What are your barter items?

[Scythe13]

Okay, this is going to be the cold heartless, but honest answer of the best things to barter. Think of it as an amoral mental exercise.

The first things that will be most valuable, post SHTF will be medicines and first aid. Imagine if your leg was broken and some guy said "I'll save your life if you give me your backpack and everything in it." You're not going to say no to that. It is basically a threat, but this is an amoral look at the situation.

Next thing to think about, addictions and coping mechanisms. People will want things that will numb the paid of TSHTF experience. What kind of things would people want? Addiction wise, illegal drugs, legal painkillers, alcohol, tobacco, sleeping tablets. That kind of thing. If you have a horse, I would highly recommend storing Ketamin, but not necessarily for the horse.

Next would be basic sanitation. Imagine 1 month after 'the event'. Women's sanitation products would have ran out. So tampons and sanitary towels would be really important. My girlfriend would take her knife and slice someone if she really needed tampons that much. Another sanitation item to think about.....showers. Oh yes!!! Think about it, water would be boiled in small pans and people would not be able to fit up a good enough shower system. Damn, how many tins of soup or beans would you or your misses exchange for a nice hot shower? Hell yeah!!! Buy a solar shower festival kit.

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Think about products that people will always need. This is how Warren Buffet invests. One of his main ideas that caught my mind was "Hair always grows". It's blindingly simple, but imagine if you had spare razorblades to shave with. Imagine if you had a store of womens razors! Men shave their faces, women shave their armpits, legs, and another area. That's a lot of shaving! What....she wants to moisturise? Shaving foam, razors, aftershave balm and that kind of thing. People will always need it.

Other sanitation would be soap and the alike. But if you can, think about the things you can use time and again, and share. Like a solar shower. Perfume would be great as well. But you should buy some extra bottles and water it all down! Make it last.

Next on our barter list, food and water. These are longer term items Food and water will run out after a few weeks. Most people won't think about the water in the top of their toilet, in their boiler/heating system. Even the water in the car radiator is okay to drink. But people don't want to drink water. They want fruit juices and that kind of thing. In which case, they are all perishable. Unless you can manufacture your own. Think about a lemon tree. You don't need many lemons to flavour water. Also lemons can be used to wash with, treat wounds, and sanitise things. So a lemon tree would be a huge asset to have. But as well as that, powdered cordial mixes. They are smaller and will make you so much, because people will be sick of drinking water time and again. Which brings us back to Warren Buffet, who invests in Coca Cola. You really can't go wrong with it. People want to drink more than just water.

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I shouldn't have to mention the importance of food. But think about the Lemon Tree principle. You want to get something that will replenish itself. Grown food will always have a good value, but you only want to barter food for things that you desperately need. Don't short-change yourself.

People are all too often short sited. They exchange the greatest things on earth, for a momentary pleasure, so why not manipulate that? After all, it's survival.

How much do you recon someone would give you in exchange for charging their iPod? It might not be much, but it is another non-perishable. A small solar charger, like the FreeLoader Nano, or the regular FreeLoaders, are small enough to be mobile, but also powerful enough to charge an iPhone or any other MP3 player. It's a small one, but it would be useful shortly after TSHTF.

When it comes to things like shelter and petrol, don't barter that. You'll need it for yourself. Don't be as short sited as the people you're ripping off haha.

Lastly I will discuss the 'nastier' side of the coin. It's apparently the oldest profession in the world. I'm not sure how that was determined, but that is what everyone seems to say. As the expression goes....sex sells.

I understand this is an almighty post, but I hope the information is useful.

Remember, if you're going to need it, don't sell it.