# Ever considered having a stash of things you don't need or use?



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

I've thought about this and to me it makes perfect sense. But I will say I'm not going out of my way to spend time or money on things my family have no use for, but I know there's a few things around here that are in perfectly good shape and could be of use to others....but for whatever reason, they haven't been disposed of. In a SHTF I think those odd items would come in quite handy for bartering......that way I don't have to give up what my family does need & use.

Let's say something like a jar of peanut butter and you may be allergic to it, or jars of baby food, diapers but you don't have babies, or some vegetable seeds of things you don't like or eat. 

Although it is true if things got bad enough baby food or growing Brussel sprouts might start looking very appetizing after all and diapers & kotex are useful in other ways especially first aid. BUT if it came to a barter situation and the other party does have a baby or loves to grow & eat Brussel sprouts, and they have something that is useless to them, but a 'goldmine' to you, then it saves you from having to use something valuable to you. 

Anyone else consider this as an alternate option for bartering?


----------



## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

JustAnotherNut said:


> I've thought about this and to me it makes perfect sense. But I will say I'm not going out of my way to spend time or money on things my family have no use for, but I know there's a few things around here that are in perfectly good shape and could be of use to others....but for whatever reason, they haven't been disposed of. In a SHTF I think those odd items would come in quite handy for bartering......that way I don't have to give up what my family does need & use.
> 
> Let's say something like a jar of peanut butter and you may be allergic to it, or jars of baby food, diapers but you don't have babies, or some vegetable seeds of things you don't like or eat.
> 
> ...


You know, you are on to something! 
I never thought about stocking things I don't need but others would.
Thanks, Nut!


----------



## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

It's not a bad thought, but I can't help but wonder how one comes into owning things one does not need in the first place.
This sounds more like a concerted effort to stock things for barter, and not so much a "we have this thing that we just don't need" situation.

Still, for those that want to, this is not a bad idea at all.


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

Cleanliness is next to healthiness... especially in a long term fubar scenario. It's difficult to count the problems associated with long term bad hygiene. 
I have a boatload of feminine hygiene products stored.
Ditto shampoo, even though I no longer have hair.
More soap and detergent than I could EVER use myself... ditto razors, and toothbrushes, paste, and floss.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

JustAnotherNut said:


> I've thought about this and to me it makes perfect sense. But I will say I'm not going out of my way to spend time or money on things my family have no use for, but I know there's a few things around here that are in perfectly good shape and could be of use to others....but for whatever reason, they haven't been disposed of. In a SHTF I think those odd items would come in quite handy for bartering......that way I don't have to give up what my family does need & use.
> 
> Let's say something like a jar of peanut butter and you may be allergic to it, or jars of baby food, diapers but you don't have babies, or some vegetable seeds of things you don't like or eat.
> 
> ...


Yes.

Example; I don't need a Good Ass-Kicking but others do. Hence I stock an ample supply of Good Ass-Kickings to give out when necessary.

Thanks Nut!


----------



## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Yes I do, I keep a bunch of that feminine business, small personal hygiene stuff, and vice stores (small liquor bottles, and smokes). For the investment the risk is small, but in a dire situation the usefulness could be huge.


----------



## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I am buying those little airplane bottles of booze every time I stop at the liquor store. I keep the small travel toothpaste tubes, brushes, mouthwash etc. I pick something up every time I go to Wally World. Takes little investment and room, may come in handy some day.


----------



## yooper_sjd (May 14, 2017)

I do that, call it my scrap pile/bone yard back behind the house


----------



## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

for most preppers it comes down to a matter of storage space - there's a ton of stuff that you can store that you either have no further use or it's available for cheap/free ...

need to watch yourself for hoarder tendencies - trash is still trash - totes full of cans don't make you a prepper - you're closer to a shopping cart bag lady ....


----------



## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Goddam basement is full of preps as it is!.not enough room in our small abode.


----------



## Ragnarök (Aug 4, 2014)

JustAnotherNut said:


> I've thought about this and to me it makes perfect sense. But I will say I'm not going out of my way to spend time or money on things my family have no use for, but I know there's a few things around here that are in perfectly good shape and could be of use to others....but for whatever reason, they haven't been disposed of. In a SHTF I think those odd items would come in quite handy for bartering......that way I don't have to give up what my family does need & use.
> 
> Let's say something like a jar of peanut butter and you may be allergic to it, or jars of baby food, diapers but you don't have babies, or some vegetable seeds of things you don't like or eat.
> 
> ...


