Salt: An Unconventional Survival Tool

Salt is an essential to life as it's one of the necessary minerals that your body needs to function and to survive. It plays a critical role when you eat it, but did you know that it can also play a critical role as an unconventional survival tool. Just like paracord or duct tape, plain old table salt can be used in a variety of ways. Emergency Essentials Iodized Salt is packaged for up to 30 years of storage, so consider adding it to your emergency food prep. Here are some alternative ways that you can use the iodized salt.

Medical Uses

As salt makes an environment inhospitable to bacteria, it's invaluable as a natural antiseptic, so it has quite a few medical uses.

• If you're in a situation where you don't have an antiseptic or an antibiotic because you've run-out of your emergency supplies, salt can be used to clean a wound to prevent infection and promote healing.
• Salt dissolved in water can be gargled to help remedy a sore throat or heal mouth sores and gums.
• Make a paste of salt and water to treat and relieve the pain of bug bites and stings.
• Use salt dissolved in water as a nasal rinse to help prevent colds and give relief from allergies.
• Clear-up poison ivy affected skin quicker by soaking it in warm salt water.

Cleaning Medium

Salt makes an excellent cleaning medium since it's an antibacterial, as well, as abrasive.

• Make a paste of salt, baking soda and water to clean and whiten your teeth when toothpaste is not available. Healthy teeth are necessary to the overall health of your body, especially, in a survival situation.
• Use a paste of water and salt to scour pots and pans and dining utensils free of grease if dish detergent is no longer available.
• Boil your dish cleaning sponges in salt water to sanitize them and eliminate odors.

Food Preparation

Other than, of course, using it to just season your food, there are other ways that salt can be helpful in a survival situation.

• Salt has always been used for the preservation of meat and fish, since it takes away the moisture that breeds bacteria. It's also used for the curing process of meat that's being smoked or dried.
• Scaling fish is time-consuming and not fun but if you soak the fish in in salt water first, the job is significantly easier.
• Adding salt to boiling water will raise the temperature of the water, allowing food to cook quicker.

Campsite Use

When you need to set-up a campsite, salt is a valuable addition to your camping or bug-out gear.

• Sprinkle salt around the boundaries of your campsite and around your food supply as a barrier against ants.
• Sprinkle salt on your campfire to control and lower the flames without extinguishing the fire.