Water Survival Quiz: Finding & Treating Water in the Wild

The "Rule of Three" states: A person can survive about 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in the cold, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. However, this is only a rough guideline, and external influences as well as physical fitness affect this rule.

You can learn why certain water sources like saltwater or urine are not alternatives in our guides.

Flowing waters are usually cleaner than still ones, as impurities accumulate less due to constant movement. Nevertheless, this water should also be treated before drinking.

You can learn how to properly collect and treat water in our detailed Water Guide, and here you can learn whether you can drink rainwater.

Water is the absolute priority in a survival situation. Without water, a person only survives for about three days, while one can go without food for up to three weeks.

You can learn how to safely find and treat water in our Water Guide. It is also particularly important to know which water sources to avoid - more on this in our articles on saltwater and urine as a water source.

In dehydration, the blood actually thickens, which means the organs are less supplied. This can lead to life-threatening situations.

You can learn more about the importance of water for the body in our Water Guide.

Through distillation, you can actually obtain drinkable water from saltwater and even from urine. The water is evaporated and the vapor is collected again.

You can find out how to remove salt from water in our article on water desalination.

The hot stone method is one of the oldest techniques for heating water without a pot. The stones are heated in a fire and then carefully placed into the water.

More on this in our guide Boiling water without a pot.

A cleaned and sewn animal skin is indeed a traditional container that is well suited for heating water.

Further creative methods can be found in our guide on boiling water without a pot.

At 70°C, according to WHO data, 99.999% of bacteria are killed. Nevertheless, it is safer to bring the water to a boil.

You can find more about safe water treatment in our Water Guide.

Cloudy water is not pretty to look at after boiling, but it is often harmless. The body can easily excrete the mineral suspended solids.

You can learn more about water treatment in our Water Guide.

After boiling, the water is sterile. Further filtering carries the risk of re-contamination by dirty filters.

You can learn how to properly treat water in our Water Guide.

UV light is not suitable for purifying urine as it cannot remove dissolved substances. Only distillation methods can produce potable water from urine.

You can learn why urine is not a direct water source in our article about drinking urine.

In dehydration, urine becomes more concentrated as the body retains more water and waste products are excreted in less fluid.

You can learn why urine is not an option in our article about drinking urine.

In tropical and temperate regions, many plants store water in their stems or tendrils. Bamboo, for example, can hold large amounts of water in its hollow spaces, which is often directly drinkable. Certain lianas, especially in rainforests, also contain clean water that you can obtain by slitting the tendrils.

Snow consists largely of air, which is why its water content is relatively low. If you eat it directly, your body has to expend additional energy to warm it up and melt it. This can lower your body temperature, which is particularly dangerous in cold environments. It is better to melt the snow first and, if possible, warm it. You can find more information in this guide on eating snow.

The solar still uses solar energy to extract water from moist soil or plants. To do this, you dig a hole in the ground, place a sheet over it, and weigh down the center with a stone. The evaporating water condenses on the sheet and drips into a collection vessel. This method is particularly helpful in dry areas. Learn more in this article about water extraction.

Animals, especially birds and insects, often move near water sources. Dense vegetation, such as reeds or willows, indicates that the ground is moist. Traces of wild animals also often lead to water sources.

If you don't have containers, you can use a plastic sheet, a tarp, or large leaves to collect rainwater. A hollow in the ground with a waterproof layer can also help store rainwater.

Activated carbon binds impurities, chemicals, and even some pathogens from the water. It also makes the water more palatable by filtering out chlorine and other taste-altering substances.

UV radiation from the sun can kill bacteria and viruses in water. To do this, the water must be exposed to direct sunlight for several hours in a clear plastic bottle. This method is not perfect, but better than nothing.

A filter usually only removes suspended solids and some bacteria, but not viruses or chemical residues. To be safe, you should always additionally boil or chemically disinfect water.

While sand can filter out coarse particles from water, it cannot remove bacteria or chemicals. A combination of filtration and disinfection is therefore the best method.