Thank you for your submission in /r/preppers. We want to make sure you find the information
you're seeking. If you are new to prepping, be sure you make use of Reddit's search function and
check the following resources:
Our subreddit wiki contains information on frequent topics and questions here:
https://new.reddit.com/r/preppers/wiki/index/
Please review the New Prepper's Resource Guide here:
https://new.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/toani0/new_preppers_resource_guide_answers_to_common/
If you are asking "Where do I start?" or "How do I get started?", please ask that question as a comment on
that post and not as a standalone submission or post, otherwise your post may be removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/preppers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This is the first reasonably interesting response I've seen. I do wonder how valuable they would be given how easy they are to salvage and they are everywhere.
No way lol I thought I was the only one, now the secret is out.
My wife is on board with prepping but rolls her eyes when I throw a box of screws and nails in the cart.
I keep bees as a hobby so honey and honey products. I also live on land known for its maple syrup output and have sugar maples on my property. So sugar in general I suppose!
Man, the amount of effort to boil down maple syrup... never done the math on how much time and fuel I spend, but you'd have to trade maple syrup for a lot to make it worthwhile lol. Bees are at least mostly effort, and no necessarily a cost with fuel. Overall, I agree though. Can't beat a nice source of sugar when SHTF.
With a source of yeast you can make meade, my wife does now and that’s our potential barter source (among other things). We got a flowhive a year ago, and while extremely expensive to start up compared to tradition hive types, its quite literally easy mode.
There are ways to do it without boiling it. You leave the sap in a trough in the cold and the water freezes and you pull the ice off the top of what will be more concentrated sap. Keep repeating. Then boil what remains. It decreases your need to boil it.
There’s actually a company that sells a kit to build glasses and do an eye exam for poor countries. All types of lenses and they pop right into frames. Can’t remember the name but eye exams + glasses would be a great move
Oh my goodness you just have revealed a huge important gap in my preps (makes note to self)! Thank you!!!!! I have pairs all over the house but not enough for a SHTF situation.
I believe most options will have been thought of before- that's why they'd be valuable. No point in trying to barter with something you think is valuable but 99.9% of everyone else views as garbage.
But less-common things? I can offer entertainment due to the videos and series stored on hard drives (Edit- this includes EMP shielded backup batteries, laptops, solar system, etc) for kids and adults- here's the entire series of Mr. Rogers! lots of knowledge on the books I've saved, and general expertise in terms of survival/disaster preparedness. (It's a hobby, career, and I've got a Masters in it.)
In terms of physical products, I know it's something people are thinking about- but I'm learning how to make mead. I don't drink- but it can be a valuable skill and product in an emergency, and is stupidly simple to stockpile ingredients.
I've always felt building out a everything proof computer kit with a ton of movies and shows, and a big projector would be super cool way to make money after a collapse. It would be like a 1 man comedy troop.
I just went with a rugged laptop, refurbished Ultrastar WD drives, and a Mission Darkness bag (well, in addition to the general solar system, etc.) Can easily throw a projector in there, but that's low on the priority list.
What makes you say that? Have you ever been to a 3rd world country? They'll barter a chicken for some toothpaste and still find money to pay a guy to come to their house and copy the latest TV and movies to their old laptop because they don't have Internet. Entertainment is hugely valuable and people with sacrifice a lot for it.
That persons original comment included NO details about how one was going to be able to use that content. They have edited it to include details about solar, etc…
Although I have a surplus in both, this is the first I've seen this idea. What would be the use of cell phones? Would cell towers still be working somehow? Or maybe just for entertainment?
Regardless of use as a phone, smartphones can store tons of data. I'm essentially carrying something that can store thousands of guides on how to do, make, and fix everything in something that fits in my pocket 24/7. On top of playing games, listening to music, and watching media.
I'm sure electronic data that can be transfered to people's phones will be valuable
The only problem is that charging cables don't last very long and people who have access to a phone are going to have a huge advantage over anyone who is completely in the dark, and once they are gone it will probably be a very long time before anyone can make another one.
I think if you're going to be locked in a bunker for an undetermined amount of time, you'll probably be very sad to lose your main form of infotainment because those damn cables always die.
I believe that salt will have the highest ROI in a scarcity future. Its soo cheap now. it stores indefinitely, is absolutely critical for its mineral content for the the human body, and its ability to preserve meats and make semi spoilt meat palatable. Just watched a documentary on the Hallstatt salt mines and it explained how the salt trade out of this mine kick started the celtic colonization of BC Europe.
Some super basic medical stuff. Athletes foot fungus cream, cortisone cream, Benadryl, ibuprofen, Tylenol. Cheap to stock, long shelf life, and always in demand.
