Correct – You Stay Alive!
Here is a bit more detail on how to create a Water Seepage Basin:
If you live around coastal areas, one of the challenges in a survival situation is finding fresh water. Here, in coastal Carolina, like in many other coastal areas, one of the issues with is that it has sandy soil.
If you live around coastal areas, one of the challenges in a survival situation is finding fresh water. Here, in coastal Carolina, like in many other coastal areas, one of the issues with is that it has sandy soil.
That can make it difficult for fresh and rain water to maintain itself above ground. It gets soaked into the sand really easy, narrowing the window of opportunity to procure that water.
In this guide, I’ll be walking you through, step-by-step how to source water from the ground using a seepage basin.
If you live in coastal area, I highly recommend printing of this guide and putting it with your survival gear. So you always have it handy when you need it most.
STEP 1: FIND SATURATED OR WET SAND
It is not uncommon to find a freshwater stream around these areas, however the water could to be too brackish to be useful, unless you set up some kind of distillation process.
The first step is to find an area where the sand is wet and saturated.
STEP 2: DIGGING
Use a digging stick to dig and carve out a base in the saturated sand.
Continue digging as far as you need to hit a clay bed.
HITTING CLAY EARLY: If you hit clay within the first few inches, then for maximum efficiency, make a wider whole so it has more of a larger container for the water that’s going to seep in. |
STEP 3: CREATING CONTAINER
Once you hit clay, makes sure you have a good diameter container with steady walls
STEP 3: WAIT FOR WATER TO SWEEP IN FROM THE SIDES
Now you can see the water seeping in. As water is seeping in, the sand is going to settle to the bottom.
The water should sit right on top of that sand and once there is enough water, it can be procured.
STEP 4: CHECK YOUR CONTAINER
It’s been about an hour. As you can see there’s a good amount of water in the container.
Scoop out any sand that has caved in.
After an hour this container has provided approximately half a gallon of dirty water.
STILL NEED TO TREAT WATER: The water sweeping in the container is still going to have to be filtered and purified before it is safe to consume |
This is a good renewable resource that you can continue to come to to procure water.
So, this is something you would want to set up near your survival shelter.
That can make it difficult for fresh and rain water to maintain itself above ground. It gets soaked into the sand really easy, narrowing the window of opportunity to procure that water.
Courtney White
December 15, 2018 @ 4:33 am
Very informative
February 28, 2019 @ 4:05 am
common sense stuff for those of us that have lived in the wild and off grid for years
April 16, 2019 @ 12:17 am
I am interested in your off grid internet connection
October 8, 2019 @ 12:56 pm
I was thinking the exact same thing!
August 26, 2019 @ 12:13 am
Always carry bottle of iodine. Just few drops will make drinkable. Might taste bad but beats parasites. Iodine kills 99.9% of parasites and these little guys can kill you.
October 25, 2019 @ 12:33 pm
Sounds good for Sandy soil, but what if you are in the Midwest, and no Sandy soil?
October 16, 2019 @ 2:11 am
Very nice
October 25, 2019 @ 12:19 am
This was something that I already knew, but it is always good to refresh your memory.
December 15, 2018 @ 4:34 am
Very helpful
August 26, 2019 @ 12:07 am
Just need to remember my Seal training.
October 30, 2019 @ 1:02 am
Great information and great survival skills to stay alive.
December 16, 2018 @ 9:39 pm
Learned basic survival skills course I took.
December 20, 2018 @ 4:46 am
very informative , these basic survival skills will help keep you alive, of course there’s more to survival but water is one of the most important if not the . thank you again from quebec Canada. Michel
September 15, 2019 @ 1:29 am
Good tip! Thanks!
December 21, 2018 @ 4:23 pm
I have done it and it works. Boggie
December 22, 2018 @ 2:19 am
The more you know!!!
December 22, 2018 @ 5:33 am
Sandy soil about .5 mile from the ocean, but, only 80 feet from a fresh water lake. I always have the lake and a 100 gallon cistern here, but, the wet sand gave me a gallon in about 2 hours. So now I have a back up if the need demands. Thanks for the great info.
December 23, 2018 @ 5:27 am
Learned basic survival skills course thru US Army.
