Vodka Is a Must-Have for Any First-Aid Kit

To paraphrase one of the great philosophers of our time: Alcohol is the solution to all of life's problems. It's a sentiment Outside writer Susan Casey appears to agree with. In a piece on putting together a first-aid kit for all manner of adventures, Casey surprisingly calls a flask of vodka "the best addition I've made to my ready-for-anything list."

 She calls the liquor "wildly useful," noting it can be used as an anesthetic, a disinfectant, and an antimicrobial—and makes a mean martini for drinking around the campfire. 

"It can clean a cut, prevent infection, and de-stress the patient all at once," Casey writes.

Here are just a few of the uses Casey notes while singing vodka's praises:

• Treat poison ivy.
• Treat a jellyfish sting.
• Sterilize a needle.
• Treat an ear infection.
• Use as hand sanitizer.
• Start a fire with it.
• Gargle for a sore throat.
• Use in a hot toddy to cure jet lag.

Read the full story on Newser.com

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