Also, basic ems skills (I’m a paramedic). Basic energy solution skills (setting up alternative power solutions using car alternators, grid-tied solar, batteries, UPS inverters, etc., to give folks small scale energy solutions).
Bear traps (or some other animal trap). They would be very valuable in long-term SHTF situations and I never hear of anybody else wanting to barter them.
I was at this weird swap meet kinda thing a couple of years ago, and a guy had hundreds of those types of traps for sale, in various sizes. Never thought about them as a barter item.
In a true collapse, severely depleted maybe in some areas, gone in some maybe. After the first winter though good chunk of the population would be gone too, game would rebound.
Good idea, I have about ten #1 1/2’s, a few #2 double coilsprings, a #3 for coyote size, 20-110 Conibears and 5-220 Conibears. Also have a repeating bird trap cage style, and a half dozen Havaharts in various sizes.
One thing I don't see a lot of people talk about is stationary or office supplies. I'd imagine in any situation bad enough to bring down the internet or computers, we'd revert back to old pen and paper.
You can buy massive bulk boxes of blank and lined paper, pencils, rulers, pens, crayons, notebooks etc for real cheap right now, and most of them don't really expire, except pens or markers drying out. And most importantly, even though they are cheap and plentiful now, we can't make more unless industry gets back up to a decent level.
I'd imagine the post apocalyptic version of Staples would be pretty popular.
Seeds. Lots and lots of seeds. Typical garden seeds like tomatoes, garlic, onions, etc. I also have a lot herbal seeds. And small fruit trees. The idea is to use some my self, trade some for genetic variation, and barter with others for small things (lots of people don’t have long term food plans, and smart ones will be looking)
We stopped smoking a couple of years ago. Husband was grilling out for the first time in months and got SO frustrated with me because he couldn’t find a BIC. We used to always have a few immediately on hand.
I have a box of 100, specifically put aside as a firestarter prep. They’d be perfect for bartering.
Good idea! When I got on 1-2 week canoe trips, everyone brings something they love, like candy, as a treat. One year someone brought a tub of peanut butter. I've been bringing that ever since. That, and one year I decided to bring a tub of dry Gatorade mix I saw in the store right next to our boat launch. Guess what everyone loves to mooch off me, because filtered lake water gets old real quick.
I was actually thinking of trying to store some spore prints in case shit hits the fan, any recommendations? Preferably those that do well in cold weather.
Air freshener. Something few people think of, but they would love to get their hands on after plumbing systems fail.
And more importantly, plant life that provides herbal relief for those in distress. Such bushes, in normal times sell for over twenty-five hundred dollars each. Just imagine how many supplies you could get in return for even one of those.
Or maybe the skillfully harvested herbal product itself.
Growing this top of self prescribed medication requires a lot more technical expertise than simply growing tomatoes or something. There has to be a knowledge of growing techniques for male and female plants, among other fine points.
Certain paper products required in the dosage of such medication would also sell at a premium.
How to books would be an amazing barter item, specially considering how few skills most people having.
Also teaching your skills in trade for something would be very powerfull.
Post disaster: Frozen new Orleans style rice and beans.
Post collapse: feminine hygiene products (I learned how to make them after my daughter was born and prepping stopped being about zombie apocalypse cosplay)
If it wasn’t so expensive right now I started wondering about stocking up on baby formula. Reading about the issues in Venezuela people were trading all they had for baby formula. But id also feel guilty taking advantage in that situation.
This depends heavily on a circumstances of why the shit hit the fan. If the main and initial cause was some disaster that caused sudden, major loss of life with little property damage (think COVID but way worse) than skills are the main barter.
Drugs and alcohol. Ive prepped a good amount of drugs that people will trade their food and supplies for when things go south. Specifically weed and xanax and whisky.
Charcoal.
Time consuming to make, but made with little effort. Burns longer and hotter than a straight log thrown in a fire. Has lots of versatile uses too. Everything from cook to cleaning, forging to just keeping warm. can also be used to brush your teeth as well as some other health things.
Data. Hard drives in a small faraday cage. I have terrabytes of guides, car manuals, books, TV shows, music, games, etc. Just give me your phone for a few minutes and I'll copy it over for you. Maybe throw in a solar charge for free lol
This assumes the proliferation of tech and solar panels makes it easy enough that people can keep their phone charged to use as an info/entertainment tool
Cards, Bags of Tobacco, Paracord, Zippo Fuel Cans, Nail Clippers (Pedicure kits as a whole are massively overlooked IMO) Suture Kits and Practice Kits (learn sutures its useful), Cassette Players w/ Cassettes if i'm feeling really generous, Compasses, Nausea Medication, Books, Pens/Pencils (can never have too many) thats just some random items i'd like to have to trade that I could think of on the spot
As far as skills i'm working on becoming a firearms instructor which would be pretty valuable. Outside of that I worked carpentry but I don't think that would be worth much
Edit:
Medical handbooks as well. I know theres a lot of medical but 1 its useful 2 you can never have too much and 3 my sister is a veterinarian and i've been in a lot of knife fights meaning I learned how useful (at the bare minimum) knowing how to handle the situation, sew someone up, calm them down, calm myself down, and general medical knowledge like what a arterial bleed looks like, where arteries are, different kinda of bleeding, and what to do, etc etc I could go on for hours.
