Wilderness Survival: Look for waterholes in the tops of rock outcrops

An often overlooked place to find water in a survival situation is on the tops of rock outcrops in the mountains or in the desert. These rock formations sometimes have bowl-shaped depressions in them which collect water from rain or snow storms.

Depending on the time of year, this water may only last 1-2 days before drying up, or it may last several weeks if the weather is cooler and the depression holds enough water to prevent it from evaporating quickly.

As always, make safety your first priority. If the rock outcrop is too dangerous to climb, don't risk it. If you do find water, be sure to boil it for 3 minutes to kill any bacteria or viruses that might be present. 

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)