If you find yourself stranded or lost, the salt water is the only water source, or you simply want to learn a new bushcraft technique for purifying salt water, you have come to the right place.
In this article, I will summarize the most popular desalination methods to help you learn how to purify salt water in the wild. So, if you are interested in this, read this article until the end; let’s get started!
How to Purify Salt Water in the Wild
If you know the right techniques to purify salt water in the wild, this process will be a piece of cake. All you will need is improvised equipment and some experience.
In continuation, I will share the three widely used desalination methods that can save your life in the wild or in many emergencies. So, let’s see them in detail.
How to turn seawater into freshwater under coastal conditions
The first method we will look at is turning seawater into fresh water under coastal conditions. This means that whenever stranded on a beach or island, or simply in this kind of environment, you will be able to turn the seawater into a fresh one without any trouble. Simply adhere to the instructions below.
Collect the necessary materials and parts
- The first and foremost thing you must do is collect the necessary materials and parts. To do this, you will need to find your life raft and some other debris on hand.
- After going through the debris, try to find the gas bottle from your raft, open it, and fill it with seawater. To avoid getting sand or too much dirt in the gas bottle, try filtering it with a piece of cloth.
- Finally, you will need the last piece of equipment to find the leak stoppers and attach the hose from the raft to one end of the leak stoppers. The hose will let the water vapor out of the gas bottle.
Start preparations
- After you have your gas bottle filled with seawater, you will need to take it to the beach, where you will be able to light a fire.
- Then, use the opposite end of the leak stopper and plug up the top of the gas bottle.
- After doing so, you will need to build a bank of sand where you will bury the hose, leaving the free end on top of the sand because that is where the freshwater will come from.
Remember that you must not bury the gas bottle, as you will need to control whether there are any possible leaks. Also, the hose should be relatively straight, with a pan under its exposed end to collect the water.
Read more: How to Find a Spring in the Woods
Desalination
When you prepare everything you need, you may continue the actual process.
- Collect wood, such as dry branches or logs, and make a fire. Place the gas bottle directly on top of the flames.
Doing this will boil the bottle’s water and start condensing. The condensed water vapor should start coming out of the hose and into the improvised pan or bowl. This water will be distilled and safe to drink.
How to make and use solar desalination
Another way to purify salt water is by making and using solar distillation. One of the easiest processes, it takes fewer supplies and tools.
Do the preparations
- The first thing you will need to find is some kind of a bowl, container, or pan that you will fill with salt water.
- While filling the container with salt water, you must pay attention not to overfill the container because, in the later steps, the salt water might get into your fresh water.
- Finally, ensure to find a spot with plenty of sunlight because this process will take longer, such as a few hours minimum.
Start the process
- After you find the right sunny spot for your container filled with salt water, place another smaller cup in the middle of it. You need to do this carefully to prevent splashing salt water into the clean cup.
- Another thing you need to pay attention to is leaving the second cup’s edge above the salt water. Also, if the cup moves around, you can place a clean stone to hold it in place.
Finishing steps
- After you secure the smaller cup in the larger container, you will need to take a plastic wrap and cover the container tightly. You must ensure that any water vapor from the condensation goes into the smaller cup and not out of the container.
- Then, you need to place a rock on top of the plastic wrap and right above the smaller cup to direct the water vapor drops straight into the smaller cup. The rock should not be too big, or it might rip and tear the plastic wrap.
- Finally, after you are done with all the steps, you will have to let the container sit in direct sunlight for a few hours until condensation happens and your smaller cup is filled with fresh drinking water.
How to desalinate the salt water by boiling and condensation
Desalinating salt water by boiling is almost the same as the previous method, just a bit more advanced. Instead of sunlight, you will need a pot filled with salt water and another empty cup, which you will put over a fire or stove.
You will need to cover the pan with the pot cover upside down and bring the water slowly to boil. After the condensation, the freshwater will fill the empty cup inside the pot.
Read more: How to Prepare Acorns for Eating
Conclusion
In this article, you could have read how to purify salt water in the wild through the three most popular and straightforward methods.
I made sure to include detailed step-by-step instructions so that regardless of whether you are a beginner or an experienced bushcraft person, you will be able to desalinate the seawater quickly and efficiently.