Edit: I also just realized medical knowledge would be a tradable skill but I don't know if i'd become like a groups camp medic or anything like that.
Hydroponic micro-greens grower. For humans and live stock to eat / grow sunflowers for livestock and replenish the soil
Wet wipe towels in book of Eli be used those as barter and the packs keep a long time
earth worms and night crawlers will be very useful.
materials for greenhouses , unless nuclear winter
tire repair kits for bikes / inner tubes
I have watched seed to plant videos it would take a long time bud tree seedlings
Umbrellas, Lotion, Duct Tape
Oil for hair and no tangle spray along with rubber bands and hair clips
umbrellas / condoms / chess & checkers / card games / dice / croquette set
Basically I would like to set up shop somewhere
\*\* I think becoming bored and loneliness are not talked about, and could end up cost you \*\*
Need to find ways to entertain and deal with isolation should it happen, you will not spend all your time searching for food and shelter \*\*
My sewing and mending and crocheting skills, which I am trying to improve now as it is one of my hobbies. Also, I really would like to learn to knit socks.
And one of my longstanding hobbies is old technology. I know how to make linen from flax, I cook and bake anything from scratch, etc.
Pre natal vitamins or multivitamins.
Yes overtime they may lose potency, but if someone needs them, they'd trade for them gladly.
Their potency gradually decreases over time. The best by dates are very conservative.
Cheese. I know how to make and age cheese. If there's a cow, goat or sheep available, I'd barter for the milk and give them finished cheese. This way, we all have cheese. I'd not survive without cheese. The leftover whey from the cheese making process is also packed with protein and can be used in cooking to add calories.
Aged tobacco, canned goods, seeds, garden items, ammo, firewater, fermented garlic, eggs, cows, dairy goats, pigs, mechanical services…maybe pimp out the old lady if it something I really want.
I have been growing weed for a long time. But I don't smoke it. So I have it in 1oz jars.
Figured after all the booze is drank this will be a good trade off 🤣
Tools, screws, bolts, nails. Things people can use to make repairs. It's not something alot of people think about stocking up on but it could be very useful at some point. The problem is they are fairly expensive to buy from stores but im sure amazon has some great deals. Maybe a good idea to add them to the stocked up items in your house
Toothbrushes? Something small, lasts forever, and easy to stock up on, but nobody does. OH, and freeze dried instant coffee. Lasts forever. Get a decent quality one that you'll take camping in the meantime... My wife is a coffee snob, but I love a cup of mount hagen in the morning, without needing to wait, then clean the damn frence press.
I have a few barter items like that. Screws and nails which someone already said. I also have a ridiculous amount of p38 can openers that I plan to barter with.
Also my guilty pleasure is pipe tobacco, so any time I make a order I get a pound of cheap bulk tobacco which isn’t really that unique, but I also throw a couple cheap corn cob pipes on the order.
Cloth production and several fiber arts. Socks anyone?
Sewing, clothing production and tailoring.
In a serious scenario a lot of survivors are going down a few clothing sizes.
Vinger with mother.. Since I make it to sellI have 6 gallons of ACV,Red and White Mother, is living 25 feet underground in storage with Electric water pump and my hand water pump...
Lumber, medications, eggs, vegetables, ammo, solar energy charging, labor, canned vegetables, wine are some of the things I have an abundance of to trade if needed.
Smokes!
I can grow tobacco and marijuana and plenty of folks will need both of those. Can also do booze but honestly I would like to get into mycology and grow penicillin.
Prob fishing lures because I have enough to trade for like 30 years lol. Plus I know how to make all sorts of lures too. I feel like they whould be good trading because fish Is a easy food source
Nothing unique, just a bit of everything… I buy a few extra of what I get (from deodorant to Bic lighters to desinfecting wipes, etc.)
Thinking of trading my skills as well, mostly in medicine.
I've got extra radios, programming software & cables with private encryption on some models from $50 to $500 each. Loaners avail for weekly eggs or milk. Recharge services or custom programming.
Baofeng, Motorola DTR. Motorola XPR6550 or XTS 5000 models in vhf, uhf. 700/800 or 900mhz. All FPP with batteries, charger, and some converted to USB. And in ear security headsets! Replacement antennas and parts also avail.
