Bruce,<br><br>Just as Andy wrote, the common name for the sulfonamide family of drugs was "sulfa". The original drug was "sulfanilamide". Sounds like your friend used his military training and the sulfa powder he caried to help prevent you from getting a nasty infection!<br><br>Here's an excerpt from an interesting website I just found:<br><br>"The discovery of Sulfanilamide greatly affected the mortality rate during World War II. American soldiers were taught to immediately sprinkle sulfa powder on any open wound to prevent infection. Every soldier was issued a first aid pouch that was designed to be attached to the soldier’s waist belt. The first aid pouch contained a package of sulfa powder and a bandage to dress the wound. One of the main components carried by a combat medic during World War II was sulfa powder and sulfa tablets."<br><br>The portion of the website I got that from is found here: History of WWII Medicine <br><br>There are a couple of photos that show the nifty tin I mentioned in my earlier post, containing a Carlisle dressing and a packet of sulfa powder. However, the tins that I have are not painted red.<br><br>The mil-spec 550 cord should be identical to issue, also as Andy mentioned. Smaller amounts (50' - 100') are usually readily available - the local Gander Mountain store has it on the shelf in black (not an issue color) and white. All the "issue" 550 cord I ever saw was either white or OD.<br><br>Here is a link that has small quantities of a commercial equivalent: The Sportsmans Guide <br><br>Here's another that has a better deal - 1,000' spool for about $35: Cheaper than Dirt I think they may also have some 100' hanks of something that is not actually 550 cord. I'm sure there are many other sources, like Brigade QM, but there's a start for you.<br><br>Hope this helps! Regards,<br><br>Scouter Tom