Having a vast knowledge of first aid and being able to properly use available medication is a vital skill during an emergency situation. But sometimes, the medicine you need is not available. This is where alternative healing aids and methods can replace commercial products and save the day.

Every serious prepper or survivalist knows that a first aid kit is a must for a survival bag, regardless the reason behind making such bag. While some prefer to buy a pre-made first aid kit and others will just make their own with what is available on the market, there are those who take things further. They prefer to rely on alternative healing aids, thinking that modern medicine will not always be available.

While this may seem extreme, you can’t argue with the logic behind it. What will you do when you run out of medical supplies? What happens if you can’t restock your first aid cabinet?

Luckily, there is always a solution for your first aid problems and with a little research you find good alternative healing aids for your bug out bag. Having a few of them with you at all times is recommended and here are some clever suggestions.

Best alternative healing aids to carry with you:

Homemade antiseptics

The topic of making homemade antiseptics is quite popular amongst preppers and survivalists, and for good reason. Making your own medicine is not difficult. You are not the first one to try these alternative healing aids. Your ancestor used them on a daily basis and if they worked for them, they should work for you as well. One shouldn’t worry about using them as long as the guidelines are followed to the letter.  Here are the most useful antiseptics you can make at home and take with you on the road:

Dakin’s solution

This is a solution invented during WWI to treat infected wounds. It was invented by Henry Drysdale Dakin, a brilliant English chemist that made a huge difference with the war effort. Dakin’s solution helped saved thousands of lives during WWI. After seeing it success, companies developed a commercial solution that is sold even today. This article will teach you how you can make yours at home.

Sugardine

This is another homemade remedy that stood the test of time and it’s being used in our modern times. Developed initially as a primary method to treat abscesses and thrush on the hooves of horses, it was discovered that sugardine is also highly effective for humans.  This homemade antiseptic is easy to make and it can last for more than a year. To make sugardine you need two main ingredients such as sugar and povidone-iodine or Betadine. Here you can see how simple it is to make yours.

Honey and Sugar 

This is probably one of the oldest alternative healing aids ever recorded. The ancient Egyptians were the first to document this method. The healing proprieties of sugar and honey are mentioned even in the Bible, Koran and Torah. People around the world have used honey and sugar to cleanse and heal traumatic wounds, in particular gunshots wounds and battle injuries where a loss of flesh lead to infections. I recommend reading this article if you want to know more about the science behind this homemade antiseptic and why it works.

Herbs and spices

I’ve recently discussed with a more experienced prepper about his alternative healing aids and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he carries herbs and spices with him. His survival bag has a few film canisters packed with healing herbs and spices. Knowing about medicinal plants is valuable skill to have for when the SHTF. Not to mention that some of the spices you carry will also season your food besides healing your body. If you plan to carry herbs and spices in your bug out bag, I recommend the following:

Cayenne pepper

In the world of preppers and survivalists, cayenne is well-known as a blood-clotting agent with good anti-microbial properties. It can stop even heavy bleeding and putting some on a deep wound will cause the body to release a natural painkiller.

Recommended article: Top 10 medicinal herbs for your garden

Besides being useful to stop bleeding, it is also a good spice for your food and hot beverages. It stimulates digestion and can raise the body temperature during a cold night. It also improves circulation and many hikers will add it to their socks and gloves to keep their limbs warm during winter hikes.

Sage

My grandmother used sage to cure inflamed ears or to alleviate a sore throat and common mouth problems. I remember she used to make tea, let it cool and then add a few drops in our ears twice a day, to calm the pain.  When it comes to alternative healing aids, sage can also alleviate bloating and other intestinal pains. Today, many people use it to relieve heartburn. The pioneers used to burn dried sage to help relieve lung congestion and calm the effects of asthma.

Garlic

This is one of the most useful herbs to grow in your garden and store for alternative healing aids. Diets containing garlic were proven to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack due to its blood vessels dilating properties. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties and it can be used in both tincture, paste and powder forms. It can prevent colds and one remedy I’ve learned from my grandmother involves using garlic, honey and a vitamin C source. In the wild you can make garlic tea using wild garlic and pine needles as your vitamin C source. Garlic is recommended for your “wild dishes” as it makes everything taste better and kills parasites such as giardia. It can even be used as flea deterrent and fish bait.

Rosemary

The rosemary infusion is widely used as a healing beverage for the headache or migraine, but is also known to have a calming effect, especially on children. Rosemary is used by Greek monks even today as a cure for the irritated bowl syndrome. It is one of the main ingredients in hair products as it cleans the grease from your hair but it also has the proprieties to restore damaged hair. Rosemary was often used in French hospital to clean and disinfect the air. They were burning dry bushes of rosemary and people were even carrying rosemary in small bags and inhaled it when they passed through places affected by various diseases. And as a wilderness aid, you can make a spray repellent for insects and venomous snakes.

The list of herbs and spices that can be used as alternative healing aids can go on.

Thyme, cumin seeds, cinnamon, black pepper and even salt, are all good ingredients to have in your bug out bag.

A last word

When modern medicine is not available, you will have to improvise in order to survive. Learning about the alternative healing aids listed in this article will keep you alive when no doctor is around. These self-healing methods have been used by many people before you, during times when advanced medicine wasn’t part of the daily life. Since I am not a doctor and since these are all homemade remedies, I recommend researching anything you read so you are assured of its use and the accuracy of the information provided. If it worked for me it doesn’t mean it can work for you as well. You might be allergic to some of the ingredients or you might not use clean equipment. Since nowadays you have unrestricted access to information, you can research more about these alternative healing aids and decide what would work best for you and your bugging out plans.