With everything that has been going on in the world around us lately I’ve noticed the always popular trend of survival prepping surge to unparalleled heights. The need to hoard and to stock survival essentials and keep our families safe from danger and starvation is a very strong and an almost urgent need for most of us.
Even though we hope there is never a need for the prepping to be of actual use, it is important to at the very least have a few things handy for that “just in case” scenario that we all fear.
There are many articles already written on what the average family needs to be prepped and ready. However, I find most of those lists lacking three specific things that I believe are necessary for any long term survival situation.
Your Three Must Have Survival Essentials
Seeds:
If something were to happen and all the stores shelf’s were bear then we’d need to grow our own vegetable and fruits once again. Seeds are important because they insure that one will never have to go hungry. Might take some work but it’ll be worth it in the long run. Even more, seeds will become an important barter item. You could trade them for the items you lack or the items you want. Considering that you can find various seed vaults available for sale online, stockpiling seeds becomes an easy practice.
You could also harvest and store your own seeds, but that takes a little practice. It also requires a good knowledge of how long seeds can be stored and which are the proper conditions for storing them. Seeds are one of the survival essentials that should be at the top of your list. You should stockpile only what grows in your region because it’s unlikely that you will go to farm too far away from home.
Related article: Understanding garden seeds for self-sufficiency
Honey:
Long shelf life, honey lasts forever and once it has hardened (crystallized) all you have to do is reheat it to get it soft again. This is one of the survival essentials that are a must. You should understand that this food will even outlast you, therefore it is recommended to have it in every survival pantry.
Honey can be used as a secondary calorie source. It packs 64 calories per tablespoon which comes in handy in an emergency where calories are hard to come by. Not only is it a significant calorie 
source. It’s nutritious for you too with many vitamins in it that your body needs to function properly like b6, A,C,D, thiamin, riboflavin, potassium, and calcium too.
Honey can be used as a topical antibiotic. Because of its high sugar content it keeps bacteria from growing while killing the rest. It can be warmed (not hot, just warm) and applied to wounds, burns or skin infections. Honey will become a valuable alternative healing method when there will be no doctors to help you.
Honey also calms coughs and has many other healing uses that people have been relying on it for generations.
Even more, honey can be used to preserve food and in some parts of Africa they use honey to preserve raw meat. I’ve once eaten smoked meat that was preserved in honey for two years and there was nothing wrong with it. Except that it tasted a little sweet, which is normal if you consider that the meat has been submerged in honey for two years.
Important:
Remember that even though honey is great for adults and older children it is not recommended that any child under one year be given honey. Smaller children don’t have the working digestive tracts that older children and adults have and can unfortunately get botulism from honey.
Related article: Honey the ultimate survival food
Vodka:
Taking into account its obvious use as comfort liquor, Vodka is necessary to have in case of an emergency. If a bad case scenario happened, eventually you would start to run out of supplies. You would have to start trading and bartering with others. One thing that will be in short supply by then and wanted by many is vodka. You just might be able to trade it for something your family could use: batteries, seeds, food, medical supplies etc.
Vodka can be used as an antiseptic. Put some on a cloth and clean your wounds and cuts with it. It can also be sued to disinfect items you will use on your body for various healing procedures. You can soak the instrument in vodka for about 10 minutes to have a sterile tool.
Vodka can be used for pain relief. If you get hurt and are in need of quick pain relief while awaiting the healing process to begin, a shot or two of vodka will help numb the pain. Back in the day people used it to alleviate mouth pain. Some people use it even today since it’s cheaper than medicine. Survival essentials like alcohol and other vice items are frowned upon by many survivalists. They consider bartering with addicted people a dangerous scenario. To be fair, it’s all about having the upper hand and being in control. Addicts will become desperate to procure their vices and you will tip the scale in your favor as long as you take precautionary measures.
Remember!
These three survival essentials alone won’t make you survival ready. I do believe that if added to your survival gear your family could have much more of a chance in the case of an emergency that requires families to fend for themselves.
Recommended self-sufficiency resources:
The LOST WAYS (The vital self-sufficiency lessons our great grand-fathers left us)
US Water Revolution ( A DIY Project to Generate Clean Water Anywhere)
Survival MD (Knowledge to survive any medical crisis situation)
Better than vodka, duh a small still. They are legal to own as long as no vodka is make but they won’t be checking on you after TDHTF. It can also distill water and essential oils. Not amazon sells them, go ahead and check on it. Nice thing for any prepped!
10 minutes in vodka sterilizes a knife? Nope, sorry, ain’t gonna happen. Nasty things like Botulinum spp and Clostridium tetani are two reasons this would not work. However, for Xmas this year, the Farm Boss gave me a wicked sharp knife. Modeled after scalpels, even the blades are packaged the same. It’s in my bug out bag, can be used after surgery (and pressure cooker) for skinning hides.
The Vodka, though, isn’t a bad idea. Tinctures can be made easily enough and their shelf life is pretty indefinite, too. Personally, I’d go for the Everclear, instead. Costs the same, extracts more readily, then the maceration can be watered down prior to use.