Using pumpkins for survival may sound entirely strange, except you’re a Halloween expert who wouldn’t mind going Bonnie and Clyde to a Christmas party. Pumpkins are not just your carved jack-o’-lanterns during Halloween or your go-to fruits for fall decorations. These orange globes are more beneficial than you may think. In fact, pumpkins are considered a superfood. Let’s see what they can do when SHTF.
3 Ways of Using Pumpkins For Survival
When SHTF, you are hardly thinking of pumpkins. Except the ‘poo’ is that the Halloween characters in your storybook have come to life. Then, you can quickly put on a jack-o’-lantern as a disguise. But this is not what we’re referring to here. We’ll be looking at three excellent ways of using pumpkins for survival when there’s a real-life “poo” on the fan.
Food
The pumpkin is native to North America – they say it is their “orange winter squash”. Most consider pumpkin to be a vegetable, but it is classified as a fruit, thanks to its edible seeds. However, speaking from a nutritional perspective, pumpkins are more of vegetables than fruits. They are linked with faster weight-loss and reduction of cancer risks.
That’s that. According to most, pumpkins have quite a delicious taste, although you may have to improve its flavor with your cooking or baking skills. This deliciousness, alongside the rich nutrients, earmarks pumpkin a great food to include in survival recipes.
Hydration
Dehydration is one of the worst challenges to face in the wilderness. It happens when your body uses or loses most of its fluid reservoir on an activity, therefore becoming incapable of performing other normal functions due to the lack of water. Casual dehydration can become severe very quickly, and that’s a failure in several health processes.
Thankfully, pumpkin is about 90% water when canned—as such, having some cans of pumpkin around when SHTF will improve fluid consumption & retention and prevent dehydration.
Medicine & Immunity
Pumpkin lives up to its status as a superfood. This orange squash is rich in fiber and potassium, and including it in your diet is sure to assist heart health and help stabilize diabetes. What’s more, pumpkins contain antioxidants, compounds that lower the risk of chronic diseases, particularly cancer. When it comes to long-term survival, you’ll appreciate these medicinal benefits – especially when there’s no guarantee of proper medical care.
Speaking of immunity, pumpkin is an abundant source of vitamin C and other nutrients strengthening the immune system. That’s a function you need in the wild since you’ll be exposed to a lot of diseases.
Final Lines on Using Pumpkins For Survival
Obviously, using pumpkins for survival is a sensible idea and not just the thoughts of a Halloween freak. Apart from the uses highlighted above, pumpkin can also serve as food for wildlife. Birds, deer, and goats are keen on pumpkins, and that’s a sure way to hunt. Also, worms in your farmyard eat pumpkin, so there’s an easy way to improve the quality of your farmland.
