Prepper Barter Items: How To Stockpile & Barter For SHTF Scenarios

Introduction

I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book,“Prepper Barter Items: How To Stockpile & Barter For SHTF Scenarios”.

This book contains a number of effective tips and strategies on how to stockpile items in the event of a SHTF scenario or similar event.

Thanks again for downloading this book, I hope you enjoy it!

 Copyright 2014 by Dollard ltd- All rights reserved.

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Chapter 1

When Is Bartering Necessary?

Bartering seems like a skill that belongs exclusively to the ancient past or when you’re on vacation in Mexico trying to bring down the price of a bead necklace, but trading goods for goods, or goods for services, has never died out since its origin thousands of years ago. Many people have found a way to live without money and whenever currency is weakened through economic recession, trading goods becomes the only way to get the resources needed to survive. Between the World Wars in Germany, the value of money was so weak that people had to bring wheelbarrows spilling over with coins just to buy a loaf of bread. During the Great Depression in 1940s America, people had less money and so turned to bartering off their possessions to get what they needed. Our modern society is just as vulnerable to economic collapse as it was in the past, so learning how and what to barter now is extremely valuable.

There are a few scenarios where money would lose its value:

Inflation

Current account deficit

Lower commodities price

Personal poverty

Inflation happens when the price of goods goes up and the value of money goes down, like in Germany (many decades ago) where it cost hundreds of coins to buy something as small as a loaf of bread. Inflation can occur when a government is printing too much money and is flooding the nation with paper currency that it does not know what to do with. A government might print a lot of money because it is attempting to pay off its debts.

Current account deficit is when a nation is importing more than it is exporting. It is similar to when an individual is buying more goods than they can afford to pay for. The currency of a country with a current account deficit will lose its value on a global scale, and the resulting actions they take to recover will affect the internal value of money.

Money can also lose its value when the price of commodities that a country exports falls globally. The exchange rate also changes (people will lose money when they exchange their currency for another), and the country has to figure out how to recover from its low export revenue.

Bartering may also become necessary on a more individual basis, like when a person becomes very poor but possesses certain skills and goods they want to trade. This actually puts them at an advantage for getting the best goods as others will be happy to not hand over their paper money and may not be aware of what certain items are worth. It is possible for an exchange to occur where a person gives up an old silver necklace for a video game and is completely unaware that the silver necklace is worth $200 and the video game is worth $50. 

These are all scenarios that are currently occurring around the world. Many countries are able to remain stable through them, but eventually, it becomes difficult to stay on course and ultimately, the people of the country are the ones who suffer. Many small communities are already dependent on bartering and busy cities based on money and intangible currency could learn a thing or two from them. Learning to barter gives you control over your own life and frees you from the roller coaster of the international economy and politics that dictate the value of money.

Chapter 2

Food and Water

If you have prepared for a disaster scenario, you have been stocking up food supplies like canned meat, oats, nuts, rice, beans, honey, and gallons of water. However, if times have changed significantly, you may find yourself in a situation where you need more food and your paper money is worthless. You may also come across a person who has something you need, and you are willing to trade some of your food for it. Here are some items that will likely be changing hands the most:

Food

Water

Cooking oils

Water filters

Glass jars

Seeds

Salt

Drink mixes

Pots and pans

Fishing supplies

Dog and cat food

Can/bottle openers 

After a disaster scenario, people will be looking for food. Most will probably not have prepared, and even if they have, they likely have not stocked up on food for very long. Once they discover that their money can longer buy the supplies their families need, they will be out looking for anyone who can help them. When you barter with food, be sure you are not giving up anything that you will need later. If you have purposely prepared items that are exclusively for bartering, you’re way ahead of the game and in the ideal position for trading.

If someone knocks on your door looking to trade, they will likely ask for food, and they will also want to know if you have water. Water runs out the fastest and humans need it the most, so if you are stocking items in advance for bartering, water is a definite must. If you are making a list of the things you might need, also add water, and think carefully about what people will want in exchange for it.

Cooking oils are not a luxury; they are necessary if anyone plans on cooking without burning the food. Hoard oils like olive oil and various nut oils (coconut, peanut) for trade. Along this same line, rather than trading your goods for water, ask for water filters.  This will allow you to purify water wherever you can find it – lakes, ponds, rainwater. Invest in a couple of extras filters too, as people will be willing to part with very valuable goods for the ability to produce clean drinking water.

If you are thinking long term (and you should be, if there is a real risk that money will lose its value), it is wise to have jars for canning foods like fruit and vegetables. Once you have staked out your base, you’ll need to start finding a way to produce your own food, so gardens and fruit trees will become a necessity. Assuming you can’t eat all the produce before it starts to go bad, you’ll need to can them so they keep and last all through winter. Lots of people have glass jars and may not be aware of their value. Hold on to your jars now and learn how to make jams, chutneys, and other preserves.

Before you can jar your own food you will need to grow it, so hoarding seeds while you can still buy them in convenient packaging is wise. Get vegetable and herb seeds that will produce large crops, so you have lots of leftovers to trade with. You can also barter with just the seed packets.

Salt is a classic bartering item. It can be used to season food, act as a disinfectant, and is also an effective way to melt ice and snow (especially if it’s rock salt). Store extra bags of this seasoning so you are able to keep some to yourself. If you run out of salt, consider all the uses salt has and decide what you are able to do without in exchange for it.

People are going to get tired of just drinking plain water, and when they’re out working hard all day, they are going to need a way to replace vital electrolytes, like the ones Gatorade has. Energy drinks are also good for people who are ill. Powdered drink mixes are very useful because they don’t take up much space and energy drink brands like Propel sell them in a variety of flavors. Having drinks like instant lemonade instead of water is also a good way to keep people’s spirits up. A little luxury will become a valuable commodity in a new world.

Like most people, you probably have more pots and pans that you know what to do with. Hold on them and use them later as bartering items because people will need to have tools to cook with. In addition to growing food, people will be learning how to hunt for their meals. Guns are useful, but people might be reluctant to use their ammunition on something other than protection, especially if bullets are in short supply. Fishing will become a common practice and people will need fishing equipment like reels, nets, and rods.

Pets need food, and people are going to be hesitant to use their own supplies to feed their animals. They might also be reluctant to give up their pets, especially if the pet is a large dog that protects the family. Unopened canned dog and cat food lasts for a couple years, so don’t worry about it going bad if you don’t barter with it right away.

Two crucial items involving food are can and bottle openers. Without these, actually getting at your food and drink will become a real issue. Most people have electric can openers, but manual ones are much more practical in case there is no electricity. The same goes for bottle openers or corkscrews. There are a lot of fancy technologies that can open bottles of water and alcohol for you, but sticking with the old-fashioned tools is safer in the long run.

Food, water, and the resources necessary to produce and store them will become as necessary as oxygen for everyone. Prep for the long-term and have items exclusively set aside to barter with because the first things people will be looking for are the supplies listed above.

Chapter 3

Medical and Sanitation Supplies

One of the biggest concerns after money becomes obsolete is healthcare and medicines. People will be desperately looking for first aid products to avoid tragedy and, as someone who was prepared, you will be a popular individual to barter with. You might also find yourself in a situation where you need medical supplies, so learn how to treat wounds and sicknesses with limited resources. Other sanitary items like toilet paper and feminine products will also be important for bartering.

First aid kits (bandages, gauze, etc)

Painkillers

Toilet paper

Sanitary products

Glue

Tweezers

Bleach

Baking soda

Alcohol

Vitamins

Sunscreen

Soap

Dental care

The most basic item everyone needs on-hand is a first aid kit stocked with bandages, gauze, a thermometer, and an instruction booklet. This gives people the power to treat anything from a minor cut to a serious wound that if untreated could lead to death. Be sure to include a first aid kit in your prepper pantry and have extras for bartering.

Pills, especially painkillers, will likely become a rarity in this post-currency world. People are so dependent upon companies to just hand over their medicines, but once all the pharmacies have been raided, there will be a limited supply. Collect anything from Aspirin to allergy medication now (although be careful that you aren’t purchasing the ingredients for meth, because that will look very suspicious), and also learn about natural alternatives for how to bring down fevers and treat joint pain so you can trade some bottles for other supplies you might need down the road.

Whenever people think there is going to be a disaster, they buy all the toilet paper they can get their hands on. It’s a tricky product because everyone needs it and it runs out quickly, so if you keep a stockpile just for bartering, you’ll likely be able to get your pick of valuable items in return.

In a similar vein, other sanitary products like baby wipes and feminine pads/tampons will be very desirable. These items are challenging to craft from hand (though it is possible), so once they’re gone, people will go out looking for more.

Glue may not seem like a “medical supply,” per say, but if a person has a deep wound and there are no other options, super glue is extremely useful and takes less skill to apply than a needle and thread.

