First, it is important to know that Himalayan Salt differs from other salts in many positive ways. Himalayan Salt Contains over 84 trace minerals and nutrients including iron, all of which occur naturally in the ocean water, as well as our bodies and are essential for optimal health. Himalayan Salt is unprocessed and has not been chemically cleaned or dried, a process used on regular white table salt that strips away essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Just as with white bread and flour, over processing of these goods causes them to lose the important nutrients that are the reason for consuming them in the first place. Along with the important minerals Himalayan Salt possesses, it has also been preserved for millions of years deep under the Himalayan Mountains, so it is free of modern pollutants making it possibly the purest form of salt on earth!
Outside of consuming salt, it can be used to treat and prevent many ailments as well as treating sores and injuries. Cankers, abscesses and other mouth sores can be effectively treated by gargling with salt water solution several times a day; this also helps to treat and prevent infections in these areas due to salt’s antibacterial and antimicrobial nature. Gargling with salt water can also be used to treat sore throats. Salt can be used to treat sinus infections, by inhaling a salt water solution, as well as aiding with sore eyes, by irrigating the eye with a salt water solution. A multitude of other health issues such as skin irritations, external wounds, fungal infections and even mosquito bites can be aided by soaking in a Salt Bath. A poultice of salt and olive oil can help sooth insect bites and exposure to Poison Ivy. A Salt paste, made by mixing salt with water until it is thick, works to treat the pain and swelling of bee and wasp stings by gently pulling out the venom as it dries. Brushing your teeth with salt helps to prevent infection and treat infections that already exist.
For beneficial uses in health and hygiene alone, Himalayan Salt is an essential item for every well prepared survival or emergency kit, however, salt is a vastly versatile mineral and there are many other important uses for salt that make it a necessary emergency and/or survival kit item.
First of all, salt can be stored indefinitely for future use; salt does not deteriorate unless it gets wet, and it does not become less effective over time, so any salt you store in a dry place will remain available for use as long as you need it.
Salt can be used to preserve and make certain foods, enabling you to make survival foods such as jerky and preserve meats like fish and venison, as well as produce fermented foods like pickles and dairy products such as butter. Wrapping cheese in cloth moistened with salt water will prevent molding and adding a small amount of salt to milk will make it stay fresh longer.
Salt can be used to clean your toothbrush, as well as other orthodontic items such as dentures and also effectively cleans edible greens to remove bacteria and microbes before eating them. Use of salt in your laundry rinse water will prevent clothes from freezing on the line while drying outdoors during winter, while salt used with vinegar will help clean and deodorize your laundry when used in place of detergents.
Miscellaneous uses for salt include reducing cooking time on boiled foods by adding Salt to the water, soaking new candles in a strong salt solution for a couple of hours to reduce dripping while burning and reducing smoke from outdoor cooking grills by sprinkling salt on the flames.