You are at netAirspace : Forum : The Combustion Chamber - Off-Topics : General Off-Topics

Preparedness - Quiz

Everything that would not belong anywhere else.
 

miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 28 May 09, 12:19Post
1. The minimum amount of water each individual needs per day for sanitation and drinking is:
a. 5 gallons
b. 20 ounces
c. 16 ounces
d. 1 gallon

2. It is critical have the following items in a first aid kit except:
a. Bandages
b. Prescription and non-prescription medications
c. Latex gloves
d. Antiseptic ointment
e. You need all of these things in a first aid kit

3. If there is a chance that the water you drink might be contaminated, you should:
a. Take the risk and drink it in order to stay hydrated
b. Make sure you run it through a water purifier before drinking
c. Add 16 drops of chlorine per gallon to disinfect it
d. Don’t drink any water at all no matter what

4. Circle the statement about stored water that is false:
a. (Self-bottled) tap water has a shelf life of 6 months
b. The FDA has not established a shelf life for manufactured bottled water
c. Manufactured bottled water is date stamped for 2 years
d. Tap water does not expire
e. A and C

5. The plastic sheeting and duct tape in my emergency kit are used to cover windows when there may be:
a. A hurricane
b. Harmful pathogens in the air
c. A tornado
d. Flooding or torrential rains

6. In case of an emergency, I plan to contact my family members by:
a. Calling them on their cell phones or using text messaging
b. Calling them on our home telephone
c. Emailing them
d. Checking in with a predetermined emergency contact whose telephone number, address, and email is available to all family members

7. What is the number one disaster-related killer in the United States?
a. Flood
b. Fire
c. Tornado
d. Earthquake

8. Why is it important to have enough emergency supplies to last you 72 hours?
a. Most of the immediate effects of disasters will cede within this time
b. 72 hours should give you enough time to figure out how to evacuate on your own
c. Most families do not have the space to store more supplies than will last 72 hours
d. It often takes emergency personnel 72 hours to reach you in the case of a disaster

9. In emergency situations our children know:
a. Not to leave home without us or without hearing from us
b. To call 911
c. To call our family emergency contact, who can advise them on what to do
d. How to follow the steps of our family disaster plan, which includes emergency contacts to call, as well as an established meeting place and a home escape route

10. I have taken the following steps to prepare financially for an emergency:
a. Nothing extra
b. I have extra cash on hand at home just in case
c. I purchased insurance which will cover damages to my family and my possessions in case of an emergency
d. I have insurance, including flood insurance if relevant, I have an accessible savings account from which I can withdraw money, I have kept my credit card paid off, and I have enough cash on hand to last me several days in case ATMs do not function properly








Answers: 1) d 2) e 3) c 4) d 5) b 6) d 7) a 8) d 9) d 10) d
7-10 Correct Answers: Congratulations! You are knowledgeable and prepared!
4-6 Correct Answers: You are on your way.
1-3 Correct Answers: Get moving! It’s never too late to start preparing for a disaster.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 28 May 09, 12:23Post
1. True or False? As long as a thunderstorm is five miles away or farther from you, you are pretty safe from lightning strikes.

2. When an earthquake strikes, you should:
A. Run outside to avoid falling building debris
B. Take cover under a heavy piece of furniture
C. Panic
D. Lean against an inside wall or stand under an inside doorway
E. B and/or D

3. What is the minimum amount of water that you need to store for one adult for two weeks?
A. 5 gallons
B. 10 gallons
C. 14 gallons
D. 21 gallons

4. Which areas of the United States are vulnerable to earthquakes?
A. The West Coast, particularly California
B. The Eastern Seaboard
C. The central United States
D. All 50 states

5. What's the most common disaster that occurs in the United States?
A. Fire
B. Flood
C. Earthquake
D. Tornado

6. What's the number one disaster related killer in the United States?
A. Fire
B. Flood
C. Earthquake
D. Tornado

7. If your car stalls while you're evacuating from a flood, you should:
A. Stay inside the car until assistance can arrive
B. Leave it
C. Call a towing service
D. Flag someone down to help you start it

