Stocking items for barter

[Oswegatchie]

It's great to know there are other people here who agree with this kind of thinking. Some people are indifferent, others think it's silly. And there are some who are more than just serious and get totally carried away with it. I think it's good to strike a balance between those. Water is probably the most important thing to stock up on, because we can't last long without it. Unfortunately it takes up a lot of space and weighs a lot. And there's a lot of food that can be stockpiled too, some of which isn't too heavy or that takes up a lot of space.

Yeah, I've heard of geo-caching. Maybe I'm being overly paranoid, but I'm worried about either forgetting or not being able to find the exact spot again, or that someone else finds it (that happens), or that whatever I bury gets ruined by the elements. Not to mention, like you said, having to dig a big hole in the desert or woods. But, it's a free storage method!

I have thought along the lines that you are describing here quite often. As we prepare to go full-time, we are deciding if there is anything we can bring that can be traded or sold, even if things don't go crazy. We have a considerable amount of Starbucks coffee (probably 200lbs) and close to 1000 rolls of Scott TP. Don't ask how we got it all! It was legal though. We will be towing a cargo trailer and figured we could barter/sell most of it along the way. I also have a whole bunch of flash drives that I have too that I do not need. Maybe a booth at the big tent in Quartzite? Great combo for sale - coffee, TP, and flash drives.

 

[Lisa Truck Gypsy]

I'm not sure I saw water filter or purifying tables on the list. I agree about having a service to provide. I'm a henna artist and I constantly find that people who want my service will barter with me. One time I traded a $5 henna design which took 2 minutes to do for 20 watermelons!

I am confused about the zombie apocalypse thing. Are you serious about that or using it as a metaphor for general SHTF?

 

[caretaker]

Lisa, no to either one, just being snarky, but a fun kinda snarky, sorta like talking to a treky about speaking klingon, we mean no harm to anybody,,,remember,,,Never Surrender Never give Up, Q: what movie is that motto from?

 

[sushidog]

Never Surrender Never give Up is from Galaxy Quest.

Only acquire for barter what you can use and plan on rotating through. 

Planting a garden ties you down to one area and makes you a target. Nothing will be defensible in a SHTF scenario. 

An extra couple gas cans that you rotate through might prove invaluable. After evacuating to Florida for  Hurricane Katrina I returned home to New Orleans about a week later. There was no gas available along the way and I barely made it back starting with a full tank. Since then I mounted a gas carrier on the back of my car, by the license plate and another one on the back of my Aliner (which I have since used to evacuate for other storms). This almost doubles my range.

I think 22lr shells are the best thing to stockpile if you have a 22 rifle. Consider they are small, compact, cheap and relatively light. You can get more food with a tiny box of 22 bullets than a van full of beans and rice (not to mention their defensive capabilities.) Same goes for fishing gear. Consider a dip net and a small cast net for bait too. Heck sometimes us Cajuns would rather eat our bait - crawfish - yum. BTW I always keep 40-50lbs of rice on hand as we eat a lot of rice so rotate through it to keep it fresh. We store it in tightly sealed Tupperware type containers to keep out the bird seed moths, which are a big problem around here. Being from New Orleans, red beans and rice is among my faves - and it's extremely nutritious too.

Of course if you believe that cannibalism is an option you might want to stock up on fava beans and Chianti. 

Chip

 

[Cammalu]

An Of course if you believe that cannibalism is an option you might want to stock up on fava beans and Chianti. 

Chip

CHIP!!! Off you go to the You Ain't Right Thread where you need to be nominated for a badge!!

 

[sushidog]

BTW zombie apocalypse means that in a SHTF scenario there will be many more people unprepared than prepared and they will be aggressors, looting and killing as needed to stay alive. I personally witnessed this in New Orleans after Katrina. A bad scenario. Most will die within the first few months, if the event lasts that long. After that the ones who remain will have sharpened their survival skills, forming dangerous gangs or bands of brigands who must be avoided until a semblance of society is restored. This is why a mobile survival scenario is the best option - to escape both natural and man made disasters, most of which will be local or regional in scope. The rare, black swan event is almost impossible to prepare for and survival from such an event (like a Yellowstone eruption, killer meteor, nuclear war, etc,) is more a matter of luck - being in the right place at the right time and having the right mindset and training. BTW after I got out of the Army (back in the cold war era) I had the mindset to prepare for all eventualities, as that is what was drilled into our minds for years. I was much younger and in much better shape, so I had everything in my ALICE pack bug-out-bag, from military gear such as gas mask with eye gas inserts and a variety of filters, full medical gear with air splints, trauma and emergency surgery equipt., drugs, etc. I had topo maps for most of the state, potassium iodide tablets (for nuclear accident/war) atropine injectors (nerve agent antidote), a full carbon impregnated MOPP suit (for chemical spills/attacks) etc. to all the other "normal" survival items like water filters, shelter items, knives, weapons, ammo, freeze dried food, compass, fire starting, wire, tape, fishing gear, etc. I also had a couple food/water/ammo caches at rallying points I intended to bug-out to depending on the situation for resupply. Now, it is unrealistic for me and my aging wife to trek across the wilderness with 60-70 lbs of gear on our backs, plus the threat scenario has changed quite a bit from back then causing me to reevaluate the potential threat and my response to it. This an interesting topic worthy of a thread on its own. (Hijack over.)

