How to Turn a 5 Gallon Bucket into a Solar Still

By Blake Alma

In this day and age, we have plumbing and faucets. We have our own water bills and water heaters. We also have our own water pipelines which connects with the city’s or county’s pipeline. We drink our water from our faucets. We may have water filters so that we may stay away from unwanted bacteria and particles. But what happens if an earthquake or a natural disaster occurs and it destroys the pipelines? You have no more water!!! Well that is a problem considering the matter that we humans can only live 3 days without water! How then can you get water when your water’s pipeline is destroyed? You may begin to worry, for that is okay. However, let me put your fears behind you, for you can survive! Sure it may not be easy or even fun, but even the most urban human being can collect water without a pipeline. So why not be a prepper and prepare your home with the prepper’s solar still which will get you the water you need.

Related: How to Build Your Own Solar Panels

You will need:

• A bucket such as a 5-gallon bucket
• A house-hold trash bag
• A couple very small rocks
• A empty 12 oz. cup or a small empty container
• Some green vegetation such as grass or leaves
• Duct Tape or 4 feet of semi-strong string

Making the Prepper’s Solar Still:

1. Put all the required supplies in a bucket. I would have more than just one bucket prepared. Have a bucket with the required supplies in your car and have at least two within you home. One bucket for each person in your home would be ideal.
2. Take out all the supplies in your solar still kit.
3. Find some nearby vegetation. Leaves, grass, branches with leaves, or any other plants. All vegetation must be green and alive at the time of obtaining.
4. Once you have all your vegetation, which should be a fair amount, you can place it in your bucket.
5. Then place your container or 12 oz. cup in the middle of the bucket.
6. Take your trash bag and put it over the bucket. Then use your small rocks and put it in the middle of the trash bag which will push the bag down a bit. Use the duct tape or string and wrap or tie it around the bag to keep it in place. You can rip off any extra length of the trash bag if you want.
7. Take your bucket outside and find a sunny spot to leave it in. If it is not a sunny day, place it in a non-shady area.
8. Leave the bucket there for at least a day, if not more. If it is a sunny day it will work faster. After time, go check your bucket. Take the bag off and see if there is any water in the cup. There should be a fair amount of water. Be sure to filter and/or boil any water collect from the wild. You may want to have set more than one solar still at a time.

Related: How to Build a Solar Oven

How the Prepper’s Solar Still works:

The vegetation has water within its system. Once it is plucked from the ground or a tree it dies. When you put it in the bucket and you seal it, the heat of the sun or day beats on the vegetation. Since it is inside the bucket it will get very warm, causing the water to evaporate from the plants. The water goes up unto the air and it then hits the trash bag. It then turns unto drops of water. The water begins to slide down the bag. It goes down to where the small rocks are weighing down the bag at. It then drops off the bag and falls unto the cup. The cup then begins to fill up.

This article was first posted on Askaprepper.com

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About Blake Alma:

Blake Thomas Alma is the author of many books, The Outdoorsmen Bible, Harvesting Nature’s Bait Shop, This World can be Cold and Bitter, More Than Just a Rat Trap, and The Godly Outdoorsman’s Devotionals. He is always sharing his growing knowledge of his master’s creation, the outdoors. A warm smile comes upon his face when he walks through the outdoors. He greatly enjoys Fishing, Small Game Hunting, Target Practice, Survival, Camping, Hiking, Bait Harvesting, ATVing, and outdoor educating. But above all outdoor pursuits, his heart pores out like a might river toward trapping. Perhaps his greatest skill of all of his outdoor pursuits. He is continually growing in the knowledge of trapping and in his master, Jesus, the creator of the outdoors. He also enjoys learning DIY outdoor pursuits. Henceforth, he created The Art of an Outdoorsman. He created The Art of an Outdoorsman so that others may grow in the knowledge of his God’s creation too and master that great skill, or art as he calls it, of the outdoorsman. You never know when the stock market might crash or when you find yourself lost in the woods. So why not learn this great art as Blake has and survive like an outdoorsman! His author page can be visited at http://amazon.com/author/blakealma.