How to find water in extremely cold climates
The trick isn’t so much finding water in a cold climate, but rather getting it into a liquid form without freezing to death in the process. One thing you should never do is eat snow or swallow pieces of ice because this will rapidly lower your body’s core temperature and put you in danger of freezing.
Ideally, when someone is traveling through a cold climate they would have ample means of creating heat, even if it’s nothing more than a flint and fire steel, but what happens if there’s nothing to burn in the area or there’s a problem with the stove? You may end up having to melt frozen water without a fire, but doing it the wrong way can put you at risk.
Tips on how to find liquid water in a cold climate?
What you “don’t” want to do is use the warmth of your own body to melt it, by putting it inside your clothing for example. Also, avoid eating snow or pieces of ice because this will lower your body’s core temperature much faster than drinking cold water would.
If you have a bottle of some kind then pack it with snow and leave the top off and breathe on it. This takes a long time and only works if there’s no wind and you have a way to safely hold the bottle without freezing your fingers.
If you have a container that can’t be put on a fire, then fill an item of clothing with snow, such as a clean sock, and suspend it on a stick next to the fire. Place any kind of container under the low point of the snow sock and it will collect anything that drips off.
A magnifying lens is a low-tech and easy-to-carry way to help melt snow. It may not be fun to sit there holding a lens over the top of a bottle of snow, but if you’re desperate enough and can’t afford to lose the body heat, then it can work very well.
Snow that has collected on trees will begin to melt when the sun is at its highest point, and the branches can be carefully shaken off to provide a good amount of liquid water.
When you have managed to create and store some water, insulate the bottom by wrapping it in a piece of spare clothing and put it inside your pack, or somewhere it won’t be exposed to the wind and can freeze again.
The safest option is always fresh top snow. Older snow can soak up pollution or groundwater, and even though it can often be safe to drink, you shouldn’t take the risk.
Don’t use any snow or ice that isn’t white or clear. It will be a different color if it contains salt or some kind of pollutant.
When taking water directly from a fresh source like a stream, always try to determine wheres it coming from and the chances of there being animal waste in it.