One way to get water in the desert is to have a large square piece of clear, heavy plastic with you. The kind you can get at a moving-and-packing store. In addition to the plastic, you will need a cup, a long plastic tube, a shovel (may be improvised) and a rock.
Dig a hole about a metre deep and a metre or so wide in the ground. Put the cup in the middle of it. Put the tube into the cup and leave the other end outside of the hole. Put the plastic sheet over the hole and pull it tight. Put sand around the edges to hold it in place and to seal the edges. Put a small stone in the middle of the sheet, over the cup. Water will evaporate from the ground and collect on the plastic sheet. It will naturally follow gravity to the weighted centre and drip into the cup. You can increase the amount of water by putting green vegetation into the hole around the cup, or even by urinating around the hole.
On the subject of desert survival, the ground is the hottest part of the desert. If you dig down a couple of feet it will be cooler. If you raise yourself up a couple of feet it will also be cooler. Stay in the shade. Work at night when the temperatures are cooler, and rest during the day to conserve water. Be aware of animals such as snakes, scorpions and black widow spiders. While the scorpions and spiders are usually not fatal, they can cause fever that can cause you to sweat and lose water and make you very sick. I wouldn’t suggest hunting venomous snakes, as they can be quick; but if you do manage to kill one their meat contains fluids (and blood). Be careful of the fangs, which can contain dangerous venom and can cause severe injury if you accidentally stick yourself.
Water can sometimes be found if you dig down into the inside curve of a wash. Also, dew may collect on plants.
Let people know where you are going and when you will be back. If you do not return, they should call authorities to initiate a search. “Make yourself big.” Your car (or airplane, or whatever) is bigger than you are, so unless there is a compelling reason to leave it, don’t. You can make yourself big with a mirror (signal mirrors are easily aimed, but a rear-view will do) or a shiny piece of metal. A fire at night is seen for miles. During the day, burning tyres generate a lot of smoke that can attract attention. Of course you make yourself “biggest” with a radio. Aircraft have ELTs (emergency locator transmitters) that transmit on the emergency frequencies (121.5 and 243 mHz) and many pilots carry handheld radios. I believe many boaters carry these as well.
Most importantly, keep your wits about you. Don’t panic. Believe you will survive, and your chances of survival increase.
Also, if you may be in an isolated area, carry a survival kit and plenty of water (about a gallon per person per day).
