Water follows shelter in the sacred order of wilderness survival.
This is the main reason I carry plastic bags and a cotton bandanna as part of my pocket survival kit. Follow these two techniques - solar tree still and dew wiping - to get drinkable water in any location with nonpoisonous vegetation.
Solar Tree Branch Still:
Place a plastic bag around the green leaves on a tree branch with one corner of the bag hanging lower and tied off. Pint and gallon size Zip-Lock bags work well, but any plastic bag and twist tie will work. The moisture that forms from condensation will collect in the plastic bag. This is potable water.
Dew Wiping:
If you’re in deciduous woods, use a bandanna or scrap of cotton cloth to absorb the dew that collects on the plants. You can wipe them along the surface of the plants or you can tie them to your legs and walk through wet vegetation. Ring the cloth into your mouth, or suck on it. If you have access to an open field, collect the dew early in the morning, before it evaporates.
In North America there are no toxic grasses. If you cannot collect dew, you can chew the blades, extract the moisture and then spit out the pulp.
The advantage of these water collecting techniques is that you don’t have to boil the water.
There are a myriad of other ways to obtain drinking water, but you need more tools. If you’re lucky enough to find grape vine, the liquid from the cut vine is drinkable. Once you’ve collected what you need, you can replant the severed vine and it will sprout roots.
This article is not intended to be an exhaustive examination of water collecting and purification, but rather to help you understand how to use condensation to your advantage when you are in a pinch.