[Ron Fontaine]

Water moisture within the sand or soil is important, as no condensation can occur unless there is dampness.

Also, the amount of sunlight is key.

You do not want any way for the water vapor to escape the hole, so make sure your solar still is airtight.

Solar stills get a bad rap, as often as not they fail for a variety of reasons that are mostly due to inexperience. However I have had success with solar stills under the right conditions. The key is to practice making solar still before you need them, and recognize the conditions necessary for successful implementation.

[LaRemnant]

Originally Posted by cowgirlup

You might have been able to add to the moisture by pouring some ocean water into the hole and then it should have distilled.

But not sure since sand doesn't seem to hold moisture like soil.

Good point. I am not sure if sand would be the best material to extract moisture from (although in my book Survival Wisdom and Know How, it says you can use either.

What I would recommend for you to try next perhaps, is keep a 4 to 6 ft wire of tubing (also referred to as surgical tubing) on you (you can buy it at a pet store in the aquatic department), get a clear plastic garbage bag and find some NON POISONOUS vegetation to throw in it (without puncturing the bag!), and have a rock at the inside bottom to allow water to run down the inside of the bag toward the rock. You will need to perhaps prop the bag up against a slope of some kind to help this endeavor, and have the tubing attached to the rock and coming up out of the bag (which is tied around the tube). Make sure to plug the tube to prevent evaporation and sip from it from time to time.

Also, there is something called a transpiration bag, which is basically the same as above, but the only difference is you actually tie your clear plastic bag to a lush tree branch full of vegetation, and when you are done extracting water, you take the bag off to allow the branch to rejuvenate. Make sure the bag is on the side of the NON POISONOUS tree/branch that has the most amount of exposure to the sun, and be careful not to puncture the bag...

[Hagusofnwn]

Thanks for all the insight. It may have picked a less than ideal environment to start with, but I will continue to try different approaches to the solar still. Here's to hoping I don't get stranded on a deserted island

I also like the idea of tying a bag to a tree to collect water and will try this as well.

Practice, practice, practice..........

[Ronnie]

I think you did well.
you probably will not have the best environment in a SHTF situation. practice doing your solar still in the worst possible places and see what you can come up with.

[crazydave]

transpiration bags can be a coloured plastic though as its utilising the working processes of the tree. clear plastic again will give a better result down to the greenhouse effect again you restrict a lower corner to keep bits and bugs out.
a tube tent, poly sleeping bag or good quality dust sheets are a good thing to chick in your kit.

desert survival is a whole different world though so needs a bit more thought and practise to conserve every drop of sweat.

[B52gundog]

Here's another video of a simple Solar Still. I liked this one cause the guy demonstrates, using food coloring, that evaporated or distilled dirty water is not necessarily a guarantee that it's safe to drink.

Google Video - Solar Water Distiller

[xj35s]

You might have had clean drinking water by digging a little deeper into the sand. You can drink the water from this deep hole directly. The earth filters the water as long as it's more than 1 foot away. 5 or 6 feet is better.

The larger diameter the better I believe with a solar still like that. The maximum it can produce is about a liter a day.

[Hagusofnwn]

Originally Posted by xj35s

You might have had clean drinking water by digging a little deeper into the sand. You can drink the water from this deep hole directly. The earth filters the water as long as it's more than 1 foot away. 5 or 6 feet is better.

The larger diameter the better I believe with a solar still like that. The maximum it can produce is about a liter a day.

This will be something I will try next year at the beach. I really had no idea the water is filtered so well even at the beach.

I will also try some vegetation mixed in the hole to see if my output increases over my initial attempts.

Thanks for the feedback.

[CFH2558]

I'd say don't make it quite that deep. From what I've seen, anything deeper than a foot won't work very well. I did it once with a roughly 8"x8" hole and it produced better results than I expected. Maybe make the width of the hole not as wide as it is deep. Would make the runoff slope of your cover have a much better angle.

[LaRemnant]

At any rate, this thread made me SERIOUSLY consider adding three large heavy duty clear plastic bags in my pack, tightly rolled up and stowed away for potential use.

ThanX