Tweezers are tiny and get lost so often that many people will probably forget to add it to their prepping list, but keeping one in a first aid container is very wise as tweezers are extremely useful for removing ticks and other small intrusive objects like splinters or glass.

Bleach is a valuable material because it is a powerful disinfectant for both wounds and cooking areas, and can also be used to purify water.

Eventually, people are going to run out of toothpaste and you can’t really make your own, at least of the tube variety, and so people will have to turn to older ways of cleaning their teeth, like baking soda. Baking soda is also great as a nontoxic face cleanser when used in moderation.

Alcohol is another classic bartering tool. No matter what type of situation people find themselves in, they will want alcohol for one reason or another. In addition to drinking, alcohol is good for cleaning wounds and sanitizing cooking areas.

Since getting prescriptions filled will be a thing of the past, people will need alternatives to manage various physical and mental illnesses. Vitamins will become important trading items as certain kinds are useful for treating weak bones, depression, and low iron. Multivitamins come in bulk and can be inexpensive, but their efficiency is unproven. For best results you should stock up on specific vitamins like calcium and D3.

Sunscreen is something people pack for the beach, but is not necessarily an item they include on their prepping list. However, if a person ends up living outside or at the least, working a lot in the sun, they will need sunscreen to protect their skin from frying to a crisp.

Soap, either for washing skin or washing clothes, is another one of those items that is used up quickly. It may be considered by some to be a luxury item, but keep extra bars on hand for those who want a little luxury or consider keeping squeaky clean a necessity.

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy fights off dangerous infections that could kill a person, so dental kits that include toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash are good supplies to assemble and have ready for trading.

Without doctors and hospitals available, people will need to become their own physicians, so having the right supplies will be crucial to maintain good health and survival. Have lots of medical and sanitation supplies on hand because people will be eager to trade.

Chapter 4

Super Powers

It’s a simple concept: having the ability to run machines, start fires, and produce light. It is also a concept that is taken for granted, but once money is out of the equation and you can’t just switch light on and off at will, people who can produce power will have the upper hand when it comes to bartering.

Propane and gasoline

Heaters

Flashlights

Batteries

Fire-starting equipment

Candles

Propane runs a variety of machines, from cooking stoves to special refrigerators, so people will continuously be looking to refill their containers. If people still have and use their cars or motorcycles, they will also need gasoline.

Heaters will become especially valuable when winter is approaching and people are searching for ways to keep from freezing. Heating units come in all types and sizes, so keep a good stash.

Flashlights are crucial if anyone plans on moving outdoors during the night. Many flashlights are cheap and easily breakable, so people will likely need replacements. Keep several sizes on hand to barter with.

You need batteries to operate flashlights and just about everything else that isn’t run on electricity or gas. Batteries are great bartering items because they’re small so you can keep a big stockpile for yourself and have extra room for bartering batteries.

Without heat or stoves, people will resort to the ancient practice of starting fires to cook food and stay warm. Unless a person is especially outdoorsy and knows how to make fire from sticks, they are going to need fire-starting equipment like matches and lighters. These items are easily stored and don’t take up a lot of room, so add a significant pile to your designated bartering section of your supplies.

Since people will be conserving their battery-operated devices, candles will become the primary method of producing light. It is a good idea to learn how to make wax candles so you can use all of the candles you’ve purchased beforehand in bartering, and you have a constant supply to trade with as time goes on. 

The ability to produce light, fire, and heat is a basic necessity that people will require after they can’t buy them, so ensure that your preparations include power items for bartering.

Chapter 5

Protection

After people have addressed their immediate needs (food, water), they will be looking for ways to protect themselves against violent groups and the harsh elements. Weapons will become an extremely desirable item, but there are other goods that fall into the category of protection that will be needed as well:

Guns and ammunition

Crossbows and arrows

Knives

Tents

Pepper spray

Mosquito netting

Sewing/mending supplies

Winter clothes

Sleeping bags

Guns and ammunition have a two-fold purpose: protection and hunting. People will be searching for a variety of guns and the corresponding ammunition, so have both when you are bartering. If you are already a hunter, you may have crossbows and arrows. These can also be useful to others so consider putting these in your bartering section of supplies. Knives can be easier to transport for protection and don’t use ammunition, so hang on to your kitchen and hunting knives. Blades are also necessary to skin and clean animals, and to cut anything from ropes to bandages.

If people abandon their houses or are for any other reason without a shelter, they will need tents to protect themselves. When tents are in their boxes, they are compact and easy to store. Even if you have a house or other shelter, keep a tent back for yourself in case your situation changes.

