Poor Man's Barter Items

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Ganado, Apr 5, 2015.


  1. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    Ive been collecting a list of 'poor man's" barter items. Here is my list... anyone else have ideas?

    FOOD
    Aluminum foil
    Baking Soda
    Canned food – any type
    Cocoa
    Coffee filters,
    Coffee,
    Cooking Oil
    Calcium Hypochlorite (Pool Shock)
    Dry beans
    Flour… wheat and a grinder
    Funnels
    Hard candy
    Honey, stevia
    Kool-aid
    manual can openers
    Noodles
    Popcorn
    Rice
    Spices cinnamon, cloves, allspice, sage, parsley, salt, pepper
    Spirits: wine, whisky, beer, vodka, brandy
    Sugar
    Yeast


    H / G ITEMS
    Fishing line 20+lb
    hooks
    knives
    Mason jars
    multi tool
    poles
    sinkers
    sling shot, ball bearings
    snares
    steel wool


    GROOMING
    Bars of soap
    Combs, Hair brushes, hair pins
    Disposable razors
    Feminine products, maxi pads and tampons
    Nail clippers and files
    Toilet paper
    Tooth paste, Toothbrushes, Dental floss
    Condoms


    CLOTHING & SEWING
    Borax
    Clothes pins Clothes lines
    Dryer Lint (to use as firestarter)
    Elastic-material or velcro
    Fels naphtha bar soap
    Garbage cans
    Home made laundry detergent
    needles (regular and upholstery)
    Oxyclean
    Panty hose
    Petroleum jelly (Vaseline)
    Reading glasses
    Scissors, Needles, Straight pins, Safety pins, Buttons, Thread
    Shoe laces
    Socks – all sizes & colors
    Washing/laundry soda


    MEDICAL
    Band aids
    Cough syrup
    Essential oils
    Eye drops
    Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and aspirin
    Iodine
    Laxatives
    Lip balm or chapstick
    Lugos Iodine
    Peroxide
    Vaseline
    Dental?


    GARDEN
    Fresh garden produce and herbs
    Garden compost
    Garden fertilizer
    Hand garden tools
    Heirloom garden seeds
    Herb plants

    MISC
    Automotive oil and air filters
    Axes, saw
    Baby wipes
    Batteries
    Bleach (or freshly made pool shock)
    Brooms
    Candles, wax, crayons
    Cigarette lighters
    Cigarettes
    Copy paper
    cotton balls, large with soaked in petroleum jelly
    Duct tape
    Dust pans
    Fly swatters
    Garbage bags
    Insect spray
    Lined notebook paper
    Nails, nuts, bolts, & screws
    Old newspapers
    Paperback books
    Pencils, Ballpoint pens
    Plastic sheeting
    Plastic tarps
    Plastic tubs & containers
    Rat & mouse poison
    Rodent traps
    Rope of any type
    Scrap paper
    Sheep sheers
    Shovel
    Tobacco
    Tobacco seeds
    Two cycle oil
    Vice grips
    Wheel barrow/ wagon
    Wooden, strike anywhere matches
    Aluminum foil
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2015
  2. stg58

    stg58 Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Ammunition components, Powder, primers and jacketed bullets.
    Hydraulic fluid.
     
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  3. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    it would take a well healed wallet to stockpile all that is on your list. But, it is comprehensive...

    I'll add the ability and facilities to filter, sterilize and package water.
     
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  4. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    love your contributions and its

    POOR MAN's BARTER ITEMS
    @Dunerunner what items are cheap that can filter water and pack it
    I have coffee filters as a bulk filter, what else would you add.?

    Agreed... It's alot and it's just an exercise in thinking ahead
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2015
    oldman11 and arleigh like this.
  5. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    To filter water and sterilize water,

    Two 5 gallon plastic buckets can be scavenged and cleaned
    perforate the bottom of one bucket with fine holes from a knife point, ice pick or awl
    fill one third with 1/4" and smaller washed round river rock, can be collected locally (requires work)
    cover the rock with 2" of sand (local resource)
    fill the next third with charcoal, can be manufactured locally (requires work)
    cover the charcoal with a layer of sand about 2" deep (see requirements above)
    Stack into the 2nd bucket and sprinkle water over the sand in the first
    collect the water and boil for 15 minutes in any suitable vessel, preferably a stainless pot or cup
    boiled water can be added directly to a stainless steel canteen or thermos bottle and covered

    Water must be kept covered until cooled to be contained in plastic, however the plastic container must be sterilized with water and bleach or other suitable disinfectant. The key is to disinfect with heat rather than chemicals.

    This is a system, not necessarily readily available but something that could be acquired, just in case ...

    You will eventually run out of coffee filters.
     
    kemps, Brokor and Ganado like this.
  6. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    @Ganado maybe if you alphabetized that list, it would help us find things easier -but it is fantastic nonetheless!

