# What would you need to buy/barter for after the SHTF?



## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

There seems to be a lot of talk about money that would be accepted or what you could use to barter for what you wanted.

My question is what would you need after the event happens?

If you are prepared you won't need anything that you haven't stored or can't grow. What is it that you would need to get?


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## Urinal Cake (Oct 19, 2013)

I have ammo, toilet paper, disinfectant cleaners and water for barter. Oh yeah, Urinal Cakes too!


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

A leftist acquaintance and I had a chat along these same lines just the other day while swigging brewskis on boys day out with the guys. He said he would just kill his neighbors and take what he needed. He is the same one who thinks the key to solving violent crime is to cut the pizzles off all new born black male chillins. He says thats how Lenin would do it.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

If SHTF today, assuming those who are invited to bug out to Slippy Lodge made it here...we would need antibiotics and certain medicine that you cannot buy over the counter. For the right person, (doctor, dentist, vet, phys asst or nurse) we could trade bringing them into Slippy Lodge.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

There are a few things that I worry about running out of and have not found a way to replace/grow/produce. It really depends how long we will have to be 100% self sufficient.

Immediate:
Fresh fruits other than apples, berries, pears, cherries, peaches, apricots. This is one of the things I want to put in the greenhouse, fruit! Especially pineapple and citrus.

More than 2 years:
Spices will be limited i.e. curry, garam masala, tumeric will be gone
Tuna Fish really all seafood 

More than 5 years:
Arnica gel, I am not having luck getting arnica to grow.
Dried pasta
Flour
Rice
Olive oil
I know there are more but these are the ones I have been obsessing on lately.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Slippy, 
su casa es mi casa y mi casa es su casa (it has been a while since I used my Spanish but I think that is correct)

You should line up a doctor before it hits my friend - even a veterinary doctor could treat most things - including the diabetes.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

PaulS said:


> Slippy,
> su casa es mi casa y mi casa es su casa (it has been a while since I used my Spanish but I think that is correct)
> 
> You should line up a doctor before it hits my friend - even a veterinary doctor could treat most things - including the diabetes.


Or a Pharmacist


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Auntie,
You can make pasta - you don't need dried pasta.

Here are some hints on growing Arnica (wolf's Bane) from one of my books:

Arnica Montana, also called Leopard's bane, Wolf's bane and Mountain Tobacco, is a perennial herb indigenous to the mountain pastures of Central Europe. Arnica has been harvested for medicinal purposes sing the 1500s. Arnica's daisy-like flower and rhizome are dried or made into poultices, tinctures, powders or gels and used to treat skin ailments. Arnica plants grow well outdoors in USDA plant-hardiness Zones 5 to 8, which means these plants can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit. You can grow arnica plants from seed in the spring, germinating them indoors and transplanting them outdoors in May.

Step 1
Sow your arnica seeds in early spring. Plant the seeds in a shallow dish filled with a moist mixture of equal parts loam, peat and sand. Push the seeds just below the surface of the mix.

Step 2
Keep the arnica seeds in a cold frame or a greenhouse at 55 degrees Fahrenheit until May. Mist the potting medium with a water spray bottle to keep it moist. Place the dish in bright indirect sunlight.

Step 3
Transplant the seedlings outdoors in May, after the last frost has passed and the seedlings have germinated. Choose a planting site that receives good indirect sunlight and has well-drained soil.

Step 4
Water your arnica plant once per week or as needed to keep the soil moist. Because arnica plants thrive in nutrient-poor soils, you do not need to fertilize them.

Step 5
Pick off the whole flowers in mid- to late summer. Dry the flowers on a tray lined with paper towels placed in an airy room. Dig up and collect the root after the leaves have died in autumn.
(I dry the flowers wrapped in a loose paper towel that is loosely wrapped in foil and placed on the bottle shelf of my frost free freezer)

Tips and Warnings
Beware that arnica seeds can be slow to germinate, so you may not be able to transplant the seedlings outdoors until summer.

Store wheat kernels and get a flour mill.
Learn to use other oils - I like olive oil too but I can use rendered animal fat for just about anything - including salad dressings.

Learn how to make a fish trap and find a place to put it.

I want you to be as self sufficient as I am.... People will come to you for things they need and you can pick and choose what you will accept as payment.


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## OctopusPrime (Dec 2, 2014)

Fuel is something I would run out of quickly. My limited space does not allow me to store much gasoline extra outside the gas tank. I have a 5 gallon tank extra that's it. Lucky I have a obscene amount of lighters though.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

I also would be gas short. 
I keep the truck on full, and have a can for premix . I don't like storing gas. 
I was burned very badly at young age. 
Speaking of, I need to fill my two propane bottles. 
Good thread.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Thanks Paul, It grows in the mountains here so I have been harvesting the flowers when I can find them. I will give that method a try next spring.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

BIC lighters, tobacco (I have plenty of seeds) and whiskey (made if needed), a bit of silver. Knowledge of PMA alternator systems and solar electric production.

