As an avid survival game enthusiast with over 200 hours in Sons of the Forest, staying hydrated is by far the most critical element I focus on when exploring the merciless peninsula.
Based on my experience, here is an all-encompassing guide covering every possible way to obtain clean drinking water and maintain adequate reserves for thriving in the harsh wilderness.
How Much Water Does Your Character Need?
Before diving into water collection methods, it‘s vital to understand your body‘s water needs so you can better prioritize keeping yourself hydrated.
The average adult human body is 50-65% water. An average male requires 3.7 liters while a female needs 2.7 liters of water intake each day for proper bodily function. That would translate to at least 3-4 turtle shells worth of water daily!
However, when doing strenuous outdoor activities like hiking forests and chopping down trees, your water expenditure can double. Dehydration drastically slows down stamina regeneration – capping max intensity activities to mere minutes.
Here is a quick reference table to give perspective:
| Activity | Water Loss (liters per hour) | Survival Time without Water |
|---|---|---|
| Resting | 0.3-0.4 | 3-4 days |
| Light hiking | 0.6-0.9 | 1-2 days |
| Chopping trees | 1.2-1.5 | 16-24 hours |
| Fighting enemies | 1.5-2.0+ | 12-18 hours |
As you can see, intense logging and combat quickly sap away hydration reserves. You‘ll literally be on the verge of collapse within half a day without water intake!
I cannot emphasize enough how staying well hydrated prolongs survivability 3-4 times over. This guide focuses on exactly that.
Finding Natural Water Sources
The purest and most wholesome way to hydrate yourself is through natural sources like freshwater rivers, lakes and ponds. However, with The Forest‘s huge expansive map, they can be easy to miss.
Here are some tips to hunt them down:
Using the GPS Scanner
- Press M to open up your GPS wrist module.
- Pan around the map and look for thin blue lines indicating rivers or blue patches for lakes/ponds.
- If the map looks dry, use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out at different levels – water sources render at specific distances.
- Set waypoints if a promising water body appears farther out to hike towards.
I like to scan the GPS at high vantage viewpoints first before traversing since it gives a nice topographical overview making water sources easier to pinpoint.
Following Birds & Wildlife
If technology fails you, nature provides other clues! Birds often flock around water sources – follow circling seabirds inland to locate freshwater streams and ponds.
Deers also tend to graze around lush vegetation adjacent to rivers and lakes. I‘ve discovered some of my best watering hole spots just tracing animal tracks. It makes for some nice hunting opportunities too!
Observing wildlife movement patterns can reveal potential water locations without directly spotting them right away.
Drinking & Refilling
Once you‘ve found a freshwater body like a river or lake:
- Equip empty hands – don‘t hold any items to initiate drinking prompt
- Crouch submerged in water – shallow edges sometimes don‘t trigger prompt
- Interact to drink when you see the icon appear.
Repeat the crouch + interact whenever your hydration drops for direct refreshment.
You can also re-fill equipable flasks/canteens covered later in this guide.
Do not drink sea water! Only freshwater from inland sources will satiate thirst.
Risks of Contaminated Water
Crystal clear mountain streams may seem pristine, but bacteria from animal droppings can still accumulate upstream.
Consuming such contaminated water may result in Cholera and other illnesses indicated by the food poisoning debuff.
Symptoms like recurring vomiting will quickly exacerbate dehydration! Boiling water and having medicinal herbs helps counter this.
When possible, collect water from faster flowing sources less prone to contamination. Drinking from waterfalls and rapids comes highly recommended!
With over 100 hours lost across hardcore playthroughs to microscopic waterborne bugs, I‘ve learned this lesson well. Hope this foresight guards your survival runs too!
Temporary Hydration Sources
Natural water bodies provide the most abundant and renewable hydration. However, they aren‘t always readily available on hand.
When critically dehydrated without rivers/lakes accessible, tap into these temporary water sources to rejuvenate yourself:
Identifying Edible Berries
Berry bushes with round blue, red and black fruit can be found growing in shaded woodland areas of the peninsula. Target them for quick momentary hydration top-ups:
- Interact with bushes up close to add berries automatically to your quick slots
- Directly consume berries for small but instant boosts mitigating thirst
However, each fruit only offers meager moisture. You‘ll burn through piles of berries to restore half a turtle shell‘s worth! They are best only as emergency ration supplements when no substantial water exists nearby.
I use them as makeshift "potions" when transitioning between established watering holes across distant areas of the peninsula. Having 10+ berries stockpiled has saved me multiple times in the interim!
