One of the most important things that you will need in any survival situation is water. While there are a few ways of getting water in the wild, we are going to talk about how to get water from a tree when you need to. You might not have been aware that this was a possibility, but with the right knowledge, you can get water out of a tree, which could save your life.
Of course, if you happen to stumble across a lake or other water source, you could collect the water and boil it to make it drinkable, but what happens if you can’t find any water? One of the best places to look next is nearby trees.
What Do You Need to Get Water From a Tree?
In order to get water from a tree, you are going to need what is called a spile, which is a tool that will help you to extract the water from within the tree. As well as this, you could get creative and use other equipment like a knife and a hollow stick.
If you have a spile with you, then great, but if not, there are still other ways of getting the water; it just might be a little bit more difficult. It doesn’t matter what materials you use, as long as you have something to create a hole, and something to insert into the hole to collect the water.
The Best Spiles For Collecting Water From Trees
Some of the best spiles for collecting water from trees are the Stainless Steel Tap by Liberty and the Spile and Hook by Tap My Trees. Both of these products are widely available and highly rated on Amazon.
How to Get Water From a Tree?
The first thing you need to do to get water from a tree is to create a tap hole that is big enough to fit the spile that you are using. This hole will need to be around 2 to 2.5-inches deep to be able to get to the sapwood of the tree. You can use a knife to create this hole if you have one to hand, or sometimes, with the right spile, you can hit it directly into the tree with a big rock.
Your spile should then fit into this hole, and the liquid will start to come out of it once it is in place. If you do not have a spile, you can alternatively use a hollowed-out stick or bamboo, and these should both work just as well.
Make sure that the spile has been inserted in a way that ensures the liquid is flowing away from the tree so that it doesn’t run straight down the tree and go to waste. Every drop of water counts and you should try to get as much as possible. You can then use a canteen, or any other form of container to collect the water. A great tip for this is to apply some cloth over the top of the canteen to make sure that no bugs are getting into your new water source.
If you have no container with you, then you will have to find something in your natural surroundings to use as a cup. This could be a leaf or something that you can carve yourself. It might take a while for the tree to provide you with enough water, so make sure to be patient during this process.
Something that you will need to do is to plug the hole when you have finished collecting your water, as this will make sure that the tree remains healthy and alive when you are done with it. Once you have your water, it is ready to drink straight away, and you don’t need to do anything at all to make it safe to drink.
What is Tree Water?
The water that comes from a tree is pure tree sap that has not been diluted or altered in any way. Most people would expect sap to be gross and sticky, but for some trees, it is as clear as water and perfect for drinking in a survival situation.
What Types of Trees Can You Get Water From?
There are a few different species of trees that can be tapped into for water, but the most commonly used is maple, which is a common sugaring tree that can provide you with life-saving electrolytes and liquid. In addition to the maple tree, there are also other sugaring trees that can be used like the sycamore tree.
Some places may have more of one type of tree than another, making them easier to find, and you can also use birch trees, walnut trees, and hickory trees. These can provide you with liquid to drink that can also be turned into syrup once it has been boiled.
If you didn’t know already, tree water is just as hydrating as coconut water, and it also has a quarter of the amount of sugar. In a survival situation, this type of water is going to give you the hydration and energy that you are going to need to survive.
What You Need to Know About Tapping Water From Trees
There are some other things that can be helpful to know when you are looking to use trees as a water source, and we will mention them here for you to read about. The first thing to note is that the sap flows best on the south side of a tree due to a higher level of sunlight exposure. So, if you are not having luck on one side of the tree, you might want to try moving to the other. Don’t forget to plug up any holes that you leave behind to keep the tree healthy.
Another thing that is helpful to be aware of is that sycamore trees in highly populated areas are likely to be near a water source. This is because these trees need a lot of water in the early stages of growth, so it is worth looking around nearby for this source.
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