# REVISIT: BARTER ITEMS Lets' list and discuss



## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

A long time ago the good folks here on S&EP, had lengthy discussions on items to collect now to be used as barter items should there ever be a need in a SHTF reality. I think it'd be good to revisit those thoughts and discuss anew with all the new folks here now. I've not hung out here consistantly. for a while, so forgive me if the subject has been covered recently. 

I, for one gather up cast iron ware. I use cast iron for all my cooking as it's great on a stovetop, over a fire, on a gas or charcoal grill too. If cared for properly it'll be an heirloom. I have cast iron cookware and kitchen tool pieces that are well over 100 yrs old. I can see that cast iron would be a worthy barter item as our culture loves their teflon crap...but teflon doesn't last, you can't cook with it over a fire or the teflon turns to toxic fumes. 

The kicker is cast iron has recently come into a ever growing popular item. I belong on a Facebook group called Cast Iron Cooking. That group was at 15,000 members last winter when I joined and in a day or so will surpass the 100,000 member. That means there are more and more folks wising up...yep..but those folks are also on the look out for the quality CI. The best Ci was made before the World wars...when people turned in iron for the war efforts.
~~~~~~~~:

I also gather up can openers. Nothing beats a Swing-a-way can opener. i also keep P-51's on hand.

~~~~~~~~:
-scrt


What barter items can you think of or do you gather?


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I gave away all of the cast iron to my nephew. It&#8217;s too heavy, I hurt my wrist, I hurt my back. I think the old style better quality can openers with fat handles would be a great barter item, especially when you consider how many people only have an electric one, or as a spare one of those awful cheap things that hurt your hand. 

Maybe real simple cook books. I have a duo tang folder with sheet covers for my go-to cookbook. Anything I can&#8217;t remember (how much baking powder in the biscuits?) I have the recipe written down and in a sleeve. Because its for me, I put on as many recipes as I can on each side. Imagine writing down basic things for someone who doesn&#8217;t know how to cook and the best thing- washable pages. Larger print than most books have, with notes on what you are writing about (what a spatula looks like). Include foraging edibles, such as Jerusalem artichoke, dandelion leaves and root, etc.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

As we were discussing on the salt thread, salt is a good prep to have as a barter item. It's dirt cheap now, but would be precious for preserving meat and fish post SHTF.

My personal go-to stock up item is Q-tips. I hate to have water or wax in my ears!

Any item you can use without electricity to do an electrically powered job now would be good to have for barter.


----------



## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

It going to probably depend upon the situation and where you live, but usually the top three (and I will not barter number 1) would be


food
medicine
ammunition

If someone has those (some won't care about number 3 though), then they might barter for other things. I would think Alcohol and seeds would be prime barter items, as well as water in some areas.

If you're having to bug out, things like backpacks and tents might be highly sought items.

In our winter storms, propane, gas, coleman fuel, candles and batteries were highly sought after, as well as firewood. 
Dawn


----------



## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

Shelter supplies: Hammers, hand saws, nails, plywood, (((Tarps, Cordage/nylon rope))) 

Survival Goods: matches or firestarters, firewood, lamp oil, ...wool items= socks, hats, mittens, blankets

Protection: Ammo, knives, knife sharpeners

Cooking: Salt and granulated sugar never "go bad" if kept dry. 

Cleaning: bars of soap, wipes, Lye for soap making, washing powder, Borax ( all of those for making laundry soap)

Health care: Charcoal (filters)for water filtration units Triple antibiotic oints for skin infections, wipes, diapers, feminine, and senior care products. Pain relief meds., wound care items.

Misc: Sewing notions.

Vice stuff:
Hard Candy, vaccuum packed ground coffee, alcohol *(some people buy small bottles of liqueurs ), larger bottles that can be used to make medicines, cigarettes, matches/lighters


----------



## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Booze - along with what's been said.


----------



## BlackFeather (Jun 17, 2014)

I haven't done it yet but was thinking of reloading equipment, bartering the service of being able to reload brass casings, or shot gun shells, haven't checked out the cost of getting set up yet either.

