Warning…long discussion follows. Get a cup of Coffee first.<br><br><br>Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4) seems to have one of the desired attributes that make its inclusion in a PSK highly desirable. Many authors have cited multiple uses for Potassium Permanganate including: water purification, topical antiseptic/antifungal wash, fire starting, and signaling (snow dye). Like all other items that are selected for small PSK’s it is worthwhile to evaluate the efficacy of Potassium Permanganate for each of these reported uses. <br><br>Water Treatment<br>The primary role of Potassium Permanganate in a PSK seems to be as a water disinfectant. It has much greater storage stability than iodine or chlorine tablets and does not need special packaging within the kit. A common screw top plastic vial is suitable, as the chemical must only be protected from moisture and is readily available for use. It does not chemically degrade like iodine or chlorine tablets upon exposure to air. It does not sublime producing a very corrosive and staining gas and eat everything it touches in the kit. Very small amounts of Potassium Permanganate are also reported to be effective for water purification. This makes a small vial go a long way for water treatment.<br><br>However, the primary question is one of effectiveness against the water pathogens expected. The best source I have been able to find is the 1980 drinking water report from the Assembly of Life Sciences National Research Council. This report is long, but compares several methods of water treatment commonly used for municipal water systems. Potassium Permanganate is fairly commonly used in municipal treatment systems to kill algae and remove iron and manganese. It is not commonly used to kill pathogens, and is not considered effective for this large-scale use. <br><br>The first two links are to this report. The third link is to a much shorter review of various water treatment methods. <br><br>Drinking Water and Health <br>Volume 2 <br>SAFE DRINKING Water COMMITTEE <br>Board on Toxicology and Environmental Health Hazards <br>Assembly of Life Sciences National Research Council <br>NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. 1980 <br>http://www.ulib.org/webRoot/Books/National_Academy_Press_Books/vol2_drinking_water/drinking2.htm<br><br>The actual chapter consisting of 110 pages of Scientific Review.<br>http://www.ulib.org/webRoot/Books/National_Academy_Press_Books/vol2_drinking_water/0000019.htm<br><br>Water Treatment FAQ Version 2.2 By Patton Turner <br>http://www.millennium-ark.net/News_Files/INFO_Files/Water_FAQs.html<br><br><br>AntiFungal/Antiseptic<br><br>Here it seems that Potassium Permanganate may have some utility. Making a moderately pink to red solution in water to treat fungal infections, wash hands, wash fruits and vegetables may have some utility. Trekking groups make reference to using KMnO4 solutions to treat locally procured produce. I could find no references that determined the value of such uses but what could it hurt. <br><br>Fire-Starting<br><br>Now here is a unique and fun use for this chemical. Mixed equally with sugar and sparked initiates violent oxidation of the sugar. According to David Alloway this reaction can also be initiated by friction with a knife or ground with a dry piece of wood. Potassium Permanganate simply mixed with glycerin also reacts to start a fire. Glycerin is a common constituent of brake fluid so this may be available in an aircraft or automobile accident. <br><br>Signaling<br><br>Using Potassium Permanganate to stain snow is a novel use. I can attest to the staining properties of very small amount of this chemical to bathroom grout. Fill your vials in the garage as the nearly invisible dust goes everywhere and the addition of water produces a very deep purple color. <br><br>Chemical Safety<br><br>KMnO4 is a strong oxidizer and the dry powder should not be allowed to make contact with the eyes or mucus membranes. Because the chemical is usually supplied as a fine powder, inhalation or contact with the eyes and mouth is possible. Solutions present much less risk.<br><br>My Opinion<br><br>I do not think that Potassium Permanganate is effective enough to be my primary water purification method. I carry iodine tablets (Potable Aqua, full-unopened bottle), and will fall back on KMnO4 if required with the understanding that it is probably not going to be very effective.<br><br>Treatment of fungal infections, washing wounds or food items does not seem to rank high on my likely use of this chemical. <br><br>I have used Potassium Permanganate and Glycerin to initiate fire in a lab setting. I do not carry glycerin and may not be able to locate it in an emergency, so I am going to practice the dry friction methods and sparking methods. I see some utility here even though I could probably prepare dry tinder and start a fire with the sparking device I carry without using KMnO4. Potassium Permanganate is an alternate to the 4 other fire-starting methods I carry (ferro rod, butane lighter, strike anywhere and LifeBoat matches along with some tinder). KMnO4 serves more as emergency tinder with some special reactive characteristics.<br><br>Visible and effective signals on snow may require more of this chemical than I am currently carrying. However it does produce an unusual color that contrasts well with snow, so this use does have practical value. The hardest part is to sprinkle the chemical lightly enough to produce a large signal.<br><br>So What<br><br>In an objective evaluation of the likely uses for my PSK shelter, fire and water are the 3 primary needs for which I carry multiple redundant devices. Potassium Permanganate makes the cut as an included item in my PSK as it serves as backup to my iodine treatment for water purification and as novel maybe useful fire-starting tinder. I carry two 0.5mL plastic cryovials one of KMnO4 and one of sugar. Violent oxidation of sugar is just too cool to not have as an option. It still comes down to the fun of building a PSK.<br><br>If you have read this far, thanks.<br>