Widget I agree and disagree about solar stills. First I think they are better than at distilling bad water rather than a method of getting water in the desert.

Here is an article I wrote on solar stills Solar stills

8 hours is not enough time. It takes time to build up humidity inside the still that is why they recommend a tube to drink from it. The second part is something many testers such as you don't consider is recondensing the water vapor. The point of greatest water production is when things cool down at night. That is when that water vapor really starts to condense on the plastic. True a 6 foot still with an adiqyuate supply of starter water will produce between 1 and 2 quarts. So if they are your only source you need several to meet your needs.

Also you put forth the idea of transpiration bags in the desert. Sounds good doesn't it. They work fine most places but the place the ork the worst is in the desert. How so you ask? Desert plants transpire very little. It is a survival cariacteristic. They don't release as much water as most plants. It is part of their water management plan.