by Mark Maine

Created on: April 21, 2009   Last Updated: February 12, 2010

       Life never asks permission to happen, it just does. This means that even having the best laid plans is no guarantee that circumstances are going to turn out as expected. When a situation takes a wrong turn, it is up to you to keep a cool head and do what needs to be done to get back on course and moving forward. In the wilderness finding water to purify is not your optimum choice, as finding pure water is much more desired. There are many ways to produce drinkable water, one method is to build a survival water still, which is a simple and effective way of obtaining fresh water and can be used to purify contaminated water. It is a slower process as it relies on evaporation to remove the impurities. Often times in wilderness survival situations time is of the essence, so I will discuss later in this article how to assemble one. If you should find yourself in a situation that requires you to purify an existing water supply quickly here are a few options.

       It may surprise you at the possibilities that you have, but one thing to always remember is drinking impure water is dangerous. No matter how thirsty you may feel don’t drink impure water as you will be inviting bigger problems. In the wild one of the greatest detriments to survival is waterborne diseases such as Dysentery, Cholera and Typhoid. Purify all your water by boiling it for 2-5 minutes or adding water purification tablets if so equipped. You can also add 8 drops of 2 ½ solution of Iodine per 1 quart of water for purification. Allow the water to stand for 10 minutes before drinking. Depending upon your location impure water may also contain flukes and leeches. Boil the water thoroughly as ingesting these with bad water can have terrible consequences. If you find yourself alone and parched, don’t panic and especially refrain from giving in to temptation. The risk from diseases to parasites can make your day much worse than your current yearning to quench your thirst.

       If you cannot locate other sources and require water quickly. You can draw water from a muddy or stagnant pool, even if it may have a foul odor. Be sure to boil this water from 2-5 minutes. To clear muddy water let it stand for 12 hours or channel it through 3 feet of tubing that you have filled with sand. A hollow reed or piece of bamboo will work well depending upon your geographical location. Stuff grass in

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