No Drugstores? Survival and Natural Remedies

Survival and natural remedies include lavender - photo credit Trish Steel [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Natural remedies like lavender can be cultivated.

You have your survival food stocked.  Your water purification method is ready. Other survival gear is collected but what about your medical needs? Have you prepared for those by thinking about survival and natural remedies? What will you have on hand for survival situations?

There are limits to what you can accumulate and store safely. So knowing how to take advantage of natural remedies, generally renewable and available, can make a big difference. Adding these items to your survival medicine kit will give you additional ammunition when fighting off colds, treating illnesses, scrapes and bruises and surviving in the absence of modern medicine.

Natural Remedies for Survival

When we think about survival and natural remedies, we think about severe situations like injuries. Almost as important are the natural remedies for less critical or chronic conditions. Like colds. Or headaches. When you start investigating common natural remedies, you may find the list amazingly long. This post touches on just a few common natural remedies.

A few basics to add to your stores of survival medicine are apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, herb seeds and a good book that identifies your local flora and fauna. Nature gives us many curatives. We just need to know what they are, where to find them and how to use them.

  • Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has an anti-glycemic effect that helps moderate blood sugar, aid digestion. It is effective as a replacement for antacids. However, it is very acidic so it should be diluted in a little liquid before drinking.

  • Cayenne Pepper

There are more medicinal uses for cayenne pepper than space to list here but it has natural anti-fungal properties, can be used to alleviate colds and congestion, it is a digestive aid and you can throw a little in a pot of chili.

  • Herbs

Did you know that Calendula (Calendula officinalis) what is more commonly known as a pot marigold and Thyme, the common garden herb, have antiseptic and anti-fungal qualities? Lemon balm has a calming quality when brewed as tea, as does lavender. Most herbs are easily cultivated, harvested, dried, and stored.

  • Roots

Another common natural remedy is goldenseal. The root of goldenseal can be boiled and the liquid given to fight common colds, to heal urinary tract infections and applied to the skin for rashes, cold sores, or as a mouthwash for sore gums.

Survival Medicine – Learn About It

Knowledge of natural remedies is not gained overnight. Find a good book on the topic to add to your survival medicine kit.

Don’t just store that book – open it and read it. Learn what grows in your area. Learn how to collect and store these useful ingredients. Learn (and practice) how to prepare the natural remedies from these ingredients.

If some of the ingredients for natural remedies you want do not grow naturally in your area, all is not lost. Consider starting a garden to grow those natural remedies that are not native to your area. Start gathering and preserving and storing what is most useful for your situation. Be all the more ready to take care of your health in the event of a disaster.

Interested in other articles on preparedness and your health?

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About Bret Smith

I am a long-time lover of all things outdoors. Whether hunting, shooting, fishing or just hiking and camping, I take every opportunity to enjoy nature and share it with others.

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