United States Air Force: Water

Objective:Know how to locate, procure,

purify, and store water.

The Elements of SurvivingWater – Why so important?DehydrationHow to find waterCollecting waterPurifying water

The two fundamental goals of a survivor:

Maintain LifeReturn

And in survival medicine, the goals have not changed

The Goals of Surviving

Water RequirementsRoughly 2/3 of your body is composed of

water. Your body loses it as a result of temperature, stress, and exercise.

Even in cold areas, you need a minimum of 2 liters of water each day to maintain efficiency.

Water RequirementsThe need for water increases from:

Heat Exposure: Increases requirement to:ExerciseCold Exposure

MetabolismBody’s natural reaction to maintain heat

High AltitudesIncreased evaporation from lungs

BurnsIllness

3.5 Liters

5 Liters

DehydrationDehydration (body fluid depletion)

can occur when required body fluids are not replaced. Dehydration is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:

Thirst Weakness Fatigue Dizziness Headache Fever. Infrequent urination and reduced

volume.Proper Treatment – Drink Water

Finding Water: Water SourcesNatural occurrences of water

Indicators of possible water source

Collecting Water: Snow and IceWater obtained from glacier-fed

rivers and streams may contain high concentrations of dirt or sand.

By letting the water stand for a period of time, most of the sand will settle to the bottom; the remaining water can be strained using filtration.

Ice will yield more water per given volume than snow and requires less heat to do so.

If snow must be used, survivors should use snow closest to the ground.

The consuming of un-melted snow or ice is not recommended.

Collecting Water: Open SeasSeawater should never be ingested in its natural state. It

will cause an individual to become violently ill in a very short period of time

Conservation of water is the key If it rains, survivors can collect rainwater in available

containers and store it for later use

Collecting Water: Tropical AreasSurface water is normally available in the form of streams, ponds, and rivers.Many plants have hollow portions which can collect rainfall, dew, etc. Since

there is no absolute way to tell whether this water is pure, it should be purified

3-5’ Deep

Collecting Water: Dry AreasSome of the ways to find water in this

environment have been explored, such as Locating a concave bend in a dry riverbed

and digging for water.

Collecting Water: Dry AreasEvening and morning dew Cactus-like or plants full of juice may be sources of water for survivors,

but no plants should be used for obtaining water which have a milky sap.

Solar StillVegetation Bag

Water Purification The following are ways you can determine the presence of possible

harmful agents in the water: Strong odors, foam, or bubbles in the water. Discoloration or turbid (muddy with sediment). Salty, this may produce a laxative effect; if not too strong it is

drinkable. The lack of healthy green plants growing around any water source.

United States Air Force: Water

Objective:Know how to locate, procure,

purify, and store water.