What would you barter with?

Items to barter with: Water purifying equipment - or, more simple: bleach

 

Medical treatment, .22 ammo, and U.S. pre-1964 silver coins.

 

Well since nobody has really touched on it I'll give a couple of ideas. I've saved some strike anywhere matches and sealed them. Everyone needs matches at some point. Another thing is shoe strings, thread and lastly some leather gloves.

Take care Be safe Poacher.

 

I think maybe a good barter item is the little 99 cent solar garden lights, from china-mart or whereever. Take the top off and drop it into one of those large white fast food cups and the light will glow out the top, without being just a blaring light, you can see well enough to move around your space.

 

I'd think bottles of pain reliever pills (even with their quick expiration times), alcohol prep pads, gauze, bandages, ice/heat packs, fire starting stuff, fuels, etc.

Depending on the potential longevity of the crisis, ammo is good to barter...unless it's seriously the end of days and that 2k rounds of ammo will be used up in the first 5 years..then you obviously guard it. But if you're in a situation like Haiti, respectfully, then yes, it's something to barter when your friends and neighbors need to protect their much sought after assets. As soon as 72 hours past in Haiti, that's when the desperation peaks and anarchy reigns..and the bullets fly (or machetes).

Water purification bottles/equipment is a very good idea too as someone said above.

 

More than likely anything I had an excess of.....
But, I can produce alcohol...
I have the ability to do some lathe operations/machining.
(working on a mill as I write this)
Welding, and fabrication would come in handy, as well as skills in automotive repairs.
As for tangibles, I don't have a lot there to use for any exchange right now...
"IF" and when, I get my rabbit hutches and chicken coop/hen house up and running, that would change.
Right now where my land is at, a lot of trades and barter take place almost daily.
It has become a way of life, for a lot of people already.
I still have alot to learn!

 

I assume we are talking SHTF, near or TEOTWAWKI, Not sure, in that case I'd barter ammo unless I knew the person, especially if the guy has his weapon there. Then he'll load it and take your stuff. Now that I think about it more, I don't think I'd barter it at all. He takes ammo back after scouting what you have that he wants. Rounds up his buddies and comes later that evening and then you ask, was that TP, toothpaste,food, water, news, alcohol, smoke, sex, seeds worth it?

 

The solar garden lights could be like gold if you explain how to get full advantage of them. Aside from being a rechargable light source, you could also remove the bulbs and use them as solar battery chargers to be able to keep other lights and various battery powered stuff going.

 

I would say I fall into the category of concentrating on prepping for myself and family. I believe in staying grey, so, unless I'm dealing with family I don't think I'll be interested in trading. The whole point of prepping is to make sure you have all the bases covered.

 

I'd say anything that gives power like batteries, but if I had the chance I would try and snag maybe some antibiotics and other medical supplies to barter with, plus they might be good to have for yourself, then maybe some luxuries like cigarettes and tobacco. and ammo would be the last thing I would barter with since they could turn around and use it on me.

 

OTC pain killers, cheap to stock up on, and even after they expire they still work although the effect may be reduced. Benadryl can save a life in a allergic reaction. Actually pretty much anything that you have that someone else might need. TP, meds, blankets, knives, food, etc.

 

FOOD on the hoof 200 ewes= 300 lambs x 130 lbs + 3 guard donkeys . Garden seeds . I'm a little farmer , many of my tools will have many uses later.
Pinetree

 

As we're not far enough along to have much to give up for barter, we could trade knowledge and experience (medical) and supplies for same in an area that we're a little light in

 

As to what you could barter FOR, I figure that the unprepaired would be common to barter with since one of the most common thing I figure would be bartered for would be labor. Money would likely be worth little to nothing but particularly if gas for the chain saw had run out and you need severl cords of wood cut and split by hand to heat through the winter as well as to cook on top of all the other chores in the garden, feeding critters, cutting and putting up hay by hand, etc, then extra hands on some projects could be real helpful.

Then also the unexpected will always be present. I had started to huild up a heard of goats and built it to about 8 head then got hit with barber pole worms (I suspect) and in the coarse of a couple months lost the whole heard. In a post SHTF situation that could be devistating particularly if you dont have anything to trade for new stock once the area is decontaminated.

If the situation is such that its likely to recover in a few months or years then things that are cheap now could be of extream value and worth a good bit of gold or silver (jewlery, coin or otherwise) and could position a person who had prepped before hand to come out the other side far better off than before. If it wasnt likely to recover you may eventualy need more ammo to keep stocks up and gold or silver could cast nice bullets.

I could see a lot of different things the unprepaired as well as others who are prepaired might be able to offer as long as you have something to offer in return.