What some people would trade for a roll of toilet paper, or a bar of soap. I saw a documentary where a German woman was talking of how she prostituted herself with and American solider for a bar of soap, and how happy she was to get it and how guilty she felt on the manner she used to get it.


----------



## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

I will hope to trade Fresh milk,cheeses and seeds. I can mostly make the rest. Except my sons anti seizure meds. For that during shtf I will have to meet a drug dealer. Sob. Or buy some pot seeds to stash.


----------



## stickinthemud (Sep 10, 2003)

Screens, mosquito net, cheese cloth to keep the bugs out when there's no A/C
Tins, cans, glass to keep mice out of food storage
pencils, pens, notebooks
toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss
Any kind of repair-job materials:
safety pins, sewing needles, thread
electrical tape, duct tape, Scotch tape
Shoe Goo, rubber cement 
boot laces, shoe laces, velcro, buttons


----------



## Guest (Oct 11, 2014)

I am going to invest in Cheater Glasses... I am sometimes lost without mine, and DH gets downright hostile if he cannot find one of his FIVE PAIRS around the house!


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

TraciInTexas said:


> I am going to invest in Cheater Glasses... I am sometimes lost without mine, and DH gets downright hostile if he cannot find one of his FIVE PAIRS around the house!


Only 5 pairs?  I must have a dozen or more laying around the house, tucked into cars, purses, go bags, etc, and I have several dozen more in storage as backups. Different strengths for different jobs and to prepare for future changes in vision...most were bought at Dollar Tree, so having a stockpile has not been a big hit to the wallet. I could definitely use some of those for trade items.


----------



## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

With the ebola virus, one thing that I heard was hard to find for cleaning was bleach. If you purchase a couple packets of Chlorine for pools, you should be able to make your own bleach. (you get about 1 1/4 gallon per lb bag of pool chlorine) Do not use shock with Algaecide, clarifiers or other ingredients. It should have on the label only sodium hypochlorite and inert (or other) ingredients. If you stock enough of these, you can barter them. It should have a shelf life of 8-10 years depending upon how it is stored. If you have a pool, just rotate stock.


Recipe for using an entire 1 lb. Bag of Pool Shock to make 6% liquid bleach:


5 quarts plus 1/2 pint of water.
Add the entire 1 lb. bag of 68% Pool Shock.
Mix until dissolved.
Wait 2-3 hours for the inert ingredients to settle out, test it and then use.
 Use test strips after making the bleach. Depending on your pool shock strength you may have to use less or more water to make 6% strength bleach. You'll have to order test strips that are 0-10,000 ppm, and dilute the solution to test it. you want 60,000 ppm, so I would dilute by adding 1 oz of you mix to 9 oz of water,, then test to see if it 6000 ppm.

Dawn


----------



## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

Water purification tablets, kool-aid & powdered drink mixes.


----------



## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

Skills. They don't spoil, have no expiration date and you don't have to guard them from people looking to just take what you have.

I know how to:

Make a welder out of car batteries or a car alternator.
Make a solar powered ice maker.
Make booze.
Raise just about any kind of livestock and even bees.
Set up the necessary sanitation facilities to make sure nasties like typhoid and cholera don't kill you.
Preserve food w/o refrigeration.

And many other things which I can trade if needed.


----------



## kycountry (Jan 26, 2012)

trying to pick some peoples brains here... Not trying to put down the idea, just grasping a better understanding of the thoughts behind the concept. 

If one is prepared enough to use extra funds on items for the sole purpose of bartering, What items do you expect to barter for??


In my mind, running through all the shtf possibilities, I try to prepare for every one the best I can.. I understand there could be unforeseen needs and such, but I still try to have a well rounded stock pile of goods and supplies. 

What comes to mind when bartering is weighing the risk verses rewards. In a short term crisis the risk could be less depending on what it is.. In a longer term event, these risks could rise by opening yourself up to attacks by looters, larger groups, or a very desperate person in need. 

Bartering skills could ease some of the risk because it would be harder to "steal".. but in a true shtf event could still open you up to kidnapping and so on.. Bartering ammo could in fact get you shot with the very ammo you bartered away. 

I'm not saying a bartering system wouldn't have it's place, so I guess my questions are:

What items would make the reward outweigh the risks??

What items can't be stocked that you would have to barter for?

