Of the 50 varieties of wild grape that grow in the world, 20 of them grow in North America. I know of some that are found in Asia, and I presume that the others grow in temperate zones in Europe and Asia. Since I was a wee boy I'd learned from my Dad that if I was ever lost in the woods and was thirsty, then all I had to do was to notch or sever a grape vine and I would get enough water to keep me from dying of thirst. I'd do that when I was back hiking just for the fun of it, or if I was feeling a bit thirsty and hadn't brought a canteen. I grew up in an age when A child was given his first pocket knife at a young age, and I never went anywhere without my trusty "boy scout" knife. Here in the mountain region of central Pennsylvania, wild grape grows eveywhere; to the point where they can sometimes be a pest. I was just behind my house yesterday, when I spotted a thick(4.5 cm) vine hanging from a young oak. Two thoughts crossed my mind; how much water can I actually get from a vine like that, and how good a knife handle wood would a vine that thick make. Went and grabbed my modified Gavilan(of Colombia) 16"machete, my camera and a cut down plastic cider jug. I'd actually done the same thing the day before while out hiking deeper in the Barrens using my Nessmuk, but hadn't brought along any sort of measuring cup.
For some strange reason, the couple of survival books I've read instruct you to sever the vine and allow the water to drip from the hanging portion into whatever container you might have/make. MUCH more water comes from the section of the vine still attached to the roots. Afterall, that's where the water comes from. I sometimes wonder about those books
Anyway, I severed the vine and had the root end stuck in the jug. Was a bit awkward, so I notched the vine a bit lower, so the water would drip into jug without any need for me to fasten the vine. That was at 11:30. I returned at 14:00 and had collected what you see in the cup. The vine was still dripping steadily when I left, and as long as I didn't allow it to "jell" over; I presume it would keep providing a steady source of clean,drinkable water. The taste is not bad....a little woody, and a bit sweet. And cold. Here's some pics:
]
The actual amount, measured on a flat surface, was 2.5 cups; around 650 ml. I also brought home a five foot chunk of the vine, after shaving off the bark with the machete. Cut it into chunks with my bandsaw,and will see what I get out of it as far as a usable knife wood goes.
Bottom line is, you should be able to stay alive and keep from dying of thirst in areas where wild grape does grow....Even if you don't have, or can't make a container; you can still let the water drip into your mouth. It's not like you're going to miss an important appointment by hanging around.
For some strange reason, the couple of survival books I've read instruct you to sever the vine and allow the water to drip from the hanging portion into whatever container you might have/make. MUCH more water comes from the section of the vine still attached to the roots. Afterall, that's where the water comes from. I sometimes wonder about those books
Anyway, I severed the vine and had the root end stuck in the jug. Was a bit awkward, so I notched the vine a bit lower, so the water would drip into jug without any need for me to fasten the vine. That was at 11:30. I returned at 14:00 and had collected what you see in the cup. The vine was still dripping steadily when I left, and as long as I didn't allow it to "jell" over; I presume it would keep providing a steady source of clean,drinkable water. The taste is not bad....a little woody, and a bit sweet. And cold. Here's some pics:
]
The actual amount, measured on a flat surface, was 2.5 cups; around 650 ml. I also brought home a five foot chunk of the vine, after shaving off the bark with the machete. Cut it into chunks with my bandsaw,and will see what I get out of it as far as a usable knife wood goes.
Bottom line is, you should be able to stay alive and keep from dying of thirst in areas where wild grape does grow....Even if you don't have, or can't make a container; you can still let the water drip into your mouth. It's not like you're going to miss an important appointment by hanging around.
And for a quick drink it works for me. I find if you have a container of some sort, just notching the vine works well without severing it.... which is what I had always done.
