An interesting statement and one that highlights the problem with PP perfectly; thanks for posting.

On those early military survival courses we were shown 5 different mixes to show the colour to mix the PP for use as water treatment to severe fungal infection. They are very few demonstrations of colour to mix kicking around. Even if there was, mixing a colour is very subjective.

PP is a cytotoxic like hydrogen peroxide, iodine and betadine. They kill cells slowing down healing and increases infection. PP and hydrogen peroxide have no place in a first aid kit or survival kit.

PP was a poor solution to a problem but as technology has improved there are far better and safer solutions to those same problems available. PP kills a small number of bacteria and viruses but many bacteria and parasites can survive PP treatment. Vibro cholerae organisms is just one. Studies have also found that PP need higher doses than survival manuals suggest and longer contact times of two hours or longer. Which brings up an interesting point, have you ever seen contact times suggested in the survival manuals. I was told at least 30 mins. PP’s use in water treatment plants is not as a disinfectant.

This is why PP is not found in military or professional survival kits nowadays. I have not checked but I would be extremely surprised Doug includes PP in any of his kits.

Unfortunately most peoples experience of survival is from rehashed information taken from military survival manuals written 50 + years ago so it is no wonder old techniques, mistakes and miss information keeps being dragged into modern thinking.

There is a very interesting survival use for PP that was never written in any of the survival manuals but is very relevant to survival. I was told of it on one survival course years ago. I know of no reference of this in a survival context on the internet at all but it is described in some old documents for an industry it was used in. I have been told by people that were around at the time that the UK government even suggested it in their public information during WW2, although I have never been able to confirm this. It has never been rehashed and the practice is now illegal, at least in the UK. I do know that it was taught in US and UK survival courses during WW2 (not that they were actually survival course as we know them today) and into the 50s. That said it is a little impractical and I would never consider it as a viable option.

Out of interest if you know of this use, please PM me telling me what it is and where you heard it. If you don’t know what it is don’t guess because I won’t tell you.