As the experience of humanity shows, it is possible to survive for a long time using only improvised means. Even modern man, with a certain amount of skills and abilities, is capable of this. You just need to know what items to use and how to use them. We will not tell you now how to build a multi-story house with the help of a single knife – this is far from the reality. We would rather tell you about something simpler and easily applicable in practice. For example, the useful properties of moss.
Peat moss or sphagnum is a special genus of mosses that lives mainly in bogs and wet areas. Its distinctive feature is that in the process of evolution, this plant learned to store water in itself – for this purpose, it even formed special hollow half-dead cells. In addition, it serves as the main component of peat – an effective fuel, fertilizer, and generally extremely useful substance. The biological features of sphagnum determine the spectrum of its useful properties, which is practically the same regardless of the particular species of plant.
Medical dressings
Moss absorbs almost any liquid – from ordinary water to human blood. It absorbs 20 times more than its own weight. At the same time, unlike traditional bandages, moss retains the ability to pass oxygen, so that the wound can breathe. This prevents the reproduction of anaerobic organisms, facilitates drainage, and promotes rapid healing.
If you consider that moss is also a powerful antiseptic due to the huge content of phenolic and triterpene substances, it becomes clear why many doctors still use sphagnum-gauze medical dressings. Yes, they are sometimes treated with boric acid, but it is not necessary. That means that freshly plucked moss can be applied to open wounds. Unlike traditional bandages, it is necessary to change it less often, and it is much easier to find.
Moreover, moss can be used as an insulating material for fractures. Everyone knows that in case of a bone injury, you need to put a splint on it. But not many people remember that it should not be applied to the naked body. And moss is excellent for insulation purposes. It is moist enough to prevent friction, but it can easily absorb various liquids.
Insulation material
If you need to build a shelter, moss will come in handy here, as well. The fact is that the walls of your house will need to be insulated somehow. As an option – you can use clay, but it will quickly dry out and stop performing its functions. Moss, on the contrary, works great as an insulator. Hollow cells, even tightly packed, perfectly prevent heat from escaping from the inside. And if because of the rain outside they somehow get wet, then due to their antibacterial properties, they will not become a haven for mold and other fungi. They will simply dry out and work normally again. At the same time, moisture, due to hygroscopic properties, which remain even in dry moss, will be evenly distributed throughout the thickness of the material, which contributes to even evaporation of liquid and faster drying. There is only one problem – moss, unlike most of the insulation materials, burns perfectly. So in case of fire, it will aggravate the situation.
Starting a fire
As mentioned above, moss is the main component of peat, a highly effective fire starter. So even just in dried form, it burns quite well. You have to dry moss thoroughly before usage to realize this useful property.
Stuffing
Dried moss burns well and keeps its shape quite well due to the elasticity of cell fibers. So another useful property of moss is the possibility to use it as padding for anything.
Mattress, pillow, blanket – it makes no difference. Moss will be an excellent filling, preventing microscopic dust particles from accumulating due to the antiseptic properties of this material.
Water filter
A unique useful property of moss, which has not yet begun to be widely used – is the ability to filter water from various contaminants and microorganisms effectively. The antiseptic properties of this material help against various microorganisms. It detains large particles mechanically, eliminates microorganisms by antiseptic substances, and retains metal ions in the cells. However, there is no hundred percent guarantee, so it is better to boil the water afterward. But this filter helps quite well from all kinds of chemical contaminants. Well, a main advantage is the simplicity and availability of the material.
We hope that our advice will help you through any difficult times. Stay safe!
