Water from Plants
The Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert live where heat extremes are a part of
life. In adapting to this harsh climate, they have mastered the art of extract
ing water from plants. They are able to travel long distances, seeking out
roots along the way, which they cut into chunks and mash. The water they
squeeze out and drink helps to replenish them.
The Bushmen know that where there is vegetation, they can find
water. But in most cases, the process is painfully slow and produces only
enough liquid to wet the mouth. What’s more, for you or me to be able to
locate and correctly identify a waterbearing root or plant requires instruc
tion from a local expert. Even then, the chances of finding one of these
plants are slim, making it not worth the effort for most people.
Despite my hesitation about relying on plant innards to provide
water, there are a few notable exceptions to the rule. Green bamboo is an
excellent source of clear, odorless water. Simply bend the green bamboo
stalk, tie it down, and cut off the top. Water will drip from the stalk during
the night into a waiting receptacle.
Reaching into a rotted birch tree, pulling out the wet, spongy and
punky wood and squeezing it in your hands can also produce water.
Banana or plantain trees provide water too, if you have a tool to cut one
down. Chop down the tree, leaving a stump about 12 inches (30 cm) high.
Make a bowlshaped depression by scooping out the center of the stump;
water from the roots will immediately start to fill the hollow. The first few
fillings will be bitter, but the rest should be palatable. The stump will sup
ply water for a few days.
Vines can be a good source of water if you can properly identify them.
(Poison ivy and moonseed are both poisonous vines, and they’re found not
just in tropical jungles but elsewhere.) The most water I’ve ever found in a
plant came from a water vine I discovered when I was surviving for a week
in the swamps of Georgia.
To extract water from a vine, cut a notch as high as you can reach.
Make sure this is the first cut; if you cut the bottom first, the water will
recede with capillary action. Next, cut the vine off close to the ground. Catch
the liquid dropping from the cut vine in a container or in your mouth. When
in the Georgian swamps I simply cut one end of the vine, let it drip for hours
into a can, and ended up with fresh clear water (and a few swimming ants).
(^82) | Survive!