8. True or False? Small games and a teddy bear can be very important to keep in your 72-hour kit.

9. When treating frostbite, you should:
A. Rub the limbs down with snow
B. Give the victim a cup of hot chocolate to warm up
C. Gradually warm the body by wrapping in dry blankets
D. Plunge the affected areas in HOT water

10. The most dangerous part of a hurricane is:
A. The breaking waves
B. The gale-force winds
C. The flood-causing rains
D. The landslides

11. How often should you practice your emergency evacuation plan?
A. Once a year
B. Every six months
C. Every three months
D. Only during an emergency

12. Why are 72-hour kits called 72-hour kits?
A. Most disasters are over in 72 hours or less
B. Three days is just about as long as you can take eating survival food
C. You can't carry more than three days' worth of items at a time
D. It generally takes at least 72 hours for emergency personnel to reach you

Answers:

1. False. If you can hear thunder, you could be in danger. Just because the storm is not right on top of you, does not mean that you are safe. Lightning can strike as much as 10 miles away from the rainy area. Be sure to take cover in a building or car, if possible. However, you can estimate how far the storm is from you. Just count the seconds between when you see the lightning flash and hear the thunder crack, and divide by five.

2. (E). Either B or D. Take cover under something heavy, like a sturdy desk or chair. Or you can use an inside wall or doorway. Just make sure to keep away from where glass could shatter, like mirrors or windows.

3. (C). 14 gallons is the minimum amount of water you should store for an adult. This amount allows one adult 1 gallon of water to use per day for 14 days. It is estimated that the average person uses 65 gallons of water a day, for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sanitation purposes. You will probably want to store more based on your family's needs.

4. (D). Even though earthquakes occur most frequently west of the Rocky Mountains, all 50 states and U.S. territories are at risk for an earthquake. Forty-one of those states and territories are at moderate to high risk for earthquakes to strike.

5. (A) More homes will be threatened by fire than by any other disaster. This is one of the reasons why a fire escape plan is crucial for every home. Flood is the second most common disaster.

6. (B) Floods, particularly flash floods, are the number one weather and disaster related killer in the United States. Flash floods cause an average death toll close to 150 people a year.

7. (B) Leave your car and move to higher ground. Many deaths have occurred when people try to move their stalled cars in a flood.

8. True. A few small games or a stuffed animal really provides comfort for small children and even adults.

9. (C) Make sure the victim has dry clothes, and wrap him/her in a blanket. The body temperature needs to rise gradually, to avoid damage. Do NOT give them hot drinks or any drink with caffeine. As a stimulant, caffeine can speed up the heart, and quicken the effect that cold has on the body.

10. (A) Even though much death and destruction is caused by wind, rain, and landslides, it is the breaking waves, known as the storm surge that causes the most damage. During a hurricane, this wall of water slams into the coastline, causing flash floods and structural damage to buildings.

11. (C) Your emergency evacuation plan should be practiced at least four times a year so your family is familiar with the evacuation plan.

12. (D) During a major crisis, it often takes at least 72 hours for services to be up and for emergency personnel to reach you. In many circumstances, it takes even longer than 72 hours.

Give yourself 5 points for every right answer.

(50-60 points) Consider yourself a graduate of the School of Emergency Preparedness! You probably would know what to do in an emergency and would keep a level head. But remember, this quiz only covered a small portion of emergency preparedness. Even experts in emergency preparedness do not know everything. And recommendations from disaster agencies may change over the years, depending on new advances and changes in our society.

(45-35 points) It may be time for a refresher course. You know a lot about emergency preparedness, but you could use a little brushing up. You ought to check out the emergency resources listed at the end of this article. The more information that you have available at the time of an emergency, the more secure you will feel in an emergency.

