I took some family members out on a hike and we were talking about a young couple of hikers that recently got lost in the area and nearly died of thirst before being found by rescue trackers. My sister in law, Carla took some photos and I thought I’d share them on the site.
First, water is fairly easy to find. Out in the open, a green-belt (green plants, grass or trees) will contrast against the drab, waterless landscape is a dead giveaway that water is near the surface and almost certainly accessible with even the crudest digging tools. More than likely, these spots will be at the low points of dry stream beds or even in the form of Artesian wells in the sides of mountains, hills, ravines or canyons. Below are pictures of green grasses that are a clear indicator of water no more than 18” below the surface. Another dead-giveaway would be moist sand. Notice the picture that brushing away the top layer of the sand reveals the dark-colored damp sand beneath.
I grabbed a piece of deadfall just feet from the stream bed and it served nicely as a hoe to dig with to reach the water in seconds. This goes to show that there isn’t a real need to pack a pick and shovel any time you take to the trail when nature-made tools are readily at hand.
As you widen the hole, the waterlogged sides will continue to fall in. I would say that its best to keep digging until you have a basin about 1-2 meters across. (Mine was only 18” just for show.) Eventually, you’ll want to shore up the sides. An easy way is either to line it with fabric held in place by wooden staves or by weaving thin branches into a basket-work to line the sides of your basin.