Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living
Dear Off the Grid,
I read the article on purifying water and you mentioned iodine. I didn’t see a specific mention of the SSKI that I knew about from my days as a Marine Hospital Corpsman. I was an OR Tech and so I didn’t get to have the first-hand knowledge of the form (tablet, or whatever) but I have since read that it will allow a person to drink the most horrible looking water with a few drops.
Do you have any information on the availability of SSKI? Thanks for your help!!
Proud Vet
Dear Proud Vet,
First of all, thank your for your service! We appreciate deeply our men and women who have served and are serving. The SSKI that you ask about appears to be a saturated solution of potassium iodide, and it comes in a liquid tincture rather than the pill form of potassium iodide. According to one information source, you shouldn’t need a prescription to get it, but you will need to contact a compounding pharmacist to prepare it.
However, I did locate an online source for the drops here. I would certainly research this source before ordering, if your intention is to procure some of the tincture. From the PanAmerican School of Natural Medicine comes this note: “Iodine has been used to disinfect water for nearly a century. It has advantages over chlorine in convenience and probably efficacy; many travellers find the taste less offensive as well. It appears safe for short and intermediate length use (3-6 months), but questions remain about its safety in long-term usage. It should not be used for a long term by persons with allergy to iodine, persons with active thyroid disease, or pregnant women.” It appears that the dosage is about 5 drops of SSKI per liter of water. Mix it and let it sit for 3-5 minutes before drinking.
The Editor
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Dear Editor:
One of your readers was asking about saving water and you mentioned rain barrels etc. They don’t need to pay $75 and up for rain barrel systems. Purchasing an extended downspout adaptor at any box or hardware store will do the trick. Set your rain barrel right next to the downspout. Buy an adaptor that fits your 3 or 4” downspout, cut downspout with a hack saw (a section about 2 ½ to 3 feet long above your rain barrel), attach the accordion/extending-type adaptor top to the bottom cut of the downspout. When expecting rain, pull off the bottom end of the adaptor and adjust it over the open rain barrel. Great for collecting water for the garden or as a back up for boiling and drinking.
Frugal
Dear Frugal,
Thank you for your response! We appreciate any hints or suggestions readers may have that helps to save money but get prepared nonetheless. 🙂
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