(30 and under) We recommend learning more about emergency preparedness to prepare yourself. Fortunately, there are many ways you can find out how to prepare yourself. Sign up for a first aid course, or read some of the excellent books written on emergency preparedness. We've provided a list of emergency resources in this article that can help you get started on the road to increased awareness and greater peace of mind.
http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=32 ... 1243513011
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
JLAmber (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 28 May 09, 12:30Post
I got 7/10 on the first part. Not bad considering the standard British reaction to any emergency is to go to the pub and sit it out there :))
A million great ideas...
Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 28 May 09, 13:04Post
Funny, I was thinking about starting a thread about preparedness just a couple of days ago. Water is one of the most important things around here since it's so dry, I keep a rotating stock of +- 20 gallons of bottled drinking water in the travel trailer and keep the 40 gallon tank full. I also keep the fuel tank full on the generator and keep a couple of 5-gallon cans of fuel, as well as keeping the tanks on the vehicles above half a tank, the generator can make power to run the water well.

My brother and I and a few others have coordinated frequencies to be able to contact each other on Ham radio, too. I keep extra wire and feedline handy and in the travel trailer in case I need to build an antenna if I move out.

I've got enough canned and dry food to last comfortably for a week, it could be stretched out beyond that depending on the nature of the situation, and I have enough ammo to acquire more food if needed by hunting (or other means). I have lots of other good barter material too.

Another disaster that should be mentioned, and is conceivable in the area where I live, is an industrial disaster or chemical leak that would create a need to evacuate.
Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.
BlueLion (Founding Member) 28 May 09, 13:13Post
JLAmber wrote:I got 7/10 on the first part. Not bad considering the standard British reaction to any emergency is to go to the pub and sit it out there :))

Sounds like a plan to me. {silly}
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 28 May 09, 13:21Post
Food for thought:

Juval Aviv was the Israeli Agent upon whom the movie ' Munich ' was based.. He was Golda Meir's bodyguard -- she appointed him to track down and bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the Israeli athletes hostage and killed them during the Munich Olympic Games.

In a lecture in New York City a few weeks ago, he shared information that EVERY American needs to know -- but that our government has not yet shared with us.

He predicted the London subway bombing on the Bill O'Reilly show on Fox News stating publicly that it would happen within a week. At the time, O'Reilly laughed and mocked him saying that in a week he wanted him back on the show. But, unfortunately, within a week the terrorist attack had occurred.

Juval Aviv gave intelligence (via what he had gathered in Israel and the Middle East ) to the Bush Administration about 9/11 a month before it occurred. His report specifically said they would use planes as bombs and target high profile buildings and monuments. Congress has since hired him as a security consultant.

Now for his future predictions. He predicts the next terrorist attack on the U.S. will occur within the next few months.

Forget hijacking airplanes, because he says terrorists will NEVER try and hijack a plane again as they know the people onboard will never go down quietly again. Aviv believes our airport security is a joke – that we have been reactionary rather than proactive in developing strategies that are truly effective.

For example:

1) Our airport technology is outdated. We look for metal, and the new explosives are made of plastic.

2) He talked about how some idiot tried to light his shoe on fire. Because of that, now everyone has to take off their shoes. A group of idiots tried to bring aboard liquid explosives. Now we can't bring liquids on board. He says he's waiting for some suicidal maniac to pour liquid explosive on his underwear; at which point, security will have us all traveling naked!

Every strategy we have is reactionary.

3) We only focus on security when people are heading to the gates.

Aviv says that if a terrorist attack targets airports in the future, they will target busy times on the front end of the airport when/where people are checking in. It would be easy for someone to take two suitcases of explosives, walk up to a busy check-in line, ask a person next to them to watch their bags for a minute while they run to the restroom or get a drink, and then detonate the bags BEFORE security even gets involved. In Israel , security checks bags BEFORE people can even ENTER the airport.

Aviv says the next terrorist attack here in America is imminent and will involve suicide bombers and non-suicide bombers in places where large groups of people congregate. (I. E., Disneyland, Las Vegas casinos, big cities (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, etc.) and that it will also include shopping malls, subways in rush hour, train stations, etc., as well as rural America this time (Wyoming, Montana, etc.).

The attack will be characterized by simultaneous detonations around the country (terrorists like big impact), involving at least 5-8 cities, including rural areas.

Aviv says terrorists won't need to use suicide bombers in many of the larger cities, because at places like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas , they can simply valet park a car loaded with explosives and walk away.