I store canned sardines, salmon, tuna, clams, crab, squid, snails, eel. I buy them at the asain market so they are cheap. I do not eat these...don't like the taste of canned seafood. I store them to use as trade items....or when I've got nothing else there's those delicious canned snails.

I store lots of bic lighters for trade.

I would say it is important to store high value trade items. My reason for this is to create friendships and alliances in a world where everyone is fighting for survival. Medicine, soap, medical supplies, chocolate, salt, wool, tobacco, firearms, other weapons, ammo, batteries, a bag of rice and a couple cans of spam, tools for example I consider high value.

The medicine, zpaks for example, if it was given or traded would establish trust and possibly improve survival chances for a larger group.

Trading firearms, ammo is risky....many would say too risky. That assessment of risk versus reward would make more sense at the time of suffering imo.

Tobacco, alocohol would be things to save till the supply ran out in your area. When they run out those people addicted with weak will power will trade you more valuable items to get their fix. I would trade vices for medicine, ammo, tools, useful material, gas ect. I would trade vices for information too. I'll bet you a heavy smoker would trade you a firearm for 2 cartons of cigs when the supply was gone.

Trading high value items for favors is big too.


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

My wife always wants to get rid of anything not used in a few years. I on the other hand feel if I have space and the item is still usable and decent condition to keep it for well you never know. Causes some friction.


----------



## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

JustAnotherNut said:


> I've thought about this and to me it makes perfect sense. But I will say I'm not going out of my way to spend time or money on things my family have no use for, but I know there's a few things around here that are in perfectly good shape and could be of use to others....but for whatever reason, they haven't been disposed of. In a SHTF I think those odd items would come in quite handy for bartering......that way I don't have to give up what my family does need & use.
> 
> Let's say something like a jar of peanut butter and you may be allergic to it, or jars of baby food, diapers but you don't have babies, or some vegetable seeds of things you don't like or eat.
> 
> ...


You know your on a prepper forum right?


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

MaterielGeneral said:


> You know your on a prepper forum right?


Yes of course......but it seems as most preppers only consider storing what they want & need, but if SHTF goes for longer than expected or prepped for and supplies of your own treasures are dwindling are you really willing to barter off those treasures even for something you need? Most don't consider that possibility.


----------



## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

No, I only store what I need and use. And all of that is trade-able. I've found that as I continue storing my preps, there's a limit on space--and money. Keeping useless stuff will, in the end, cost you time and money because you have to find wys to get rid of it or move it with you. Things I don't need either get tossed or if they're still good, they go to charity.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

Ragnarök said:


> I store canned sardines, salmon, tuna, clams, crab, squid, snails, eel. I buy them at the asain market so they are cheap. I do not eat these...don't like the taste of canned seafood. I store them to use as trade items....or when I've got nothing else there's those delicious canned snails.
> 
> I store lots of bic lighters for trade.
> 
> ...


Yep, this was exactly my point


----------



## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

JustAnotherNut said:


> Yes of course......but it seems as most preppers only consider storing what they want & need, but if SHTF goes for longer than expected or prepped for and supplies of your own treasures are dwindling are you really willing to barter off those treasures even for something you need? Most don't consider that possibility.


In theory you are kind of right. Most of us are what Annie described. Prep what we need. Some of that escapes to the wayside where it sits.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

Kauboy said:


> It's not a bad thought, but I can't help but wonder how one comes into owning things one does not need in the first place.
> This sounds more like a concerted effort to stock things for barter, and not so much a "we have this thing that we just don't need" situation.
> 
> Still, for those that want to, this is not a bad idea at all.


My husband is a 'treasure hunter' and hits thrift stores & garage sales looking for bargains that he can sell for a profit or things he thinks we need. Most times it works out as he plans, but sometimes we end up with multiples of things like manual can openers, or flashlights, or tools, etc. 
A few times he's gotten boxes of stuff the people didn't want to mess with & they filled it up. So I have a can of garbonzo beans and canned spinach, that we won't eat. Seeds to grow veggies we don't eat. Yes it's a pain in my back side, but most of it is small enough stuff that it doesn't take up much room and if one tool breaks, we do have a back up. When SHTF, and it came time to have to barter for goods & services, I'll give them the canned spinach (we do love fresh spinach, just not canned) or seeds to grow Brussel sprouts that we don't like instead of my carrots, that I still can't figure out how to save pure seed from. 
And if life got desperate enough......well those garbonzo beans or canned spinach or Brussel sprouts may not be so bad after all.