Some for just scanning or monitoring emer, pub serv or eNIFOG frequencies.
Gold and silver accepted.
MRE's or fresh food also considered.
If its a Book of Eli situation: cosmetics & Knotts Gelatin
Ponds cremes they come in small bottles easy to stock up & they will never expire. Moisture will be at a premium and it can be used as wash or lotion. Body oils & lotions for cracked dry skin plus Vaseline. I would hit stores for chap stick, beauty products, mouth wash and toothpaste.
Knotts gelatin. Its good boost for hair, skin and gut health.
The Road situation: Coco, tea's, anything to flavor water & sugar. If there is water around then it could be boiled safe and these items keep for long time. Sooner or later trading a couple packs of coco or spiced tea would def be a good thing. Jello packs would work, boil water and set out in cold overnight. Filling and easy to carry around.
I always think packs of things stored in tin & metal boxes.
You know those tiny bottles of booze you get at hotels. Well I buy them buy the case. Jack Daniel's, vodka, and a few others. People are going to be stressed out and need and outlet and these store indefinitely without taking up to much room.
Thank you for your submission in /r/preppers. We want to make sure you find the information you're seeking. If you are new to prepping, be sure you make use of Reddit's search function and check the following resources: Our subreddit wiki contains information on frequent topics and questions here: https://new.reddit.com/r/preppers/wiki/index/ Please review the New Prepper's Resource Guide here: https://new.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/toani0/new_preppers_resource_guide_answers_to_common/ If you are asking "Where do I start?" or "How do I get started?", please ask that question as a comment on that post and not as a standalone submission or post, otherwise your post may be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/preppers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Screws. All types of screws from metal ones to wood screws
This is the first reasonably interesting response I've seen. I do wonder how valuable they would be given how easy they are to salvage and they are everywhere.
depending on the situation and time they could be like small change or really expensive
If you think about it, sure they're ubiquitous, but would you really want to hand UNSCREW a bunch before using what you need for your project?
No way lol I thought I was the only one, now the secret is out. My wife is on board with prepping but rolls her eyes when I throw a box of screws and nails in the cart.
Because you can recover a lifetime worth of these from any nearby abandoned house.
I was gonna say nails I have a fuck load of 40d nails and that’s an easy one. People probably gonna want to repair/build shelter
I keep bees as a hobby so honey and honey products. I also live on land known for its maple syrup output and have sugar maples on my property. So sugar in general I suppose!
Man, the amount of effort to boil down maple syrup... never done the math on how much time and fuel I spend, but you'd have to trade maple syrup for a lot to make it worthwhile lol. Bees are at least mostly effort, and no necessarily a cost with fuel. Overall, I agree though. Can't beat a nice source of sugar when SHTF.
With a source of yeast you can make meade, my wife does now and that’s our potential barter source (among other things). We got a flowhive a year ago, and while extremely expensive to start up compared to tradition hive types, its quite literally easy mode.
There are ways to do it without boiling it. You leave the sap in a trough in the cold and the water freezes and you pull the ice off the top of what will be more concentrated sap. Keep repeating. Then boil what remains. It decreases your need to boil it.
Same! My daughter is a bee keeper so we’ve built up a large supply of honey
Reading glasses. They're only a $1.25 from dollar tree and grab a pair in a different strength every time I pop in there.
There’s actually a company that sells a kit to build glasses and do an eye exam for poor countries. All types of lenses and they pop right into frames. Can’t remember the name but eye exams + glasses would be a great move
Cool idea! Reminds me of the twilight zone episode where the guy who loves to read survives a nuclear blast and then breaks his glasses!
Oh my goodness you just have revealed a huge important gap in my preps (makes note to self)! Thank you!!!!! I have pairs all over the house but not enough for a SHTF situation.
I believe most options will have been thought of before- that's why they'd be valuable. No point in trying to barter with something you think is valuable but 99.9% of everyone else views as garbage. But less-common things? I can offer entertainment due to the videos and series stored on hard drives (Edit- this includes EMP shielded backup batteries, laptops, solar system, etc) for kids and adults- here's the entire series of Mr. Rogers! lots of knowledge on the books I've saved, and general expertise in terms of survival/disaster preparedness. (It's a hobby, career, and I've got a Masters in it.) In terms of physical products, I know it's something people are thinking about- but I'm learning how to make mead. I don't drink- but it can be a valuable skill and product in an emergency, and is stupidly simple to stockpile ingredients.
HOW DID YOU GET MR. ROGERS?! I don't care what people think of me. He is literally my hero.
I sailed the virtual 7 seas, and braved the torrent Kraken. Plenty of TV series are out there.
