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HomeSurvivalWater

Water From Plants

Water may be safely obtained from a variety of plants.


The primary consideration is in selecting the correct, non-poisonous plants. Here is a partial list of plants from which water may be safely obtained:

  • grapevines
  • thistles
  • maple tree sap
  • birch tree sap

Another consideration is to be certain that the plant is not growing in contaminated soil. Plants tend to take up whatever is in the soil, so if the soil contains harmful substances, then these may end up in the plant that you are wanting to harvest for water.

As well, it is a good idea to become well acquainted with the look-alikes of any plant that you are wanting to use as a water source. For example, Canada Moonseed vines resemble grapevines: get to know the difference! Canada Moonseed is poisonous.

 

 
The following is from Allan "Bow" Beauchamp:
Photos by Allan "Bow" Beauchamp
 
A student one day asked me, "Bow, if we are up here on this rock and we can't go more than 100 yards in any direction, can you find water?"

I said, "Yes there's lots of water here."

He said, "I gotta see this!"

So, I reached beside me in to a large birch tree and pulled out some fibers!

 

I organized a nice clean section of wood mass.
...And I squeezed the wood mass.

I told him, "You didn't think of this did you?"

What I have learned from being in the bush is that necessity is the mother of all inventions!