What is stopping you from filling this hole in your own preps?


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Seeds - cheap and easy to store and get a hold of now. They don't take much room either....and they reproduce themselves 

Knowledge - yes, it's is a commodity if SHTF. We have a better bookshelf then the local library when it comes to "homesteader info". I have duplicate books and more then one book on most topics (I don't trust any one author.....I like to glean from many and then come up with my own solution)

What would I barter for? Protein......we live in town with no livestock. I have friends with chickens and rabbits. A bit of fresh meat would be a nice change from canned meat and beans. Water - again, we live in town and I doubt the creeks running through town would be clean enough to drink from (even after filtering) Also we wouldn't be the only ones wanting to use it, I can see a "big business" developing over that water. I have friends with wells, I can barter. We have stored enough water for short term SHTF.....but a life altering one, that isn't just personal, would likely put our city water supply at risk.


----------



## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

kycountry said:


> trying to pick some peoples brains here... Not trying to put down the idea, just grasping a better understanding of the thoughts behind the concept.
> 
> If one is prepared enough to use extra funds on items for the sole purpose of bartering, What items do you expect to barter for??
> 
> ...


Trade items for a service, perhaps? "I'll trade you a gallon of fresh goat milk for a ride to the big city." kind of barter...


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I'd be bartering for cow or goats milk and meat, fish. All of which I can live without, but would rather not. 

I have medical skills to barter with. I also think booze is a good barter item, but still haven't stocked up much as I don't usually drink hard alcohol. 

After the initial unrest of a SHTF situation I think bartering and trade will quickly become key, especially in small rural areas.


----------



## kycountry (Jan 26, 2012)

Vosey said:


> After the initial unrest of a SHTF situation I think bartering and trade will quickly become key, especially in small rural areas.


In a way, I would agree.. at some point, there has to be a turning point in the situation and things would start to stabilize. 

What I am bothered by is the trend that is already happening. People simply packing up and leaving the city, headed to the country where things will be "better"... In my mind, in a post shtf situation, we would see wave after wave of "city folk" moving through these rural areas looking for a means to survive. With no skills of their own, who knows what they would do.. 

In a total collapse, really bad shtf situation, I think we would see a "cult" or "colony" type civilization thrive.. This, in turn, would be bad news for a lone family trying to secure their own preps and barter for goods.. 

Again, I'm just trying to provoke a thoughtful discussion on the concepts. It is my thought that understanding other's way of thinking could indeed change my way of planning..


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Kycountry - I think about that as well. I think there will be some people who go to the country purposefully, probably those who grew up there or are familiar with the outdoors. My experience from living in cities is that most city and suburban folk are terrified (seriously) of the country and woods. They are scared of "country hicks" and would never go camping because of fears of animals and the wild. They only feel safe with other people. 

The town I currently live in is ideal as it can be protected geographically. Block one road (there's a large bridge leading to it) and the town is sealed off from the urban area. There are other roads (two) in but people would have to cross many miles of roads and bridges through National Forest. Deep river gorges shut off other ways in. The old timers already have plans for the bridge  And there are many bridges below it that could be affected. 

Ernie feels we will go back to a nomadic civilization, I think that's very possible depending where you live, how defensible your area is and what the resources are. Many people became semi-nomadic in the Great Depression. I think it will be a mix. 

Sorry is the thread gets de-railed here!


----------



## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Our town is easily isolated. It happens with every sand storm. It's more a matter of people thinking there is a NEED to isolate. Lots of the 'Government will help us' people here.

I think our biggest advantage (and disadvantage) is we are in the desert. I think most here will head for cooler/wetter places if the electricity is out for an extended time. It's already kinda of happened when we had a bad freeze a few years ago. Everyone that had pipes break and couldn't find parts(for 3 weeks!!) went to stay elsewhere with family. The town was pretty empty.