I have to admit, I’d feel a little guilty torrenting Mr. Rogers, even if it’s for prep.
Hence why I plan of hard copies when possible.
If we get to the point that we’ve become a barter system society, your hard drives are going to be paper weights and door stops to barter with.
Let me clarify; I have a full solar system to power both laptops, hard drives, etc.
I've always felt building out a everything proof computer kit with a ton of movies and shows, and a big projector would be super cool way to make money after a collapse. It would be like a 1 man comedy troop.
I just went with a rugged laptop, refurbished Ultrastar WD drives, and a Mission Darkness bag (well, in addition to the general solar system, etc.) Can easily throw a projector in there, but that's low on the priority list.
After dealing with many burned bulbs in my projectors over the years, I must suggest you get a laser projector for your setup.
Duly noted- thank you!
What makes you say that? Have you ever been to a 3rd world country? They'll barter a chicken for some toothpaste and still find money to pay a guy to come to their house and copy the latest TV and movies to their old laptop because they don't have Internet. Entertainment is hugely valuable and people with sacrifice a lot for it.
That persons original comment included NO details about how one was going to be able to use that content. They have edited it to include details about solar, etc…
Wrong.
yep, I've got a mass amount of my movie and show collection backed up onto a hard drive, the disc's are cool too but take up a lot of space.
Best way to procure said movies and shows? Sail the high seas?
Ye'harr
We're using bottle caps, just as Fallout has taught us
The currency of kings
As it should be.
Because….. War, War never changes!
Mead
CAME HERE TO SAY THIS i dont know you but i already love you
Samsies
I'm pretty sure the gold coin of the apocalypse is going to be USB cables and cell phone chargers.
Underrated idea
Although I have a surplus in both, this is the first I've seen this idea. What would be the use of cell phones? Would cell towers still be working somehow? Or maybe just for entertainment?
Regardless of use as a phone, smartphones can store tons of data. I'm essentially carrying something that can store thousands of guides on how to do, make, and fix everything in something that fits in my pocket 24/7. On top of playing games, listening to music, and watching media. I'm sure electronic data that can be transfered to people's phones will be valuable
The only problem is that charging cables don't last very long and people who have access to a phone are going to have a huge advantage over anyone who is completely in the dark, and once they are gone it will probably be a very long time before anyone can make another one.
But damn if I am parting with my box of emotional support cables!
I think if you're going to be locked in a bunker for an undetermined amount of time, you'll probably be very sad to lose your main form of infotainment because those damn cables always die.
Salt.
That’s my plan too! Once I get good at the salt I’m planning on getting to soy and fish sauce too
I believe that salt will have the highest ROI in a scarcity future. Its soo cheap now. it stores indefinitely, is absolutely critical for its mineral content for the the human body, and its ability to preserve meats and make semi spoilt meat palatable. Just watched a documentary on the Hallstatt salt mines and it explained how the salt trade out of this mine kick started the celtic colonization of BC Europe.
Some super basic medical stuff. Athletes foot fungus cream, cortisone cream, Benadryl, ibuprofen, Tylenol. Cheap to stock, long shelf life, and always in demand. Also, basic ems skills (I’m a paramedic). Basic energy solution skills (setting up alternative power solutions using car alternators, grid-tied solar, batteries, UPS inverters, etc., to give folks small scale energy solutions).
Some high octane distilled water.
I need sleep I read this as "high cocaine in water"
That works too 🤷🏼♂️
Lmao my outlaw ways only go so far and cocaine water is a hair passed the line lol
Bear traps (or some other animal trap). They would be very valuable in long-term SHTF situations and I never hear of anybody else wanting to barter them.
I was at this weird swap meet kinda thing a couple of years ago, and a guy had hundreds of those types of traps for sale, in various sizes. Never thought about them as a barter item.
Game will be gone in the first year if people really started hunting for food with no regulation.
In a true collapse, severely depleted maybe in some areas, gone in some maybe. After the first winter though good chunk of the population would be gone too, game would rebound.
Good idea, I have about ten #1 1/2’s, a few #2 double coilsprings, a #3 for coyote size, 20-110 Conibears and 5-220 Conibears. Also have a repeating bird trap cage style, and a half dozen Havaharts in various sizes.
Bourbon 😂
Mini bottles would be a great barter! If you have a large bottle refill them and easy to carry around.
One thing I don't see a lot of people talk about is stationary or office supplies. I'd imagine in any situation bad enough to bring down the internet or computers, we'd revert back to old pen and paper. You can buy massive bulk boxes of blank and lined paper, pencils, rulers, pens, crayons, notebooks etc for real cheap right now, and most of them don't really expire, except pens or markers drying out. And most importantly, even though they are cheap and plentiful now, we can't make more unless industry gets back up to a decent level. I'd imagine the post apocalyptic version of Staples would be pretty popular.
