Most people think olive oil isn’t good for prepping because it goes bad too quickly, but what you might not know is that olive oil will last for at least 1-2 years if it’s left unopened and stored in a cool dark place.
That means that as long as you cycle through your stock regularly you can keep a year’s worth of the wonder oil stocked up in case things get bad. Olive oil is better for much more than cooking, and can do just about everything from medical uses to making a candle. Check out the five uses for olive oil below and start keeping some in stock for a rainy, post-SHTF day.
1. Care for Leather
When things go bad you won’t be able to go down to the store and pick up some leather protectant and conditioner. Leather gloves, boots, belts, and holsters will start to crack and break if not cared for correctly and without sporting goods stores to go pick up new ones, caring for what you have will be more important than ever.
Make sure to wipe dirt and dust off your leather before applying the olive oil, and only wipe a thin layer on. The idea is for it to not feel greasy once it’s soaked in.
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2. Moisturizer
Since olive oil works for conditioning leather, it will work great for moisturizing your hair and skin. Consider olive oil the first all-natural body moisturizer.
Keep dry skin from cracking and apply to cuts to keep them moisturized and allow them to heal faster. Going outside in freezing conditions? Apply some olive oil to exposed skin before going out to protect against the cold. Remember, something as simple as cracked skin can lead to an infection that you might not have antibiotics for.
3. Shave
It’s a pretty good bet that you won’t have cans of shaving cream for the foreseeable future when the SHTF, but what happens if you don’t want to grow a beard?
Olive oil works great for shaving lotion, cutting down on razor burn and cuts. Just rub some over your face and shave normally. You’ll get a close shave and soft skin, too!
4. Lubricant
Instead of stocking up on lubricants like WD-40 that you can’t eat or cook with, why not stock up on some extra olive oil and use it for your lubrication needs and have it to cook with if necessary.
You can also use expired olive oil for lubrication, too. Instead of tossing out of date olive oil, use it to lube and protect metal objects like hinges and tools.
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5. Survival Candle
Easily the coolest use for olive oil, you can use it to make yourself a candle for those dark survival situations. This is great for long-term survival as well as extended power failures.
All you need to make your own survival candle is:
- Olive oil (expired or not, doesn’t matter)
- Mason Jar
- Wick (any fabric string, including strings, shoelaces, or mop strings)
- Paperclip or ornament holder
For instructions on making the candle, check out this video:
