How do you boil water without a pot?

dartanyon

dartanyon

Joined
May 10, 2002
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705
I am seious! How do we boil water without a pot or metal container?
In a survival situation and all we've got is our favourite knife and pocket kit, how are we going to boil anything? Ideas please.
 
Dartanyon,

If you have 'container' I mean something to put the water in that you can't use to hang over a fire then you use rocks heated in your fire and when they are hot just slide them into the water you want to boil. Several nice sized rocks will do the trick.

This can be used to boil water that you keep in a leather 'bucket' made from an animal skin or when you have a hollowed out cup/pan made from wood.

Take care not to put in to much water because the hot rocks take up volume as well.

Best Scouting wishes from Holland,

Bagheera
 
Bagheera

Thanks for your reply. Now why didn't I think of that. Is there any reason why I can't boil water in a leather pouch?
 
I can boil water in a piece of notebook paper. Learned that in high school.

Don't know if the leather would be porous enough to allow water to seep through it as quickly as or quicker than the fire is vaporizing it at the surface.

That would would have to be true in order to be able to boil it.

If not, the leather will burn before the water boils.

Dang, I did learn something in high school in the 70's....
 
You can chop a indentation into a log, and fill it with water. You can then place pebbles in a fire until they're hot, then put them into the water. You have to be careful that the rocks you use start out totally dry, otherwise they could explode when you heat them in the fire.

You can also make a cup or small pot out of aluminum foil, and boil water over a fire in that.
 
I was thinking about this last summer. In my search for something I found a link on one of the fora. This place has the Kelly Kettle . I don't have one yet (I will though) so I can't comment on it.
 
Originally posted by Sundsvall
Okay, I have to ask. How do you boil water in a piece of notebook paper?
Click to expand...

Fold the paper up into a rectangular vessel, almost like a boxtop upside down.

It is best to do the next part on some form of screen or something to support the vessel..

At the same time, set the vessel on the screen over the fire, and pour in the water (actually we sat the vessel on the screen, and simultaneously put in the water and put a Bunson burner under the vessel).

The water will dissipate the heat and prevent the fire from scorching the paper. In a very few seconds, it will start boiling. I wouldna believed it unless I had seen and done it.

Unbelievable that THAT made it out of the 70's....everything else is a blur.......................
 
I've been told that if you go the rock route, DON'T use river rock, as they often have water that penetrates into all the nooks and crannies, and are very likely to explode. Haven't tried it myself, but it sounds reasonable.
 
Originally posted by swede79
I've been told that if you go the rock route, DON'T use river rock, as they often have water that penetrates into all the nooks and crannies, and are very likely to explode. Haven't tried it myself, but it sounds reasonable.
Click to expand...

They explode...Take my word for it....


The hot rock thing will work with just about anything that will hold water. Animal skin, animal bladder, plastic bag. You name it as long as it's strong enough to hold the weight.
 
yep. careful with the rocks.

the natives in Papua New Guinea, who still use hot rocks to cook with, have at least one death and multiple blindings each year from exploding rocks.

......according to National Geographic anyway...


Metis
 
One idea is to look and find a discarded empty bottle. Unfortunately, many discarded bottles can be found in the wilderness. Rinse out bottle, fill with water and set on a small camp fire. The water in the bottle will keep the bottle from breaking or melting, and it will boil.
 
Watch out for the river rock, it does explode. I learned that the hard way about the same time I learned to boil water in a sheet of paper. The seventies were not a total fog:cool:
 
When I've camped in Anza Borrego, Joshua Tree, and Death Valley, I've cooked rice, beans, lentils, soups, etc., without using a fire, or ever bringing water to a boil. If you set a pot down on your dark car's hood, or a dark patch of rock on the ground, for a few hours, you can get the water up to around probably 150-180 degrees. That should be enough to sterilize the water or cook food, if you can keep the temperatures up that high for a few hours. So, you don't necessarily need a fire underneath your cooking container, if the conditions are hot enough and sunny enough. If you can get your water hot enough for long enough without fire, that opens up some possibilities. In such cases, you'll just need to come up with a waterproof container, instead of a waterproof and fireproof container.
 
fastest, safest, surefire way is to use a paper cup. especially those ones with a light coating of wax. Just set it on something above the fire.

I've used it to boil eggs. Doesn't burn the cup because all the heat goes to boiling the water.

Give it a shot. Have fun!
 
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