Diapers or kotex pads are good for those who would need them as intended......but having a small supply on hand isn't a bad idea anyway because they can also be used for first aid. You slip & cut your leg open, a diaper or k-pad could help stem or absorb the flow of blood while threading the needle to sow you up. It's another good idea if you are having to hike out thru wilderness, to use those disposables to soak the blood, then clean up the wound to close, then leave behind that soaked diaper......predators can smell that blood a long way off and will go to the diaper before going after you.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

MaterielGeneral said:


> In theory you are kind of right. Most of us are what Annie described. Prep what we need. Some of that escapes to the wayside where it sits.


I do agree and I'm very much the same. Good Lord, it's hard enough to find the money & space for what we need as it is......But even if we attempted say one bag or bucket of 'tradable only' and especially in Annie's case since she has such a large family to provide for, she needs all that she can possibly store for her own family use but SHTF, she'd have to barter off her needed goods right up front and that leaves less for her.

I'm not talking about going out and spending a small fortune for a truckload of goods, just for trading.......but picking up a couple packets of cheap veggie seeds, or some cheap, even used widget to add to the trade bag


----------



## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

Great thread. I have allot of crap I dont need. But this forum always shows me stuff I do from lighters to alcohol (but I do drink inventory).
But, having stuff just to have stuff causes too much diversion from forward thinking continuously for what I do need.
I will never have the same life of luxury in a shtf etc scenario. But skills to survive I can never have enough of.


----------



## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

before you get all crazy about bartering - think for yourself - who are you going to be trading with that has anything SHTF worthwhile - to a prepared prepper .... the item required by you will be a value item - and you won't be trading trinkets & glass beads for it - better have top shelf merchandise to match that client customer ...


----------



## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

JustAnotherNut said:


> My husband is a 'treasure hunter' and hits thrift stores & garage sales looking for bargains that he can sell for a profit or things he thinks we need. Most times it works out as he plans, but sometimes we end up with multiples of things like manual can openers, or flashlights, or tools, etc.
> A few times he's gotten boxes of stuff the people didn't want to mess with & they filled it up. So I have a can of garbonzo beans and canned spinach, that we won't eat. Seeds to grow veggies we don't eat. Yes it's a pain in my back side, but most of it is small enough stuff that it doesn't take up much room and if one tool breaks, we do have a back up. When SHTF, and it came time to have to barter for goods & services, I'll give them the canned spinach (we do love fresh spinach, just not canned) or seeds to grow Brussel sprouts that we don't like instead of my carrots, that I still can't figure out how to save pure seed from.
> And if life got desperate enough......well those garbonzo beans or canned spinach or Brussel sprouts may not be so bad after all.
> 
> Diapers or kotex pads are good for those who would need them as intended......but having a small supply on hand isn't a bad idea anyway because they can also be used for first aid. You slip & cut your leg open, a diaper or k-pad could help stem or absorb the flow of blood while threading the needle to sow you up. It's another good idea if you are having to hike out thru wilderness, to use those disposables to soak the blood, then clean up the wound to close, then leave behind that soaked diaper......predators can smell that blood a long way off and will go to the diaper before going after you.


I had a feeling there was a personal reason for this perspective. Sounds like you have something else you might not need... a hoarder husband, lol.
At least you've found a way to make a positive out of it, and that's great!

Side note, use caution when you consider using sanitary pads or diapers for wound dressing. They are not sterile, and should not be used as the primary dressing if properly sterilized options are available. In a pinch, if it's all you've got, it's better than bleeding out, for sure!


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

Illini Warrior said:


> before you get all crazy about bartering - think for yourself - who are you going to be trading with that has anything SHTF worthwhile - to a prepared prepper .... the item required by you will be a value item - and you won't be trading trinkets & glass beads for it - better have top shelf merchandise to match that client customer ...


