halazone tablets, water purifying

[willysjeep]

I just got an old scout tin box first aid kit. I'm trying to replace the contense with modern things so 1) I don't use up any 70 year old original collectables and 2) so I can count on the contense to work and not be dangerous (I.E. 70 year old water purification tablets).

 

One thing I need to locate is a source for halazone water purifying tablets. The kit has a vial of really old ones. I want to find some with a similar dose and replace the outdated ones with new ones. Unfortunately all I can seem to find are iodine tablets, which would work but then I would have iodine in a bottle labled halazone. So, does anybody know where I can get actual halazone tablets to replentish my kit?

 

 

[NeilLup]

May I suggest that you do a little reading on the most appropriate water purification tablets. I know that we visited REI recently and got quite an education.

 

Part of the reason is that giardia is much more common now than it was 70 years ago and I am not sure that halazone addresses giardia. So if you are going to be in a place where you will be using purified water for a fair period of time, you will need to use something which kills giardia. I believe that is chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite.

[willysjeep]

My other option is to replace the halizone vial with a much larger "portable aqua" iodine tablet vial of iodine tablets. I'm thinking that if giardia is not killed by halazone I might look for another similar size vial of one of the chemicals you mentioned. The tablets in the kit are for emergency use so I gather. Back when it was designed the scouts admitted that boiling was more dependable and should be used when possible. I for one wouldn't want to drink chemical flavored water for an entire camping trip if I could pack a filter along anyways.

 

But I digress. I still think halazone might be worth trying. If not that, some other chlorine tablet if there is one available.

[Eagle69]

Go with the Potable Aqua or something similar. When my troop backpacked in the early 80's that is what we used the whole time we out when we couldn't get pure water. We never boiled, but depended on the tablets.

[packsaddle]

Giardia is only one of very many nasties you can encounter in the water. Dump the halizone. Go with a modern solution. I filter and then boil because I don't like the chemicals but the chemicals work if you use them properly.

 

A further tip: if you travel overseas, drink the carbonated bottled water (with gas) because the low pH (carbonic acid) tends to further disinfect the water. It's your GI tract, take care of it.