February 21, 2019 @ 10:15 pm
Boy Scouts here…Army later…
October 21, 2019 @ 3:55 pm
I live outside all the time so if we ever do have total loss of power and no internet the are great skills to know ,Thank you and live well.
December 24, 2018 @ 7:54 pm
Very helpful
October 28, 2019 @ 6:09 am
indeed
December 24, 2018 @ 8:03 pm
Works good in the lower 48. Not up here in Alaska at 5F. lol
March 6, 2019 @ 12:41 am
For yours it’s more a matter of melting the snow & finding firewood to stay warm…
April 11, 2019 @ 3:14 am
What else can you burn in those latitudes besides animal droppings and perhaps the scrub that you might find?
September 14, 2019 @ 4:58 am
I live on the coast been doing that for 50 years works well
September 15, 2019 @ 5:39 am
After water begins if you have filtration straw you can consume immediately. Can get one from most outdoor stores or from Amazon for about 10 bucks. Best 10 bucks you’ll ever spend.
December 30, 2018 @ 8:25 pm
Good survivalist tactic…thanks for putting it out there.
December 30, 2018 @ 10:37 pm
Very good information
January 10, 2019 @ 9:10 pm
yes it would be pretty hard not to find fresh running water here in the mo ozarks lots of springs creeks running year around but some of it would have to be filtered and boiled for safety consumption but your idea would work great in other ares of the u.s. we are really blessed with clear running water here thanks for your input
January 17, 2019 @ 5:25 pm
Good information and was presented well
October 21, 2019 @ 2:17 am
Always good to know what to do in your surroundings . I live nere the Laurel Mountains , there are usually a lot of places to find water but most cases not good to drink I bought a drinking straw to make the water pure enough to drink and other products to care when I am in the forest but thanks to the heads up about the Sandy soil.
January 17, 2019 @ 6:17 pm
Good tips thank you. What happened to the bags you were giving away ?? I only saw 1 winner months ago
March 19, 2019 @ 2:45 pm
We give away winners all the time, not sure why you are not getting emails, Ican put you back on list if you like?
August 31, 2019 @ 9:26 pm
I learned in the Marines.
January 17, 2019 @ 6:26 pm
You can also use a piece of plastic by digging a hole put container in middle to catch water condensation. Place green vegetation around container spread plastic over top add a rock to middle plastic to help moisture that collects on plastic to container for collection. The Sun will pull moisture from plants and will drip into the can or container. I have tried this and it works I used Sage and the water tasted like sage but was good. Cactus or anything would work. Make a funnel with plastic sheet to divert water to center with small rock.
February 27, 2019 @ 4:45 am
This, unfortunately, provides limited quantities of water in the middle of the southwestern desert. In some areas, foliage is limited. Your own waste becomes another major contributor to your solar still.
January 18, 2019 @ 2:19 am
Thanks for the great info
February 4, 2019 @ 5:51 pm
Love this newsletter… very informative & good idea to print it out & stick it in your bug out bag. Especially if you dont have the opportunity to try it b4 hand. Once water is in hole & sand is at bottom, if u cant boil it, is it safe to drink?
February 12, 2019 @ 5:34 pm
These days all water should be boiled. You never want to trust it unless you are
in a very dire need for water. Keep some good water purification tablets on hand
in your bug out bag or get one of the other methods such as the drink straw to purify the water. Always keep a stainless steel cup in your bag for boiling or even a small container to cook some things. A small folding tablet cook stove is also a great
item to have. Some of the parasites you can get from drinking unboiled water are
very dangerous.
March 20, 2019 @ 2:48 pm
Boiling does not always work for all situations. Safest is steam distillation. This ensures safe potable water.
February 12, 2019 @ 5:49 pm
These days all water should be boiled. You never want to trust it unless you are
in a very dire need for water. Keep some good water purification tablets on hand
in your bug out bag or get one of the other methods such as the drink straw to purify the water. Always keep a stainless steel cup in your bag for boiling or even a small container to cook some things. A small folding tablet cook stove is also a great
item to have. Parasites you can get from drinking unboiled water are dangerous.
