In survival situations, finding potable water is crucial. Distilling urine can be done by boiling it in a covered container over a fire or through passive solar heating. The latter involves digging a hole, placing a clean vessel in the center, and covering the hole with a plastic sheet. Water condenses overnight and during the day, urine is distilled from the soil and vapor builds up on the sheet, eventually dripping into the container.
There is a survival adage which states that a person could live three weeks without food, but only three days without water. Finding sources of potable (potable) water should always be a top priority for those who find themselves cut off from civilization. One of the ways drinking water can be obtained in nature is by distilling urine, although many people are understandably reluctant to go with this method until it becomes a matter of genuine survival.
There are several methods for distilling contaminated water into potable water, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. In theory, a source such as human urine could be converted to vapor by boiling it in a covered metal container over a campfire. The steam would be free of most impurities because any solid minerals would remain at the bottom of the container and the bacteria would be destroyed by the heat. A piece of pipe would capture the vapor and allow it to cool back into liquid form. In the case of urine, the distilled water vapor should be filtered and possibly distilled a second time. However, this method of distilling urine into drinking water would be labor intensive and the results may be less than satisfactory.
Another method of distilling urine into drinking water, however, would not require the use of a campfire, distillation tank, or tubing. A more passive source of drinking water involves water condensation and solar heating. First, a large hole must be dug in the ground to expose as much moisture-laden soil as possible. A clean vessel should be placed in the center of the hole. The next step may sound completely awkward, but it’s essential when distilling urine to survive. All future urine should be deposited in the newly excavated area around the receptacle, but not in it.
During the evening hours, a large plastic sheet or tarp should be placed over the excavation site. The corners of the sheet can be fixed with large stones, the sheet itself should not touch the sides of the hole, but hang several centimeters above it. The area of the foil directly above the vessel should be held down with a rock or jar to form a focal point for condensation and distillation. Some water should condense overnight and be drawn into the container.
During the heat of the day, the sun’s rays should start distilling urine from the soil and water vapor will build up on the plastic sheet. Because the solid minerals and other contaminants usually found in urine are too heavy to evaporate, the trapped water vapor should eventually condense on the plastic sheet and drip into the container as drinking water. Urine distillation may not be a person’s first choice for creating potable water, but it can be done with minimal supplies if survival is truly at stake.
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