    As for water filtration/treatment on a budget, as we have covered (somewhere) on various posts through the years, you could invest in cheap disposable Aquamira straws (run less than $10 each). Of course, there are better methods, but they cost more. Also, the cheapest method for treatment would be chlorine tablets in bulk (sodium hypochlorite) without additives. Some would stock liquid bleach, which is fine short term, but it will break down in a few years. You could also make out like a bandit if you made your own charcoal or stocked up on pure wood charcoal. The 5 gallon bucket filtration method is also fantastic, as was mentioned.

    Also, if you do stock any type of noodles (Ramen, egg, etc.) or even pasta, be sure to vacuum seal the packages well. They can go bad if left in its standard packaging.

    As for canned food, that's hit and miss for some foods. I would stick with SPAM mainly. That stuff will last forever.
     
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  7. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I've been hoarding lighters lately as well as canning food. We have around 2 hundred jars of different stuff.
    Bulk Tobacco and rolling papers, candy, whole popping corn, dehydrated fruit....
    I think in hard times it's going to be the comfort items that will find favor!
     
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  8. Mindgrinder

    Mindgrinder Karma Pirate Ninja|RIP 12-25-2017

    Um...you dont have a knife in that list. Shame on you fail.;p

    shopping cart
    potassium iodide
    elastic bands
    zap straps
    worms
    hooks
    lead sinkers
    20+lb fishing line
    fishing poles
    reels
    fishing net
    crab trap
    snares
    tackle boxes
    wetstone
    multitool
    bow & arrows
    slingshot
    ball berrings
    funnel
    solar calulator
    silver - medical grade
    unshielded copper wire
    rj11 telephone and coax cable
    battery charger
    rechargable batteries
    flashlight
    mason jars and reusable lids
    dome tent
    sleeping bag
    sleeping mat
    rain jacket
    boots
    binoculars
    yeast
    map books
    compass
    saddles
    horse shoes and tack
    sheep sheers
    railroad spikes
    tea bags
    peroxide
    vinegar
    shovel
    wheelbarrel (tactical preferred)
    steel wool
    propane torch
    vice grips
    chicken wire
    water pump

    Makes me feel like going yard sale shopping today....

    and most importantly...
    Big Red Panic Button and a towel.
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2015
  9. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    Wow I did forget sharp edge stabbing items..... real fail was fishing hooks and line... Mea culpa
    1) what is a zap strap?
    2) personally im getting a wagon instead of a wheel barrow... keep your hands free =)

    I will see if I can organize it later this week
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2015
  10. NotSoSneaky

    NotSoSneaky former supporter

    Leave pasta in original packaging, dry noodles can be very sharp and will puncture vacuum seal bags.
    Believe me, I found out the hard way.

    I will also add
    .177 & .22 pellets for air rifles.
     
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  11. Illini Warrior

    Illini Warrior Illini Warrior


    you don't vac seal anything that's intended for long term storage .... the plastic wrap will keep it dry & clean - that's all ..... the plastic is air permeable and the vac starts diminishes immediately and gone completely within 6 months ....

    PS .... don't get started with any trade goods until you've flushed out with your complete prep plan requirements .... those are prime items that you won't be trading for post-SHTF .....
     
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  12. vonslob

    vonslob Monkey++

    I must use a different type of vac sealer. I have items sealed that have remained seal for several years. I vac seal matches, have used them years later and the seals are intact and the matches very fresh.
     
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  13. NotSoSneaky

    NotSoSneaky former supporter

    I have extra clothing vac sealed in my truck that's held a nice tight deal for the past five years. Sevaral roasts in the freezer for the past 18+ months as well

    YMMV. [tongue]
     
  14. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    Wanna barter your vacuum sealer ;)

    OK seriously... Which vacuum sealer do you use?
     
    oldman11 likes this.
  15. oldawg

    oldawg Monkey+++

    The lot of beans,rice,and peas we are currently rotating out were vacuum sealed in aug. of '09 and about 9 of 10 are still tight. That's in 3.5 mil channel vacuum bags.
     
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  16. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    Just finished the Y2K red beans and rice, vacuum packed in '99. Still under vacuum. Maybe if quality bags are purchased, the permeability isn't such and issue? ;)
     
  17. vonslob

    vonslob Monkey++

    Just a regular foodsaver, purchased from Costco. I am thinking the model number is V3825 and use food saver bags, maybe some bags from www.uline.com.

    Edit: Matches sealed march 2008
     
  18. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Yes, some pasta is sharp (linguine for example) and doesn't vacuum seal well. I was thinking more like macaroni, which I have vacuum sealed for many years now and it's doing fine. I use Foodsaver bags and I have very few problems. Also, for linguine, I have dumped it all into larger sealed bins, the kind with rubber gaskets and added a couple O2 absorbers. I didn't think we would nit-pick over particulars, just wanted to point out that Ramen noodles and especially egg noodles shouldn't be kept in regular packaging because they DO go bad after a while.
     
  19. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    Needles including upholstery needles, Rubber bands ( makes great pendrose drains for wounds) Velcro, safety pins, straight pins, a couple of 1/4 mile electrical fence wire spools, duct tape, alcohol, peroxide, "Q"tips, gauze, bull dog clips, super glue, gorilla glue, blue tarps...
     
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  20. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    And the caches will grow without bounds.
     
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