Once money is worthless, what is the best thing to stock up on for trading?

1) Water purifier, (I like black berkey, w/ 4 drops bleach will clean almost anything). Some big 55 gal drums (food grade-clean) of water if you can store it. It keeps.

2) A few long guns in the best (or most available) calibers (.308/7.62 NATO, 30'06, .22 LR, .223/5.56 NATO, 12 gauge). A semi-auto rifle or two included.

3) A couple of handguns, one for you and one for significant other. Preferably .45 ACP, 9mm parabellum, .22 LR, .40 S&W, .357 mag/.38spl +p, common calibers

4) Plenty of ammo for all the above.

5) Propane and Coleman fuel, and a way to cook with it.

6) 2 mos worth of non-perishables, not expired.

1-4 are all equally important, in that order.

For trading; make sure you have enough of above to keep for yourselves.

reply to post by felonius


How cultured you are. Nothing wrong with that. However, When SHTF it will be every woman and man fending for himself and his family. It will be the law of the jungle and survival of the fittest. Anyone wit a weak mind will die. You will only see the true primal nature of man when he is pushed into a corner and has to decide whether to live or die. You will find that he will eat a human before he will die of starvation. I, am joking, in a sense, and would personally never do this, but there are those that I promise you, .....will. They will probably live better than you and I by bartering females. It's the number one watched topic on the internet (women and sex, that is), it pays well when they dance around poles for men and they don't even have to have sex. Have you ever seen what a pimp drives and what he wears? He's made quite a living off of utilizing the natural, hypnotic seductive properties of the female form. I don't want this to happen, but it will. Yeah, it was ind of a message wrapped up in a joke at the end of the day though. People don't do this at home or at school......or at the Apocolype.

:bags of soil
:compost
:water purifiers
:wheat,corn,assortment of vegetable seeds, rice
:solar generator
:LED grow lights
:batteries (preferably 9V) and steel wool.

in the beginning of civilization, cereals were used as currency. they are easily grown and refined to create breads tortillas and all sorts of food medians. i think that if this once was, it will be again.

the batteries and steal wool can be used to start a fire in seconds. when all the lighters go out and matches are burned up those that are not knowledgeable in the fire starting department will go cold and without cooked food. magnesium sticks work well and all but can be heavy in large amounts. steel wool is light weight and one 9V battery can be used to start 100s if not 1000s of fires with steel wool. the 9V batteries can also be used for easy makeshift flash lights once the power gos out and there are millions of unused light bulbs out in the world.

so yeah cereals, steel wool and batteries.

I posted earlier about items I think would be helpful to have for bartering. I would like to put some emphasis on "knowledge." If you posess the knowledge and have skills, you will always have something to offer.

Get a small reference library together of "How To..." books and manuals and military survival guides. These will be invaluable.

THE ABILITY TO STOP YOUR NEED TO BARTER IS A TOP PRIORITY.

Bartering puts you in a tremendous amount of risk. The "have-not's" will target those who "have." They will use their own women and children to rob you, if not kill you for your possessions. Become 100% self sustained.

I also wanted to talk about food. Here are a few things to consider in terms of your food supply. Each type of storable food has it's pros and cons. The three biggest concerns with food are:

1. Shelf-life. This is quite obvious. You want food that is not perishable.
2. Calories. Survival is a calorie game. Get food that provides the highest amount of calories you can.
3. Water. Choose food based on how much water will be at your disposal. For example, if you are in a low water situation, freeze dried food may not be as good as canned food. Yes, freeze dried food tends to have more calories but uses more water.

In a low water situation I recommend canned foods. Choose foods based on calories and nutrients. Don't forget Vitamin C. It stops Scurvy and helps your immune system.

If water is less of a concern, I strongly recommend MILITARY ISSUED MRE's. The key here is not the fake MREs. Get the ones issued by the military. Why? Calories. The fake military MREs have 400-600 calories in total, whereas the real MREs used by the US Military have over 2000 calories. Real MREs also contain neat little items like signal mirrors, small compasses, and other helpful items.

The objective is not to have enough food stored to survive for the rest of your life. That's too much money and too much space. The objective is to have enough stored food to eat until you can sustain yourself off the land. Have enough seeds for several seasons. Decide which agriculture is best for your area.