Aviv says all of the above is well known in intelligence circles, but that our U. S. Government does not want to 'alarm American citizens' with the facts.. The world is quickly going to become 'a different place', and issues like 'global warming' and political correctness will become totally irrelevant.

On an encouraging note, he says that Americans don't have to be concerned about being nuked. Aviv says the terrorists who want to destroy America will not use sophisticated weapons. They like to use suicide as a front-line approach. It's cheap, it's easy, it's effective; and they have an infinite abundance of young militants more than willing to 'meet their destiny'.

He also says the next level of terrorists, over which America sh ould be most concerned, will not be coming from abroad. But will be, instead, 'homegrown' -- having attended and been educated in our own schools and universities right here in the U.. S. He says to look for 'students' who frequently travel back and forth to the Middle East .. These young terrorists will be most dangerous because they will know our language and will fully understand the habits of Americans; but that we Americans won't know/understand a thing about them.

Aviv says that, as a people, Americans are unaware and uneducated about the terrorist threats we will, inevitably, face. America still has only have a handful of Arabic and Farsi speaking people in our intelligence networks, and Aviv says it is critical that we change that fact SOON.

So, what can America do to protect itself? From an intelligence perspective, Aviv says the U.S. needs to stop relying on satellites and technology for intelligence. We need to, instead, follow Israel 's, Ireland 's and England 's hands-on examples of human intelligence, both from an infiltration perspective as well as to trust 'aware' citizens to help. We need to engage and educate ourselves as citizens; however, our U. S. government continues to treat us, its citizens, 'like babies'. Our government thinks we 'can't handle the truth' and are concerned that we'll panic if we understand the realities of terrorism. Aviv says this is a deadly mistake.

Aviv recently created/executed a security test for our Congress, by placing an empty briefcase in five well-traveled spots in f ive major cities. The results? Not one person called 911 or sought a policeman to check it out. In fact, in Chicago , someone tried to steal the briefcase!

In comparison, Aviv says that citizens of Israel are so well 'trained' that an unattended bag or package would be reported in seconds by citizen(s) who know to publicly shout, 'Unattended Bag!' The area would be quickly & calmly cleared by the citizens themselves. But, unfortunately, America hasn't been yet 'hurt enough' by terrorism for their government to fully understand the need to educate its citizens or for the government to understand that it's their citizens who are, inevitably, the best first-line of defense against terrorism.

Aviv also was concerned about the high number of children here in America who were in preschool and kindergarten after 9/11, who were 'lost' without parents being able to pick them up, and about our schools that had no plan in place to best care for the students until parents could get there. (In New York City , this was days, in some cases!)

He stresses the importance of having a plan, that's agreed upon within your family, to respond to in the event of a terrorist emergency. He urges parents to contact their children's schools and demand that the schools, too, develop plans of actions, as they do in Israel .

Does your family know what to do if you can't contact one another by phone? Where would you gather in an emergency? He says we should all have a plan that is easy enough for even our youngest children to remember and follow.

Aviv says that the U. S. Government has in force a plan that, in the event of another terrorist attack, will immediately cut-off EVERYONE's ability to use cell phones, blackberries, etc., as this is the preferred communication source used by terrorists and is often the way that their bombs are detonated.

How will you communicate with your loved ones in the event you cannot speak? You need to have a plan.


And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 28 May 09, 13:25Post
JLAmber wrote:I got 7/10 on the first part. Not bad considering the standard British reaction to any emergency is to go to the pub and sit it out there :))

The Winchester! Oh...Wrong movie...

And on the first I got 6 out of 10...
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
ShanwickOceanic (netAirspace FAA) 28 May 09, 13:41Post
Aviv recently created/executed a security test for our Congress, by placing an empty briefcase in five well-traveled spots in five major cities. The results? Not one person called 911 or sought a policeman to check it out. In fact, in Chicago , someone tried to steal the briefcase!

