How to get water in Sons of the Forest - Water types, how to drink, and how to collect


A screenshot of a waterfall and its freshwater source in Sons of the Forest

We've prepared a simple guide below on how to get water in Sons of the Forest. Just like in real-life, water is a basic necessity you should have in Sons of the Forest. You should be able to hydrate regularly so that you won't die of thirst in-game. But even though it isn't hard to find, figuring out how to glug the drink can be.

Water in Sons of the Forest is directly connected to your stamina. If you're thirsty, you won't be able to run far or effectively evade enemies. It's crucial. Obviously, you won't be able to simply drink water from the salty ocean, but there are plenty of small creeks to glean the all-important fluid from, so you'll be better off looking for fresh water instead.

Once you've figured out how to get water in Sons of the Forest, feel free to browse through our other Sons of the Forest guides such as how to drink water in Sons of the Forest and how to make a bow and arrow.

How to get water in Sons of the Forest

A basic need for any human, water can quench your thirst and be used to wash off blood to prevent an infection. In a pinch, you can even hide from cannibals by diving underwater.

You should know that there are three types of water in-game. There's salt water, which is found in the ocean nearby, making it undrinkable, polluted water you can find in in ponds, which will hurt you as it rehydrates, and the all-important fresh or clean water that will rehydrate you without damaging your health.

Searching for a water source in Sons of the Forest.
click to enlarge
Credit: A screenshot of a fresh water source in Sons of the Forest

Water is the first thing you should look for in Sons of the Forest. There's plenty of it. You'll want to head inland after crashing by the beach. You can bring up your GPS by pressing M. The GPS will be able to show you where the bodies of water are within the area. However, you can also open the different suitcases upon your spawn point to find at least one drink.

Once you've had a drink, you can look for fresh water to refill your vessels. Just use the GPS to look for any blue areas. Use the middle mouse button to zoom in and out to zero in on your closest water source.

How to drink water from a river or pond in Sons of the Forest

Dip your toes in a river and you might be surprised that you won't see a prompt to drink from the source. To drink water from a pond, puddle, or river in Sons of the Forest, you actually have to crouch down for the prompt to appear.

Each action will fill your thirst meter by half, so it should only take two slurps to max out your meter for a while. You should automatically put items away when you drink, but you can use G to drop what you're holding if you're having trouble.

Other ways to satisfy thirst in Sons of the Forest

Another way to satiate your thirst is by eating Yarrow. These are white flowers scattered across the island. Salmonberries work the same way, just for a lesser effect.

How to store water in Sons of the Forest

Once you get equipment and start building a base inland, you can build a water collector out of a turtle shell.

You can get turtle shells by killing larger sea turtles. Smaller turtles won't cut it. Place these shells into your water collector and you'll passively build up water reserves whenever it rains.

Finally, you can actually create your own water container later in the game by crafting a flask with the 3D printer. Combined with the water collector, you'll have a near-infinite source of water whether you're at base camp or on-the-go.

There you have it, multiple ways to get water in Sons of the Forest. While you're still here, feel free to check out our Sons of the Forest blueprint locations guide.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Sons of the Forest page.