Why would you want to boil water in your hat?
Water is essential to survival. If you are lost, you can’t take the chance of drinking from a creek, stream or lake; you need to boil the water.
Unless you had planned to go camping, you are unlikely to have a cooking pot. But you can still solve this problem.
Here’s how:
1. Gather several small rocks, about the size of your fist
2. Build a fire
3. Find or make a container:
a. Your hat
b. Carve a depression into a piece of wood
c. Dig a hole in the ground and line it with plastic
4. Heat the rocks in the fire they are red hot
5. Transfer the rocks from the fire to the container using a forked stick or a piece of thick bark
6. Keep adding rocks until the water has been boiling 15-20 minutes
Ashes from the fire and minerals from the rocks will get into the water, but it is still safe to drink.
Practice rock boiling before you head out on the trail and you will be well-prepared should you ever find yourself in a survival situation.
I just read your article about Barry Keegan. Before I became involved with tracking, I had been renting space to use to make artwork from Barry’s father. His father used to tell me how gifted Barry is when it came to connecting with the outdoors. He told me that whenever he and Barry would go out for a walk in the woods, Barry would be reaching for the ground and lift up an arrowhead he had found. His father said it was uncanny.
About this article about using rocks to boil water…It’s a good article. Relevant to basic needs. But, when heating rocks, I believe it is important to make sure the rocks are dry, as opposed to taking them from riverbeds. I’ve heard that when they contain water, they’ll burst and shoot dangerous shards of rock when they are heated.
Comment by deerwoman — January 27, 2008 @ 10:36 pm
Thank you, Deerwoman, for sharing your information. When I needed a reliable mechanic, Barry’s father was there for me. What a remarkable family.
As for your comment about the rocks - you are 100 percent correct. Thanks for filling in this essential detail. In addition to avoiding river rocks, I avoid using shale, sandstone and rocks that have a soft texture - for the exact same reasons.
Comment by jj_murphy — January 28, 2008 @ 12:05 am