The Swiss Army Knife of SHTF Liquid

When it comes to self-reliance and being able to adapt and change to any given situation, utilizing a single item for multiple purposes will separate you from the other denizens of society. You’ll need to be able to secure your home, family, and valuable resources. One of the most valuable items when it comes to more than a single function is alcohol. The first thought that probably comes to your mind? Probably consuming alcohol. And while yes, alcohol is an ingredient in many types of drinks, it provides other plentiful applications far more valuable than seeing double vision and feeling the ‘high’ of ingesting a significant amount. Let’s talk about some of those uses now.

Alcohol as a cleansing agent

Injuries such as cuts, scrapes, gunshot and puncture wounds, and others can be cleaned and disinfected with alcohol. Alcohol will kill bacteria and clean the wound, but alcohol is also caustic – meaning it’ll wear down tissue and is harmful to body cells. When you don’t have any options though, the harm alcohol causes to an open wound is not worth enough to keep bacteria trapped within it. Apply alcohol to a wound then wrap it with a bandage.

Sterilize needles and instruments

Prior to making injections, needles must be sterilized to prevent the passing of diseases or harmful bacteria. By using alcohol to kill those germs, needles can be safely used more than once. Beyond cleaning wounds and sterilizing needles, alcohol can be used to clean various instruments as well. Cleaning blades, guns, glass, and electronics are all tasks that are able to be completed using alcohol and a clean rag.

Miscellaneous

This feels like an infomercial, but wait there’s more! Here are some of the other interesting ways in which alcohol can be utilized in a survival situation:

• Weed killer
• Deodorant
• Mold killer
• Facial astringent
• Fuel for stove/cooking
• Stain removal
• Bug repellent

It’s like the Swiss army knife of liquid solutions. Alcohol is a necessary resource to procure and is invaluable when in a survival situation. If someone asked me what is the number one thing I’d make an effort to stock up on in a survival situation, water and food would be my top two choices, with alcohol being right up there slotted in at number three. It provides so many uses in one product that you can’t get with many other single items.

Author bio:

Gale Newell writes about personal security and security systems, traditional security systems and DIY patchwork security systems. She enjoys being resourceful and utilizing every last crumb. She writes for Top Consumer Reviews – Home Security Systems. Follow her on Google +.

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[Editor’s note: Even if you don’t consume alcoholic beverages, besides all the other practical uses mentioned by Gale, this stuff will be in high demand and valuable in a post-SHTF bartering situation. Stock up or make your own!]

Keep Doing the Stuff of self-reliance,

Todd

P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we’re Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, and our Facebook page… and over at the Doing the Stuff Network on Pinterest, Google +, and Facebook.

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Related stuff

• Top 5 Reason to Stock Silly Juice for SHTF

• 50 Ways to Build Resilient Wealth Before and After a Collapse

 

Top 5 Reason to Stock Silly Juice for SHTF

by Todd Walker

Regardless if you consume alcohol personally or not, silly juice has a place in your SHTF preps… And not just as a barter item.

Disclaimer: Be smart. I you are an alcoholic and know you’d abuse your body or others by taking this advice to stock booze, stop reading and get help with your addiction! If you’re a teetotaler you can’t handle the idea of liquor being in your home, skip this article. Never ingest the toxic stuff – methanol, rubbing alcohol, denatured alcohol!

Liquored up?

To get liquored up properly, purchase hard liquor with high alcohol content. The two numbers to look for are percentage and proof. The first number (percentage) tells you how much ethanol is in the container. The proof number of alcohol is double the amount of actual ethanol in the bottle. 100 Proof means your hooch has 50% ethanol… and will ignite and burn a blue flame.

A heavy hitter for your stash is Everclear®. Here are the stats on this 100% grain alcohol:

• EVERCLEAR ALCOHOL 151 PROOF LITER

  Size: LITER Proof: 151 / 75.5%

• EVERCLEAR ALCOHOL 190 PROOF 750ML

  Size: 750ML Proof: 190 / 95%

For long-term storage, buy in glass bottles. Keep your stash in a dark, cool, dry place under lock and key to prevent kids and crazy uncles out.

In a true collapse scenario, moonshiners will still the market. Prohibition taught us this lesson: people will find a way enjoy an adult beverage.

Even if you can’t legally brew the hard stuff now, making shine would be a Doing the Stuff skill worth learning… only after law no longer exists, of course.

Booze may be a vice for some, but having a well stocked cabinet of silly juice will be a bonanza after the SHTF! Here’s the thing though, your stash will eventually run dry in an extended break down. The same goes for your other consumables. Hooch will be in high demand.

Here’s why…

1. Medicinally

• Herbal tinctures
• Pain reliever – has worked for many broken hearts over the years 😉
• Antiseptic – avoid using in deep wounds
• Moderate consumption lowers risk of heart disease – caveats
• Sterilize medical instruments
• Sore throat (liquor and honey concoction)
• Clear sinuses – it’s called Everclear® for a reason
• Treat swimmers ear

2. Sanitizer

• Eating surfaces
• Hands
• Scraps and surface wounds
• Mouth wash and tooth pain – swish around and swallow for added relief
• Straight razors
• Gear – knives, butchering equipment, spork, everything else touching your mouth, etc.
• One shot per liter of water helps kill nasties – give it time to kill the stuff (20 minutes or so)

3. Fire

• Starter fuel for engines
• Alcohol stoves – redundant uses for high-test alcohol if your DiY beer can stove is filled with Everclear® vs. denatured alcohol
• Flambéing over the camp fire 😉
• Accelerant – cocktails of the molotov persuasion
• Once empty, use the clear glass vodka bottle to start a fire via magnification – then flint nap the bottom of the bottle into an arrowhead once you sober up

4. Barter value

• The small mini-bottles may make the perfect barter size when things go sideways
• Keep a supply of smaller containers to refill from your larger vat
• The demand for alcohol after a SHTF event will be high
• Escapism – folks don’t want to face reality and look to drown their sorrows

5. All purpose uses

• Insect repellant
• Removes poison ivy oil
• Degreaser for guns and gear
• Light source

What’s you’re top reasons and uses for storing high-test silly juice?

Keep Doing the Stuff,

Todd

P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we’re Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, and our Facebook page. The Doing the Stuff Network community can be found here: Pinterest, Google +, and Facebook. Check out the good stuff and trade theory for ACTION!

P.P.S ~ If you find value in our blog, DRG and I would appreciate your vote on the “Top Prepper Sites“! You can vote daily by clicking here or on the image below. Check out all the other value-adding Prepper Sites while you’re there.

Thanks for sharing the stuff!

Copyright Information: Content on this site (unless the work of a third-party) may be shared freely in digital form, in part or whole, for non-commercial use with a link back to this site crediting the author. If you are interested a third-party article, please contact the author directly for republishing information.