Every survival kit or preparatory medicine cabinet should have Epsom Salts and if you have room, buying them in bulk is not a bad idea.

They are versatile, long lasting and can help with an array of physical ailments.

#1 Use Epsom salt to… relax your body and mind.

Relaxing the body and tired feet is a primary use of Epsom salt for preppers in particular. Homesteading is hard work and soaking in a bath with Epsom salt added can soothe muscle aches and pains from a long day working the fields. Epsom salt is a mineral” magnesium sulfate and acts as a sedative for the nervous system, which is why it does wonders to relax your body. Provided water is abundantly available, preppers can enjoy relaxing in a tub of water and Epsom salt to relieve the work day. What's more, Epsom salts provide magnesium ions to give a happier outlook for mind and soul. Stress robs your body of magnesium. Simply soak to help ease your stress and restore balance to your body!

#2 Use Epsom salt to… help you flush toxins and absorb magnesium.

Epsom salt can help to flush out toxins from the body, and thereby improve absorption of nutrients. Specifically, through a foot soak absorption, Epsom salt can boost your magnesium levels! (About 80% of the population is magnesium deficient.) What's more, flushing toxins with Epsom salts may also help relieve migraine headaches. The recipe for using Epsom salts to treat migraine headaches is at the bottom of the page of the Wikihow article that explains how magnesium sulfate can provide relief.

#3 Use Epsom salt as a laxative.

Constipation is an overlooked prepper problem and Epsom salt can help.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Epsom salts for use as a laxative, preppers should use caution and talk with a physician before using, as Epsom salt may interact with other medications.*

Foods preppers east, such as beans, dehydrated and freeze dried foods, powdered milks and cheeses, add to the problem as does not having enough water! Other constipating foods include coffee, red meats,  fried foods, chips and other salty snacks. If you don't have natural fiber sources, such as a garden of fresh fruits and vegetables to keep you regular, surely you will have bouts of constipation!

Constipation can uncomfortable and possibly also life threatening if it goes untreated for long periods. The solution is to:

#4 Use Epsom salt as a… plant food supplement, fertilizer and pest control agent.

Epsom salt is great for potted plants and garden plants because it allows more sulphur into the soil. For generations, gardeners have used Epsom salt, and now preppers are taking notice because Epsom salt:

•    Fertilizes your plants.  .Epsom salt is an excellent fertilizer for tomato plants, and in particular also Helps tomatoes and peppers grow strong.

•    Keeps slugs at bay. Get rid of pesky garden slugs because they hate salt, and using Epsom salt to deter slugs is organic gardening technique that will simultaneously enhance the pH of your soil.

#5 Use Epsom salt to… Relieve Soothe Skin of Summer Ailments.

Epsom salts can provide a relaxing soak to soothe dry itchy skin. Specifically, Epsom salt will help soothe your skin around the following summer ailments:
o    mosquito bites
o    bee stings
o    sunburns
o    poison ivy and
o    blisters

In short, Epsom salt draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much more.

Household Uses of Epsom Salt

Bathrooms. Try using Epsom salt to clean the tiles of your bathroom and kitchen. (The salts are a mild abrasive to get into the grout when you mix with dish washing liquid.)

Any one of these uses makes it worth while to have Epsom Salts in your survival kit or emergency medical cabinet.

Because they are inexpensive, you can stock up on them and store them in bulk for years.

For more information on Epsom Salts and the amazing array of uses for them, please visit Happy Preppers.