Pepper spray is an incredibly useful defense tool, especially for people who do not have enough guns to go around or want their children to have protection on them. Pepper spray has not been proven to be 100% effective against animals (though there are sprays that are made specifically to deter animals like bears), but pepper spray definitely works against aggressive humans. 

Depending on the climate you live in and how the climate changes over time, insect-borne diseases could become a major issue. Having good mosquito netting to protect yourself, even if you are inside, is a necessity. Mosquito netting can rip and need to be replaced, so be prepared to trade some of your goods for new nets.

Nets are not the only items that rip and become damaged, so having the right supplies for sewing is important. People will be looking for needles, thread, patches, and even old-fashioned sewing machines to repair their clothes and make blankets.

When winter comes, assuming it gets cold in your area, having the right clothes is imperative for survival. Have lots of extra clothes on hand, like hats, gloves, thermal underwear, boots, and coats. People who live outside will be particularly interested in your items. Even if the weather does not get dangerously cold, people will need sleeping bags to keep warm. When they are rolled up properly, sleeping bags do not take up too much room and are a necessity for people sleeping in tents or are otherwise without beds and mattresses. 

Having these important protection-based items ensures not only the safety of you and your family, but also your comfort and peace of mind.

Chapter 6

Other Valuable Items

If you have stored all or most of the items for bartering in the above chapters, you’re in good shape for when money can’t buy anything and society starts to crumble. However, there are still some miscellaneous goods that people will be willing to trade for that do not fall into any particular category:

Cigarettes

Bicycles

Instruction manuals and how-to books

Farm animals

Duct tape

Notebooks and writing utensils

Precious metals

Skills

Trading with cigarettes is a cliché in prison movies and TV shows, but it is a cliché for a reason. People with nicotine addictions will want their fix. Even if they’ve quit or have never smoked, people might change their minds when their familiar world changes and they are forced to learn how to survive.

Travel by cars and airplanes will be limited if even in existence anymore, but people will still need to move from one place to the next. Having a bicycle available to barter with or bicycle parts (tires, tire pumps, bike chains) is very useful.

Though books might seem like the last thing you need when society as we know it ends, instruction manuals and how-to books will become very important for anyone who does not have the survival skills needed to keep themselves and their families fed, watered, and safe. These books can include anything from instructions on how to start a fire, how to garden efficiently, how to set up tents, and how to load and clean a gun. If you already possess all the survival skills you need, you can barter away all your books for essential supplies.

If you don’t already have them, you probably will not be stocking up on farm animals before a disaster scenario occurs. However, if you do have them or trade goods for an animal like a chicken, many people will be willing to trade for your eggs or for the animal itself. Chickens are great because they provide a consistent source of food and if you find a rooster, you can start your own chicken farm. Animals need food to live though, so you will need to account for water and feed for them.

Duct tape possesses essentially endless possibilities as a survival tool. It can be used for waterproofing and insulating boots, repairing tears in canvas, resealing food lids, and even making bandages and slings.

Like books, notepads and pencils/pens may seem like a luxury, but unless a person has a perfect memory, it is extremely important to be able to write lists and keep records. Computers and tablets will be scarce if even used, so people will have to fall back on writing everything by hand on physical paper. Notebooks are pretty cheap, so buy a whole box now and throw in some packets of pens/pencils to be used for bartering.

When paper money loses its significance, gold and silver currency will still remain valuable. Precious metals have been used in bartering for thousands of years, so it makes sense that it will return to use when other currencies fail. Since intangible investments will probably not be much use when you need something solid right here and now, only hoard physical metals as much as you can. This means silver and gold coins and bars. The issue with precious metals is that the coins (or bars) you have will be worth way more than the supplies you want to get for them, especially if you have gold. Silver is more practical as it comes in smaller sizes (silver dimes, quarters, etc) and you can find it now for much cheaper than gold. “Junk” silver is about 90% pure silver and is much cheaper than coin that is entirely made of silver. If you have gold and silver jewelry already, resist selling it for money if you believe a currency collapse is inevitable.

Having a skill is not like having a physical item, but knowing how to craft valuable items can be more important in the long run than physically possessing them. It reduces your need to trade goods and allows you to trade your services for items you might need. Some useful skills include the following:

Carpentry and woodworking

Blacksmithing

Sewing

Canning

Beekeeping

Hunting

Knowing some carpentry and woodworking skills can help you build better shelters, make repairs, and craft items you can trade with, like bowls and utensils.

In today’s world, blacksmithing is focused primarily on making art, but practical smithing involves knowing how to make locks and keys. You can also make weapons and heavy tools. Setting up a blacksmith station and learning how to weld and wield a hammer can be pretty complex so do not attempt to master this skill unless you are fully committed to it.

Sewing will become a vital skill in a world that does not have malls where we can just replace our ripped clothes and fabrics. Learning basic sewing like how to put a patch on a tear is pretty easy and inexpensive. Other benefits include learning how to make blankets and quilts.

Canning was mentioned in the “Food and Water” chapter, but is included here because just having glass jars and food you want to can is not all it takes to successfully start a preserves shelf in your pantry. Canning is pretty simple and with practice, you can jar pretty much anything, from strawberries to onions to cucumbers (which makes pickles). People who are less prepared than you will be eager to trade for preserved food during long winters.

Beekeeping is a skill more likely to be learned if you are in the country, though urban beekeeping is something that exists. Beekeeping is sometimes called the most important skill you can have during a societal collapse because you are able to get honey from it, which is a very valuable item. Beekeeping also produces wax that you can use to make candles.

Hunting is a skill everyone will need to have, but if you are good at it, you are at an advantage. You will be able to catch more animals and have extra meat and fur you can barter with. You can also trade your skills and hunting tips for desired supplies.

Having some often-neglected items and also possessing important skills that serve as producers of more goods puts you in a good place for when money loses its value and society starts to struggle. The transition from a currency-based economy to a bartering one will be less complicated for you and you can have more confidence in your ability to keep yourself and your family safe and secure.

Chapter 7

Risks and How to Avoid Them

So far, you have done an excellent job of prepping and have made a list of the items you need when it comes to trading. You are about to begin your first bartering transaction, but before you start, you should be aware of the risks associated with bartering and how to avoid them:

Selling weapons to someone dangerous

Getting cheated 

Getting robbed

A basic level of trust is very important in bartering. You should never sell a gun to a person you think might come back again and try to hold you up for the rest of your supplies. If you have even a little bit of suspicion regarding a person’s intentions, do not trade weapons with them. Either trade something else or avoid them altogether. Trade as much as possible with people you know and trust.

If you are not an experienced prepper or just really bad at bartering, you run the risk of exchanging a good that is much more valuable than what you receive in return. Before you begin bartering, consider what exactly you are hoping to get from the trade and what you are willing to part with. If you want something like an ax to cut firewood, do not exchange water for it if you are running low. You can always find other materials to use for a fire. It’s not as easy to find a replacement for water. Also, if you are looking at trading for any type of machinery like flashlights or heaters, make sure that they are working condition before you let the other person walk off with your goods. It is the bartering equivalent of, “Show me the money first.”

Desperate times create desperate people. The last risk involved with bartering is if someone simply takes all of your supplies. This is unlikely to happen if a group has set up a market-type scenario where everyone is out in the open, but a person could follow you and rob you at your base. Always arm yourself and be on the lookout for stalkers when you are returning home.

If you do allow a person to come into your home and barter there, the risk of being robbed is significantly higher. To avoid this scenario, never barter at your home base; always hold the transaction in a neutral space away from your supplies. You never want to show a person where you are keeping everything. When you are not around, make sure that your supplies are locked up. Keep a detailed inventory so you’ll notice if anything goes missing and is unaccounted for.

It is a good rule of thumb to never let anyone know just how prepared you are. If you’re going out to barter, never bring all of what you intend to trade (i.e., all your canned tuna). Figure out beforehand how many cans you plan on parting with and just bring that. If a person sees you with a bag overflowing with much needed supplies, they could get a group together to steal everything and possibly hurt or kill you.

The risks associated with bartering are not as much of a concern when compared to the benefits, especially considering a scenario where money loses it value and bartering will become the only way to obtain goods. This does not mean the risks become irrelevant however, so remain cautious when bartering and keep a close eye on your supplies.

Conclusion

Thank you again for downloading this book!

I hope this book was able to help you to begin your journey of self protection by giving you the tools to begin to establish your own stockpile of items to use and barter.

The next step is to actually start to get building, Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say so piece by piece, little by little just keep making small additions and eventually you will be better prepared that you ever imagined possible!

Finally, if you enjoyed this book, then I’d like to ask you for a favor, would you be kind enough to leave a review for this book on Amazon? It’d be greatly appreciated!

Thank you and good luck!