Chip

 

[GotSmart]

Of course if you believe that cannibalism is an option you might want to stock up on fava beans and Chianti. 

Chip

:huh: By the powers vested in me by the clueless society called "YOU AIN'T RIGHT"  I am commanded to honor you with this symble of achievement and respect, from those that live for senseless sayings, and futile actions. 

 

[Cammalu]

Hooray sushidog! You ain't right!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[akrvbob]

Let's stay on topic.

 

[Kathleen]

I have thought along the lines that you are describing here quite often. As we prepare to go full-time, we are deciding if there is anything we can bring that can be traded or sold, even if things don't go crazy. We have a considerable amount of Starbucks coffee (probably 200lbs) and close to 1000 rolls of Scott TP. Don't ask how we got it all! It was legal though. We will be towing a cargo trailer and figured we could barter/sell most of it along the way. I also have a whole bunch of flash drives that I have too that I do not need. Maybe a booth at the big tent in Quartzite? Great combo for sale - coffee, TP, and flash drives.

Great trade items!!!

 

[Oswegatchie]

Great trade items!!!

Really? Good. We did not know what to do with them and leaving it with friends and family seemed kinda weird. I think we will have space. May have to tow a separate trailer just for TP. Just have to keep it away from any open flames!

 

[Oswegatchie]

Really? Good. We did not know what to do with them and leaving it with friends and family seemed kinda weird. I think we will have space. May have to tow a separate trailer just for TP. Just have to keep it away from any open flames!

What do you think is the order of barter-ability? 1-3.

 

[Kathleen]

What do you think is the order of barter-ability? 1-3.

tp & java top flash drives, imo.

I remove all the cardboard tubes for my tp travel supply. then squash them flat to take up less space. some brands the tube is easier to remove than others.

every inch of space counts in a minivan.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Silver dimes are small, portable and of discrete value. Easier to trade than buillon or silver dollars.
Ted

 

[Kathleen]

for those who love the expression tin foil hat...tin foil is recommended as a bug out item. many uses (other than hats :dodgy: ). heavy duty foil is the way to go.

 

[Kathleen]

...

 

[XFILE36]

for those who love the expression tin foil hat...tin foil is recommended as a bug out item. many uses (other than hats :dodgy: ). heavy duty foil is the way to go.

OMG!  I bought a large roll of aluminum foil from Costco and it's been sitting on top of my fridge.  Turns out roaches like cardboard boxes and they set up shop in my foil!  YUCK!  :-/  I learned from this forum to get rid of the cardboard anything.  I despise roaches.   Does anyone know of another way to store it without inviting uninvited guests?  P.S. I still keep my tin foil hat

 

[Ballenxj]

  Does anyone know of another way to store it without inviting uninvited guests? 

You can always store large enough pieces folded flat inside baggies. Somewhere I have an Altoids can with a folded up piece, along with a fire starter and small knife.
Couldn't find it now if I really needed it though. So much for that.
Another option is you can make a lot of tin foil hats so you always have one handy when you need it.

 

[XFILE36]

You can always store large enough pieces folded flat inside baggies. Somewhere I have an Altoids can with a folded up piece, along with a fire starter and small knife.
Couldn't find it now if I really needed it though. So much for that.
Another option is you can make a lot of tin foil hats so you always have one handy when you need it.

LOL!  Thanks for the morning laugh.  I guess I am already doing that, because one day I tore off A LOT of foil for a project and didn't use it.  I stuck it in a ziplock and use as needed, so thanks for the reminder.  Sometimes an answer is standing right in front of you.  Coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

 

[rvpopeye]

Here's a dandy item..........
https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Condom-Situations-Self-Defense-Survival-ebook/dp/B0733JNXF1

Yup , "I Ain't Right" and you can be too !

I bet you could stock up on condoms and trade them for silver dimes.................and maybe the book too!!!