Foraging Yarrow Flowers
White yarrow flowers can also offer temporary hydration substitutes when harvested and consumed:
- Find them growing in clusters primarily along cliffsides and shorelines
- Interact to add individual flowers to personal inventory
- Directly eat them for minor thirst reduction as needed
5-6 flowers equals just one berry. So only rely on yarrow to fractional amounts for briefly sustaining yourself until locating a proper water source.
I mostly use yarrow as an emergency backup when already dehydrated and frantically foraging for water replenishments. They‘ve been clutch keeping me barely alive on multiple close calls!
Storing & Carrying Water – Best Practices
While nature provides ample opportunity for direct water, you lose all such accessibility once venturing further out.
Having personal caches allows drawing supplies on the go to mitigate such deficits. This allows exploring deeper across the entire map.
Based on over 500+ hours played, here are my top recommended methods for transporting & maintaining water inventories long-term:
Crafting Turtle Shell Reservoirs
Turtles frequently spawn along shorelines and make for decent food/shell sources. Specifically target larger ones and loot their shells post-hunt.
You can place empty shells in exterior environments, allowing them to automatically fill up during rainfall without player interaction. A foundation platform works great for easy placement!
Turtle Shell Storage Capacity
- Holds up to 20 liters when completely filled by rain
- Waters almost two complete hydration wheel turns
Turtle Shell Usage Tips
- Position multiple shells together to stockpile reserves
- Keep away from trees to avoid shields from rain
- Place near food drying racks for frequent area visits
- Ideal next to planned activity zones to easily rehydrate
A row of 4 shells by my main coastal base collects water I infrequently deplete between inland expeditions. It offers great set & forget hydration!
With smart positioning, turtle shells are effortless reservoirs passively fueling your water needs. This is easily my preferred method for renewable access.
3D Printing Portable Water Flasks
Another way to enable transporting water is crafting stainless steel flasks using scattered 3D printers:
Steps
- Locate a printer on the GPS module (green icon markers)
- Gather flower resin from red blooms which serves as printing material
- Interact with printer and select Water Flask model (100 resin cost)
- Wait for printing completion notification
- Collect flask model from output tray
Flask Functionality
- Lightweight at just 1.2 kg when empty
- Holds approximately 3 liters
- Can directly drink from equipped quickslot
Having just 1 flask keeps me easily sustained across vast distances. Plant resin is quick to farm allowing constant restocking wherever my base relocates.
I exclusively rely on flasks for remote water during cave dives or when exploring the northern snow biome. The portable nature and minimally encumbering volume perfectly complements an intrepid adventurer!
Make sure you refill at every opportunity though – one flask alone isn‘t much buffer compared to shells.
Comparison of Water Sources
Now you know where to source water and means for better transportation. But what offers optimal efficiency? Here is a functional breakdown:
| Water Source | Capacity | Usage Effort | Renewability | Transportability | Susceptibility to Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Streams & Lakes | Unlimited | Low (directly drink) | Rainfall Replenishes | Fixed Location | Chance of contamination |
| Turtles Shells | 20 Liters | Low (directly drink) | Rainfall Refills | Fixed Placement | Protect from damage |
| Berries | 0.10 Liters per fruit | Low (direct eat) | Grow cycles renew | Can carry pile | Will consume over time |
| Yarrow Flowers | 0.05 Liters per flower | Low (directly eat) | Grow cycles renew | Can carry some | Will consume over time |
| Water Flasks | 3 Liters | Medium (need refilling) | Must manually refill | Fully portable | Chance of damage/theft |
Among renewables, natural bodies offer the highest capacity making them the gold standard. But they lack portability outside narrow surroundings.
Meanwhile, crafting flasks gives independence but high maintenance without infrastructure supporting mass production. You‘ll perpetually thirst scavenging enough resin while exploring remotely!
Ultimately turtle shells create the perfect harmony – storing literal boatloads while tightly integrating into bases. The set and forget, self-filling nature keeps replenishment needs minimized so you can fully utilize holdings traveling further out long-term!
Conclusion
I hope this guide has given you a complete lay of the land for keeping hydrated in Sons of the Forest! Lean on my many lessons learned through countless hours punishing trial and error.
Mastering water collection best practices lets you greatly minimize dangerous health attrition through dehydration. You‘ll live substantially longer while unleashing peak productivity output across the merciless peninsula landscape!
Now stay moist out there and thrive fellow survivors! Let me know if you have any other useful water tips for staying energized in Sons of the Forest!
