Watching people ride bicycles and riding one the first time are two different things. I would no sooner hand a child a book by Lance Armstrong than trust ANYTHING in a survival book without trying it myself. Options and redundancy are valid only if the methods are. I tried the solar still. I tried drinking seawater. I did these, and other options under guidance in survival schools. My military instructor said the manual page on solar stills was excellent- as tinder. I persisted with 3 more personal attempts in civilian life. I finally found a fantastic option in lieu of that plastic sheeting. It's called a canteen. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />