We can learn a lot about how to survive hard times from the early settlers, wouldn’t you say?
I mean, we talk about surviving a disaster like a major blackout… grocery stores being looted during civil breakdown… and hospitals being overwhelmed and unable to provide healthcare during a wide-scale medical crisis.
But the early pioneers didn’t even HAVE electricity… grocery stores… or hospitals, right?
In fact, if you got sick on the frontier, oftentimes there was no doctor… no medicine… and you had to rely on “mother nature” to bring you back to health. Well…
Here’s 1 “Frontier Survival Medicine Hack” When You’re Forced To Be Your Own Doctor During A Crisis…

Ok, this is one of the simplest “pioneer at-home remedies” you can use and it has a TON of uses, including:
- “Cures” colds
- Heals infected wounds
- Gets rid of urinary tract infections
- Dissolves kidney stones
- Relieves arthritis
- And a ton of other medicinal uses!
So what is this “miracle remedy” from the frontier days?
Apple Cider Vinegar!
I know… simple, right?
But the medical proof behind its effectiveness is pretty damn extensive and it was a powerful remedy in the pioneer backcountry.
And it’s really simple to make yourself too…
How To Make Your Own “Frontier Survival Vinegar”…
Of course the easiest thing to do is just hoard away some store-bought apple cider vinegar in your survival food stockpile.
If you don’t have any, add it to your list.
Just be sure to get an organic, unfiltered version that contains the “mother” which is strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria (it will look “murky” with a cobweb-like appearance).
But if our country is in serious “collapse” doo-doo and you run out, here’s how to make it yourself…
- Take the peels and cores of 5 apples (Note: Apples will be one of the most common foods to find at government aid centers during a crisis!)
- Add 2-4 pints of water
- Mash it all in a large container
- Add 1 cup of sugar
- Age for 2 days in container
- Pour into glass bottles and let set for 2 weeks
That’s all there is to it. Now…
Here’s How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar For Frontier Survival Medicine…
The best way to stay healthy and take advantage of the vinegar’s powerful effects is simply to drink it.
I recommend working up to 2 Tablespoons a day in water (you can add a little honey also) for general health and – if you have any condition during a crisis – go up to 3 Tbsp a day.
There are many other uses for vinegar and ways to take it – way too many to go into here – but the cool thing is that you don’t need to wait for a crisis to beging reaping its rewards.
I drink 2-4 tablespoons a day and have more energy… sleep better… and I haven’t had so much as a cold in years.
You can even use it in a “poultice” to put on infected wounds.
(BTW… poultices are just one of the many “lost secrets” from the frontier days that could literally save your life in a major crisis!)
Being your own “frontier doctor” is just one of the skills you may be forced to use in case of a wide-scale blackout… financial collapse… pandemic quarantine… or any other disaster that severely challenges our infrastructure and makes you go “off the grid” for a time.
Learn from the generations before us and master these skills now… BEFORE you need to put them into use.




Prairie Coneflower root is and was used out West.
Natural anesthetic for Tooth ache.
Pace root {washed} in mouth and near area needed. Does work as have used it.
Jeff i’ve got some arthritis creeping up on me at this particular time. I’m gonna give it a shot with that vinegar like you advised above. I hope it works. I get up in the mornings and I can’t hardly open my fingers. Thanks for the advice. I’ll let you know how it ends up. Thank you.
Arthritis- try Gelatin {found in Jello/ Jello section in Markets}.
Get it into your system. Lubricates the Bones. Helps.
2024 has been a dry year, my oregano is very strong this year. The heat and dry intensify the antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties of oregano.
Try a tablespoon or two of epsom salts in a glass of warm water 2x a day for 20 minutes to draw out infection like a hangnail. Also works for a dog with an abscess on their paw: soak a rag in the eppson salt water and apply..
The strongest nonprescription diuretic I know is sunflower leaf tea. At one point I was on prescription diuretics.
Yarrow is an astringent that can help stop minor bleeding. Just smash it and apply. Red pepper also stops bleeding.
Increase the food value of oatmeal. Two cups oatmeal, two cups water, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and about two tablespoons of dry milk. Mix well and leave at room temperature for 14 to 24 hours. The vinegar and sour milk break down the antinutriuents in the oatmeal. Cook as usual.
Have you tried this? It sounds…not tasty.
It is the only way I eat oatmeal! Think of it as a plant based cheese. After 18 to 36 hours I bake it to stop fermentation and dry it a little too prevent rotting. Cut it like cheese.
Colloidal silver is a powerful antiseptic. It is easy to make with electrolysis. Lard and tallow can be used as ointments and soap, and they are also easy to make by boiling pork or beef.
Sorry for the questions, but I like to be more precise:
Q1: Why the apple cores? Is that simply because apple cores are discarded and will be plentiful?
Q2: What kind of sugar? White or raw? Processed or unprocessed? (I would think the sugar will soften the bitterness)
Q3: Do you strain it into the bottles or is that required for the fermentation?
Q4: How long can it be used after the 2 weeks of setting (Fermenting)?
Thank you.
Vinegar is a preservative, don’t filter out the mother. The sugar is also fermented to create vinegar. Many people don’t eat the peels and cores. The seeds contain a small amount of cyanide.
I eat everything but the stem.