I'm not "all crazy" about it but - any number of things! A neighbor may have, for example, mature apple, walnut, or filbert trees whereas I do not. There's a tasty and nutritious barter! Another may have successfully grown a crop of onions or taters, and fresh garlic where mine may have failed that year. Yet another neighbor may have a knack for making corn whisky that I lack. And these are just food items. Skills will be bartered... dentistry, medical help, carpentry, mechanic work, gardening advice, butchering, yadida yadida YADIDA. No matter how smart we get at prepping, something is going to become apparent as needed that we didn't stock ahead of time 'cuz we didn't think of it... or we don't have every skill in the world.


----------



## woodchipper518 (May 9, 2016)

Sure. I don't drink or smoke but I have both in my supplies. Smokes are vac sealed. I don't care if they go stall or not. I'm counting on others to be addicted enough not to care.


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

woodchipper518 said:


> Sure. I don't drink or smoke but I have both in my supplies. Smokes are vac sealed. I don't care if they go stall or not. I'm counting on others to be addicted enough not to care.


I did a test on tobacco longevity.
Took a drum of American Spirit rolling tobacco and vac sealed it for 2 years. Opened it up and it was moist and just fine. I have since managed to quit smoking, but still keep it around. Same for whacky tobacky (which is legal here)... I don't smoke it myself but lots do. When things get tough, sure the tough get going... problem is, most people aren't tough. Most want a smoke, a toke, or a shot of whisky.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

Illini Warrior said:


> before you get all crazy about bartering - think for yourself - who are you going to be trading with that has anything SHTF worthwhile - to a prepared prepper .... the item required by you will be a value item - and you won't be trading trinkets & glass beads for it - better have top shelf merchandise to match that client customer ...


We live in a small neighborhood and are on good terms with them, and in SHTF I'm pretty sure we'd all take care of each other. They are important to our survival and extended family and friends are my concerns and if they needed help or something that I have, I'd be hard pressed to turn them down. I would put them to work or expect something in return of similar value that we want and use.

Anything that I do have for barter purposes only, is of value to someone...just not us. We don't just have stuff but also skills & knowledge that others don't and others have other skills or knowledge that we don't.

Strangers are easily turned away because they mean little to me.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

StratMaster said:


> I'm not "all crazy" about it but - any number of things! A neighbor may have, for example, mature apple, walnut, or filbert trees whereas I do not. There's a tasty and nutritious barter! Another may have successfully grown a crop of onions or taters, and fresh garlic where mine may have failed that year. Yet another neighbor may have a knack for making corn whisky that I lack. And these are just food items. Skills will be bartered... dentistry, medical help, carpentry, mechanic work, gardening advice, butchering, yadida yadida YADIDA. No matter how smart we get at prepping, something is going to become apparent as needed that we didn't stock ahead of time 'cuz we didn't think of it... or we don't have every skill in the world.


Ya know, that's one thing life has taught me over the years.......just when you think you've got it all figured out, you're faced with the reality that you don't.


----------



## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Kauboy said:


> Side note, use caution when you consider using sanitary pads or diapers for wound dressing. They are not sterile, and should not be used as the primary dressing if properly sterilized options are available. In a pinch, if it's all you've got, it's better than bleeding out, for sure!


I want to 2nd and 3rd what Kauboy said. Not sterile and will kill you with the infection.

Besides, there too expensive. Use them for what they are designed for. If you need cheap gauze then go to Dollar Tree.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


----------



## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

StratMaster said:


> I'm not "all crazy" about it but - any number of things! A neighbor may have, for example, mature apple, walnut, or filbert trees whereas I do not. There's a tasty and nutritious barter! Another may have successfully grown a crop of onions or taters, and fresh garlic where mine may have failed that year. Yet another neighbor may have a knack for making corn whisky that I lack. And these are just food items. Skills will be bartered... dentistry, medical help, carpentry, mechanic work, gardening advice, butchering, yadida yadida YADIDA. No matter how smart we get at prepping, something is going to become apparent as needed that we didn't stock ahead of time 'cuz we didn't think of it... or we don't have every skill in the world.


food - any food - is going to be one of the most sought after of all items in a serious SHTF - people killing each other over a morsel of bread ...

perfect example of why it'll take a premium premium barter item in exchange - $1 store bits & pieces won't be making the grade ....


