Post SHTF bartering preps. What are you doing?
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I was considering buying and storing hard alcohol (because people want to wash away their troubles).
It also makes for easier bartering negotiations...
It also makes for easier bartering negotiations...
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Hard Alcohol is definitely a great barter. I have 3 cases of vodka stored now, but that's for personal consumption. Maybe I will store more for bartering purposes.
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Who are you trading to? What do they need? What do they have to trade? What do you need?
Are you going to have the security in place that someone decides to take rather then trade? Is what you plan to trade a renewable source for you?
What will be the mindset of those you plan to trade with come SHTF?
TP won't be needed if they don't have food. You can store flour, sugar, & salt but for most it would have little value. But if you turn that into bread, its worth so much more. Something as basic as being able to purify water & trade it could be the answer for many areas.
Are you going to have the security in place that someone decides to take rather then trade? Is what you plan to trade a renewable source for you?
What will be the mindset of those you plan to trade with come SHTF?
TP won't be needed if they don't have food. You can store flour, sugar, & salt but for most it would have little value. But if you turn that into bread, its worth so much more. Something as basic as being able to purify water & trade it could be the answer for many areas.
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1,308 Posts
Other question what can you store that won't be confiscated by government or end you up seeing SHTF from the crossbar hotel or both.
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Where you intend to be & barter will determine what is of value for barter. In a city, seasoned firewood could be of trading value while out in the country of little value.
You have no idea how long a SHTF situation will last. So if longer then you thought you could end up trading off stuff you end up needed.
SHTF up north in the winter, means of heating will be of valve. But SHTF down south in the summer ice will definately be of value.
You have no idea how long a SHTF situation will last. So if longer then you thought you could end up trading off stuff you end up needed.
SHTF up north in the winter, means of heating will be of valve. But SHTF down south in the summer ice will definately be of value.
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Salt & Alcohol
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I've spent the past 10 years learning the blacksmith's and machinist's trades and establishing hidden stashes of various types of steel. I've built 3 forges, collected a pretty big array of the necessary tools and equipment and rebuilt numerous wheel-driven shop machines. I can manufacture most anything from garden and carpenter tools to edged weapons and basic machine parts. My barter is my trade.
They can't take away what you keep in your head.
They can't take away what you keep in your head.
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2,886 Posts
I too do some blacksmithing & if you have the basic tools all you need is the right steel for the job & fuel for the forge.
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Your skills - whatever they are is your best insurance for survival. as for what will be of value; in the city, for the first two or three weeks batteries - in all common and uncommon sizes, lighters and fire-starters. Anything that will give people who live in the light their whole lives a means to see and stay warm at night.
After the first week people are going to be thirsty and hungry. They are going to be dirty and getting sick. If you have water to trade or food it will be worth all the gold and silver they can carry. If you have higene products, soap, or moist facial towelettes the will be worth ammo and small quantities of food or water. Weapons are off limits for me as barter (to give away not the receiving of) but those without will need knives, bows, crossbows, and yes, guns. scraps of stainless steel are good as money to me as is any high grade or tool steel. Pipe and pipe fittings, tubing - copper, steel, tin, and even aluminum all metal tubing has value to me. PVC and ABS tubing is also good but not as good as metal. Lead in large quantities, sheet steel, steel wire, old car springs, empty jugs, barrels and large containers for liquids. All these things can be used to make all kinds of valuable stuff. From these things I can make an Aqua-ponics setup that could help feed a family, a still to keep water drinkable or to make alcohol for drinking or fuel, weapons from arrowheads to knives to guns and even rudementary cartridges for home-made guns that use matches for propellant. You would be surprised the things you can make to repair things that people "need" to feel good or even to survive with a bit of scrap.
Sorry bout the lack of coherrency and punctuation in this post - I am fixing dinner and have to interrupt what I am doing here for the sake of family.
After the first week people are going to be thirsty and hungry. They are going to be dirty and getting sick. If you have water to trade or food it will be worth all the gold and silver they can carry. If you have higene products, soap, or moist facial towelettes the will be worth ammo and small quantities of food or water. Weapons are off limits for me as barter (to give away not the receiving of) but those without will need knives, bows, crossbows, and yes, guns. scraps of stainless steel are good as money to me as is any high grade or tool steel. Pipe and pipe fittings, tubing - copper, steel, tin, and even aluminum all metal tubing has value to me. PVC and ABS tubing is also good but not as good as metal. Lead in large quantities, sheet steel, steel wire, old car springs, empty jugs, barrels and large containers for liquids. All these things can be used to make all kinds of valuable stuff. From these things I can make an Aqua-ponics setup that could help feed a family, a still to keep water drinkable or to make alcohol for drinking or fuel, weapons from arrowheads to knives to guns and even rudementary cartridges for home-made guns that use matches for propellant. You would be surprised the things you can make to repair things that people "need" to feel good or even to survive with a bit of scrap.
Sorry bout the lack of coherrency and punctuation in this post - I am fixing dinner and have to interrupt what I am doing here for the sake of family.
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2,207 Posts
I have a cashe buried with only barter items, I also have a huge quantity of medical supplies in house. Here are a few ideas for barter that are in my cashe
Mouse traps
12 lbs Pool shock (dry bleach, each pound treats 10,000 gallons of water)
500 lighters from eBay really cheap
Several hundred .22 and 12 ga shells
Several 2 liter bottles of booze
Canning lids (tattler reuseable)
Leather work gloves
Tooth brushes, tooth paste, a lot of the hotel shampoo/lotion/soap bars
Bandaids, neosporin, ibuprofen, bag balm, tums,
Lye (for making soap)
Sugar and salt (for preserving)
Candles (yard sale Christmas ones for pennies)
Hard candy
Chap stick
Lotion
Harbor freight solar panel set (3x 15 watt panels with a inverter)
Several containers if snow seal boot treatment
Break free for gun cleaning/lube
250 clothes pins
1000 safety pins
Heirloom seeds in mason jars
That's all I can remember off the top of my head, too lazy to look for the printed list.
Mouse traps
12 lbs Pool shock (dry bleach, each pound treats 10,000 gallons of water)
500 lighters from eBay really cheap
Several hundred .22 and 12 ga shells
Several 2 liter bottles of booze
Canning lids (tattler reuseable)
Leather work gloves
Tooth brushes, tooth paste, a lot of the hotel shampoo/lotion/soap bars
Bandaids, neosporin, ibuprofen, bag balm, tums,
Lye (for making soap)
Sugar and salt (for preserving)
Candles (yard sale Christmas ones for pennies)
Hard candy
Chap stick
Lotion
Harbor freight solar panel set (3x 15 watt panels with a inverter)
Several containers if snow seal boot treatment
Break free for gun cleaning/lube
250 clothes pins
1000 safety pins
Heirloom seeds in mason jars
That's all I can remember off the top of my head, too lazy to look for the printed list.
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2,260 Posts
Other than food, my main bartering stash is ammunition; .45 ACP, .22 LR, 12 ga, 5.56mm, & 7.62mm.
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