Junes Challenge

Discussion in 'Survival and Wilderness Skills' started by Strigidae, May 31, 2018.

  1. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    June is here and with the hotter months we focus on water. This months challenge is to show photos of how you purify, store and collect water in the woods. Discussion is allowed of course as long as it is on topic. Water is life. Extra credit is given to the things that are undetermined by all including me.
     
  2. Klynesquatch

    Klynesquatch Member

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    Apparently no one drinks water on here haha.

    I'll get the ball rolling ...

    I have come to really love these UVPE Nalgenes. I could probably kick them down a mountain with only a few scratches by the bottom. They are light and easy to tell how much you have left. With the addition of a Humangear cap they are easy to drink from while maintaining the usefulness of the wide mouth bottle. On top of that they are BPA free, don't get that scummy plastic bottle taste and run about $5 for all you cheap suckers like me.
    20180519_155523.jpg
     
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  3. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Thanks klyne! Ill send you something nice... oh wait. We already are! Maybe there will be more stuff to give away to you this month.
     
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  4. Klynesquatch

    Klynesquatch Member

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    Haha, I'm not one to turn down free stuff but I would hope that a picture of a nalgene bottle doesn't win this challenge.. .

    I for one would love to see how @Caleb O gets water in the desert. Maybe @Bushman5 can give us a lesson on best practices for collecting water where it does most of the work for you (rainforest). I wouldn't be surprised if @Scablands_Bushcraft has some sort of diy water filter.
     
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  5. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    I'll see what I can do as far takeing some pics and talking about looking for water in the desert. Lots of it comes down to putting multiple signs together that indicate that there "might " be water close by. Vegetation, terrain, animals and their sign, etc. All come into play while looking for water out here. I'll see if I can get out at some point and go over what to look for and snap some pics.
     
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  6. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    It's honestly kinda in your mind all the time while outdoors in the Southwest, and not just the "regular " desert. Even up in pine county finding water is not always simple. You don't forget where to find it either. Could honestly walk back to every water source I've been to while walking the bush out here.
     
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  7. Klynesquatch

    Klynesquatch Member

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    I'm very fortunate where I live and hike, I'm typically never more than a few minutes from a stream and the odd time lakes or rivers are too far you will often find artitian wells or random water sources coming from seemingly nowhere.
     
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  8. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Old pics, but still good info. This is a seep well I dug with my friend Mike Lowe (former AF SERE and on History Chanel's Alone). A seep well (or gypsy well as called by Ray Mears) is a simple hole dug into the ground close to a questionable water source (or any source). From what I was shown and told when you star digging you want to make sure that the first 6 inches of soil is dry. This helps to mitigate the risk of nasties (Protozoa and such) making their way from the source into your water. After the 6 inch mark you should hit moist and then saturated soil. After that standing water isn't too far behind. At this point you can wait, and let the sediment in the water settle. Or you can bail the well out a couple times (making sure that what you bail out doesn't run from the surface back into your well). I've heard you still have to filter your water when you get it out of a seep well, and by all means, if you're really in doubt treat the stuff. In my personal experience, with the few seep wells I've used, I didn't filter anything. Nor did the others I was with. Water was fine and so were we (for whatever that's worth). Well, this is a seep well. And a good option for easily accessible "clean" water if you are staying in a single spot. IMG_3672.JPG IMG_3673.JPG
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2018
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  9. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Gosh, that sounds nice! I was doing some hiking in New Zealand and found it to be like that. Took me half the trip to stop lugging around a crap ton of water while hiking. lol Old Habits.
     
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  10. Klynesquatch

    Klynesquatch Member

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    Very cool! This is definitely a new method to me
     
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  11. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    It works well. Shovel is nice to have though. The more wandering I do in the desert the more a shovel seems like a better option than an hatchet. (Worth thinking about). But the same can be achieved with a digging stick and your hands. It's a cool trick, and an easy (once dug) way to get water.
     
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  12. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Probably the easiest seen and recognizable indicator of water when in the desert is the cottonwood tree. If you have a good vantage point, the bright green of the leaves can be seen for miles. These are a very water dependent trees and are usually found in canyons and low areas with a semi dependable water source. Having cottonwoods present in an area doesn't mean that standing surface water is a "for sure" thing, but it does give you a really good place to start looking. Often cottonwoods will grow in canyons that have intermittent streams. Meaning the creek or stream will run on the surface for a while but then seep back into the earth but continuing to flow. Because of this, often if there is no surface water you can dig down to it. (Not always, but sometimes it's only a foot or two beneath the sandy surface). Also, if you dig down, and the soil is very damp but lacks water, it would be worth coming back to the hole at night. I was told that cottonwoods don't take water at night, so often the hole will gather intermittent stream water at night while the trees are dormant. (I have not tried this personally yet, so take this last bit with a grain of salt) If cottonwoods are present, I've found that I can find surface water 80-85% of the time. IMG_3680.JPG IMG_3681.JPG IMG_3682.JPG IMG_3683.JPG IMG_3684.JPG
     
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  13. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    This thread has already supassed my expectations for it. Im feeling very humbled and honored to be a part of this forum. Carry on gentlemen please!
     
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  14. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Another good way to locate water in the desert is in deep canyons that provide shade most of the day, and contain lots of obvious visible bedrock. Slick rock areas are good for this too, what you are looking for are areas of non-porous rock capable of retaining rain water and runoff. The shade helps prevent evaporation while the rock retains water in small (or sometimes even large) pools. Locally known as tinajas. IMG_3690.JPG IMG_3685.JPG Often you can find smaller pockets of it in the same area. Generally if I'm out on a scout and see a really rocky area that looks viable, I'll check it out. You never know. Remember though, these tanks are dependent on the previous rainy season. IMG_3687.JPG IMG_3688.JPG
     
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  15. Stone

    Stone Member

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    No, water is not life.

    Water makes life on Earth possible. But it is not life.

    As a biologist, I strongly contest the assertion that water is life,
    and can defend that in dissertation fashion upon request.

    Life is characterized by metabolism, not H20.

    Other than that, I'm in.
     
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  16. shaneadams90

    shaneadams90 ESEE Knives Marketing Director Staff Member

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    you need to raise your expectations brother....we've turned the corner! Thanks for your hard work here on the forum and look forward to seeing you in Idaho!
     
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  17. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Metabolism is life. Im easy.
     
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  18. anrkst6973

    anrkst6973 Member

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    image.jpeg

    The problem isn't finding water here, heck you can't go 500 yards in any direction without stepping in mud at least once. :). The problem is turning what appears to be chocolate milk into potable aqua.
     
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  19. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    No doubt but these fellas deserve as much praise as i can throw at them without sounding like a motivation speaker.
     
  20. mtngoat

    mtngoat Member

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    I don’t have to look near as hard as @Caleb O does for water. I have a machine that puts warm dark life giving water in this every morning.
    image.jpg

    I do carry a life straw so technically any lake pond or puddle is my water collection device.
     
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