Many things in life pair well with liquor, but is this also true of survival situations? Surprisingly, it is with vodka!
In a long-term crisis, vodka will be a valuable resource.
Vodka may not be the first thing that comes to mind when prepping for emergencies, but there are several benefits to stocking up on booze, even if you don't drink. It still has worth even if it is never consumed.
Reasons to Stockpile Vodka in Your Survival Kit
Beyond creating fantastic drinks, vodka has many other uses, especially in long-term SHTF situations.
Vodka is a commodity that should be included in any decent survival kit for various reasons, including barter, economics, and health and therapeutic applications.
Vodka for Bartering
When anything goes wrong, people will look for a way out. Alcohol is one of those goods for which there will always be a market and a demand.
Breweries, distilleries, and vineyards will almost certainly stop producing alcohol after a tragedy, as producing good alcohol requires a lot of time and labor. As a result, even if paper money loses its value as a store of value, alcohol will continue to be extremely scarce and more expensive over time.
Direct trading or creating medicines, flavorings, or fragrances with vodka is a smart move to trade with someone who could use them.
Vodka can provide you leverage in dealings with people, whether you offer it in exchange for necessities or to calm a potentially harmful person's attitude.
Vodka for Your Health
There are health advantages to several commercial and home-brewed alcoholic beverages. Of course, this should only be done in moderation.
One alcoholic beverage with certain health advantages is vodka. It can aid in cleaning out undesirable toxins when you have a cold or the flu. Moreover, it can help treat arthritis and lessen joint and bone inflammation.
Vodka as Bushcraft Oral Care
Your best bet for gentle summer cocktails on your teeth would be clear beverages like vodka water.
When consumed in moderation, clear liquors have low sugar levels and may help eliminate the bacteria that cause bad breath.
In bushcraft oral care, vodka can treat oral infections, wounds, and sores. Using cotton balls soaked in vodka should help an aching tooth feel better.
Vodka as an Antiseptic or Cleaner
Alcohol has many purposes, one of which is a disinfectant.
The exact amount of alcohol that prevents a spirit drink from going bad also kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This means everything from cleaning a moldy room to sanitizing surgical equipment before an operation can be done using alcohol.
On the other hand, liquors like vodka have an alcohol content of at least 40%. The more alcohol a substance contains, the more valuable it is in survival.
Vodka as Pesticide
With just a spray of vodka, you can kill bees and wasps.
Just fill a trigger-spray container, then aim. They'll fall. So then you can stomp on them while they're unconscious. The alcohol makes sure you leave no mess behind.
Diluted hard drinks, such as vodka, are a good way to control the speed of plant growth.
Vodka as an Insect Repellant
While numerous studies have shown that drinking beer might increase exposure to mosquito bites, spraying oneself with vodka is an effective way to help drive off those annoying insects.
Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol are the main components of vodka. Both of these compounds naturally keep insects away.
It works well as a natural insect repellent when paired with basil because most bugs find the smell and taste disagreeable. Fill a spray container with high-proof vodka and some fresh basil leaves to make your vodka-based insect repellent.
While outside, shake the bottle to combine the chemicals before spraying it over your exposed skin and clothing.
Vodka for Preserving Foods
Just soaking food in a solution to prevent spoilage is one method of food preservation.
One solution you can use is alcohol, which includes vodka. With this technique, you may prepare fruits and vegetables and achieve great results.
The following vegetables can be preserved with vodka: green beans, carrots, onions, and peppers. Apples, pears, peaches, and plums are examples of fruits.
Ginger and spicy peppers are two additional spices that can be preserved. The method also results in flavored vodka, which is an extra benefit.
Vodka for Fuel and Fire
Apart from being a great aid to your food, alcohol provides heat for boiling water and cooking.
One alcoholic beverage with several uses is vodka. Both preparing drinks and starting fires are possible with it.
Like any other high-proof alcoholic beverage, vodka is highly flammable and can readily catch fire once exposed to an open flame or spark.
Due to its low flashpoint, vodka is a fantastic fuel for igniting fires. It can be set on fire, but first, you must know the proper procedures.
Here are a few tips:
- When setting your vodka on fire, ensure it's at room temperature; otherwise, it might not burn at all or effectively.
- To determine if the flame will spread, try setting some vodka on fire in a glass container first (some bottles may have an inherent risk of explosion).
- Use caution when setting vodka on fire, as you could severely burn yourself.
Vodka as a Weapon
Alcohol works well as a weapon.
An easy-to-make Molotov cocktail-like weapon can be made from a bottle of alcoholic beverage in a survival situation.
Because spirits burn, you can place a rag inside the bottle's opening and thoroughly soak it in the same alcohol.
Once lit, the object should be tossed because if it breaks, the contents will burn and spread a patch of flame across a wide surface.
Because it traverses flames to reach the defenders, it serves as both a direct attack weapon and a method of area denial. Access to a supply of Molotov cocktails is an effective defense and a potent threat in any battle with anyone who wishes to harm a person or a group.
Vodka as a Gun Cleaner
Alcohol is crucial for having ready access to firearms in any survival circumstance. It can quickly clean even the most sensitive parts of a gun, revolver, rifle, or other weapon, preventing rust.
When cleaning firearms and removing oil and muck, vodka can be used instead of rubbing alcohol.
Moreover, there is no danger of harming the same weapon. As a result, vodka is perfect for cleaning a firearm when you don't have access to a standard kit.
Vodka as a Stress Reliever
Being able to relax under difficult circumstances can go a long way to assuring your mental health, even while drinking yourself into sleep, won't help you survive anything.
For better sleep and to reduce daytime drowsiness, a few shots of vodka won't hurt.
Even falling asleep can be tricky when you're exhausted, stressed out, or haven't slept for more than a few hours. Alcohol can help.
Given that this is how it was designed to be consumed, it is safe for occasional use. Use it as a treatment when necessary, but it doesn't become a habit where drinking alcohol is required to obtain any sleep.
More Interesting Survival Uses
- Use vodka to soothe bug bites. With a few applications, vodka will dry up the venom and stop the weeping from swelling bites.
- If you apply vodka to open poison ivy wounds using a Q-tip, the sores will shrink overnight and stop bleeding! Continue to repeat every hour.
- To remove the sticky bandage residue from your skin, soak the bandage in vodka. The solvent dissolves the adhesive, making the removal painless.
- To prolong the lifespan of your razors, clean and sterilize them by filling a cup with vodka. After shaving, let your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol. The vodka's alcohol concentration will dry the razor's surface and stop rusting.
- Clean your eyeglasses. You can defog your glasses using vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills bacteria.
- Have a good hair day. Vodka on your scalp will decrease your hair or eliminate dandruff. It makes your scalp clean! Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair, and stimulates healthy hair growth.
- Get rid of stinky feet. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
- A fever is not necessary. To relieve a fever, rub vodka on your chest and back with a washcloth.
How to Add Vodka to Your List of Survival Essentials
Alcohol requires a little extra thought when packing together such a bug-out kit.
Check the bottle first. Although some survivalist websites recommend carrying glass vodka bottles since they can be broken and used as a weapon or sharp object, doing so can worsen things. Plastic water bottles resist breaking.
Use airtight caps to prevent leaks or evaporation. Do not drink alcohol before putting it in a bug-out vehicle.
Since you can keep the product until you need it, there is no need to complicate matters by getting in trouble for having an open container in a car.
Don't just add the booze. Pack cotton balls, gauze, matches, other lighters, spray bottles, plastic bags, and ingredients for remedies or medications. They should be kept in watertight containers.
