Water is Life!

“I’m really thirsty!” said the little boy as he and his cousin and his older brother trekked across the hills, valleys and woods, miles from their Tennessee home.

It was a hot, summer afternoon and what had started out as an adventurous hike to explore the vast wilderness that surrounded their rural area, soon turned into desperation.

“We are never going to get home!” the little boys cried as very real fears began to set in that they were truly lost!  “Don’t cry” I said, ” We’ll get home, just follow me.”

And so, with great relief, after another half hour or so, the local road was spotted and we knew we were saved.

Oh, the joy of that first deep drink of water as we crowded into the kitchen to quench our thirst!

In all the years that have followed that misadventure, I have never forgotten what it was like to travel in the heat without water.

As a matter of fact, depending on the area, I have carried as much as two gallons of water with me in various containers and canteens.  I don’t like to be thirsty and suffering dehydration is not fun.

The average person needs at least one gallon of water per day, and even more if it is really hot outside and you are sweating hard.

In ancient times, travel routes often followed streams or rivers and in drier territory, travel days were planned around getting to the next spring or watering hole.

Today, with more efficient means of transportation and city water from a spigot, we are often not very far from potable (drinkable) water.

This situation can change dramatically when someone begins to hike some of the national forests or when someone from the green and water blessed east begins to walk through some of the arid, desert areas of our Western United States.

This came home to me with a reality when my father and I hiked the Bright Angel Trail down to the river in the Grand Canyon.

We were on a motorcycle trip and thus were quite limited in the amount of gear we could carry.  So, for a canteen we tied a cord around a two liter bottle of water.  From the last water station on the trail to the river is about three miles one way.

At the river, we took a drink and headed back.  Those last three miles up hill were brutal and hot.  While the muddy river was about 58 degrees Fahrenheit, the air in the canyon was 110 degrees!

We ran out of water about a mile or so before getting back to the water station.  I was very thirsty and I think that is the thirstiest I had ever seen my father!  Well, that was more than 28 years ago but it made an impression on me.

We had water, but not enough.  And water is life!

According to the rule of threes, you can last for three minutes without oxygen, three hours without shelter in bad weather, three days without water and three weeks without food.

However, without water, your ability to work and think straight is greatly hindered in less than 24 hours without water.  You’re not dead yet but you certainly do not function well.

Today, I always travel with a water filter of some kind, even if it is just a straw filter like the ones made by Aquamira or Life Straw.

I also carry in my pack or pocket, a lighter, matches or ferrocerrium rod to start a fire and a stainless steel 32 oz. bottle in which to boil water.

A handkerchief or t-shirt can be used to strain the turbidity (floaties, dirt etc.) by putting it over the mouth of the bottle and submerging it facing downstream to minimize debris.

While boiling is effective in cleaning contaminants and micro-organisms in the water, you must still be sure that you are not in an area of mining run off as straining and boiling will not remove heavy metal contamination.

That requires a special and expensive type of filtration system.

Jesus spoke often of water in the Bible.  To the woman at the well He promised a spring of living water that would spring up inside of her.

On the great day of a feast in Jerusalem, Jesus cried out to the crowd, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink!” In the book of the Revelation, Jesus said, ” …Let him that is thirsty come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely!”

Are you filled with this living water? Do you thirst for His Righteousness?  Have you been drinking the water of this world and found that it doesn’t satisfy?

Then, come to the Wells of Salvation and drink fully and deeply!  When you drink this spiritual water, you will never again thirst for the unsatisfying experiences of this world.  Come and Drink!

This Water is Life!

James B.

PS. You can check out my website at www.waypointsurvival.com