October 12, 2019 @ 12:10 am
I’m in and I PRAY I WIN. IF I were LOST and out in the WILDS I know
I would Survive because I am Smart
I know where to find Shelter, Water
And Food. I Would SURVIVE
February 27, 2019 @ 5:12 am
Carry chlorine bleach. A few drops will do in clean looking water, but up to 20 in swampy looking water. Or simply buy water clarification tablets.
February 13, 2019 @ 11:42 pm
Awesome! Good stuff, thanks for sharing.
February 16, 2019 @ 5:00 pm
May I suggest that you consider linking to YouTube and post videos there. I have had trouble with Vimeo and similar players. YouTube is more reliable and you can control the video better: change speed, play, pause, save, add captions, etc., not to mention many web page videos lack volume control or can’t be paused and played at will.
Otherwise, I like learning from you. You have this very relaxed, yet clear and methodical way of teaching and sharing information. You focus on the most essential skills.
February 18, 2019 @ 1:46 pm
Good information may save someone
February 22, 2019 @ 1:37 am
as part of my kit I have a length of 1/2 in stainless tube threaded on one end with a pointed cap threaded to it and 1/8 holes drilled a couple inches above the cap. This can be used to make a makeshiff well or as a spear should I need one to kill a cridder. mine is 15 ft long and I have even found water in death valley with it. after driving it into the ground as deep as needed I connect a 5/8″ hose to it with a band clamp and use a hand pump to pull up what water I need.
February 22, 2019 @ 3:22 pm
I Live on the coast and survived three hurricanes, so I know this newsletter is very Informative, I Wish I had some of these TIP’S back then.
April 18, 2019 @ 12:38 pm
I’d like to see this in actual use. Could be very helpful in a grid-down situation.
February 22, 2019 @ 8:50 pm
NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN ,ESPECIALLY AT MY CURRENT AGE . I AM A VIETNAM COMBAT VETERAN & WE HAD TO TAKE PILLS OCCASIONALLY USING WATER THAT THE WATER BUFFALO’S USED . NASTY BUT KEPT US ALIVE , GETTING THESE KIND OF TIPS MAY JUST SAVE SOMEONE’S LIFE ! .. THIS WAS WHEN I WAS IN THE GROUND INFANTRY IN TAY NINH ( ’66-’67 ) NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE THE TERRAIN YOU ARE TRAVERSING AND HAVING TO FIND SHELTER AND WATER BY OTHER MEANS …
February 26, 2019 @ 3:25 pm
Great info
March 2, 2019 @ 11:17 am
Water is essential to Survival. Stay hydrated as much as you can we you can.
March 8, 2019 @ 4:42 pm
Try and bring water on all hikes
February 28, 2019 @ 2:49 am
Keep the good information coming
March 8, 2019 @ 4:41 pm
Try and bring water on all hikes
March 12, 2019 @ 12:04 am
nice info I will try this out as soon as summer comes -looking foreword to your E-mails
March 13, 2019 @ 5:29 am
It is such a pleasure to find some new info that has your fresh outlook. Can’t begin to tell you how tiring it is to find the same articles on multiple sites. Everyone of your articles I’ve enjoyed and have been able to pick up some good tips.
March 15, 2019 @ 7:54 pm
That information was very important to me
March 17, 2019 @ 12:13 am
Great little tidbits of valuable, survival skills. Great equipment and offers too.
March 17, 2019 @ 12:59 am
Making the correct decisions for survival in any environment is critical and your articles are informative and fun. The lessons I read and learn from on your site make surviving all the more probable in any given situation. Thanks for giving us all the “edge” to survive.
March 23, 2019 @ 2:00 am
Thank you!!!
March 24, 2019 @ 12:54 pm
Great information to survive.
September 15, 2019 @ 2:18 am
thank you this was very informative.
April 2, 2019 @ 7:10 pm
Wise and well-written.
April 6, 2019 @ 11:05 am
Very informative, especially for, as we used to call the new people who came into the company, the FNG’s But hey even in civilian life their are FNG’s who haven’t been into the field. (Oh don’t ask what an FNG is, figure it out) a hint the “N” stands for new.
April 12, 2019 @ 3:27 am
Howdy Josh.
