As the rain hurls itself into the canal im reminded of the film that first made me want to become a boater…Kevin Costner’s epic masterpiece of dystopian global warming gone wrong.  who cares if it plummeted at the box office?  His trimaran was awesome and germinated a craving for the life aquatic that never went away.  Bushcraft gleanings from this film include the steampunk-esque urine and seawater filtration system, where every last drop of fluid is recycled in this saline world.  Sea water, if drunk unfiltered, is eventually lethal.

A primitive filter can be constructed using layers of firstly coarse gravel, then grit, then sand, then activated charcoal (which removes toxins and bacteria).  Salt, however, can be removed through evaporation, so if you have time for one of these babies,  try a desert funnel evaporator…only drawback, it involves acquiring a plastic sheet in a fairly good state of repair..not too easy in apocalyptic future worlds, but ok if you live near a Homebase store, as i do.  also hard to find area where am allowed to dig several feet into the ground…roll up to the big kiddie sandpit in the park!!

Vitamin C was another must among Waterworld’s boating folk.  Provided by a carefully tended lemon, orange or tomato plant in a scrap of Dirt.  Its worth knowing some races of people, namely the Mongolians and the Inuit, traditionally survived entirely on animals they caught as Vitamin C is stored in the fat, organs and fluids of fish and blubber bearing animals such as seals.  This involves consuming raw parts of the whole animal, not just the tasty bits! and not wasting a thing.

For those who’d rather avoid this scenario of carnivorous desperation, micro greens and sprouts can be grown in very small spaces, even if you havent even got a windowsill and yes, even in winter (if you have central heating, which i dont, so make the most of it).

If you do want to try growing citrus and tomatoes, try a sheltered, sunny space and the helpful rotting straw and pee/fertiliser compost bale…the rotting bale generates heat and keeps the plants warm! Ive had a big crop of Tumbling Toms in 6 hanging baskets on my own water craft.

More film based bushcraft fun to come!