----------



## kycountry (Jan 26, 2012)

Vosey said:


> Kycountry - I think about that as well. I think there will be some people who go to the country purposefully, probably those who grew up there or are familiar with the outdoors. My experience from living in cities is that most city and suburban folk are terrified (seriously) of the country and woods. They are scared of "country hicks" and would never go camping because of fears of animals and the wild. They only feel safe with other people.
> 
> The town I currently live in is ideal as it can be protected geographically. Block one road (there's a large bridge leading to it) and the town is sealed off from the urban area. There are other roads (two) in but people would have to cross many miles of roads and bridges through National Forest. Deep river gorges shut off other ways in. The old timers already have plans for the bridge  And there are many bridges below it that could be affected.
> 
> ...


well, I'll try to get us back on topic a little here.. 

I think many of the most useful items are actually being overlooked.. some very simple items could be our best bartering items...

Buckets. Rope, knives, baskets, buttons, candles, and so on...

These are things that would be used every day by just about every person trying to make it through.. and most of them is something you could never have too much of to an extent..


----------



## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I stock up on coffee and cocoa. I don't drink coffee, but many do. The cocoa can make chocolate candy/cake/drinks to barter. 

I don't think of seeds as a barter item. Those who will need them already have them. Those who don't already have seeds will probably not last long enough to need them. 

I would never barter booze or ammo. I don't want some inebriated idiot to come visiting when "buyers remorse" sets in. 

I have a ton of skills I could barter. 
Grind grains for people on shares. 
Breeding pairs of animals will be in basement. I could barter a limited amount of meat, milk, cheese, butter, eggs, furs.
Treadle machine to barter sewing skills.


----------



## Lilith (Dec 29, 2012)

Living in a small town, I've already developed some barter relationships. I don't see them changing much in a SHTF situation. John always grows to many tomatoes, I always have to many pumpkins - so we trade. Dale raises beef, I raise pigs, so I trade him sausage for hamburger. Amanda can hunt and shoot and track, but can't cut / smoke / preserve meat to save her soul. I butcher, she hunts, we split the meat. Bill has peach trees, I have strawberries, see a trend here? Being able to barter with these people give me greater variety and allows each of us to focus our efforts instead of having to "know it all". I think it is important to have enough skills to survive by yourself, but I would rather thrive with a community than just get by. I don't see a lot of trading with outsiders happening unless it is really in my favor.


----------



## michael ark (Dec 11, 2013)

I would say pocket knives ,multi tools,beans ,bullets ,batteries, bourbon & beer.Fishing poles ,line and tackle is another overlooked item.Flint and steel ,water sanitize tablets basicly anything you would need to go camping would transfer real nice .:grin:


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I have a bunch of those motel soaps, shampoo, conditioners and lotions in my stash. I might not want to trade a big bar of soap for a small-ticket item, but those little items would be a good size for a minor trade. Not the reason I have them, but something that could be bartered.

What could I see myself bartering for? Maybe I'll need to make more elderberry tincture and my elderberries aren't producing yet - I'd barter for those. Plants and seeds that I don't have growing in my garden for those I do. Work...I'd barter for manpower.

I have nursing skills, animal husbandry, gardening, and plenty more skills to barter, will probably have plenty of chicks to trade as long as my hens insist on going broody right and left, and I have a huge library I could turn into a neighborhood lending library.

What I don't have is the ability to grow enough hay on my own place to provide for livestock here, so I'd happily trade something I have for hay. I can't stockpile 5 years of hay - no room at the present, and hay does lose some feed value over time.  I can store many other things indefinitely.


----------



## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

manygoatsnmore said:


> SNIP
> My personal go-to stock up item is Q-tips. I hate to have water or wax in my ears!
> SNIP


I have to say that q-tips or cotton swabs is a really good idea, that I don't recall seeing very often.
Just don't buy the Dollar store ones, very little cotton.

Walgreens has had some good quality swabs in the past, need to check them out.


----------



## Mrs Katzenchix (Aug 19, 2005)

So far, all I've come up with is:

Breads & baked goods from my home ground flour for protein 
Seeds
Skills/labor/knowledge and access to my homesteading library (maybe that would be worth something?...)

DH and I are both diabetic but on pills not insulin. Since drug regs don't allow us to stock up on meds, we may be needing that badly. But I also think that, if it comes to it, we'll probably both lose enough weight that we won't need the pills anymore. I fear for anyone on insulin, I know it will become precious as gold should it come down to it.


