Solar Still

January 14th, 2009

Solar stills are used to capture dew that develop at nighttime. This is a great survival technique that you can use to help create a source of water. Materials needed to make solar stills are a rock, drinking tube, container, and a 6ft-square plastic sheet. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to create a solar still:

1) Dig a hole that is 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep in an unshaded spot.

2) Dig further for the container at the bottom of the hole. (The wider the container, the more water it will catch.)

3) Take the drinking tube, place one end of the tube in the container, and pass the other end to the lip of the hole.

4) Place the plastic sheet over the hole, covering the edges with soil to fasten it.

5) The sheet should droop into the hole about 16 inches.

6) Place a fist-sized stone at the center of the sheet.

7) Make sure that the sheet does not touch the side of the hole. (Otherwise, the earth will absorb the condensed water.)

In 24 hours, there should be at least 1/2-1 liter of water in the container. It is recommended to set three or four solar stills up to have a sufficient amount of water for survival. As a plus, the upper surface of the solar still will catch rainfall.

(Source: Stilwell, Alexander. Encyclopedia of Survival Techniques. 2000.)