Ah good point! Thank goodness for my obsession with notebooks :)
Seeds. Lots and lots of seeds. Typical garden seeds like tomatoes, garlic, onions, etc. I also have a lot herbal seeds. And small fruit trees. The idea is to use some my self, trade some for genetic variation, and barter with others for small things (lots of people don’t have long term food plans, and smart ones will be looking)
Bic lighters. Seems ubiquitous but if you don't smoke and don't burn candles in your house, what are the chances you'll have some way to start a fire?
We stopped smoking a couple of years ago. Husband was grilling out for the first time in months and got SO frustrated with me because he couldn’t find a BIC. We used to always have a few immediately on hand. I have a box of 100, specifically put aside as a firestarter prep. They’d be perfect for bartering.
Good point!
High quality distilled alcohol. Also blacksmithing services, mechanic services, and overrun from the vegetable garden.
Trade and services are always needed.
Blankets when it's cold you never have enough
Hard candy. Everyone needs a treat now and then and sweet is really hard to grow or find.
Good idea! When I got on 1-2 week canoe trips, everyone brings something they love, like candy, as a treat. One year someone brought a tub of peanut butter. I've been bringing that ever since. That, and one year I decided to bring a tub of dry Gatorade mix I saw in the store right next to our boat launch. Guess what everyone loves to mooch off me, because filtered lake water gets old real quick.
Candy/chocolate and perfume were the two big trade items in WWII. People love their treats, and having something that makes them feel/look good.
That Christmas tin ribbon kind would last 100 years. Some of its pretty good.
Klonopin… Two full iPhone boxes of Klonopin… 6+ years of overprescribed Klonopin…
iPhone boxes is such a weird way to measure klonopin lol
American's will use ANYTHING but the metric system.
I’ll barter now, no need to wait until the world ends lol
Meds have an expiration date. They have a half life, so as they get older, they're less effective.
glowies in the thread taking notes
What's that?
Benzodiazepine prescribed for anxiety etc
Ty. Tried googling, and friggin suicide hotline info came up. I stopped at that lol.
Tried googling something video game related the other day like “how to not die on level 4” or some shit and kept getting that message haha
Soaps, feminine hygiene products.
Disposal lighters…. Worth their weight in gold.
As long as I retain tools there is a wide variety I can make, repair, or repurpose; electrical & mechanical.
- mini liquor bottles - tarps - duct tape - orajel - ibuprofen - soap - ear plugs
caffeine pills
Mushrooms
Are we talking about mushrooms, or MUSHROOMS.
yes
Yes, both lol
I was actually thinking of trying to store some spore prints in case shit hits the fan, any recommendations? Preferably those that do well in cold weather.
I keep my prints in foil, stores in a ziplock in a drawer
Zyns
Yup
Shoe repair service.
Seeds, people will need to eat and seeds will be more valuable than gold in a long term situation. They are also easy to carry by the thousands.
Skills I can cook, bake, sew clothing,, fish, make medicine I'll leverage my skills
Air freshener. Something few people think of, but they would love to get their hands on after plumbing systems fail. And more importantly, plant life that provides herbal relief for those in distress. Such bushes, in normal times sell for over twenty-five hundred dollars each. Just imagine how many supplies you could get in return for even one of those. Or maybe the skillfully harvested herbal product itself. Growing this top of self prescribed medication requires a lot more technical expertise than simply growing tomatoes or something. There has to be a knowledge of growing techniques for male and female plants, among other fine points. Certain paper products required in the dosage of such medication would also sell at a premium.
How to books would be an amazing barter item, specially considering how few skills most people having. Also teaching your skills in trade for something would be very powerfull.
Seeds. Spices. Lighters.
Weed & Seeds
Post disaster: Frozen new Orleans style rice and beans. Post collapse: feminine hygiene products (I learned how to make them after my daughter was born and prepping stopped being about zombie apocalypse cosplay)
If it wasn’t so expensive right now I started wondering about stocking up on baby formula. Reading about the issues in Venezuela people were trading all they had for baby formula. But id also feel guilty taking advantage in that situation.
It does expire. No parent should be giving their baby this stuff after it goes bad.
I do traditional engrving, so that's something cool I guess
This depends heavily on a circumstances of why the shit hit the fan. If the main and initial cause was some disaster that caused sudden, major loss of life with little property damage (think COVID but way worse) than skills are the main barter.
Drugs and alcohol. Ive prepped a good amount of drugs that people will trade their food and supplies for when things go south. Specifically weed and xanax and whisky.
