When I’m alone in the wilderness, I like to imagine what I’d have to do to survive if I found myself in dire straits. I’d eat gnats and toads and catch rainwater using a low-tech system I’d devise with Maple Leaves, rocks, fishing line, and a canteen. Or, I could just bring the fog and dew harvesters designed by British inventor Alon Alex Gross. (Given the stack of evidence against my survival skills, this is probably a good idea.)

Gross’s prototype is more efficient than its predecessors because it’s made of lightweight, modern materials and is far more high-tech. Now, contemporary castaways can connect Goss’s collector to the Internet to determine the best spot to catch moisture and to monitor the device from afar. (Waaay cooler than my fancy water pump.)

The invention isn’t just for spoiled Westerners; afar, those who are unfamiliar with high-tech gadgetry can use it to collect clean drinking water. The device may prove a boon in the water-scarce Third World, where disease and infection borne through contaminated drinking water are a leading cause of death. It is a whole lot cheaper than some of the fancy-schmancy water collectors we’ve seen lately, hanging out instead with the other easy-to-use concepts.

Goss’s dew collector weighs less than a pound and can collect just under half a gallon per night. It features a special laminate foil that attracts dew, and a sensor that reacts to atmospheric changes and opens/closes the device, depending on conditions. His fog harvester can collect just over 2.5 gallons in 24 hours.

Via TreeHugger

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