----------



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

As for the homesteading library, someone on an earlier thread had several copies of Carla Emory's Country Encyclopedia, could be a good barter. Or back issues of BHM that you have the anthologies for. 

Mrs K - for your diabetic pills, most drug plans let you fill a few days early, do that every month and slowly you can amass a few. They will also do an emergency fill if you "lose" your meds. Luckily most meds last years longer than the expiration dates.


----------



## BlueRose (Mar 7, 2013)

Thats what I am doing with my seizure meds


----------



## Becka03 (Mar 29, 2009)

I used to think the more I had the better I would be in a barter situation- I have in the last couple of yrs changed that mind set- I have amassed a large library of info and learned as many skills as I could- cooking in a solar oven- sewing by hand, crocheting preserving with out using the fridge, I got a treadle sewing machine--butchering at least chickens- making salves and other herbal medicinal- I do it all now- and figure that info will be of great use in the bartering world- and I don't feel like such a hoarder LOL-
I do have some bottles of bourbon and whiskey and tequila and one of champagne- i figure I will save that for DH and I lol- or for bartering with someone who has medical skills who needs to do a suture- a shot of whiskey will be quite a comfort with no pain pills!


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

GoldenCityMuse said:


> I have to say that q-tips or cotton swabs is a really good idea, that I don't recall seeing very often.
> Just don't buy the Dollar store ones, very little cotton.
> 
> Walgreens has had some good quality swabs in the past, need to check them out.


I wish I could claim it was an original idea, but I actually saw in on a pre-Y2K episode of The Red Green Show, lol. One of the characters (and I do meant characters!) on the show was stockpiling Q-tips for Y2K, and I thought it was brilliant!


----------



## ZEUS (Nov 28, 2014)

I like this one too. Lots of great ideas for bartering. I've thought about this before and for me, I think I am going to start purchasing a case of pint bottles of whisky. Probably Evan Williams. Liqueur stores never have a depression. In fact they do better sales when people are out of work. Also how about buying some coins. The gold and silver kind. They will always be a way to barter for whatever you need.


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I haven't seen canning lids mentioned. They would be worth alot.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I think canning lids would be something I'd think long and hard before trading off. They keep pretty much forever, and will be needed over time.


----------



## nostawmama (Dec 29, 2011)

In answer to the question of why stock barter items- I would stock up on non-perishable items to trade for things like the following examples.

Perhaps a devastating illness decimates my rabbits but a local person could replenish my stock if I had barter goods that won't get sick and die! This could go for a lot of things, batch of seeds that goes bad, trade some TP for a new batch. Or simply adding new genes to any of the livestock. It would be hard to maintain a self-sustaining population that has enough diversity over the long term. Keeping a supply of non-perishables is much easier and probably cheaper than keeping extra livestock on hand Just In Case. I want to keep a dairy cow but I don't want to keep a bull, so I AI now but when SHTF I would try to find a local cowman to barter bull services.

Clothing for my growing children- they are young so to stock YEARS worth of clothing for both girl and boy would be space prohibitive. I could stock a lot more salt, for example, that would be valuable post-SHTF but is cheap now (unlike clothes!), and trade for a wardrobe for my youngin. 

Things I would possibly keep for trading would fit into categories of cheap now but valuable later, non-perishable, and fairly easy to store. Things like extra hand tools for building, fishing gear (line, lures, etc), common OTC meds (tylenol, cold & flu), can openers, small shampoos & soaps.

I would not do booze, guns, or ammo because I would not want them turned back on ME! I also would only trade with trusted individuals in my community to reduce possibility of someone coming back to try and take more than I want to share.


----------



## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

No matter what you do, at some point, you'll need to trade. Even prehistoric Native Americans had well-established trade routes. 

I've always figured _use _of our tractor, welder, rototiller, pneumatic post hole driver, assorted tools, etc would be prime barter items -- "I'll plow your field for X amount of gallons of diesel" or "I'll till your garden in exchange for a bag of salt" type trades. Most people don't have heavy equipment or tools, even many preppers. 

If you've got a backhoe, you could probably make a fair amount in barter (and I would insist on fuel as much as possible as part of the trade) by digging privies and root cellars, and doing other construction projects. 