While killing several hours in DOH, wandering around the departure lounge because there was simply nowhere to sit, I spotted an unattended bag, a cheap holdall with a whisky brand printed on it. So I went and found a security guard - who walked up to it and gave it a hefty kick. {facepalm}

When I'd picked myself up from behind the flower pots, this guard said that some genius in one of the duty-free outlets had decided it was a good idea to give away bags nobody would want, and that this was his third unattended bag since he'd come on shift. {sarcastic}
My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.
kmh1956 (Founding Member) 28 May 09, 14:06Post
JLAmber wrote:I got 7/10 on the first part. Not bad considering the standard British reaction to any emergency is to go to the pub and sit it out there :))


Much the same as Bermuda, except that here we buy the booze ahead of time and party it out at home.
futurecaptain 28 May 09, 14:54Post
1. The minimum amount of water each individual needs per day for sanitation and drinking is:
a. 5 gallons
b. 20 ounces
c. 16 ounces
d. 1 gallon
When the radioactive zombies come and we are fighting for our lives and building shelters out of rusted out cars sanitation will take a back seat. This cuts down on the water each person needs significantly. Less than one gallon a day should suit us just fine as long as a steady supply of Mt Dew and Beer is available.

2. It is critical have the following items in a first aid kit except:
a. Bandages
b. Prescription and non-prescription medications
c. Latex gloves
d. Antiseptic ointment
e. You need all of these things in a first aid kit
Basic medical knowledge will render all these things obsolete when we are living in the wilderness fighting off whatever has driven us from our homes and cities. Bandages will be learned to make from cloth or tree bark. Medications from the herbs growing wild. And well, if you get some blood on you from treating a wound or have no ointment, you will develop your own immunities to such illnesses and make the human race stronger over time. First aid kits are dead weight and not needed to be carried except by those who will be the first to die.

3. If there is a chance that the water you drink might be contaminated, you should:
a. Take the risk and drink it in order to stay hydrated
b. Make sure you run it through a water purifier before drinking
c. Add 16 drops of chlorine per gallon to disinfect it
d. Don’t drink any water at all no matter what
Drink it in small doses. You will develop an immunity to the contaminants in the water and help the human race when you breed.

4. Circle the statement about stored water that is false:
a. (Self-bottled) tap water has a shelf life of 6 months
b. The FDA has not established a shelf life for manufactured bottled water
c. Manufactured bottled water is date stamped for 2 years
d. Tap water does not expire
e. A and C
Since we cannot decide if water expires or not a steady supply of ammo and beer is required. A minimum of 5000 rounds of ammo should be carried for every gallon of water. This will ensure you can take whatever water you need from the people who overprepared for the holocaust by stocking up on water and not on ammo.

5. The plastic sheeting and duct tape in my emergency kit are used to cover windows when there may be:
a. A hurricane
b. Harmful pathogens in the air
c. A tornado
d. Flooding or torrential rains
None of the above. When you are reloading and a radioactive zombie sneaks up on you cause you wern't watching your back an essential skill to have is the ability to throw plastic over the zombie head and run a line of duct tape around the neck in one swift motion. The zombie will be so confused he will suffocate nearly instantly and you will have bought yourself another night of safety. This is zombie killing 101 folks. Duct tape can also be used for anything from making wallets to ammo holders to tree houses.

6. In case of an emergency, I plan to contact my family members by:
a. Calling them on their cell phones or using text messaging
b. Calling them on our home telephone
c. Emailing them
d. Checking in with a predetermined emergency contact whose telephone number, address, and email is available to all family members
In an emergency your one and only plan should be to contact your family in person. Safety in numbers. Have a meeting place in a remote location where you can outlast the invasion. Family comes first.

7. What is the number one disaster-related killer in the United States?
a. Flood
b. Fire
c. Tornado
d. Earthquake
Democrats

8. Why is it important to have enough emergency supplies to last you 72 hours?
a. Most of the immediate effects of disasters will cede within this time
b. 72 hours should give you enough time to figure out how to evacuate on your own
c. Most families do not have the space to store more supplies than will last 72 hours
d. It often takes emergency personnel 72 hours to reach you in the case of a disaster
Within 72 hours you will either find a new source of food and water or be killed by the invasion. Live or die, there is no middle ground.

9. In emergency situations our children know:
a. Not to leave home without us or without hearing from us
b. To call 911
c. To call our family emergency contact, who can advise them on what to do
d. How to follow the steps of our family disaster plan, which includes emergency contacts to call, as well as an established meeting place and a home escape route
How to shoot the guns, how to reload the guns, how to find water, how to cook over an open fire, how to start a fire, and how to track and kill wild animals.