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

Illini Warrior said:


> food - any food - is going to be one of the most sought after of all items in a serious SHTF - people killing each other over a morsel of bread ...
> 
> perfect example of why it'll take a premium premium barter item in exchange - $1 store bits & pieces won't be making the grade ....


Certainly in many scenarios, but not all. We can't get stuck on imagining specific scenarios only. Few people STARVED to death during the 1918 flu pandemic, and even fewer people MURDERED for food, even though services and deliveries were curtailed significantly. However, because medical services were so very overwhelmed (and would be today as well) one would be able to barter masks, antibiotics (secondary infections) and any number of other medical and hygiene supplies... as well as medical/nursing/caretaking services. What if you were too sick to care for your kids? You might easily feed a trusted neighbor to care for them as you recovered. Soap, handiwipes, alcohol, and bleach type spray cleaners... these are all things which we would use to prevent the spread of the flu, and yes can be purchased at the dollar store. They would become very valuable overnight.


----------



## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

Isnt this why some of us buy PMs I’m reminded constantly they are not for eating and make lousy bullets so isn’t it just for barter?


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

stowlin said:


> Isnt this why some of us buy PMs I'm reminded constantly they are not for eating and make lousy bullets so isn't it just for barter?


Yes, they are a bit hard on the teeth, and certainly have the wrong specific gravity for bullets.
My PM's, however, are not just for barter.
They are a hedge against currency collapse... a way to preserve wealth into the next monetary paradigm. Barring a TEOTWAWKI incident which might throw what's left of mankind back into the stone age, a SHTF disaster like an economic collapse will have an eventual recovery and a money system replacement. If a disaster/collapse goes on for an extended period, it may be your children who eventually utilize your preserved purchasing power rather than you... but it will be preserved. I know LOTS of people offer the same old tired arguments about PMs... you can't eat them, therefore they won't have any value like food, or they only have value because someone once said so, yadida yadida YADIDA. I am not going to respond to any of those kind of comments, as they have been asked and answered 10,000 times and yet come right up in the very next PM discussion... too dang tedious for me.
But... 
If you have already invested in every prep possible... what do you do if several hundred thousand $ (or even millions of $$$) remain? Myself, I do not wish to be holding paper assets during a currency collapse, and certainly not the worst of them which is dollars. Neither do I wish to have a big pile of ones and zeroes in a bank account... which could disappear or be withheld due to capital controls and "bail-ins". The amount one holds in PMs is directly related to your level of alarm as per the long-term outlook of the dollar... and my level of alarm is high.
MIND YOU... this is for people with substantial assets left over AFTER they have already provided every prep for their family. I would not advise anyone to purchase gold if they don't yet have land, water, food, gardens, guns and ammo, on and on.


----------



## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

StratMaster said:


> Certainly in many scenarios, but not all. We can't get stuck on imagining specific scenarios only. Few people STARVED to death during the 1918 flu pandemic, and even fewer people MURDERED for food, even though services and deliveries were curtailed significantly. However, because medical services were so very overwhelmed (and would be today as well) one would be able to barter masks, antibiotics (secondary infections) and any number of other medical and hygiene supplies... as well as medical/nursing/caretaking services. What if you were too sick to care for your kids? You might easily feed a trusted neighbor to care for them as you recovered. Soap, handiwipes, alcohol, and bleach type spray cleaners... these are all things which we would use to prevent the spread of the flu, and yes can be purchased at the dollar store. They would become very valuable overnight.


guy - what's with your argumentative butt - got a scratch you can't reach or something? - for crying out loud - you're a freaking pain even for OR ...


----------



## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

StratMaster said:


> Yes, they are a bit hard on the teeth, and certainly have the wrong specific gravity for bullets.
> My PM's, however, are not just for barter.
> They are a hedge against currency collapse... a way to preserve wealth into the next monetary paradigm. Barring a TEOTWAWKI incident which might throw what's left of mankind back into the stone age, a SHTF disaster like an economic collapse will have an eventual recovery and a money system replacement. If a disaster/collapse goes on for an extended period, it may be your children who eventually utilize your preserved purchasing power rather than you... but it will be preserved. I know LOTS of people offer the same old tired arguments about PMs... you can't eat them, therefore they won't have any value like food, or they only have value because someone once said so, yadida yadida YADIDA. I am not going to respond to any of those kind of comments, as they have been asked and answered 10,000 times and yet come right up in the very next PM discussion... too dang tedious for me.
> But...
> ...


