I think I'm starting to get a better sense of what Jbylake is suggesting. I'm not in agreement with the concept of "everything going bad" just because my mind doesn't work that way. But things can sometimes get a little inconvenient. Often knowing a little trick can turn an inconvenience into just another adventure.

If the thread transitions from general to specific, we may stumble on some good advice or dispel some myths.

Let's look at the problem of getting water. My stomping grounds are the Colorado mountains, so I'll make it specific to there, but the techniques may work in other places.

From about 1/2 hour before sunrise until about 1/2 hour after, dew is the heaviest on our tents. We can wipe that dew off and get some water. Thinking ahead, we can lay our footprint out next to the tent. In a situation where water is critical, pitching the tent in an open low spot will likely result in more dew on the tent. The place with the most bugs is a good candidate.

Often there are brief rainstorms during the night. If short on water, it pays to know where the water runs off the tent. Place a container below that spot before it rains. You might have to dig a little hole. I always carry a coffeecan to carry water to put out fires, to wash clothes and for a marine bath. If you don't have a container, put a shirt or something in the spot and wring out the shirt into something you have. After a brief rainstorm, there are almost always little hollows on the top of big rocks that have water. Many times these only last for an hour or two after sunrise.

Many times I've seen posts on this forum that mention melting snow for water, yet I've never seen a post on how to melt snow. If it's above freezing, you can put a little water in the bottom of a pot, fill it with snow, and stir it with a stick, but that sounds like too much work.

I've been reading the Marine Winter Survival Course Handbook. They suggest making a water generator. Just fill a bag or a shirt with snow packing it as hard as possible. Then hang it in the sun. If you have a black plastic bag, this can be done well below freezing in the sun. Then put a container under it to catch drips. Four cups of packed snow will make about one cup of water.

Looking at my gear, filling the arms of my rain jacket with snow and hanging it in the sun would likely work. Tie the sleeves so the hole is smaller.

If you use white snow, according to the survival manual the water doesn't need to be filtered. However, if you melt ice it does need to be filtered.

If you are hiking, another method is to put snow in a Ziploc bag and put it between layers. Obvious warnings about hypotermia apply.

If you can find a moist spot, dig a hole down to where it gets more moist. Lay your footprint over the hole securing it with rocks around the sides. Put a little rock in the middle and place a cup under the rock. The water will drip down into the cup. This has to be done in a sunny spot. Often a stream bed will still be moist a few inches down. This method usually doesn't get a lot of water.

These are methods that should be practiced before they are needed. They can be passed on by example. I'd hate to start a survival class on a group hike as it would likely start a riot. But if I do it without comment, someone might ask about it.