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Water Vines

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pict

Joined
Jan 7, 2003
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YouTube - Water Vines

Today I got out to the bush with my good friend Giuliano. Giuliano is a fellow bushcraft and wilderness survival nut. We've been writing back and forth all year and this was the first time we got out to the bush together. It has been great to trade information with him as there is nothing written on bushcraft here in Central Brazil (yet).

Today he took the time to point out water vines to me. I have been testing vines for a long time knowing that they are here in Central Brazil. Most vines here are filled with dangerous white latex. I've always been very conservative with vines I've found filled with water.

The correct water vine is a great survival resource. The water has already been filtered through the roots of the plant so you can drink it straight from the vine. The water is very sweet and goes down easy.

Mac
 
Neat Video Pict. Looks like it would take a few vines to fill up that cup of yours. When you find a sweet water vine do you find that there are plenty around in clumps or are they sort of solitary beasts that need to be found over a spread area? Also you mentioned seasons where they have water in them. How long a period of time is the water plentiful?

Thanks
 
I've seen some other video of guys drinking water from vines and it really amazes me as to how much water dumps out of a 2-3 foot vine.
 
kgd said:
Neat Video Pict. Looks like it would take a few vines to fill up that cup of yours. When you find a sweet water vine do you find that there are plenty around in clumps or are they sort of solitary beasts that need to be found over a spread area? Also you mentioned seasons where they have water in them. How long a period of time is the water plentiful?

Thanks
Click to expand...

kgd,

These vines were prolific in that area. Once you know which vines are the water vines you start to see them everywhere. Until then they're all just "vines",the entire forest is hung with vines. It doesn't seem like a lot of water but there are enough vines that you could fill a canteen in short order or get hydrated again. If you were in the desert and found a dripping seep like that you'd be set.

Central Brazil has two extreme seasons, right now it is the start of the rainy season. The rains will keep up until April. I have cut these vines in the dry season (May - Nov) and they are so dry as to be brittle. It will be interesting to see the ebb and flow over time.

Mac
 
Neat video. We just started the dry season here....well. Only 3 inches a month instead of 20 LOL
It's interesting that you say water that falls through the canopy needs to be treated ?
I drink water out of the "cups" in bromeliads fairly often.Only after a good rain. I cut a slit in the leaves and filter it through them.
In my zone there is water bubbling out of the ground all but March and April when it is dry, dry.
I'll have to experiment with some vines.
 
Interesting video.

One question about water you get from the vine. Seen this showed before and they always say "water has been filtered by the vine so it is just fine". Just wondering, is it proven, are you aware of any lab test or al. regarding this?
Just wondering.
 
Ravaillac said:
Interesting video.

One question about water you get from the vine. Seen this showed before and they always say "water has been filtered by the vine so it is just fine". Just wondering, is it proven, are you aware of any lab test or al. regarding this?
Just wondering.
Click to expand...

Very cool.

I'm curious about the water quality aspect too. Realistically it would be cost prohibitive to test for all the potential contaminants, but a general physical, mineral, and chemical test would give some info...as well as a bacteriological test. Be interesting to know.
 
Toucan,

Water falling through trees carries with it all the bird / monkey crap on the trees. It is cleaner than the water on the ground and certainly cleaner than the cappuccino flowing down the river. I still don't trust it just on general appearance. I also use water trapped in bromeliads when up in the mountains but I always treat it. There is usually a good supply of debris in the bottom of them, I treat such water as if it were stagnate.

People drink water from birch trees, grape vines, and palm trees without filtering. I have never seen a recommendation to boil or treat for any of these sources. Whenever you use water from a natural source you are taking some degree of risk, given the options of ground water, rain through a canopy or the vines, I'll choose the vines. Filtered and treated rainwater would be a better bet. Mac
 
I seem to remember that while going through one of the jungle warfare schools I attended (can't remember which one), one of the instructors demonstrated a vine that put out a lot more water than the one in your video. I guess that there are different vines in different parts of the world. The water from the vine I'm talking about sure didn't taste sweet, but there was a lot of it.
 
Good vid. Always nice to know of more ways to obtain drinkable water. Thanks :thumbup:
 
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