What is the one thing you’d absolutely want to take with you?  I’ve always answered this question with two things - a book and lip balm.  I give myself two items since I plan on being prepared!  I’ve often thought of this since I started seriously prepping, and really I don’t think I’d change my choices.  I keep a book in my bug out bag, and I have shelves full at home.  I also have lip balm….but I was thinking about long-term storage and realized I hadn’t really put up a big supply of lotions and lip balms.  This is a small luxury that’s very easy to stock up, and inexpensive too.  I can make do with plain old petroleum jelly, which is very inexpensive.  This would be a wonderful barter item if the need arises.

Petroleum jelly is safe to use, people seldom have an allergy and it has a very long shelf life.  As I was thinking about this, I was wondering what we would do in a major collapse where our way of life changed.  Could we find a substitute around us for the convenience of buying lotions and lip balm?  Spreading animal fat on my lips holds little appeal, although I’m sure people did that for centuries when they didn’t have any choice. 

Fortunately in North America we have a ready supply of alternatives from nature.  All we need is the basic knowledge to know where to look.  Bees wax is a good choice, it can be melted and used as a lubricant and also for lighting.  I’m not sure I want to tangle with bees especially in an environment that lacked professional medical services.  Pine nuts are the most logical choice for most of us as pine trees exist in almost every region of the United States.  Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pine trees and can be pressed to produce pine nut oil.  The pressing may pose some difficulty and you may want to consider a screw-type oil press for your retreat.  There are three main pines used in the US, Colorado Pinyon, Single-leaf Pinyon and Mexican Pinyon along with 8 other varieties that produce nuts large enough to press - it would be wise to check out which are native to your area.

Pine nuts taste great and are highly nutritious - they also have medicinal value in that they’ve shown some ability to lower bad cholesterol and also reduce damage from peptic ulcers or gastritis.  Pine nuts can also be roasted with chicory for those of you needing a daily dose of coffee-like beverages.

I find the idea of using a vegetable oil as a moisturizer far more appealing than smearing deer fat all over.  It can also be used as a healthy alternative in cooking and can be used to make mayo, and other food items requiring a fat component.  I suppose you could use pine oil for soap making too, if you could press enough.

Being prepared means more than just having the necessities of life.  It means having knowledge of how to continue our lives in a meaningful and enjoyable way.  I will be adding moisturizers to my prep lists and making sure I have planned for future sources.  No chapped lips around me!