How to Hydrate Without Water While Hiking or Camping
It is generally understood that the human body can go only 3 or 4 days without any sort of hydration. Water is an absolute necessity to human survival, whether it comes from a pristine lake, a can of soda or cactus pulp. When a person gets lost or otherwise stranded out in the wild it can be difficult to find a reliable hydration source. Fortunately, with the right knowledge one can still hydrate without water. It just may take a little more work than turning on a faucet.
How to Stay Hydrated Without Drinking Water
Life thrives on water, which means if one can cultivate, catch or kill either animals or plants, it is often possible to get moisture in one form or another. Of course, some of these have more accessible water than others. Some of these include:
- Berries – These are an ideal source for hydration and probably the tastiest option on this list. Just make sure the berries are edible, like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or huckleberries. There are a surprising number of edible berries out there, most of which never make it to grocery store shelves. Of course, one needs to know how to recognize them.
- Green coconuts – Another delicious option for those in a tropical location. Green coconuts have a good amount of coconut water – probably nature’s most ideal form of hydration – while brown coconuts offer coconut milk. Stick to the younger green coconuts for hydration purposes, although coconut milk is better than nothing.
- Cacti – Certain fleshy cacti contain a decent amount of water. One should remove the spines and chew the pulp to obtain the moisture. The taste might take some getting used to, but a truly thirsty person may not notice it. Remember that there are often numerous smaller spines at the base of the larger spines. Use a rock or cutting too to remove all spines, and possibly skin, before chewing.
- Water from gutting animals and fish – Often animals will have some liquid in their bodies surrounding their organs, which one can collect in a basin as he or she cuts open the abdomen of the animal to begin preparing it. Not the most desirable moisture source, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
- Blood – Blood from birds, amphibians and other animals can also be consumed for moisture.
Being prepared is just smart, whether you are heading to the mountains or the desert. For your next hike or camping trip, be sure to pack a LiteFighter tent! Quality, dependable gear for all situations.