-quarters full with clean water or water filtered through sand or anything available.
3. Shake the bottle vigorously for about twenty seconds to dissolve the maximum amount of oxygen in the water.
4. Fill the remaining part of the bottle and put the cap back on.
5. Place the bottle in direct sunlight for 6-8 hours. A light stone, foil, or reflective metal can help speed up the process.
6. In case of cloudy weather, short daylight, or murky water with suspended particles, leave the bottle outside for two full days.

After such disinfection, up to 99.9% of living organisms are destroyed, and the water becomes safe to drink.

Water Storage

Along with food storage, water also needs to be properly prepared for long-term storage if the situation requires it. Due to bacterial growth in water, it acquires an unpleasant rotten taste and smell. Therefore, to store water for an extended period, it is necessary to disinfect it and place it in the right container.

Glass containers are not suitable for water storage due to their fragility. Stainless steel containers leave a metallic taste over time. The most suitable containers for long-term water storage are plastic bottles and canisters, although they have one drawback - after long storage, the water acquires a "plastic" taste, which does not affect its properties.

After disinfecting the water, the container must be protected from sunlight; it should be placed in a dark, cool place, preferably in black garbage bags.

Salt

Salt is essential for human survival. The normal daily diet usually includes about 10 grams of salt. The body loses salt through sweat and urine, and you need to replenish this loss. The first symptoms of salt deficiency in the body are muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. To restore the salt balance, dissolve a pinch of salt in 500 g of water and drink this solution. Salt tablets must be included in your survival kit. Crush them and dissolve them in the appropriate amount of water. Do not swallow the tablets whole, as this can cause stomach upset and damage the kidneys. If your salt supplies run out and you are near the sea, remember that a liter of seawater contains about 15 grams of salt, but do not drink it in its pure form; dissolve it in a larger amount of fresh water or evaporate the salt crystals from it. If there are no direct sources of salt, you will have to replenish it by consuming animal blood, which is a valuable source of minerals.