Bartering currency. what will you trade?

[Grunwald]

I've got a big pile of bills that I will trade for food or other necessities. I hear they make great fire starters.

 

[knuckle Head]

I've got a big pile of bills that I will trade for food or other necessities. I hear they make great fire starters.

Yeah me too, the mail man wasn't nice to me today nothing but a stack of bills, I think he went through my mail for the last week and saved them all up to deliver them to me on a Saturday as a joke..

Just kidding of course.

 

[A.I.P.]

I've got a big pile of bills that I will trade for food or other necessities. I hear they make great fire starters.

They work better for TP

 

[EZLivin]

As to Fire Protection and EMT services, they do not respond untill the police secure the area

Absolutely correct. I spent a number of years on the medical side of it. On several occasions we sat a block or two away until we were told the scene was secure. I would hope people in urban and suburban settings put some thought into what the neighborhood and surrounding area is like, and whether or not it makes sense to live there, but I know not everyone does. But that really is a part of prudent planning.

 

[Riot]

( Bartering currency. what will you trade? ) well lets see ..... my lead for your food, gas ,cigs .etc etc etc :huh:

And THAT is why you shouldn't even rely on bartering. I bet there will be a lot of people bringing in people to barter under a false flag just to shoot them and take their provisions. This is why OPSEC is so important and having a secure perimeter and such. Maybe we should come up with rules for bartering? Like...

1) Never barter at your retreat. Always try to meet in a "neutral area" away from your retreat.
2) Never bring all the traded items- for example if you plan to trade a bushel of potatoes for a bag of corn, just bring one potato as an example and expect one ear of corn to compare. Once an agreement is made, decide to meet back with the agreed trade at a later time...preferably in a different place.

That's all I can think of for now...can you guys think of any?

 

[knuckle Head]

RIOT, has is right OPSEC short for Operational Security, heres my two cents worth.

1. Expect an ambush or trouble and if it goes well count your blessings

2. When making a trade keep senses alert, did the person come alone, did you feel like someone was watching, did they seem overly nervous or overly friendly

3. just because the first meet went well, does mean you not be ambushed when making real trade, beprepared for an ambush if you have a comm. unit place it on send and have backup nearby if possible. I buy item from people of caraigslist and gunlistings.org I always go wearing two guns, plus one and a 12 gauge in my truck, yeah i have a ccw. paranoid??? Not, wish to live ??? yes

4. Do not trust, I have friend whos husband died two weeks ago while he was taking his last breathes his first wives sons (who milked him for every penny they could get over the last twenty since he remarried) had used their keys to their dieing fathers house (and his new wifes of twenty he was 63) to go in and help themselves to all of his hand guns and some other items.
Side note the widow now has new locks and security system fort knox would envy.
ded

5. Extended family and friends will turn on you, they will demand you stores for their own families, do not let them know what you have unless it is mutual preparedness and you personally observed their stored goods.

 

[Gunner3456]

I think you absolutely need a small group of people you trust. You can't stay awake 24/7 and you can't fend off a large gang by yourself. If the SHTF we are prepared to take in some close relatives, all of whom have skills such as an RN, ex military, etc. We have the defensible shelter, food and lots of clean water from a well and no need for electricity to get it. Oh, and the relatives are younger and stronger than I. They can all get here by walking less than an hour if necessary.

I wouldn't go out bartering alone. At least 3, watching each others' backs.

 

[mjbskwim]

If you read the threads from the guy in Serbia and the American in Syria? they both said the important thing is to have a community that will watch out for each other.

Riot wrote
2) Never bring all the traded items- for example if you plan to trade a bushel of potatoes for a bag of corn, just bring one potato as an example and expect one ear of corn to compare. Once an agreement is made, decide to meet back with the agreed trade at a later time...preferably in a different place.

Only problem I see with this is then you have to travel more,just one more interaction with unknowns.

Of course you want the trade position to work to your advantage.They come to your place of choice. Couldn't hurt to have a back up on a hill watching for the sneakies coming up to flank you.

 

[knuckle Head]

While I agree you need a group to complete all of the task at hand and no one person do them all and to have 24 / 7 security, my message was more related to trade and picking your group carefully.

The true life mess a friend of mine is going through right was not to say you can everything yourself and not to trust extended family firends, it was more of a chose them carefully. WHile i have not been in a shtf situation like serbia, I have been in remote areas with people and was able to figure real quickly who had back and who had my back in their sights.

I have also been in military situations where you have to rely on others, some I knew I could rely and had my back and others who I knew would expect to carry them out, but would not lift a hand for others, all they cared about was their own @33.