Also, put some thought into your bug out or survival vehicle. You should have several different repair manuals. A full tool kit with spare parts. Spare parts should include oil filters, oil/water/fuel pump, gasket kit, tire repair kit, hose and belts, brake pads. Do some research on your vehicle to see what items wear down and break the most commonly. All tires should be the same size for interchangeability. Consider two full size spares. Get snow chains. A good array of replacement fluids (Oil, brake, transmission...). You should have a few Jerry cans with fuel reserves and water. You may also want to consider a fuel "bladder" to increase the total capacity. Keep plenty of maps with a compass. Learn to use a compass with a map. Learn to use a map without a compass as well. Consider building a hidden cache or lockbox in the vehicle. Consider your needs. Do you want a older vehicle that is easy to repair or a newer vehicle with better fuel economy. A 4x4 is strongly recommended in any senario. A high capacity winch and towstrap can be extremely useful. Also consider a CB Radio and Scanner to communicate and stay ahead of the game.

Just my thoughts...

It just occurred to me:

Probably the highest value trade item would be the persons responsible for the SHTF situation in the first place.

I know I'd give a lot to get my hands on them.

reply to post by Phenomium

They will probably live better than you and I by bartering females. It's the number one watched topic on the internet (women and sex, that is), it pays well when they dance around poles for men and they don't even have to have sex. Have you ever seen what a pimp drives and what he wears? He's made quite a living off of utilizing the natural, hypnotic seductive properties of the female form.

If that kind of days ever come, predators/pimps/whores/child-slave traders etc. will be dog food. Hence the need for plenty of ammo at the top of the list. Gotta take care of Fido.

reply to post by apacheman


The people responsible will likely be deep underground.

Can you imagine the reception they would get when they decide to come back to the surface?

I notice a lot of people all mention guns and ammo, which unfortunately i have none of and would find very hard to obtain in a SHTF situation or even now to be honest with license regulations in my country.
Even replica weapons that do not work are illegal. As are anything like crossbows,swords, mace spay, anything considered a offensive weapons.

But yes On topic the most useful things i would recommend like nearly everybody else are, Apart from knowledge of survival skills ( which i would consider THE most important thing ) are. Lots of water and some means of sterilization, e.g. Water purification tablets. Food, also as mentioned , High calorie sources , e.g. energy bars, Useful tools and misc items such as - sowing needles and threads, rope, cable ties, glue, tube of silicone pocket knives, screwdrivers and other small hand tools, binoculars would also be another useful item along with small lightweight batteries.High Quality bin bags,black bin liners which are waterproof and can be used to carry/store any equipment or supplies you have left. Also consider taking padlocks and keys although these could be useless,they may come in handy but will have a poor weight to size ratio. Local and Regional maps with laminated covers, by all means pack a compass.( it may not work if there is any magnetic anomalies,depends on what SHTF really) but you could still make out any large natural landmarks on a map. i.e rivers streams hills etc. Obviously you would take some sort of Aid kit/Medical supplies, Sterilizing alcohol,bandages plasters,tweezers, scissors, paracetamol, ibuprofen, anti-biotics ,vitamin tables.eye wash, face mask/dust masks.rubber gloves. Paper,pads, pens,pencils. Spare Clothes,socks underwear gloves hats scarves.Oh and of course a couple of carry bags and a large rucksack to try to carry everything.

all this is just my opinion

reply to post by johngtr


Just for the record you can legally buy blank firing replica weapons in the UK as well as swords and crossbows.

reply to post by Arkady


ok thanks for correction, i believe i am correct in saying it is illegal to have them imported into the country, that may be where i got mixed up. im not 100% but i will check that in a moment, i believe this because i had a sword set imported from usa, before they were banned. ill double check now and edit if im wrong.

EDIT - en.wikipedia.org...

The link will take you to legislation for different countrys including the uk

this is the closest i can find - quickly - for information on swords and blades being confiscated as offensive weapons

One of the best things to have when the SHTF is lots of friends. Some are assuming that most men will sink to the lowest possible level of humanity and that it will be every man for himself. I don't think this will be the case far all. It is true that some psychopaths are prepared to blow their neighbors brains out if they come looking for food, and evidently sell their own family members in slavery, but I have a sneaking suspicion that some are prepared to do that even now before the proverbial "S" even hits the fan.

In reality I think that most people will band together in close units of family & friends or religious groups and pool their resources and assist those who are weak. When the Hutus & Tutsis started butchering one another in Rwanda a few years ago, many people risked their own lives to save their friends and neighbors been though they may have had different ethnic backgrounds. The same took place in Nazi Germany as many risked their own lives to protect people they didn't even know. After the Earthquake in Haiti, friends there told me how they banded together to provide & assist each other, often as great personal sacrifice.

