[secretcreek]

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]

I gave away all of the cast iron to my nephew. It’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’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’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]

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]

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

1. food
2. medicine
3. 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]

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]

Booze - along with what's been said.

 

[BlackFeather]

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]

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]

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

 

[TraciInTexas]

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]

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]

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:

1. 5 quarts plus 1/2 pint of water.
2. Add the entire 1 lb. bag of 68% Pool Shock.
3. Mix until dissolved.
4. 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]

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

 

[watcher]

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]

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]

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]

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?

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]

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]

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]

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!