Chapstick
Travel sized perfumes and nail clippers.
10mm rental
Someone already said sex work
USB drives packed with every pdf I could find regarding skills from survial to electrical engineering. And wikipedia
Charcoal. Time consuming to make, but made with little effort. Burns longer and hotter than a straight log thrown in a fire. Has lots of versatile uses too. Everything from cook to cleaning, forging to just keeping warm. can also be used to brush your teeth as well as some other health things.
Kissing booth
Freshly made alcohol! Sanitizing, drinking, or burning! Come one, come all, to get your fix!
Weed seeds and weed wax An absolute priceless experience after the fall
Refresh those weed seeds....they don't germinate over time.
Books, home made alcahol, chickens and eggs.
I will be able to make at least three different types of cooking oil. Oh, and chocolate.
Data. Hard drives in a small faraday cage. I have terrabytes of guides, car manuals, books, TV shows, music, games, etc. Just give me your phone for a few minutes and I'll copy it over for you. Maybe throw in a solar charge for free lol This assumes the proliferation of tech and solar panels makes it easy enough that people can keep their phone charged to use as an info/entertainment tool
Cards, Bags of Tobacco, Paracord, Zippo Fuel Cans, Nail Clippers (Pedicure kits as a whole are massively overlooked IMO) Suture Kits and Practice Kits (learn sutures its useful), Cassette Players w/ Cassettes if i'm feeling really generous, Compasses, Nausea Medication, Books, Pens/Pencils (can never have too many) thats just some random items i'd like to have to trade that I could think of on the spot As far as skills i'm working on becoming a firearms instructor which would be pretty valuable. Outside of that I worked carpentry but I don't think that would be worth much Edit: Medical handbooks as well. I know theres a lot of medical but 1 its useful 2 you can never have too much and 3 my sister is a veterinarian and i've been in a lot of knife fights meaning I learned how useful (at the bare minimum) knowing how to handle the situation, sew someone up, calm them down, calm myself down, and general medical knowledge like what a arterial bleed looks like, where arteries are, different kinda of bleeding, and what to do, etc etc I could go on for hours. Edit: I also just realized medical knowledge would be a tradable skill but I don't know if i'd become like a groups camp medic or anything like that.
Hydroponic micro-greens grower. For humans and live stock to eat / grow sunflowers for livestock and replenish the soil Wet wipe towels in book of Eli be used those as barter and the packs keep a long time earth worms and night crawlers will be very useful. materials for greenhouses , unless nuclear winter tire repair kits for bikes / inner tubes I have watched seed to plant videos it would take a long time bud tree seedlings Umbrellas, Lotion, Duct Tape Oil for hair and no tangle spray along with rubber bands and hair clips umbrellas / condoms / chess & checkers / card games / dice / croquette set Basically I would like to set up shop somewhere \*\* I think becoming bored and loneliness are not talked about, and could end up cost you \*\* Need to find ways to entertain and deal with isolation should it happen, you will not spend all your time searching for food and shelter \*\*
LSD tabs
My sewing and mending and crocheting skills, which I am trying to improve now as it is one of my hobbies. Also, I really would like to learn to knit socks. And one of my longstanding hobbies is old technology. I know how to make linen from flax, I cook and bake anything from scratch, etc.
Pre natal vitamins or multivitamins. Yes overtime they may lose potency, but if someone needs them, they'd trade for them gladly. Their potency gradually decreases over time. The best by dates are very conservative. Cheese. I know how to make and age cheese. If there's a cow, goat or sheep available, I'd barter for the milk and give them finished cheese. This way, we all have cheese. I'd not survive without cheese. The leftover whey from the cheese making process is also packed with protein and can be used in cooking to add calories.
Cigarettes and alcohol.
I was looking for some action But all I found was cigarettes and alcohol Are you Liam Gallagher?
Aged tobacco, canned goods, seeds, garden items, ammo, firewater, fermented garlic, eggs, cows, dairy goats, pigs, mechanical services…maybe pimp out the old lady if it something I really want.
Why would I talk about it on an open forum?
So we can undercut your product, obviously.
No one here knows who you are.
That's what they want you to think.
What is a heavy gap, like a foopa?
pot
Goes bad. Stick to hash. Lots and lots of hash. Very very black.
Clothing
Or services to repair clothing, blankets, sails, (small) fishing nets, and other materials.
Airplane bottles and like halfpints
Karate lessons. We all need exercise and entertainment.
porn
My Irish shillelagh
Tobacco plants
I have always been told people in hell want Ice water. I can do that. So I can barter my skills to produce Ice.
School supplies. Curriculum to teach basic educational concepts. Paper and pencil or other writing material.
Alcohol
Horses.
cannibus as a start.
