Sons of the Forest is the ultimate survivalist game set on a not-so-deserted island teeming with cannibalistic enemies. Players are thrust into chaos while a part of a rescue team that is looking for missing civilians when their helicopter suddenly crashes. From there, the main goal is to stay alive while battling against nature and the violent native population.
Players must also care for their basic needs, such as energy, hunger, and thirst. All three naturally deplete as time passes or by being active, and if they get too low, the health meter drops. Plenty of wildlife and plants can replenish hunger, but getting a reliable water source might not come as quickly without knowing what to look for. So, here’s how to get and store water in the Sons of the Forest.
Updated June 28, 2023, by Taylor Pittman: Over the course of its early access period, Sons of the Forest has gotten several updates that have added more features, mechanisms, and other gameplay additions. Some of these additions make life on the remote island harder rather than easier, and in Patch 07, there was a dirty/clean water system added. Players must now go to extra lengths to get clean water to safely refill their thirst, so this article has been updated with information on how to get clean drinking water.
How to Get Water in Sons of the Forest
Once the thirst meter is low, the message “You Are Thirsty” appears at the bottom left side of the screen. Whenever this happens, finding water is necessary. Like in the real world, not all water sources are safe for consumption. In fact, the lakes and rivers in Sons of the Forest are all contaminated, so players must either collect rainwater or boil dirty water to avoid taking damage every time they drink.
How to Use the Water Collector
It rains quite often on the island, so collecting rainwater is an easy way to get drinkable water. Players will need to build a water collector using sixteen sticks and a turtle shell. Sticks can be picked up from anywhere in the forest, and Kelvin can help gather them.
Turtles are mainly found on beaches near the shores, and players can harvest their shells and meat by hitting them with a spear or other weapon. There can be up to five drinks in a Water Collector, but it will evaporate during dry spells, so take advantage of it when possible.
How to Boil Water
To boil water in Sons of the Forest, players must find a river or lake and a Cooking Pot. Unfortunately, the remote forest is enormous and lively, so there’s no telling what to expect while traveling, and navigating can get confusing.
Luckily, players are equipped with an axe, GPS, and lighter from the jump - all of which are incredibly useful, especially the GPS. It shows a more expansive map with markings for paths, terrain changes, and bodies of water, so players can use the GPS to find water sources easily. The next step is to find a Cooking Pot to boil the water.
A Cooking Pot can be found on the west side of the forest at an abandoned campsite. The steps to boil water are below:
- After picking it up, take the Cooking Pot to a water source and fill it up.
- Then, build a fire or fire pit and light it using the small lighter from the Emergency Pack.
- Equip the Cooking Pot from the inventory and interact with the fire to set the Pot down.
- Click on the gear and select Clean Water from the cook menu.
- The lid will pop on, and the water will start to boil.
- Once it is clean, the pot falls off the fire
Players can then drink the water right then or store it inside a Flask.
How to Store Water
Players can store water if they 3D print a flask. This can be a challenge since the printer's location is hidden. Players can find the bunker on the west side of the island near the beach.
The entry is at the bottom of a slope where the marker is near what looks like an abandoned golf cart covered in vines. Squeeze through the cave and follow along the corridor until a light is visible. Head towards the light to find a safe room with many resources, including the 3D printer. Then, use the printer to craft a flask using printer resin. The flask can be refilled at any clean water source or Water Collector.
Sons of the Forest is out in early access on PC.