ABOVE-GROUND STILL

STILL CONSTRUCTION
You can use stills in various areas of the world. They draw moisture from the ground and from plant material. The flaws in this method--you need certain materials to build a still, and you need time to let it collect the water. It takes about twenty-four hours to get 0.5 to 1 quart of warer.

To make the above ground still, you need a sunny slope on which to place athe still, a clear plastic bag, green leafy vegetation, and a small rock.
To Make the Still

• Fill the bag with air by turning the opening into the breeze or by "Scooping" air into the bag.
• Fill the plastic bag half to three-quarters full of green leafy vegetation. Be sure to remove all hard sticks or sharp spines that might puncture the bag.

CATION: Do not use poisonous vegetation. It will provide poisonous liquid.

• Place a small rock or similar item in the bag.
• Close the bag and tie the mouth securely as close to the end of the bag as possible to keep the maximum amount of air space. If you have a piece of tubing, a small straw, or a hollow reed, insert one end in the mouth of the bag before you tie it securely. Then tie off or plug the tubing so that air will not escape. This tubing will allow you to drain out condensed water without untying the bag.
• Place the bag, mouth downhill, on a slope in full sunlight. Position the mouth of the bag slightly higher than the low point in the bag.
• Settle the bag in place so that the rock works itself into the low point in the bag.

To get condensed water from the still, loosen the tie around the bags mouth and tip the bag so that the water collected around the rock will drain out. Then retie the mouth securely and reposition the still to allow further condensation. Change the vegetation in the bag after extracting most of the water from it. This will ensure maximum output of water.