In addition to salt and sugar, baking soda is kinda useful and not something that will be easily replaced. Soda bread is not my favorite type of bread, but it beats hard tack ...

Livestock will really go up in relative value. For example, we have a small flock of a dozen chickens. In a SHTF scenario I can easily see letting the broody hens hatch chicks, then trading the chicks for stuff we need and can't make ourselves, like baking soda or salt. (And the eggs themselves will be a valuable resource for trade.)

Likewise, goats and cattle will be valuable for both meat and dairy. Milk and dairy products would be good trade products, and their female offspring would be highly desirable as barter items. (I'd raise the males for food for myself, but a heifer or dairy doe would be worth way too much to eat.)

I imagine if you had some decent dairy does or a couple cows, and a secure pasture for them, and a supply of canning jars, you could set up a milk route. Trade the milk for whatever you need -- fresh veggies or meat, salt, fuel, ammo, etc. 

Ice would likely be a highly desirable trade item --  enormous fortunes were made selling ice in the 1800's. (Ice cut in New England was traded as far away as Asia and India!) Cut ice in winter, store it in an insulated ice house, sell it come spring.


----------



## michael ark (Dec 11, 2013)

Just thought of a really good one . A bic lighter still in the wrapper or a zippo still in the box.


----------



## Blackwolfe (Sep 9, 2009)

ZEUS said:


> I like this one too. Lots of great ideas for bartering. I've thought about this before and for me, I think I am going to start purchasing a case of pint bottles of whisky. Probably Evan Williams. Liqueur stores never have a depression. In fact they do better sales when people are out of work. Also how about buying some coins. The gold and silver kind. They will always be a way to barter for whatever you need.


Always have a good stock of alcohol, ammo, tobacco, medical supplies, BUT never ever barter any of those items unless you absolutely life or death situation have to. If the wrong kind of people find out that you have or had traded those items then they will be knocking down your door, and it would be no use in saying (I don't have any more i traded my last) they want believe you and will kill you and everyone at your place to get it. As for buying coins why would you want to pay up to twice what the gold or silver is worth for something that looks pretty. I am not saying that if you have some coins to begin with not to use them. Buy bullion instead, just the plain little bars that say 99.9% gold or silver and have a way to cut them up as you would not want to pay a whole ounce of gold for something that is only worth .10 of an oz, also gems, ruby's, sapphires and such, get them from pawn shops and estate sells.


----------



## hoddedloki (Nov 14, 2014)

I suspect that hand tools will be much wanted. Specifically, tools such as 1890s felling and bucking saws (how many people will switch to wood heat?), and brace and bits...

They are currently pretty cheap used, and if oiled can last another 100 years.


----------



## Cabanaboy1313 (Oct 15, 2014)

I have tried to keep plenty of booze on hand but I tend to drink it faster than I can buy it.:buds:


----------



## Skandi (Oct 21, 2014)

Alcohol
Soap
Toothpaste
Needles/thread
Ciggies
Medicine 
Batteries
Candles
Matches/lighters
Fuels (Petrol/diesel)
Games/Cards/entertainment
Spices
Tea/coffee

Fresh meat/eggs/fish
Sugar (if you're in a area that can't grow it easily)
Salt
Tools (axes saws garden equipment)

ANYTHING that is generaly traded on the blackmarket in times of shortage. Or anything that was expensive in olden days. There may be some local things, such as gas canisters if they are common for cookers etc


----------



## Mike in Ohio (Oct 29, 2002)

If you have the storage space, empty wine bottles & corks. You can get wine bottles for free by asking restaurants & bars. You can put all sorts of things in the bottles as desired. We have a hand corker.

Mike


----------



## NutPatchFarm (Nov 3, 2013)

For barter - Condoms and birth control.


----------



## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Well, since I quit smoking, I still stock pile tobacco and tubes. Still have my rolling equipment.
Tools and skills.

Matt


----------



## BigNoisey (Mar 29, 2015)

secretcreek said:


> Shelter supplies: Hammers, hand saws, nails, plywood, (((Tarps, Cordage/nylon rope)))
> 
> Survival Goods: matches or firestarters, firewood, lamp oil, ...wool items= socks, hats, mittens, blankets
> 
> ...


