# Dew collector



## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

I found this article online about how to make a dew collector. I was going to paraphrase the article but instead decided to copy and paste it:

*If you live in the city and have only flood waters available, distill the water you drink. Don't depend upon boiling to remove contaminants. In the city, the water will come into contact with a wide variety of chemical contaminants that boiling just won't remove. Be safe, distill your water.
If no water is available, you can collect water with a dew collector. You'll need some land (a backyard or waste area will do - try to avoid public parks - city officials get cranky if you dig up public parks), a shovel, a large sheet of plastic, some rocks, and a collection cup or pot. For a sophisticated dew collector, you can run tubing from the cup or bowl to the outside edge of the plastic sheet.

To put this together, you need to dig a hole in a sunny spot about 2 feet wide and 10 inches deep. Place your cup or pot in the center of the hole. If you use plastic tubing, put it in the cup and run it along the ground and up and out of the hole. Spread the plastic sheet over the hole and set rocks at the corners to secure it. Put a rock in the center over the collection cup and push it down slightly so the plastic is just above the cup - the point is for condensation to collect under the sheet and run down and drip into the collection cup. Now, add more rocks around the edge of the plastic sheet and cover the edges with dirt so it's sealed all the way around except for the tubing that's out. Even in the desert, you'll be able to collect at least a cup of water a day from this. In more temperate areas, as long as you get some temperature variation between night and day, you'll get plenty of fresh water. It'll taste like plastic, but it'll be safe to drink. Just suck it out through the tubing.*

An Average American Patriot: Survival: World food shortages spreading but After air, the most important thing we need to survive is potable water. This is easy be prepared!

One option to consider along with the plastic would be to use glass or plexiglass that's been cut to put over the hole. Glass lids from cooking pots might even be a viable option to let the condensation form and drip into the bowl.


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

my dh and I used to teach that way of getting water when we taught hunter education courses.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

just one minor detail...

... if you're in a *city* and you're surrounded by *floodwaters*... just *where* are you going to dig a hole?  

I'm not from a desert area by any means, but I have visited & tried this method but I never came close to getting an entire cup (8oz) of water in 12 hours. The other time I tried it I urinated into the pit before placing the catch basin in and the results were much better... :tmi:


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Well, I'm not in a city  and this is something I've been meaning to get more info on. Sure, there are situations where it won't work - but I'm betting there are more situations where it will. Thanks for posting! :2thumb:


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## oldvet (Jun 29, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> just one minor detail...
> 
> ... if you're in a *city* and you're surrounded by *floodwaters*... just *where* are you going to dig a hole?
> 
> I'm not from a desert area by any means, but I have visited & tried this method but I never came close to getting an entire cup (8oz) of water in 12 hours. The other time I tried it I urinated into the pit before placing the catch basin in and the results were much better... :tmi:


ROFL :2thumb:


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## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> I'm not from a desert area by any means, but I have visited & tried this method but I never came close to getting an entire cup (8oz) of water in 12 hours.


You could try experimenting with two chambers instead of one. If the hole was dug twice the length and a metal plate inserted in the middle, an opaque covering that would block out the sun from one section could be placed on top of it. The air inside would be cooler than the other side where the sunlight gets through. Once the warmer air hits the surface of the plate, it should condense because the air on the other side is cooler. It would run down the side but because of the heat in that chamber, it would eventually collect on the surface of the plastic and drip into the bowl.


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