by Twilight » Sat 28 Apr 2007, 23:10:11
Apologies for the off-topic post.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sheb', 'T')ure enough enough, Twilight. Although I had heard it was 1% alcohol that would kill any pathogenic (to mammals) microorganisms. I'm sure it is probably between 1% & 2%.
It is for this reason I take a small quantity of grain alcohol with me whenever I camp or hike. Should the need arise, it can be a water sanitizer, disinfectant, fire accelerant, and (in dire cases), an anesthetic. I still need to get a gallon or two for emergency supplies...though vodka may be a cheaper (per C2H5-OH content) substitute for home.
I've heard 1% too, but I don't like to use that as a guide. Better make sure, and at half the strength of weak beer, even a day's intake is not going to cause any unwanted side-effects, especially as it's spread out.
I like the grain alcohol idea for camping or hiking, but I've gone for vodka before just because it's more widely available. I have used water purification tablets in anger too, but it's never a good idea to rely on one thing. They do pack a lot more power for the size and weight, but you need to have them with you, they're not something you can improvise in an urban emergency. Plus, they're not going to disinfect a wound either.
The accelerant use could also be handy, but my vodka is too weak to burn, and that's intentional, I hate the idea of carrying liquid accelerant with me. To fill that niche, I take a small tin of black boot polish. I have yet to need it, but it's reassuring to know it can't leak.
Anyway, I'm so glad I've been spending my holidays in the hills rather than resort nightclubs. There's a lot of common-sense knowledge the great majority of people are going to miss when the first fuel shortages leave them cut off in their suburb. Even in the UK, during power cuts I've seen large numbers of people walking to a store to buy some candles. Some people don't even bother keeping candles in a cabinet! Though at least they only have to walk around the corner. I can only imagine what's going to happen when the new seasonal fuel shortages and a California grid event coincide. Walking to a store, several miles in the perfectly dark country night? Oh man. That's going to open a fresh new world of pain for millions. They'll learn, but it's going to be a new thing every year.