Along with the lamp oil you can make your own lamp oil with recycled frying oil. Strain it , cool it , and I put it in empty soda bottles. When needed I put a regular wick in a slit in a canning jar lid and place on a jar 3/4 full of recycled cooking oil. Not the best in the world but it does work ok.and its free.:nanner:


----------



## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Yeast.
Bread
Booze

Honing stones

Plastic bags

Matches

Seeds

Bug repellent

Paper all forms 
Pens pencils crayons marker

Rope

Shoes all sizes

Diapers clothe

Safety pins

Q-tips

Syringe

Knives

Mirrors hand size

Wind up batter charges

Bikes and parts

Tarps

Wheels

Shovels

Axe and handles

Five gallon buckets

Canning lids. Tatters never get traded

Rat poison and traps


----------



## DryHeat (Nov 11, 2010)

Much of what's been listed above, we've been gradually accumulating backup stocks of. Generally, we try to keep "stuff" that's been mentioned in mind as targets of opportunity while haunting auctions, yard/estate sales, thrift stores, closeouts, loss-leaders, and so on. Every now and again, I splurge on some "standard" price if noticing an online volume deal... box of 50 Bic lighters, assortment of new fishing lures, specialized medical supplies, and so on. More and more, I try to focus on items that aren't likely to deteriorate in storage, too. Unground coffee beans better than ground, green coffee beans better than roasted IF you know you can roast yourself. 

BUT, I see a major gap in what's being mentioned. Don't forget smaller electronic items and backups for their batteries. Don't miss having and using small to medium-sized solar panels set up to recharge smaller batteries. You don't have to look at electricity as primarily for what our society uses it quite wastefully for presently, that is for heat, cooking, mechanical sorts of moving of fairly heavy components. Think of it as an essential for keeping electronics developed over the last 10-20 years at least sporadically functional. Look at laptops, tablets, down to smart phones and the apps the phones can run and display usefully *even if there's no 4-G or wi-fi connection* to other phones! Right now, you can purchase stand-alone devices running on AA batteries that are pre-loaded with the *entire* searchable text content of Wikipedia as of a few years back, for under $15 on eBay ("WikiReader"). You can buy more recent and updateable text content of Wikipedia to load into a smart phone's memory, available offline therefore, (WikiPock, http://www.wikipock.com/ ) for a similar price. You can load and store and retrieve any variety of books, .pdf files, graphic images, and so on, onto multiple vast-capacity memory sticks, copy them for backup, then copy especially relevant titles for barter. Look at the apps available now for tablets, phones, kindles and nooks, etc. Even if the grid is truly down for electricity, solar panels are totally practical for doing the recharging. The dollar is strong, batteries and memory sticks and the basic devices are being cranked out in ridiculous quantities. 

Sure, if you're looking 50 years out after a 95% population reduction collapse, memory media and batteries and solar panels will have deteriorated and become useless, but that wouldn't be the case for maybe 20 years or so. Having the necessary tools... solar chargers, backup batteries for popular devices, memory sticks loaded with files... will be invaluable. Even electronic "stuff" that's looked on as already outdated now could be extremely useful if you make sure you have the batteries and storage media to keep it functional for another decade or two.

Here's a site that focuses on such details: http://the-knowledge.org/en-gb/post-apocalyptic-apps/


----------



## Muskrat (Sep 4, 2005)

Plastic and rubber tubing, which would be garden hoses, feeding tubes and in all directions. Hoses would let you irrigate your neighbors fields uphill in return for grain. Re-hydrating a sick baby or a sick calf, again a service that could be bartered. 

Copper, for distillation, jewelry, electronics repair

Could be used and traded


----------



## sss3 (Jul 15, 2007)

IMO When the time comes, I'd be prepared to break down quantity of things like coffee/cocoa, etc. I wouldn't trade a whole can of anything for something minor in value.


----------



## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

sss3 said:


> IMO When the time comes, I'd be prepared to break down quantity of things like coffee/cocoa, etc. I wouldn't trade a whole can of anything for something minor in value.



You have no idea how much trouble I'd be in if I even _thought_ about trading coffee for anything. Absolutely anything!!


----------