10. I have taken the following steps to prepare financially for an emergency:
a. Nothing extra
b. I have extra cash on hand at home just in case
c. I purchased insurance which will cover damages to my family and my possessions in case of an emergency
d. I have insurance, including flood insurance if relevant, I have an accessible savings account from which I can withdraw money, I have kept my credit card paid off, and I have enough cash on hand to last me several days in case ATMs do not function properly
I spent all my money on bullets and fancy guns that nobody else has so I can take all your money if it is still worth anything and I can take your food, water, gasoline, and whatever else I want.

Incase anybody doesnt get it.
*SARCASM*
No electrons were hurt in the making of this post
ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 28 May 09, 15:25Post
Good Info . . . .

I passed.

I have my 72 hour kit, which is part of my 14 day kit. It also includes weapons and ammunition. My first aid kit is a mini-surgical kit really, since I'm an EMT I can - if necessary - do more than put a bandaide on a cut.

I have canned - not bottled water. MREs of course. Fire Starter. Etc etc etc

None of this can be 'carried' easily by me, but can be transported in the BAFDT. I also keep diesel on hands. Not much, 50 gallons, but that'll take me a decent distance if I can drive. The only problem with the BAFDT is getting it out of a wrecked underground parking garage. In that case, I'm stuck on foot . . .

Anyway, blah, blah, blah . . . I'm ready. Pity the fool that is not.
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 29 May 09, 14:31Post
Here's a random (possibly stupid) question-

How well do Brita water filters actually work? Say your water source is contaminated. Will a Brita filter do squat?
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 29 May 09, 14:34Post
GQfluffy wrote:Here's a random (possibly stupid) question-

How well do Brita water filters actually work? Say your water source is contaminated. Will a Brita filter do squat?

No, they only filter out particulate matter and the pores in the media are too big to filter out bacteria, viruses, etc.
Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 29 May 09, 15:15Post
METHODS OF DISINFECTING WATER -

Boiling - Water that is brought just to a boil and then allowed to cool is safe to consume. Boiling water for 10 to 20 minutes, even at high altitudes, is unnecessary and wastes time and fuel. Some people even question the need to boil water at all-they just "pasteurize" it by heating it for a period of time at a subboiling temperature. To kill cholera germs, for example, boiling is not necessary. Heating contaminated water to 144'F (62'C) for 10 minutes is sufficient to eliminate completely all strains of this bacterium.

NOTE: Boiling water at 10,000 feet raises its temperature to an adequate 194 F (900C).

Advantages of boiling-Boiling water completely eliminates bacteria, cysts of parasites (amoebic, giardia, cryptosporidia), worm larvae that cause schistosorniasis, and viruses (the cause of hepatitis, polio, and viral gastroenteritis). Briefly boiling water won't eliminate the spores of certain bacteria; hence, the water can't be considered absolutely sterile. However, bacterial spores, should they be in the water, don't cause intestinal illness and can be consumed without harm.

Boiling water is not easy. Heating the water is time-consuming, often inconvenient, and may require you to carry a source of fuel with you. Boiling is usually most easily done at a base camp, not on the trail.

Iodine or chlorine - Under proper conditions, both iodine and chlorine are excellent water disinfectants for eliminating bacteria and viruses; they are less effective against parasites, especially when contact time is brief and/or the water is cloudy and cold. Take the time to remove organic material.

Iodine has been used to disinfect water since the turn of the century and is still the lightest, cheapest, simplest method of water purification. U.S. Army studies have demonstrated that under field conditions (dirty, cold water; a 10-minute contact time) iodine completely kills bacteria, parasites, viruses, and worm larvae. However, that was before Cryptosporidium came along. The one serious drawback to iodine is that it does not kill crypto. Unlike all other microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, giardia) which iodine effectively eliminates, cryptosporidium is a supercyst with an extremely durable shell. The only way to eliminate it is by either boiling or filtering the water.

