Make a Solar Still: I’m always leery of survival skills that require the
effort of digging a hole. Nevertheless, the solar still can be an effec-
tive method of collecting water, particularly in a very dry location such
as a desert. To make a solar still, however, you need four components: a
sunny spot, a receptacle in which to catch the water, a clear plastic sheet
approximately 6 square feet (.5 m^2 ), and some type of weight to place
on top of the plastic. You’ll also need to dig a hole, so a shovel or trowel
would be useful.
You can build a solar still without digging a hole if you are lucky
enough to have a large container like a barrel. When surviving on a small
tropical island off the coast of Belize, I had at my disposal one half of the
large plastic container that my life raft had come in. Using this container
saved me a great deal of digging.
Solar stills can take a couple of hours (or more) to make, and their
yield is not very high. How much you get depends largely on the ambient
temperature, the types of vegetation you include, and access to direct sun.
A still such as this may produce water for two to four days depending on
the moisture content of the soil or sand itself, and must be moved every so
often. The added bonus, however, is that the outside of it also serves as a
great dew or rain-catch. You’ll likely need at least three solar stills to meet
your daily water-consumption needs.
Here are the steps for building a solar still:
Select a sunny site where you believe the soil contains the most moisture. The
lower and damper the spot, the better.
Dig a bowl-shaped hole about 3 feet (1 m) around and 2 feet (.5 m) deep.
If possible, fill the hole with non-poisonous vegetation. Pour salt water, water
contaminated with bacteria or urine into and onto the sides of the hole.
Place your collecting receptacle (the wider the better) at the bottom of the
hole, preferably in its own small hole. Do not let any impure water, salt water
or urine get in the receptacle (cup).
If you are lucky enough to have a drinking tube (or can fashion one out of
available materials), settle it into the receptacle and stretch it out so that it
terminates above ground. The tube allows you to step up to the still and drink
from it without disturbing it.(^80) | Survive!