So I think having a strong network of family & friends who are willing to share their resources or even their homes if necessary will be one of the most important assets to have.

reply to post by Elieser


One of the most important things to stock up on whether you intend to barter with it or not is seeds. Organic heirloom seeds. Unlike the hybrid seeds they will produce after their own kind. In 2012 you won't be able to buy them and all the food you will buy at the grocery store will be hybrid food. Another important thing to stock up on is salt and sugar. The human body can survive weeks on just those two things alone and not to mention if you go hunting and there is no electricity to power your freezer how do you intend to store that meat long term? One word--salt. Toilet paper will probably be something to barter with. I'll get back to you when I think of more things.

Originally posted by kdog1982
Antibiotics? I got a huge stash of them,still good cause the wife makes me go to the doc
whenever I have a sniffle,I just don't take them.

hey mate how long would they last?, ive googled it but got different responses on both ends of the scale. and also do you keep them in the fridge or a cool dry area?

I was watching the Science channel the other night and realized that what your #1 priority should be is a complete dvd collection of the series "How It's Made" and a rechargable player.

Then you set up as consultant.

science.discovery.com...

The really great thing is you get to see the tools you need to make the thing you want. By cross-referencing the episodes, you'd be able to jump-start technology again much faster. Plus a careful study of the backgrounds will yield a ton of useful ideas.


Yeah, baby: fat city, no matter what.

bodies

and that my friend is a fact

oh i'm sorry i though you said stack up

i guess whatever i can scavenge from the bodies..

Hey,how about all my solar powered landscape lights I have!
That could be transformed and used for something.Rechargable batteries.

Originally posted by ITSALLAROUNDYOU

Originally posted by kdog1982
Antibiotics? I got a huge stash of them,still good cause the wife makes me go to the doc
whenever I have a sniffle,I just don't take them.

hey mate how long would they last?, ive googled it but got different responses on both ends of the scale. and also do you keep them in the fridge or a cool dry area?

Its hard to say,but when SHTF and there is nothing else around,why not.
Who knows what the true shelf life of that stuff is.
I think some of it is made up so we would buy more
and make the pharms more money.
Whose to say.

first, i'd say spices.. you be suprised just what you could trade for some cumin or oregano lol. but especially salt, it can be used for so much more than people know. wars have been fought over salt. try to find some small airtight containers, divvy it up, one or two tablespoons to a container.

and despite your personal beliefs, the vice goods, tobacco and liquor. and it doesn't have to be the good stuff. buy cheap pints of whiskey and vodka. also instead of buying cigarettes, i'd advise the big bags of pipe tobacco as it's generally cheaper, and packs of papers. divvy you tobacco up into about one ounce bags with a pack of papers. in a couple of months after the SHTF, you could be king of the block. well, as long as your stores hold out. lol

best to barter your services instead of things,learn to repair needed thing like eyeglasses, clothes ,shoes,and mechanical stuff, that said for barter have the unusual like coffee filters,dirt cheap and light and should last for decades left in original packaging,and also put in a freezer bag, put one in a funnel and filter water, used motor oil,kerosene, whatever needs to be filtered and clean.needles and thread for cloth and leather,leather gloves and boot laces will great for barter,dont be to eager to barter away stuff, instead offer "services" such as filtering or purifying, and sewing alterations and repair.i wouldnt barter anything unless i had to.NEVER barter guns or ammo they will just be used against you, next week, next month ,or next year, but it will happen, keep all guns and ammo and never let anyone know how much you have, or you will be attacked,no one will barter away gun or ammo unless they have plenty to spare.plenty of killing will be going on after SHTF and ammo will run out fast,keep yours and show off guns to scare off and put fear and respect into people but dont shoot them unless to kill.keep the bad guys guessing as to your ammo. plenty of guns will be around, just not ammo.if you offer say machine shop service dont let customers see you doing the work keep them dumb as to how to do it, maintain your service ability. i dont think tobbacco and aspirin has a long self life,but for short termi would pefer aspirin and such , people can go with out vices if they have too.

freezer bags are great for storing things, but they do wear out and delevop cracks,but for short term they work good. waxed dental floss,can be used for stitching up wounds and other things,hand bar soap,bandaids and other type dressings, all these will keep for decades if kept in a good sealed container,and will be good for barter also.i think we need to look at SHTF in 2 ways ,short term and long term.