Capsicum: How to render a house uninhabitable

[Andrew Rothman]

True story:

Last week we invited sone friends over for dinner. I make a mean Greek shrimp pasta dish, which has as an ingredient some crushed red pepper flakes.

I crushed a couple of little dried hot peppers, and put them in a little Corelle ("unbreakable" glass) dish. I placed it on an unused burner so I could sprinkle it on the shrimp.

Then I turned on the burner under the pasta pot.

Okay, I thought I turned on the burner under the pasta pot. I actually turned on the burner under the bowl of pepper flakes.

Now, remember, this is like half a teaspoon of hot pepper flakes.

I walked away to do something else.

In a matter of ten minutes, the entire house was full of a thin, eye-watering, throat-irritating smoke. The central forced air furnace pulled the smoke from room to room.

We had to evacuate the house, open doors and windows, and get some powerful fans to air out the house.

It took about half an hour to get the smoke out.

Half a teaspoon. Imagine if I had tried!

Gonna go get some of that Fox OC spray.

 

[clubsoda22]

takes an incident like that for people to really appreciate how good OC is as a lethal force alternative.

 

[stevelyn]

During winter field problems in my army days, we would run into other squads and platoon's tents at night and dump Tabasco on the Yukon stove.

Forget Fox. Get your hands on some Vexor V7. It is pure in a compact spray can.

 

[AJ Dual]

Spent a late night making my semi-famous chilli for a pot-luck event held at work the next day.

I had gone as far as growing my own hybrid "super chilis" in window boxes on the deck of the apartment I was living in at the time.

The usual procedure was to flash dry them in the microwave then grind them up into flakes before adding to the chilli.

I was so beat, I went directly to bed, without washing my hands.

I must have done a little scratching in my sleep. The burning finally woke me up about 3:00 am.

 

[Neal Bloom]

Heard that burning hot red peppers is a good way to rid your house of pests, two legged and mulitlegged.

 

[grnzbra]

Vexor.

Wish I could but they don't seem to make anything smaller than 1oz. I'm in PRNJ; our max is 3/4 oz so I'm stuck with 1/2 oz of 5.3 Fox. I guess our politicos want us to have just enough to really piss him off.

 

[JonnyB]

Mrs. B did the same thing at our house, making stir-fry a while back. We had some home-grown Super Cayenne peppers that we dried and crushed. When they went into the hot pan, the house was filled with very irritating 'gas'. The air-exchanger ran for hours before the air became clear enough to not induce coughing and burning eyes/nose.

Even ground black pepper in a hot pan will cause it, but nowhere near that strong an effect.

JB

 

[TarpleyG]

Forget Fox. Get your hands on some Vexor V7. It is pure in a compact spray can.

Doesn't appear that us serfs can get this stuff. Anyone know of a reseller for it???

GT

 

[MarineTech]

OC can be a very persistant agent when used in an enclosed space. Back in the early 90's, I was a Marine stationed at MCAGCC 29 Palms, CA. There was a fight at the E-Club (for those who know it, this was before it was renovated into Tremors) one night that quickly degenerated into a complete brawl. MPs came in and started applying the OC liberally to those involved and the general area. 2 days afterwards your eyes and nose would still mildly run in the club.

 

[OEF_VET]

stevelyn,

When I was in Kosovo, we'd do something similiar. We made MRE bombs out of MRE chemical heaters, water bottles, a little water, and several bottles of Tobasco sauce from MRE's. When they exploded, everyone got out of the tent quickly.

Frank

 

[sigman4rt]

Capsicum

Specialty wholesale inc. Hudson, Fla. makes a pepper grenade. It is about the size of a bottle of tylenol and packs 5.3 MILLION scoville heat units. Being not too smart a buddy and i decided to see how it worked. We carefully checked the wind direction, we were outdoors, and let it rip. Tossed it about 20 yards away and waited. Wihin 2 minutes the wind had changed and we were headed down the road trying to ESCAPE! To make a long story short we ended up about 75 yards down the road and could still feel the effects somewhat. I bought all I could get my hands on, GOOD STUFF!!!

 

[clubsoda22]

Forget Fox. Get your hands on some Vexor V7.

Link me up to an online store, then i can give my sister my can of fox.

by the way, i thought you may find this interesting. If you have a korean market near you, pick up some of their ramen noodles. One of the ingredients is oleresin capsicum (followed by large amounts of MSG). Gives the soup a nasty kick! It's awesome!

 

[GunWares]

I've got something better than capsicum. It's a gas that comes out the back end of my black lab. I'm convinced it contains chemical compounds unknown to modern science.