It appears .... we have read the same playbook.


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

Illini Warrior said:


> guy - what's with your argumentative butt - got a scratch you can't reach or something? - for crying out loud - you're a freaking pain even for OR ...


That's a bit disrespectful... and I'm sorry you feel the need to behave that way rather than just converse in a civil manner. I was merely joining in the conversation, and started out by noting that you were certainly correct about many scenarios. If I have an "argumentative butt" for offering additional observations in an open forum, then I guess I am guilty as charged. You seem to be "butt hurt" for reasons I can't quite fathom. Have you never had someone respond "Why yes, that's right... but there's THIS as well." Doesn't seem to take much to get you all stirred up... seems to lack a sense of proportion.


----------



## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

The OP though was about hoarding, buying, accumulating something less than essential or needed and I guess PMs kind of fit that bill for me as I don't know why else you'd want something over stocked as some cost but to extract some later gain?

Guess for me it's knives since our govt will likely move to ban them I've started accumulating them with my amazon orders.



StratMaster said:


> Yes, they are a bit hard on the teeth, and certainly have the wrong specific gravity for bullets.
> My PM's, however, are not just for barter.
> They are a hedge against currency collapse... a way to preserve wealth into the next monetary paradigm. Barring a TEOTWAWKI incident which might throw what's left of mankind back into the stone age, a SHTF disaster like an economic collapse will have an eventual recovery and a money system replacement. If a disaster/collapse goes on for an extended period, it may be your children who eventually utilize your preserved purchasing power rather than you... but it will be preserved. I know LOTS of people offer the same old tired arguments about PMs... you can't eat them, therefore they won't have any value like food, or they only have value because someone once said so, yadida yadida YADIDA. I am not going to respond to any of those kind of comments, as they have been asked and answered 10,000 times and yet come right up in the very next PM discussion... too dang tedious for me.
> But...
> ...


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

stowlin said:


> The OP though was about hoarding, buying, accumulating something less than essential or needed and I guess PMs kind of fit that bill for me as I don't know why else you'd want something over stocked as some cost but to extract some later gain?
> 
> Guess for me it's knives since our govt will likely move to ban them I've started accumulating them with my amazon orders.


You'll get no argument here... a guy can't have too many good knives, I have a love for them myself.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

stowlin said:


> The OP though was about hoarding, buying, accumulating something less than essential or needed and I guess PMs kind of fit that bill for me as I don't know why else you'd want something over stocked as some cost but to extract some later gain?
> 
> Guess for me it's knives since our govt will likely move to ban them I've started accumulating them with my amazon orders.


Actually sort of, but no......I hadn't meant hoarding or accumulating in large amounts of something less than essential or needed........I had meant having something of a stash of things that are not needed or essential to YOU, but would have a high value to someone else. So that when the time comes to barter for something you need, you're not having to barter away from your favored goods, but using these other items instead.

For instance.....say 6 months into SHTF (and let's just say you only started with a years worth of food preps) your only manual can opener just broke & fell apart, completely useless and you needed it to access your food. You're desperate. Someone comes along with a manual can opener and is looking for any kind of food. You have food but you're not sure if it's enough to last so you're reluctant to do the exchange. Then you remember you have a jar of peanut butter. You don't like it and your wife is allergic, So you trade that peanut butter that is useless to you for the can opener that is useless to the other person. Everybody's happy.


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

JustAnotherNut said:


> Actually sort of, but no......I hadn't meant hoarding or accumulating in large amounts of something less than essential or needed........I had meant having something of a stash of things that are not needed or essential to YOU, but would have a high value to someone else. So that when the time comes to barter for something you need, you're not having to barter away from your favored goods, but using these other items instead.
> 
> For instance.....say 6 months into SHTF (and let's just say you only started with a years worth of food preps) your only manual can opener just broke & fell apart, completely useless and you needed it to access your food. You're desperate. Someone comes along with a manual can opener and is looking for any kind of food. You have food but you're not sure if it's enough to last so you're reluctant to do the exchange. Then you remember you have a jar of peanut butter. You don't like it and your wife is allergic, So you trade that peanut butter that is useless to you for the can opener that is useless to the other person. Everybody's happy.


