How to Find Water in the Wilderness

While you should always be prepared with enough water for any outing into the wilderness, knowing how to find it in the worst case scenario could save your life. Continue to step 1 below to learn both preventative measures, and what to do if you're completely out of water and need to find it yourself.

EditSteps

EditBefore Going Into the Wilderness

1. Know the basics of reading a map to locate the rivers, streams, or bodies of water before venturing out.
   
   • Many maps mark seasonal creeks with dotted blue lines, solid blue lines are more permanent rivers and creeks. Permanent rivers can always dry up as well.
   • Learn how to read elevation lines on topo maps. Generally, where lines are spread out it is fairly flat, where they are closer together, terrain is steep.
   • Green patches mark areas where tree growth makes it much harder to find your way without compass navigation experience.
2. Research water sources with a map before you go on your trip. Be aware that some sources may be seasonal and may dry up late in summer. During droughts, this is especially problematic. Guidebooks often state whether the water source is reliable year round or not.
   
   • Many springs shown on a USGS Topo Map (or GPS maps based on Government maps) may no longer be in existence. Many USGS Topo Maps were originally compiled many decades ago, and in wilderness areas. Map features like springs, or man-made facilities like mines, roads, and other infrastructure, may have long since disappeared. Even if a surface spring turns out to still be flowing, it may be heavily choked with vegetation, or located in an inaccessible place like a steep cliff, keeping the water inaccessible. With this in mind, it is very risky to take a long hike to an unknown spring shown on a map, if you are already low on water.
3. Bring at least two liters of water per day. Ideally, you should carry more than that, or plan to refill at the water sources you've already identified along your planned route.
   
   • In moderate temperatures of 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit, backpackers would likely need 6-8 liters per day, but not necessarily all of it on their backs as they hike. Probably 2-3 liters during the day would be a good number to start with, depending on the person, mileage, temperature, weather, and other factors.^[1]
   • It's important to not just drink plain water or hyponatremia (low sodium) can result--it can be life-threatening. Eating salty snacks, energy bars or using hydration mix will help prevent this.
4. Take water purifiers with you. You can take water purifier tablets or a micro-strainer tube for multi-day walks that have fairly obvious and many water sources. Using a Sawyer, Katadyn, UV light filter, or Aquamira tablets, you can drink pretty much any water you can find. Sawyer Squeeze filters eliminate all particulates, whereas UV filters and tablets do not; they just kill the nasty bacteria in the water making it safe to drink.
   
   • Note that some hikers (not all) find that using tablets is disgusting.
   • Keep in mind the dirtier the water, the slower your filter will filter the water.

EditWhile in the Wilderness

1. If you see hikers coming from the opposite direction, stop and share information about verified water sources.
   
2. "Camel up" whenever you stop at a water source. When you're starting your hike and you're at a water source and when you're filling your water bottles, drink as much as you can, then fill your bottle for the next part of the trip. Sometimes you can get a whole liter in just while taking a break! It's easier to carry it in your stomach and you'll get re-hydrated quickly.
   
3. Go downhill. Water is, as is everything else in the universe, affected by gravity. So, the only logical conclusion is that water would be downhill. Find valleys where there are streams and lakes. Generally, the smaller the water source is, the cleaner the water is. If you can find where the water comes out of the ground, it's probably safe enough to drink without a filter or tablets. Of course, if dehydration is a threat, you have to weigh the cleanliness of the water with the risks of dehydration.
   
4. Look around you while walking for birches, alders, cottonwoods and willows. These types of trees are often near water.
   
5. In the desert, the best bet will be to find a dry riverbed, preferably one that has some form of shade most of the day, and dig into the outside of a bend. Sometimes dry creek beds have had flash flooding and are moist beneath the surface. It is rare that this will yield much if any result though. If you are that desperate in the desert, you're probably better off using your energy to get found and rescued.
   
6. You can safely drink your own urine and though it is not too tasty, it won’t kill you. It could well mean the difference between life and death.
   

EditTips

• Check with rangers about water sources when picking up permits or call the agency office prior to embarking on the trip.
• Plan your hike, then hike your plan! If hiking alone, let someone know your plan, and when you expect to return, so that if you are overdue, local authorities can be informed that you are overdue and possibly in trouble. If you have left a detailed hiking plan with a specified route, and you haven't deviated from the plan, you stand a much better chance of being found by Search and Rescue personnel.
• Always carry a compass and a topo map of the area so you can find your way back. If using a GPS, carry a set of spare batteries for it.
• If you carry around a clear plastic bag (use a thick one), you can put leaves from non-poisonous plants and trees like these inside it and leave it in the sun to extract the moisture. This may take a while, though, and is not practical if you're in urgent need of water.
• You can sometimes squeeze moss to obtain small quantities of good drinking water in harsh environments.

EditWarnings

• Never go to a desert without being certain of water source locations within at most a couple of hours of each other. You can go without food for a long time but you cannot go without water for even a day. It is true that a piece of black plastic made into a cone and suspended overnight will have condensation on the bottom side most mornings, but this is not reliable enough to risk your life, so take water instead of food if you really insist on going to a place without the certainty of water.
• Be very, very careful of standing water, especially with yellow rings of algae — it will make you very sick. Pink snow will also. Be wary of colored water in any form.

EditThings You'll Need

• Tin can
• Compass
• Matches, lighter, or other ways to start a fire
• Map and/or GPS

EditRelated wikiHows

• Survive in the Woods
• Camp in the Wilderness
• Have an Awesome Time in the Woods
• Make a Survival Kit in a Tin Can

EditSources and Citations

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via Peter