I think hoarding gasoline is a mistake. It's volatile and dangerous. You probably won't have facilities to store significant amounts of it safely. Whatever machines rely on gasoline become useless when there is none, which will happen sooner than you like. I believe that stored gasoline also develops problems if it sits too long. Not sure about that, but I seem to recall that it gets gummed up or something, or some of the components settle out and cause problems.

I'd highly recommend going with manual tools, rather than gas-powered ones. If you take good care of it, a good ax can last decades, maybe even 100 years or more. A chain saw won't last nearly that long. Any little thing that goes wrong makes it useless - a broken chain, a clog in the gas line, a bad ding in the wrong place. Repairing it may be impossible without specialized tools that may not be available. Same with lots of the higher-tech devices. Avoid them. Stick with the simple, robust tools that can endure for a long, long time. All you need for an ax is a whetstone and an ax handle - and you can make ax handles.

Other tools would be hunting-type knives, crowbars, hammers and sledgehammers, and plenty of nails - big, hairy nails, lots and lots of them. Back in the olden days, when people moved, they'd burn their old houses down to retrieve the nails in them. If things are really bad and nails are hard to get, that could be a great bartering commodity.

Use solar electricty--> electrolysis--> hydrogen gas to run turbines, gas stoves...flamethrowers to scare off anyone who wants to step on your property....But Solar is EXPENSIVE. I dont know maybe i have an obsession with electricity lol.

Originally posted by cnichols
And yes, cleaning stuffs is on my list, I just posted what I thought of off the top of my head at the time I posted. I always keep the little "soap & shampoo's" from hotels whenever I stay (which isn't often but eh). I figure them little bottles of soap and shampoo will come in handy some day!

Funny thing is I do travel all the time for work and I have a rubbermade tote in my bug out location with hundrof little soaps, shampoos and lotions as barter goods.

I'm of two minds about trading ammo.

Sounds kind of ridiculous, but...

Baby wipes. A few cases of those for the #2, save tp for #1.

Also - peroxide
rubbing alcohol
first aid kit/eyewash saline (just in case)
aspirin
excedrin migraine
vitamins

If you want power - there is a plug and play solar panel kit that I purchased. You leave it on the roof and the wire connects to one of the sockets in the house.

Plug N Play 250w Grid Tied Solar Power Kit - $1893 *
250Watt = refrigerator + electric water heater + electric oven

* only good during daytime when there is light.

Ok, I'll take the bait and a (s)wipe at it. Who needs TP? TPTB need TP, that's who. The rest of us in a real emergency can go strip dry inner bark from dead trees like tulip poplar and cedar. It really does work well and leaves you lemony fresh. No sh**. Try it next time your out there, I'm not joking about it. Ok. the lemony fresh part perhaps.

I had to laugh when I read the OP title. It so reminds me of my dad.

He would most certainly tell you that you only need an amount of toilet paper that is direct proportion to the amount of food you are buying. I only know this because that is the line he uses on the ladies he "charms" at the grocery store. Don't laugh. It has worked. On attractive, college educated women. In grocery stores.

FWIW, my dad is slightly eccentric and sort of funny in a that kind of way where he has never met a stranger and people forgive him countless gaffes and breaches of etiquette because he's so smart, amusing, charming and he means well. Anyways, we love him...

So, long story short ATS...at least have enough on hand to have a healthy T.P. to food ratio. And some to barter.

Newspaper is surprisingly soft and absorbant. Must be something to do with the amount of crap it contains in print. I've got enough newspaper to last at least 2 years including times of illness.

I have been stocking up on feminine hygiene products for barter. I know there are products for sale that are reusable. But really most women are gonna want the comfort of what they are used to.

I have been collecting heirloom seeds as well.

I asked for my grandmother's canning books and other 'out of date' style books on information.

Originally posted by Henygirl
I have been stocking up on feminine hygiene products for barter. I know there are products for sale that are reusable. But really most women are gonna want the comfort of what they are used to.

I have been collecting heirloom seeds as well.

I asked for my grandmother's canning books and other 'out of date' style books on information.

I would still use the cloth feminine products.How would you dispose of
the disposible ones while in hiding?