The 90 "trade" BIC lighters and bit of silver would give me a running start. The whiskey, woodcraft and electric knowledge in my head, and tobacco seeds can be reproduced for years.

Yep, I'm all into the "sin" products that make our lives easier.

Personally I think the lighters are probably the best bang for the buck.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

What would you need? We all have things for barter but what would you run out of and need to trade for?


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Whatever it is, PaulS said in a different thread and rightly so, you have nothing, but may know where to get it! Don't leave bread crumbs to your door.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

a zombie fire extinguisher that's about it.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Gas will be a problem. I try to keep all the vehicles at least half full at all times and 2 extra Jerrycans full. But, gas will disappear fast. Auntie suggested spices and that's something I have not considered. I will have to address that issue. I store batteries but I can see where they would not last long and in time would not be able to be replaced. Medicines will be a high priority and anyone with medical knowledge.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

There are many things I might need, who can predict the future. One thing I hope I don't need is more ammunition. That would be bad.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Need???? Gas/diesel and a bunch of energy drinks.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

FoolAmI said:


> Need???? Gas/diesel and a bunch of energy drinks.


We don't consume energy drinks (other than coffee). My sister has been trying to talk me into getting those little energy shots - four hour energy? I don't know enough about them to store them. Are they really safe, anyone know what the shelf life is?


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

More primers, powder and bullets.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

For trade I will be focusing on people's vices. Cheap booze and cigarettes. I will use these barter items in exchange for labor. Gotta LOT of work to do around here! Put in a solid days work and I'll feed you and get you yer liquor and smokes. Burn me and I gotta a slippymade pike for your head...


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## Hawaii Volcano Squad (Sep 25, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> For trade I will be focusing on people's vices. Cheap booze and cigarettes. I will use these barter items in exchange for labor.


I agree about vices, After the Apocalypse, I plan to open a whorehouse/bar/casino in the wastelands. Stop by!


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

another great low cost trade item will be toilet paper. And if nothing ever happens you can use it to go roll your neighbor's trees.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Auntie said:


> We don't consume energy drinks (other than coffee). My sister has been trying to talk me into getting those little energy shots - four hour energy? I don't know enough about them to store them. Are they really safe, anyone know what the shelf life is?


energy drinks are mostly a bit of caffeine and lot's of B vitamins.

About 12 years ago I was pulling a lot of 70-80 work weeks and buying a bit of ginseng for an occasional energy boost. I was in the local GNC store getting ginseng and explained to the guy about my super long work days and I was dragging my ass out whooped at the end of each day. He told me that if I took 2-3 Mega-Men vitamins a day (tons of B-12) I'd keep a lot more pep in my step at the end of each day. After a few days of taking the vitamins I realized that I was feeling much stronger at the end of the day.

I don't take them every day but during the busy time of year for my business I take 2 around lunch and feel the energy start kicking in about 3-5 pm and it lasts for several hours, usually till about 8 or 9 at night. If I don't take them for a few days I can usually feel the difference later in the day when I start dragging.

Now days I take the Mega-Men 50 plus mini ($13 for 90 pills) Does the trick for me. Shelf life is about a year so I try to keep at least 6 months worth around.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I'll need manual labor for farming, running a bio fuel facility, and transporting goods ( safely ) to market.

I'll offer shelter, food, safety and health care. Then silver.



PaulS said:


> There seems to be a lot of talk about money that would be accepted or what you could use to barter for what you wanted.
> 
> My question is what would you need after the event happens?
> 
> If you are prepared you won't need anything that you haven't stored or can't grow. What is it that you would need to get?


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Auntie said:


> There are a few things that I worry about running out of and have not found a way to replace/grow/produce. It really depends how long we will have to be 100% self sufficient.
> 
> Immediate:
> Fresh fruits other than apples, berries, pears, cherries, peaches, apricots. This is one of the things I want to put in the greenhouse, fruit! Especially pineapple and citrus.
> ...


As I was cooking today, I was also thinking of the olive oil situation in a year. Any cooking oil, for that matter. I guess when it runs out, we resort to animal fat. That yucky chicken fat will start looking pretty good, I imagine! Lard from hogs or cattle, if one is fortunate to have them. I hear bears are also pretty greasy.

Once the wheat and rice stores are gone (intended only to get us through the first year or two), we will be using more dried beans and native legumes/ground cactus seeds. Maybe some corn, depending on the water situation. There is a LOT of wild amaranth around here, so that may be an item to gather. Our diet will definitely shift away from being so grain based. Beets (like the big fodder beets) will become a staple, I'm sure. they grow well in the sandy soil. Sweet potatoes will also work.

I can well imagine dinner being fried sweet potatoes (with chicken grease) rolled in mesquite flour, beet greens, chile made from tepary beans (native, drought resistant bean), diced pack rat, cholla cactus buds, nopalitas (sliced prickly pear pads), and native hot peppers. MMMMMMMMM. All the needed nutrition without even tapping into the crickets!