 

[kenno]

I strongly suggest everyone watch Frontline: Battle For Haiti
Haiti IS a PAW
It's on Netflix and Youtube
Watch that 1 hour show and you'll be poopin pinecones

 

[knuckle Head]

I strongly suggest everyone watch Frontline: Battle For Haiti
Haiti IS a PAW
It's on Netflix and Youtube
Watch that 1 hour show and you'll be poopin pinecones

Yeah I watched this once before, I will watch it again on Netflix

 

[pdx lefty]

In addition to alcohol, Lamps & accessories, small sewing kits and such to trade I also have "luxury" items like TP, face wash, shampoo and other "girly" must haves (in easy to carry travel sizes). I think that sometimes men loose sight of the fact that even if you & your family survive, these little luxuries go a long way in making surviving seem more like thriving and they cost next to nothing now. Besides, there will still be birthdays and anniversarys after TSHTF

Roxy, you ever think about compiling a list of things that would be important to Women? As Men, our personal hygiene needs (SHTF) are simple. Bar of soap, toothbrush/toothpaste, TP and a way to wash our clothes. Things such as, Tampons and other Feminine products are not the first thing we think of, yet they are just as important and necessary. I'm sure the list would be enlightening and give some us some ideas.

Just a thought.

Lefty.

 

[james83]

This Thread is very interesting

I lived and grew up in the Northwest of the UK before i moved to Oregon.

As a child we constantly lived under the threat of IRA bombs and shootings. While in my junior years of highschool we had an influx of refugee's from bosnia

These people were regular kids from western civilized homes just like anybody else, They had regular lives just like the rest of us, but were forced to flee due to ethnic 'cleansing'

The government in the former yugoslavia fell and a SHTF situation occured.

America is a great and powerful country but if anyone thinks the 'system' could not fail here, They have their heads in the sand.

Am I prepared for a SHTF situation? I doubt it ...I have plenty of Guns,ammo and provisions but in all reality i doubt i could survive for a long time.

I hope and pray that this great country of America never falls, But it is always good to prepare for the worst because pretending that everything is fine will just get you killed.

Do not become a casualty, Prepare and do what you can, Every little preperation helps

 

[Grunwald]

This Thread is very interesting

I lived and grew up in the Northwest of the UK before i moved to Oregon.

As a child we constantly lived under the threat of IRA bombs and shootings. While in my junior years of highschool we had an influx of refugee's from bosnia

These people were regular kids from western civilized homes just like anybody else, They had regular lives just like the rest of us, but were forced to flee due to ethnic 'cleansing'

The government in the former yugoslavia fell and a SHTF situation occured.

America is a great and powerful country but if anyone thinks the 'system' could not fail here, They have their heads in the sand.

Am I prepared for a SHTF situation? I doubt it ...I have plenty of Guns,ammo and provisions but in all reality i doubt i could survive for a long time.

I hope and pray that this great country of America never falls, But it is always good to prepare for the worst because pretending that everything is fine will just get you killed.

Do not become a casualty, Prepare and do what you can, Every little preperation helps

I've pretty much concluded that if we have a TEOFWAWKI situation then I am toast. No matter what I have gathered and stored away, I'm alone and the rest of my family and old friends that I could actually count on are all 3000 miles away. Everybody else is just a casual acquaintance and not someone I have any level of trust in. That could change of course. It is during a crisis that you discover individual's true character.

Now, if it is just a natural disaster SHTF type situation then I have no doubt that I can survive long enough until things get back to somewhat normal.

 

[Blue Devil PA]

I think the best way to answer this question is with the statement: Depends on when, where, trade ratio, extenuating circumstances and how long the current situation is likely to continue.
Fill in the blanks with any scenario and you can get a pretty good idea of what you would trade and for what.

 

[Riot]

Roxy, you ever think about compiling a list of things that would be important to Women? As Men, our personal hygiene needs (SHTF) are simple. Bar of soap, toothbrush/toothpaste, TP and a way to wash our clothes. Things such as, Tampons and other Feminine products are not the first thing we think of, yet they are just as important and necessary. I'm sure the list would be enlightening and give some us some ideas.

Just a thought.

Lefty.

Again, have you ever thought about making your own soap from wood lye? Barter that for what you want and what did you lose (minus several hours of your time)?

Just a thought...

The more you know the less you need!

 

[Barefoot343]

Again, have you ever thought about making your own soap from wood lye? Barter that for what you want and what did you lose (minus several hours of your time)?

Just a thought...

The more you know the less you need!

That would actually make a very good new thread, maybe call it barter/survival classroom and anybody that has something they can teach or share could pipe in...I agree, the more you know the less you need. Teaching some of the things you (or anybody) have learned over the years that is barter/survival related would be extremely beneficial to the community.

Come on... one a day. I would love to learn how to make soap from wood lye.

 

[Gunner3456]

Again, have you ever thought about making your own soap from wood lye? Barter that for what you want and what did you lose (minus several hours of your time)?

Just a thought...

The more you know the less you need!

The problem is you also need animal fat and fat is the hardest thing to find when food is short. To oversimplify, the lye which can be extracted from ash makes the fat into soap.

 

[knuckle Head]

Again, have you ever thought about making your own soap from wood lye? Barter that for what you want and what did you lose (minus several hours of your time)?

Just a thought...

The more you know the less you need!

I just found out my sister inlaw has been doing this for a couple of years, I will try to get her to send me an email on the ingredients and process.