Setting up Napkin Tanks, Cheap Stealth Water Storage for 2020 Grows

[St. Phatty]

I've been learning how to collect and store water for remote grows, Guerrilla grows, Wild-crafting, etc.

The Napkin tank is a piece of square 3 mil plastic folded so that it creates a water storage space.

I started out collecting water by laying down some 3 mil plastic in a depression in the ground covered with leaves.

I drained that into a single tank, made out of a 10x10 foot piece of plastic.

That was way too much, since water weighs 8 pounds a gallon and it was about 100 gallons. i.e. 800 pounds held in place with 3 pieces of plastic twine.

So I set up a second tank and drained the first tank into the second tank.

First pic shows the 2 tanks set up.

Second pic shows a detail from draining the tank that was over-loaded.

3rd pic, the Not-so-Stealth approach to water collection. Pretty damn visible from the air.

Next pic shows the tank all laid out flat on the driveway.

I call it a Napkin Tank because it's folded sort of like a Dinner Napkin.

I didn't feel like spending money on a new hose if I didn't have to so I duct-taped a bunch of old hoses together. This is the hose I use to siphon between tanks. It only reaches about 25 feet.

Sorry the pics are so big. The JPG's are 600x800, but they look bigger.

 

[St. Phatty]

/\ Another tank of water. The corner of the tarp on the left, that string snapped.

The water had oak leaves soaking in it for 6 months, so it's all dark. I guess that's good. It's got some kind of nutrients in it, but what would you call it, leaf juice ?

/\ On the left, a 3 cubic foot bale of soil mix, in the black plastic bag.

In the middle, an area about 3 feet by 15 feet. It gets morning sun and afternoon shade, which I like.

The black plastic bags on the right are just more dirt being stored up.

Even if I cover the leaves with just 3 inches of dirt, that's still a lot of cubic feet.

/\ Setting up some more water collection. That's 3 tarps, 2x 8x10's and a 10x10.

I might tie down the tarps more, but first I want to see how the plastic lays down on the ground when it's part filled with water.

 

[Swamp Thang]

This water storage concept is brilliant, but those bags do look like they are thin enough to get punctured by falling branches, the claws of passing wildlife, or even the exploratory gnawing of mice and squirrels.

Might be worthwhile either burying the entire bag in a shallow pit, or covering the bag with a tarp or any thick fabric of that nature.

When I see the ingenious lengths guerrilla growers have to go in arid areas, to maintain a water supply for their plants, I realize how lucky I am to be planting in a swamp where the roots can always find water without my help.

 

[St. Phatty]

This water storage concept is brilliant, but those bags do look like they are thin enough to get punctured by falling branches, the claws of passing wildlife, or even the exploratory gnawing of mice and squirrels.

Might be worthwhile either burying the entire bag in a shallow pit, or covering the bag with a tarp or any thick fabric of that nature.

When I see the ingenious lengths guerrilla growers have to go in arid areas, to maintain a water supply for their plants, I realize how lucky I am to be planting in a swamp where the roots can always find water without my help.

It's definitely a situation where it helps to use your hands.

In 2 cases I had whomping big plant stems sticking up, sharp ones. I covered them with about 5 layers of cotton terry cloth. That was for a 3 mil tarp used as the water tank on the ground.

Plastic is surprisingly strong but also unforgiving of screw-ups.

Mainly I like it because I can store 50 gallons+ for $6 in plastic (cost of 10x10, 100 foot roll is $60 at Home Depot) and $1 in string.

The biggest danger to the design is the sun. The 3 mil plastic has to be kept in the shade.

The tank made of clear plastic, or translucent, is only a temporary tank because I wanted to replace the existing "pond liner" sort of, and put in a new one.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Nice solution for a drink in those dry spells.

 

[St. Phatty]

Nice solution for a drink in those dry spells.

I have to remember to put pieces of wood laying on the top so that animals that crawl in don't drown.

 

[AgentPothead]

Brilliant, brilliant!

 

[Gdoggg]

I've used a waterbed bladder and gravity in a similar situation as OP. It's thicker and also fits in the back of a pickup truck... portable..