I was really expecting to see Saddam Hussein somewhere in this picture. I admit, I looked pretty hard.
This looks like it’d get contaminated right quick, take a lot to set up, and be damaged extremely easily. My recommendation would be to collect water from a nearby source and run it through a filter that lasts longer, it’s more reliable, and you get more water out of it.
Filter options include charcoal/sand, wood, and vines. Charcoal and sand filters need a large vessel and a cloth bottom, and won’t get rid of microorganisms. The advantage is that you can hook up a rain collection outflow directly to it, and it’ll last for a while. You make it by first acquiring a vessel, such as a barrel, putting a hole or several in the bottom, and putting a few layers of cloth over the outflow. Then apply alternating layers of charcoal and sand. Charcoal can be made by several methods, if you want a video I recommend Primitive Technology on YouTube.
Wood and vine filters will remove microbes, are able to easily be made in the wild, but will only be effective for as long as the tissues are alive. All you do is find a suitable plant, cut it, shape the cuttings if needed, then stick the end that draws water in the source and the end that releases water in the receptacle. Grape vines and Cyprus wood work best for this.
Reminder that I’m a random person on the internet, and you shouldn’t believe everything you read online.
Reminder that I’m a random person on the internet
My dad taught physiology and survival training in the Air Force, and later for the FAA. You’re right about this not being very useful in any kind of survival scenario.
You’re going to lose a lot more liquid just digging the hole than you would ever gain from collecting condensation. Pretty much the most important survival item in any scenario is a pot that can boil a couple cups of water.
For the most part, filters are just for taste and mouth feel. Nothing you can make or find in an emergency situation is going to filter out the stuff that’s going to give you dysentery, or it won’t work fast/efficient enough to keep you from dehydrating. Unless you have some iodine or bleach handy, being able to boil water is a must.
Hear me out.
This kinda looks like the point of view of mother earth taking off her wet panties.
I’m really sorry, I might not be ok.
Is there an ecologically less damaging alternate to plastic that would also work?
Guess there is no reason to plan ahead to take something that isn’t plastic for emergency situations then.
You know, like something that could be kept in a car or in a backpack on a long hike.
Correct, there is no reason to plan that far ahead.
Solar stills are only useful in certain, niche circumstances and are improvised with materials on hand. In fact this is the first time I’ve seen a diagram with a drinking straw rather than instructions to just pull the container out and drink.
Finding some transparent, eco-friendly sheeting and packing it just to run a solar still is fucking stupid.
In an emergency scenario anything that water will not soak into and ideally that light can pass through will likely suffice well enough. Generally this would be a rain poncho or tent, not just big sheet of plastic.
You also don’t need plants and can do sea water or urine instead. Or, if you are in the desert, you will have to dig deep enough to draw from the moisture in the ground. But in both these cases it is important that the “plastic” funnel be transparent so sunlight can pass through.