That tickles me a little bit... I remember not being able to open a can for dinner because my can opener broke... and only then realized what I had forgotten: that I had a ton of canned goods and only ONE can opener. Now I have about a dozen PLUS some of the old military ones.


----------



## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

StratMaster said:


> That tickles me a little bit... I remember not being able to open a can for dinner because my can opener broke... and only then realized what I had forgotten: that I had a ton of canned goods and only ONE can opener. Now I have about a dozen PLUS some of the old military ones.


It is also possible to open a can without an opener........wet it and some concrete, rub the can across it creating friction, it can take awhile, but the can will begin to separate enough to access the food inside though you probably will lose the liquid. My son learned that from either Les Stroud/Survivorman or Bear Grylls show and just had to practice to see if it worked. He tried it with cans of tuna and a concrete landscape block.

eta.....we had tuna sandwiches for lunch


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

JustAnotherNut said:


> It is also possible to open a can without an opener........wet it and some concrete, rub the can across it creating friction, it can take awhile, but the can will begin to separate enough to access the food inside though you probably will lose the liquid. My son learned that from either Les Stroud/Survivorman or Bear Grylls show and just had to practice to see if it worked. He tried it with cans of tuna and a concrete landscape block.
> 
> eta.....we had tuna sandwiches for lunch


Yep... I can get into a can pretty good with my Ka-Bar as well... a little ragged but still dinner is served!


----------



## TGus (Sep 18, 2017)

I get a lot of stuff we'll never use as gifts from relatives, neighbors, and friends that I squirrel away until it spoils. Why not keep it, just in case?


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

JustAnotherNut said:


> I've thought about this and to me it makes perfect sense. But I will say I'm not going out of my way to spend time or money on things my family have no use for, but I know there's a few things around here that are in perfectly good shape and could be of use to others....but for whatever reason, they haven't been disposed of. In a SHTF I think those odd items would come in quite handy for bartering......that way I don't have to give up what my family does need & use.
> 
> Let's say something like a jar of peanut butter and you may be allergic to it, or jars of baby food, diapers but you don't have babies, or some vegetable seeds of things you don't like or eat.
> 
> ...


I have a whole barn of "stuff" I'll never use


----------



## yooper_sjd (May 14, 2017)

be surprised the stuff I "stow away" for unknown purposes. I scap out old properties ect. Be surprised what you can pull out of an old refigerator for re-use. If it is old enough and has metal racks, great for my little smoke house. Plastic tubing from fridges that dispense water/ice maker have a thousand uses. Great for making a gravity fed drip irrigation system. Copper wire for electrical projects, I am always dabbling around with electrical/electronic components. And I could go on a thousand different appliances for useful components for a multitude of useful purposes.


----------



## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

In the military, on the line, for our "C" rat cans, we had P-38 and P-51 can openers, 

they came glued to the outside of the inner cardboard container, I still have a bunch of both.

Always carried one on my dog tags, still on them stuck in my desk. The 51's have better leverage.

I do have hand turned consumer openers, but also have hand operated commercial kitchen bench mounted ones.

They are part of my USGI field kitchen.

The always present alternate was my bayonet, worked well once you learned how to use it.

At first I had a bitch punching through the bottom of the short jelly cans.

Once opened we used Triox or C-4 to heat them, good stuff, 

no smoke to compromise the OP. I was friggen cold in that OP.

I became a Mickey Mousing expert while I was in, carry that expertise on to this day..

Tried to get a 75 RR to replace the 3.5 for longer range and better burn.

We liberated a surgical two burner sterilizer that we did use for heating and made coffee in it also, 

it burned gasoline.

What sucked was having to keep the headphones on all the time for noise security, 

voice was responded to with J-38 Morse key, 

I have King Oscar sardines in oil stored that I don't eat but would if needed, a good source of protein if needed.

Have about 50 cans stored, get them on sale at ocean state. Oysters too.


----------



## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

Here's one I forgot about.
In storage I have several large sealed plastic containers of shoes and boots.
Whenever I went into Goodwill or St. Vinny's over the years I would look for great deals on shoes and boots. Didn't care what size, as long as they were good solid footwear and dirt cheap. I have sizes for toddlers on up to adults, some purchased for as little as $2 a pair.
I couldn't use most of them myself, but might be a GREAT trade item someday.


----------

