Rockpile condenseing drinking water ???'s

[moopups]

Have heard about useing a dark pile of rocks in a container to condense water for drinking, anybody have any info about that? How much rock? Yield in high humidity area? Google could not find the links I am seeking.

[blhmabbott]

How could you condense water? What would you add to it to reconstitute it? More water? Am I missing something here?
Heather

[blhmabbott]

I didn't mean for that to come off as smart alecky....I just really don't get how that process would work is all. Sorry.
Heather

[caroline00]

are you aalking about condensation?

[Cabin Fever]

Like you need extra water in Florida!

I've heard of staking the corners of a plastic tarp a foot off of the ground. Place a stone in the center of the tarp so the tarp slants to the middle. Place a bowl on the ground under the center of the tarp. All of the moisture that condenses on the bottom of the tarp will run to its center and then drip into the bowl.

The stone that you use can be any color.....

[moopups]

The theory is that a piramid shaped stack of rock, placed in or on a dish shaped container, will yield water after it cools from the suns heat. The article I read suggests smooth rocks so the flow is not able to be hindered by pits or pockets in the rocks surface. The rocks should be dark so they absorbe more heat therefore provide more water than light colored rocks. I believe this was in National Geographic many years back, just looking for currant info on this method.

[Cyngbaeld]

There is an old survival technique of scooping a hole out in loose soil and setting a cup in the center. Cover with a sheet of clear plastic and use the scooped out dirt around the edges to seal it. Put a pebble in the center to hold it down and direct the water into the cup. Similar to what cabin fever said.'

There is also a way of getting water with an 'air well'. You use fishing line for the dew to cling to and condense on. Then the water runs down the lines to a collecting trough and into the storage container. There are whole villages in south america that rely on this method.

I did find a reference to rock piles being used in this article:

http://www.bagelhole.org/article.php/Water/350/

[blhmabbott]

Oh good grief....don't I feel stupid!

[Cabin Fever]

I don't understand the use of dark rocks that absorb more heat. Humidity in the air condenses unto cool objects....not warm objects.

[southerngurl]

That is an interesting website!

blhmabbott, don't feel bad, I thought the same thing at first.

[moopups]

Thank you for the name 'air well' and the link, this is what I was looking for - an alternative to drilling a well when the budget is very low. Obeviously an adequate amount of water can be captured without a well for human survival, at a reasonable rate of investment.

CF, I believe the dark rocks are to promote a chimney effect to draw in more cooler air.