 

[Tom44]

Reminds me of something I once did making chili. Among many other ingredients, I added a tablespoon or so of Dave's Insanity Sauce (which lists as one of its ingredients "habanero pepper extract", something I assume to be a sort of food-grade OC). This was followed shortly by a cup of bourbon. After a good stir, and getting the pot back to a boil, I turned down the heat, covered it, and left. I came back about five minutes later, removed the lid from the pot in order to stir it, and stupidly stuck my head right over the pot to smell it. I quickly realized that I had forgotten two things: 1) that the alcohol couldn't boil away with the pot covered and all the steam condensing back into the pot, and 2) why alcohol is such a popular carrier in OC spray.

 

[cryptoguru]

You all just broughtup a good point, spray the perp with OC that has a alcohol base and there a potential for a nice perp inferno

I'm going to checkout "Specialty wholesale inc. Hudson, Fla."...anyone got a website or contact info for them?

 

[Arc Angel]

Vexor V7

http://www.zarc.com/english/vexor/about.html

http://www.zarc.com/english/vexor/faq.html

Go for it!

 

[mr_dove]

the Vexor faq says that it does not affect respiration.

My understanding was that affect on respiration was an additional benefit of pepper spray use. The fact that the perp can't breathe means they are even more incapacitated.

I guess you run the risk of killing someone who has asthma though.

 

[Sgt Stevo]

funny but mean

OC is good for practical jokes on guys in your unit. We sprayed some under a dudes bag in Kuwait. It was early moring and he woke up to a nasty surprize. He was needing motivation. Also We put that lady leg hair remover on a guys head once. Funny as hell. He got us in trouble. For being an idiot during an fx. He looked like radiation victim. you can buy this at the px. FUN for ALL.

 

[kool]

we were backpacking. my friend brought some white gass for the stove. so after we finish eating that night we go to light the fire. so my friend pulls out his playboy zippo and lights it and a huge explotion comes frome behind us it was awesome.



so in conclution white gas is cool and makes good use for evacuating a house.

 

[cryptoguru]

Sgt. funny...real funny.....NOT. No one's ever done that to me during mytime in the service, but if someone did, they'd might be on the receving end of an accident discharge of my m9.

Maj. Crypto.

 

[JamisJockey]

Sgt:
Since OC can cause death if someone has a reaction, thats not real funny.
You must be one of those Army pukes

 

[cryptoguru]

ATC,

Thanks for speaking up too....that's just terrible what he did. But then again he's a sgt....self explanatory. Bad enough having accidental exposure to it, then someone does something to that poor guy in the field. Regardless of what motivation that guy needed but that guy didn't deserve what Sgt. and his buddies pulled.

Sgt. might be married to some silicon valley exec because he's a stud but don't know about how much brains he has.

Maj. Cryptogenius Engineerous., USAF ret.

 

[JamisJockey]

But then again he's a sgt

Hey, I resent that...I was a Corporal

NonComs make the military run...however bad NonComs just encourage the troops to do bad things.
I dressed-down a Staff-Sgt when he shot a pop-flare off in our tent...he decided I was insubordinate, reported me to our Lieutenant...who proceded to give him the butt-chewing of his life!

 

[cryptoguru]

I meant no disrespect, I was trying to give emphasis on Sgt's lack of professionalism as a veteran sgt who's been in since 85. He should know better than to participate in hazardous foreplay.

Back when I was a Capt, I had a 1Lt. pop a few smokes in a tent once while we were sleeping, bunch of guys got up thinking there was a fire and one guy kept sleeping and got some inhalation of some sort. That 1lt became 2lt a few weeks later.

ATC, You sound like one of the good guys who look out for others well being. I do the same myself, when I see wrong done, I do something about it.

Cheers,
Maj. Crypto.

 

[JamisJockey]

I meant no disrespect,

No sweat, and no offense taken.
You're right about unprofessional. When I was in Uncle Sam's Misguided Children, the general rule of thumb was not to play games or pranks with anything that went bang, was chemical, or created fire. Pranks in the military were alot of fun...but pranks should never ever be dangerous.
Being in the Airwing, we didn't take field exercises very seriously. I remember doin a simulated patrol with Miles gear. Before we even got started we were all 'shooting' each other....our LT wasn't amused
Saran wrapping the port-a-johns....
Catching sun while working an MMT (Mobile MATCS Team...field ATC from the bed of a Hummer) in my boxers

We had some infared runway lights that were basically an LED light, 9V battery, and 24" stake. Invisible to the naked eye, fully functional and lit runway for those working with NVG's. We brought about 4x more then we needed one night. Drew a big in the desert with them for the Cobra drivers to see after they left the Refuel point...