Potable Aqua is the most popular brand of iodine and is available in our stores. Dissolve one tablet in a liter of water and wait 20-30 minutes. If the water is cold and cloudy, use two tablets and wait at least 30 minutes. PA Plus adds the ability to remove any iodine taste after treatment.

Advantages-Tablets usually have a long shelf life and they won't stain your pack or clothing if spilled.

Disadvantage: Many people object to the taste. Travelers with thyroid disease should avoid any prolonged use of iodine. Medical authorities advise pregnant women not to drink excessive amounts of iodine-containing water because of potential adverse effects on fetal thyroid gland development. Careful studies have not been done, and pregnant women should use iodine if it is the only alternative to drinking contaminated water.

Liquid chlorine bleach (4% to 6% Clorox) - Household bleach is easily available and cheap, but doesn't kill crypto and may not kill giardia or cyclospora cysts, especially if the water is cloudy or cold. Add 2 to 3 drops of chlorine bleach to each quart of water if it is clear and from the tap; add 4 to 6 drops if the water is cloudy or not from the tap. Wait at least 30 minutes before drinking.

Note: Take the time to remove organic material before treatment.

Water Filters and Purification Devices - A filter's basic task is to remove organisms and particles larger than a specified size from water. This mission isn't so easy, given the small size and variety of pathogenic microorganisms that can be encountered, and a variety of filters have therefore evolved: ceramic filters, depth filters, and surface filters. These filters all come with a rating of their pore size, which determines what size particles can be physically removed. Pore sizes are measured in microns, and the period at the end of this sentence is about 600 microns across. In commercial terms, the most important number is the "absolute" pore size rating, which means the filter element will pass no particle above a certain size. These absolute ratings are much more meaningful than the vaguely defined "nominal" ratings that filter manufacturers sometimes use.

To strain out common parasites, such as giardia, a pore size no larger than 4.0 microns is necessary. (Protozoa range in size from 5 to 15 microns.) For bacteria, (which range in size from 0.2 microns to 10 microns), an absolute pore size of 0.2 microns is desirable. Unfortunately, a filter this fine is subject to rapid clogging and will require a pre-filter and more frequent cleaning. Because viruses can be as small as 0.0004 microns, no field device that relies entirely on filtration will remove them.

Some filters have been designed to filter out only larger organisms such as parasites and worm larvae. These devices are sold primarily to backpackers who want to avoid giardiasis. Many international travelers, however, now opt for complete protection and choose a unit that will also remove bacteria and viruses. Because a filter alone won't take out viruses, travelers treat water with iodine and proceed to use the filter as their final purification process.

Choosing a filter/purification device - Beside removal of microorganisms, you need to consider the following factors in choosing one of these devices - (1) rated output in per minute, (2) life of filter element before replacement, (3) dimensions and weight of unit with accessories, (4) and cost, of the device and of the replacement filters. You also may want to know if the unit removes organic chemicals, such as pesticides, and improves the taste of the water. An activated charcoal filter is usually required for these functions.

Filters that have activated carbon in the final stage can reduce or eliminate pesticides, herbicides, solvents and other volatile organic compounds.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 29 May 09, 15:26Post
I keep a small bag of swimming pool chlorine tablets in the storage bin of my travel trailer.
Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.
Mark 29 May 09, 17:37Post
I spoze I should be thinking about replacing my MRE's. They're getting near the end of their shelf life. I kept them in the 60 degree basement at my house, but had to move them to my 68 degree storage closet in the apartment.
Commercial aircraft flown in: B712 B722 B732 B734 B737 B738 B741 B742 B744 B752 B753 B762 B772 A310 A318 A319 A320 A321 DC91 DC93 DC94 DC1030 DC1040 F100 MD82 MD83 A223 CR2 CR7 E175
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 29 May 09, 17:53Post
Mark wrote:I spoze I should be thinking about replacing my MRE's. They're getting near the end of their shelf life. I kept them in the 60 degree basement at my house, but had to move them to my 68 degree storage closet in the apartment.


MRE's are ok, but Mountain House stuff is better.

http://www.mountainhouse.com/
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
 

Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests

LEFT

RIGHT
CONTENT