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Some say trading ammo off is bad. But .22 even just 10 can make the difference between seeing next week or not. I would trade .22. To people I trust. For whatever I needed. Mostly medicine as that is the one thing that I am horribly short on. Fact is after 2 weeks to 20 days I think about 80% will have died off killed eachother or left. Won't be a lot of people around. And few if any are prepped like I am around here. I would have to keep to myself for fear of being ransacked.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> As I was cooking today, I was also thinking of the olive oil situation in a year. Any cooking oil, for that matter. I guess when it runs out, we resort to animal fat. That yucky chicken fat will start looking pretty good, I imagine! Lard from hogs or cattle, if one is fortunate to have them. I hear bears are also pretty greasy.
> 
> Once the wheat and rice stores are gone (intended only to get us through the first year or two), we will be using more dried beans and native legumes/ground cactus seeds. Maybe some corn, depending on the water situation. There is a LOT of wild amaranth around here, so that may be an item to gather. Our diet will definitely shift away from being so grain based. Beets (like the big fodder beets) will become a staple, I'm sure. they grow well in the sandy soil. Sweet potatoes will also work.
> 
> I can well imagine dinner being fried sweet potatoes (with chicken grease) rolled in mesquite flour, beet greens, chile made from tepary beans (native, drought resistant bean), diced pack rat, cholla cactus buds, nopalitas (sliced prickly pear pads), and native hot peppers. MMMMMMMMM. All the needed nutrition without even tapping into the crickets!


Can you raise ducks where you live? Duck fat will come in very handy, at least that is my plan. I have vac sealed millet seeds to grow for my poultry. I am also planning on growing clover for the animals. Bigwheel has convinced me to get back into sprouting  I need to look into tepary beans I am not familiar with them. I love prickly pear, I wonder if I can grow them here. Would be nice to put in that back corner that I keep having problems with.


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

Whatever it is I've forgotten? And fresh books, after awhile. Labor. Animals -- we don't keep livestock now, but we would.


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## 2efgee (Aug 4, 2015)

Pharmaceuticals will be gold in a shtf scenario, of course. But everyone seems very focused on the practical use of these items, and the people that say they're going to trade to feed people's vices focus on tobacco, etc. The people best prepared for living without modern comforts besides preppers like ourselves are those who already do, voluntarily. Obviously the Amish come to mind first, but opiate addicts and tweakers sell their souls for a pinch of what they need on a daily basis. They live outside, or in burned out houses (think most of Detroit). Smokes will be great, everyone wants 'em. And no one is going to be richer than whoever can run a well defended shinery pumping out grain alcohol. But the people that are possibly the biggest immediate threat, and the easiest to trade with, are those who are fiending for a hard drug. You shouldn't build a meth lab for your post-apocalypse hideout, but imagine how valuable a bottle of Hydrocodone or Bronkaid (Amphedrine) will be. And these are things you'll get easily from going to the doctor or cvs, nothing illegal about them until they enter someone else's hands, but that won't be an issue in the wasteland. I'm not saying go out of your way to build up a home pharmacy, but maybe think about whether you really need antibiotics for that cough now, or if ibuprofen isn't good enough for that toothache instead of Oxy's.
I would probably like to trade for a lot of things, but as far as immediate needs go I would be set for a while. I could go three or four months easily, and my bugout location is much closer than that and is very self-sustainable to where I'd only need to trade for comfort items, books and such.


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## OctopusPrime (Dec 2, 2014)

Auntie said:


> We don't consume energy drinks (other than coffee). My sister has been trying to talk me into getting those little energy shots - four hour energy? I don't know enough about them to store them. Are they really safe, anyone know what the shelf life is?


I get tired during 10 to 12 hour shifts and drink a rock star...they have 240 mg of caffeine and those b vitamins. Be careful not to consume more than 300 mg in 4 hours though. People don't realize caffeine can kill you like any other drug. Some kids were mixing caffeine pills with energy drinks and died. I am about to go off to my shift now and have a rock star ready for me to consume at 5 am... I see what the expiration since are on lots of the different brands on my break.


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## oldgrouch (Jul 11, 2014)

There is a lot that I have and a lot that I need to get, but if I can't have my morning coffee life might as well be over. I buy it every time I hit Walmart. I even have vac packed green beans!


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

low cost trade item. Wasp spray. Last night Lowes had 5 cans for $5 while supplies last but they had about 30 cases so get it while you can.


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## Renec (Dec 21, 2012)

Hey RN..there is a good source of local olive oil somewhere near you. I used to lived quite close to this place and the restaurant is fantastic. Even if the Owners are MIA..the mature olive grove will still be there. Might be a good location to check out and work with the local community to keep up and running after SHTF.
https://www.queencreekolivemill.com/


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