April 15, 2019 @ 11:36 pm
Great info for us newbies who find it difficult to find such useful stuff in any other way; thank you!
April 16, 2019 @ 4:29 am
What about the vegitation that is earby? Can’t you wrap a plastic bag arou d the vegitation to trap moisture. I realize it might be minimal but …
April 16, 2019 @ 4:44 pm
Everyone should learn these skills.
April 17, 2019 @ 8:03 am
Learned this as a child..
April 17, 2019 @ 11:52 pm
My first training in Boy Scouts,Explorer Scouts, USMC and last but not least the Us Army for 19 years
April 18, 2019 @ 12:02 am
I started in the Boy Scouts, Explorer Scouts, USMC (3yrs.) and last but not least the US Army (19yrs)
April 18, 2019 @ 12:21 am
I’ve been out hunting in areas where there was no open water and I did not carry any water with me. I finally came across an area where the forest was sloped to the south and found a small clear stream of water mostly covered with leaves but the water was clear and lying down on my belly I was able to get the nourishment I needed.
The lucky part after finding the water is that I always carry some plastic baggies with me for keeping my ammo dry and it was perfect for saving several ounces of the water I found. If I hadn’t quit smoking I would have had a lighter with me but thankfully I didn’t need it anyway.
I had been hunting for several hours and left my sandwiches and water in my truck.
By following the stream down hill I was able to find the road where I had parked my truck. I really should have double checked what I might need before heading into the woods. By the way it was bear country where I was hunting.
August 16, 2019 @ 12:40 am
Nice article
Thanks for the advice
August 16, 2019 @ 12:41 am
Here in S Texas, its dessert all the way to the gulf so this wont work. Dry as a bone down to 40 feet where the clay is.
August 16, 2019 @ 1:34 am
Great info! ????????????????????
August 25, 2019 @ 3:57 pm
Here in the dry southwest it hasn’t rained in nearly six months. Shade is at a minimum as most plant life grows to a maximum of five feet. Palms are an exception but offer very little shade. So dry now that even the cactus has shriveled. The most wonderful perks are the vistas and surrounding mountains. Obviously we spend most of five hottest months inside; or doing chores early or late in the day. Going to 115 again today so will curl up with a book and a big glass of water. Power outages are always a worry because then you can’t draw water. Water storage is tough because the ground heat hastens any spoilage.
August 29, 2019 @ 2:41 pm
here in Ohio water is easy to find, I would dig along side of it to let the soil filter it rather than drinking it straight from the source.
September 1, 2019 @ 12:29 pm
Just makes alot of sense to stay put and to use what ever is around you
September 5, 2019 @ 7:46 pm
very handy and easy
September 14, 2019 @ 5:52 am
Good information
September 14, 2019 @ 4:27 pm
Did you know if you’re in the desert and need water you can suck on a rock. It activates your saliva glands.
September 20, 2019 @ 5:06 pm
This is just common sense.
September 21, 2019 @ 9:36 am
Very Helpful
September 23, 2019 @ 2:53 am
Great info
September 23, 2019 @ 9:24 pm
Good survival tips must always know the area
September 30, 2019 @ 10:39 pm
Great idea, but how about those of us that live on the high plains hundreds of miles from the ocean, or even a good size river? Never mind I know, find an old buffalo wallow and dog down, the same trick works pretty well.
October 1, 2019 @ 4:21 am
Great info for people just starting out. Thank you so much.
October 13, 2019 @ 1:59 pm
I live in a rural Area of ID but we have a Lake . I don’t go hunting no need for it since we have a Friend who is a Meatcutter in our Area !
October 29, 2019 @ 4:46 pm
Good lesson. I’ll add that to my to my consistently growing list of things that may come in handy in an emergency situation. You just never know when something simple can save your life.
October 29, 2019 @ 5:06 pm
Good to know in Kentucky we are blessed with lots of freshwater lakes and an over abundance of fast running creeks. I do hunt all over, so that would come in handy in an unfamiliar territory. I have other methods that I’ve learned too, but the more ya know the better your survival chances.
Thanks
October 30, 2019 @ 12:02 am
would like to win those Dakota pistole hey ha.