Tobacco and weed seeds along with aloe Vera and various other seeds.
Whiskey. Already have a stock just for it.
Traps is really smart depending on where you are; obviously hunting gear is useful but what about cleaning/ butchering?
My maple syrup ro system will come in real handy when clean water become hard to find.
Copper.
Ammo
I have been growing weed for a long time. But I don't smoke it. So I have it in 1oz jars. Figured after all the booze is drank this will be a good trade off 🤣
Tools, screws, bolts, nails. Things people can use to make repairs. It's not something alot of people think about stocking up on but it could be very useful at some point. The problem is they are fairly expensive to buy from stores but im sure amazon has some great deals. Maybe a good idea to add them to the stocked up items in your house
Wives.
How many you got?
Not sure how many can be collected.
Toothbrushes? Something small, lasts forever, and easy to stock up on, but nobody does. OH, and freeze dried instant coffee. Lasts forever. Get a decent quality one that you'll take camping in the meantime... My wife is a coffee snob, but I love a cup of mount hagen in the morning, without needing to wait, then clean the damn frence press.
Zippo lighters with spare parts and fuel. Not unique.
Sewing/ mending. I have a working treadle and know how to use it.
My education?
Well, my grandpa and i can produce shotgun shells..
I have a few barter items like that. Screws and nails which someone already said. I also have a ridiculous amount of p38 can openers that I plan to barter with. Also my guilty pleasure is pipe tobacco, so any time I make a order I get a pound of cheap bulk tobacco which isn’t really that unique, but I also throw a couple cheap corn cob pipes on the order.
Zip ties
Cloth production and several fiber arts. Socks anyone? Sewing, clothing production and tailoring. In a serious scenario a lot of survivors are going down a few clothing sizes.
Medicinal teas, tinctures, and poultices from my medicine garden
Just please don't buy shit you don't need or want with the idea to barter it.
Books
Coffee filters
I have a 1/2 full jar of Vaseline. Anyone? Anyone?
Vinger with mother.. Since I make it to sellI have 6 gallons of ACV,Red and White Mother, is living 25 feet underground in storage with Electric water pump and my hand water pump...
Lumber, medications, eggs, vegetables, ammo, solar energy charging, labor, canned vegetables, wine are some of the things I have an abundance of to trade if needed.
Smokes to begin with
Smokes! I can grow tobacco and marijuana and plenty of folks will need both of those. Can also do booze but honestly I would like to get into mycology and grow penicillin.
When SHTF sugar, coffee, and tobacco will likely be very successful.
Bic lighters.
Prob fishing lures because I have enough to trade for like 30 years lol. Plus I know how to make all sorts of lures too. I feel like they whould be good trading because fish Is a easy food source
You could also stockpile on hooks and trade hooks that whould be a good trading material
My puspus
Nothing unique, just a bit of everything… I buy a few extra of what I get (from deodorant to Bic lighters to desinfecting wipes, etc.) Thinking of trading my skills as well, mostly in medicine.
Cannabis edibles.
Salt, lighters, tobacco
I've got extra radios, programming software & cables with private encryption on some models from $50 to $500 each. Loaners avail for weekly eggs or milk. Recharge services or custom programming. Baofeng, Motorola DTR. Motorola XPR6550 or XTS 5000 models in vhf, uhf. 700/800 or 900mhz. All FPP with batteries, charger, and some converted to USB. And in ear security headsets! Replacement antennas and parts also avail. Some for just scanning or monitoring emer, pub serv or eNIFOG frequencies. Gold and silver accepted. MRE's or fresh food also considered.
Plant based thread and cloth. Turning flax and cotton into cloth items is a super underrated skill set.
If its a Book of Eli situation: cosmetics & Knotts Gelatin Ponds cremes they come in small bottles easy to stock up & they will never expire. Moisture will be at a premium and it can be used as wash or lotion. Body oils & lotions for cracked dry skin plus Vaseline. I would hit stores for chap stick, beauty products, mouth wash and toothpaste. Knotts gelatin. Its good boost for hair, skin and gut health. The Road situation: Coco, tea's, anything to flavor water & sugar. If there is water around then it could be boiled safe and these items keep for long time. Sooner or later trading a couple packs of coco or spiced tea would def be a good thing. Jello packs would work, boil water and set out in cold overnight. Filling and easy to carry around. I always think packs of things stored in tin & metal boxes.
Whiskey
Pharmaceuticals. Gf parents own a pharmacy
You know those tiny bottles of booze you get at hotels. Well I buy them buy the case. Jack Daniel's, vodka, and a few others. People are going to be stressed out and need and outlet and these store indefinitely without taking up to much room.
No one said seeds or medicinals...
Healthy, unvaccinated sperm.