How to Make a Solar Still

Have you ever been without drinking water for an extended period of time and realized how the mind and body can suffer without adequate water? Most people haven’t. Do you know how to collect fresh drinking water when no other sources of water are available? Everyone should.

If you ever plan on camping or hiking in the wilderness where drinking water is scarce, you could find yourself in need of lifesaving drinking water. Knowing how to make a solar still, and having the necessary supplies to make a solar still could be the difference between extreme dehydration and thirst-quenching water to sustain life.

Consider teaching kids how to make a solar still. Besides being a fun and amazing way to extract water from the ground, teaching kids how to make a solar still is a great lesson in survival and science. Kids will be amazed at this method of collecting drinking water, and learning to make a solar still is a good lesson for kids and adults alike.

Even if you don’t plan on camping or hiking in a desolate area where water supplies may be limited, it’s good to know how to make a solar still in case the need ever arises. You never know when or where you might find yourself in need of drinking water, and a solar still can supply the drinking water you need in order to endure. No one ever plans on running out of water, and a solar still will provide water that’s safe to drink when no other sources of drinking water are available.

Take the time to learn to make a solar still, and teach kids as well as others this effective method of collecting water. Knowing how to make a solar still could save your life, or the life of a friend or loved one.

What is a Solar Still?

A solar still is a crude but very effective way to extract pure water from the ground. A hole is dug and covered with a sheet of plastic that is held in place by rocks. The center of the hole is where a container is placed. Heat from the sun draws lifesaving moisture from the soil, and the moisture runs into the container. Up to three pints of pure drinkable water can be extracted from the ground in a twenty-four hour period with the help of a solar still.

Necessary Supplies to Make a Solar Still

To make a solar still you’ll need a spade, a clean container that will hold at least three pints of water, a large clean sheet of clear plastic at least forty-five inches square. Mother Nature provides the rest of the necessary supplies.

Procedure

Dig a round hole that’s about twenty inches deep and forty inches around. Place a clean container in the middle of the hole. Place a clear sheet of plastic over the hole, and secure the edges with rocks. Place something in the center of the plastic to bring the center downwards towards the container. The sun will cause moisture to form on the underside of the plastic, and the water will run down to the center of the plastic where it will trickle into the container.

Don’t be tempted to remove the plastic to check the solar still container any more than necessary. Removing the plastic will allow valuable moisture to evaporate and heat to escape, and the water collection process will take longer.

Once the sun has evaporated all of the moisture from a given area, make a solar still in another location. Choose low areas for best results, or pour dirty water into the hole. The sun can purify even the dirtiest water.