Thanks for the answers (most of them, anyway). The message is clear that alcohol won't kill viruses. My thought was that if I used grain alcohol as fuel for my stove, I could perhaps also use it to clean and disinfect wounds, and to add to water to fight viri. That would have been a beautiful triple-play. Oh well.
Using it (not methyl!) to clean wounds would be appropriate, as in alcohol prep pads, but you don't need or want 90-100%, 70-75% would probably be about right, so then you'd have the issue of how to keep the mixing water sterile, or you'd have to keep a separate small bottle of 70/30, which wouldn't do well as stove fuel.
As for a third use, if you can work the cleaner out, I like grain alcohol mixed with apple cider. I think they make a powdered cider, so there you are.
OMG a Ti shotglass does exist for the ultralight boozehounder hikers out there.
http://toaksoutdoor.com/titaniumshotglass.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/TOAKS-Titanium...ium+shot+glass
> My thought was that if I used grain alcohol as fuel for my stove,
> I could perhaps also use it to clean and disinfect wounds
Alcohol is no longer recommended for cleaning anything but minor wounds. Yes, it does an excellent job of killing all kinds of micro-organisms, but the damage alcohol does to exposed flesh more than negates this positive.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/w...-dos-and-donts
For most hikers, the best procedure is to thoroughly wash out the wound with soap and disinfected water, then rinse and dry, and finally to apply a triple-action antibacterial cream. In an emergency, you can wash with untreated water as long as you finish with a rinse of clean water.
Last edited by GoldenBear; 10-23-2014 at 22:28.
Grapefruit seed extract is taken by mouth for bacterial, viral, and fungal infections including yeast infections - WEB MD. I know people who travel out of the country extensively that swear by the anti bacterial and anti viral uses of it.
Hep B isn't easily caught via water, its a blood borne pathogen and typically is transferred via exposure to body fluids. It can survive outside the host for about 7 days in dried blood or other fluids. Hep A is transmittable via food and water and can be found all over North America, in both well water and streams. Though its not common to find, rare in fact at about 2000 cases per year in the US. Causes can be as simple as minor flooding from rains can push human sewage from poorly run septic systems into the ground water and contaminate a surprisingly large area including streams. Its a small virus, under .01 microns, so most filters will miss it, disinfection or boiling is best. Though a rarity, there are a few people every year that get this by drinking untreated water, so its possible.