Hand Sanitizer

[Macthediver]

I'm not sure if the rest of you have noticed all the hand sanitizer stations now located every where? At least here since the H1N1 scare they seemed to have popped up all over, at work they even have them by the stair ways.
What I'm here to tell you is there now maybe more reasons other than swine flu to carry your own personal bottle of hand sanitizer. At NTA in Mason City 2008 I got my hand pinched unhooking my camper. The wife wanted me to go for stitches and tetanus shot, but being a bullhead I said no I'll tape it up. So before we did that she insisted on dumping hand sanitizer on the cut. I'm not saying it didn't make me grimmices, but I believe it probalbly kept me from and infection and the cut healed up nicely.
That is not really what hand sanitizer is meant for but being that many of the hand sanitizers are over 50% alcohol it worked. Most hand sanitizers are mix of alcohol with some type of gelling agent.
So here is the main reason I bring all this up on and outdoor forum.
Maybe the very best reason to have small bottle of hand sanitizer with you? ( it could save your life) Why you may ask???
 (It Burns)
Not just the burn you get when it gets in a cut, but with a nice blue flame. I will addmit I haven't tried starting a camp fire with it yet, though it should work.
I have however seen it burning in a tin can with a nice blue flame over it. As a fire fighter I get the chance to play with things like these from time to time.
So I intend to play with it a bit more and see just what it can do in the "Emergency Fire Starter" catagory. I've had a bottle of this stuff in all my vehicals for several years now and never gave it a thought as a fire starter. I will say that I now intended to put a small bottle in the pocket of my hunting coat. The type that I seen burn so nice said 63% alcohol listed under ingedients.
So anyway this post got long.
But I think hand sanititzer is something to look at that could save your life in more ways than one..

Mac

[Bogmaster]

 Thanks for the tip Mark, its a good one.
 Tom

[trappnman]

I have a bottle of Hydrogen pyroxide in the truck, for the same reason.

[RayA]

Great post Mark ive got one in the truck .hopefully it wont have to be used for any those other reasons but sure nice to know what its capable a building a fire with.  RayA

[Arier Blut]

Good tip Mac. They sell a pack of a bunch of little ones. I put the little bottles in all the vehicle and in my pack. I am not a germaphobe, but they come in handy to get blood off of you when you field dress and there isn't a creek near. Also as you mentioned it is easy to start a fire with wet material since it burns a nice blue flame for a while. It also makes a nice and cheaper fuel for sterno pocket stoves.

As for all those mounted everywhere. It isn't good to use that stuff all the time. We have to contact bad stuff to keep our immune systems strong. Dr's learned that the hard way with today's kids. Giving them antibiotics for every little sniffle. Now the young adults are sick all the time due to never having to fight off things on their own.