When it comes to survival and wilderness first aid, I highly recommend you carry a blood-clotting agent with you in your first aid kit, personally, I believe that CELOX produces the best consumer-available blood clotting agent, as, unlike many other brands, CELOX is also effective for people on blood thinners such as heparin and warfarin etc. You can purchase CELOX here from Amazon. It is quite expensive, but simply put – it could save your life one day…
If you do not have a clotting agent such as CELOX, you can in fact use simple ground black pepper to stop bleeding quickly for small to medium-sized cuts/wounds. Black pepper is naturally antibacterial and it also makes blood coagulate quickly and stop bleeding. Black pepper was commonly used by soldiers in the Second World War, and even today it is often used in professional kitchens (probably due to its availability) to stop cuts from bleeding.
It couldn’t be simpler to use black pepper to stop bleeding – simply pour a generous amount of ground black pepper onto the wound and apply pressure (and bandage if necessary) and it should quickly stop bleeding (please use common sense though as serious cuts may still require the attention of a physician).
Note: Finely ground black pepper works best, and no, black pepper does not sting when put on a cut!
Personally, I keep some CELOX in our first aid kits for emergencies, but for day-to-day and around the home, black pepper is a useful alternative for smaller wounds.
Disclaimer – I am not a medical expert, this information is based on my own experience and research. Please do your own research and exercise common sense before trying this. If you have an existing medical condition or allergy, please check that this won’t interfere with your condition or medication.
