When thinking of uses for animal fat, my mind tends to stray towards the kitchen. However, there are many other uses for it as well that you may not have known about. Some of them may even be beneficial towards you in a survival situation. Don't believe me? Check out these 4 uses for animal fat that could help you out in a survival situation.
1. Use It As Bait
When you are stranded in the wilderness, one thing you will be craving is a stable food source. Catching wild game can be difficult, especially if you were not planning on getting lost, and therefore did not bring the correct equipment. Animal fat can help with this. The colder the environment, the more likely the meat-eating animals are to investigate the fat. That is because the lack of resources during that time has increased their hunger. Then, that increased hunger encourages them to explore and poke their head out more than they typically would. Causing them to walk into your trap and be your next meal.
2. Can Be Used As Medicinal Salve
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Another thing on the unknown uses for animal fat list is medical salve. That's right, when you are in a survival situation you cannot afford to be too picky. Sometimes, you have to work with what you've got, and as far as things go, animal fat isn't the worst thing to work with. Outdoor Life shares, "Healing plants can be combined with melted animal fat to create a wide range of salves and balms for skin care, first aid and other applications." Some examples include, mixed with dried yarrow leaves. This concoction can "help to stop minor bleeding and reduce the risk of infection on cuts, scrapes and scratches."
3. Survivalist Uses For Animal Fat: Waterproofing Tool
That's right! Who needs a ziplock baggie when you have a jar of good old fashioned animal fat. Fat and water do not get along, so if you want anything to be waterproof, lather that baby up. If you have an outerwear that you don't want to get soaked, or any leather clothing you should smear a thin layer of animal fat on the outside. Outdoor life even shared that mountain men and hunters used to use this method to protect their thin leather moccasins from getting wet. In a survival situation, keeping dry and warm can be the difference between life and death.
4. It's Great As A Wet Weather Fire Starter
Ahh fire, one of your best survival tools. It keeps you warm and dry, wards off predators, and can cook your food as well as boil your water. However, in certain weather conditions, starting one may be tougher than you think. Luckily, this is another one of those great uses for animal fat. Animal fat is very flammable, making it perfect for this type of survival situation. Just spread a thin layer of it over your tinder and it should burn strong for several minutes. Thus giving you enough time to properly set up your fire. Outdoor Life also shares, "You could also apply fat to wood, charcoal, or any other flammables to help them burn better and longer than those dry materials would burn without the greasy glow of the burning fat."
So there you have it. Those are 4 uses for animal fat that could really help you out in a survival situation.
