7 Ways to Use Coconut for Survival When You Have Nothing Left

When you find yourself in a Cast Away moment, you become overwhelmed and frantically look for resources that will aid in your survival. But did you ever think of a coconut as a means of surviving? Aside from being a source of food and drink, coconuts can be used in a variety of ways to help you live longer while waiting to be rescued.

Coconut Uses You Probably Didn't Know

If you're stranded on an island or in the middle of nowhere, you should be thankful if you see a coconut tree. While we often take things around us for granted, these overlooked trees produce fruit that could potentially save our lives. Read on for coconut uses you might be surprised to know.

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1. Soothes Dry Skin and Chapped Lips

When you're dehydrated, chances are your lips will chap and your skin will crack. In these situations, apply coconut oil on your lips and the parts of your skin experiencing dryness. This will relieve the pain and discomfort by keeping these parts moisturized.

Coconut oil can be extracted by boiling. While an easy process, it can be time-consuming. However, you'll find that all the time and effort you put into extracting coconut oil will be worth it. Here are the steps you should follow for extracting coconut oil:

1. Start by grating the coconut meat. You can try to build a grater with a block of wood and some nails – just put the nails in rows and make sure they sprout out of the wood. If this isn't doable, get some rough wood to help you grate the meat.
2. Add hot water to the coconut and stir this mixture until it cools. Then, squeeze the coconut meat as much as you can to extract as much coconut milk as possible.
3. Add more hot water after the first squeeze and repeat the process after you squeezed out as much milk as you can.
4. Put the coconut milk over the fire and leave it there to boil.
5. After an hour, the foam will form on the surface and yellowish fat will appear on the edges. When this happens, sprinkle water on the coconut milk's surface to draw out the oil.
6. When the foam begins to dissipate and you see the surface is covered with golden oil, you can pull the mixture out of the heat. Pour it through a strainer or cloth to capture the foam and bits of coconut milk.
7. Allow the coconut milk to settle and solidify. Pour into a small bowl to skim the surface of your container.
8. Set aside what is left after skimming and transfer the rest to another container and put it on the fire for another 15 minutes.
9. After the bubbles disappear, you'll see the newly extracted coconut oil!

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2. Hygienic Purposes

You won't have to worry about hygiene if you find a coconut tree nearby. Soap, mouthwash, deodorant, ear cleaner, hair conditioner, and hand wash are all among the many coconut uses for hygienic purposes. It can even kill head lice!

3. Rust Removal

If you're lucky enough to have a knife with you during an emergency situation, but find yourself unable to use it because of rust, coconuts can help you out. All you have to do is apply a thick layer of coconut oil to your knife blade and let it stay for 1 to 2 hours. Wipe off afterward and repeat if needed.

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4. Nose Bleed Prevention

Being out in the heat for too long can cause your nose to bleed. While a bleeding nose is rarely a sign of a serious medical problem, it can prohibit you from functioning as you normally would. You may prevent this from happening by gently applying coconut oil to the inside of your nose.

5. Treatment for Wounds and Cuts

Coconut oil has many medical properties, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory being the most effective. This is a great solution if you suffer from abrasions and cuts. To treat wounds and prevent infections, apply coconut oil and cover it with a bandage if there is one available. You may consider this as a first aid method for cuts and abrasions that might become a much bigger problem if left untreated.

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6. Cooking Bowl

If you find yourself on a deserted island near the ocean, you can catch fish or clams. While it's easy to just use a stick to cook the fish, roasting clams may be a little more tricky. However, you can use the coconut shell to roast the clams with ease.

7. Relief from Bug Bites

Bug bites are inevitable in the outdoors. They can be uncomfortable, itchy, and painful. Fortunately, applying coconut oil to those pesky insect bites can remedy and prevent the swelling and itching, therefore providing relief.

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For more information on how you can use coconuts for tropical survival, check out this video from mount victory:

Known as the “tree of life”, the coconut tree is among the most beneficial plants to mankind, thanks to the many uses we have for coconut. We may often take it for granted, but it has numerous benefits for both health and survival that we do not realize until we're in a desperate situation. Consider yourself lucky whenever there is a coconut tree nearby and use these tips to your advantage!

Do you know any other uses for coconuts? Let us know in the comments section!

from SurvivalLife https://survivallife.com/coconut-uses-survival/