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Good question, Siobain.

You take the laces out of the sneakers, position the one end of the lace in contact with the water, the other end into your water bottle (bottle needs to be in lower position than the water source) and you wait for the water to absorb into and down the lace until it drips into the bottle. Kind of like a siphon.
This will take rather long, by which time you will have dehydrated and look like a raisin.

Well seeing as no one else has any ideas....iNkwazi, I see we watch the same
TV programmes.

Hugh, of course you could use your shirt as well, perhaps the shoelace won't
flavour the water as much though, although, you may have died of thirst by the
time your water bottle has filled.

Watching the same programs as you so did not want to spoil it for the other people!

Wow, I'm going to look at the osmotic effects of clothes from a different perspective in future. Can suck up an awful lot to rehydrate the raisining.

Interesting info coming through!

What should one do to avoid risk re flash floods. Think of the floods a few years ago in KNP and let's say you were on a hiking trail during that period.

OK...I'll play
Look at the surrounding terrain when setting up camp. Avoid ravines or dried river beds. The soft sand and shelter of the trees will be tempting, but you may end up in the drink. There will usually be a visible line for the high water mark of the stream bed, ...but may be just a subtle change of vegetation. At any rate you will want to make sure you are well above this area.
Now here is the confusing part...If it's lightening...best place is not under a tall tree...but if it's flooding...best place is not in the low ditch

Agree with Lockie, stay above the flood level....if you are already below the flood
level and hear the water rushing towards you.....Run like H...!!

But the problem with running like h.... is that the water will catch up with you. So methinks the moral of the story is to pack water wings in your backpack.

Might be a bit difficult to blow them up in time....whilst you are busy hyperventilating!

OK, as the Romans did, think high ground and lookout. Set your camp on a koppie and set lookouts for the night visitors.

didn't Noah get involved in something like this? ....I suppose he did have some time tho

Noah, also had a bit of help...to my recollection.

When you set up camp in a ravine or something go for the middle. Do not set up at the bottom because of the flood issue, as well as possibly more animal movement, including predators. Also, if there is water down there you may be keeping other animals from the water which may be the only source. This is especially important in dry areas. Get what you need and move off a ways to make space for other users.

Also, don't set up on the highest ground, as then you're more accessible to winds etc. This is especially important in winter and at times when it is cold. The tops will be wind-swept, and you'll have other problems. Depending on the circumstances and environment, one of those problems might be being highly visible from afar...

So you set up halfway up the slope. Out of danger of water suddenly rushing down on you, more out of the way of animal movement, and yet also somewhat protected from the wind and elements.

One thing to also remember in terms of flash floods is that it may not be raining where you are and you think you're safe, but some rain happens upstream and suddenly you have lotsa water coming down on your dry little corner. If you ARE caught there, don't try and outrun the water - you're not going to make it. If you come to a bend, don't try and exit on the outside of the bend as that's where the water will hit hardest, rather try on the inside, just after the bend. And get out as fast as you can, as directly uphill as possible, to gain height. Height is far more important than distance ahead. And stay out of trees - you don't know how high the water is coming down and what looks like a good tree now may be quickly swamped, or even worse, swept down.