Condensed Thread of Essential Skills for Self-Sufficiency and Comfortable Survival

Self-defense takes on a whole new group of parameters in the present times. There are losers out there who plan to hijack others who are/have prepared. The time before will be, already is, more dangerous than the aftermath. At least in the aftermath, all convention is gone. It will be easy to reckon that a group of hardlooking men armed only with AK 47s and ammunition are out to bushwack whoever they can find. Those same guys are out reconoitering your AO right now. Your home should be hardened at entry points NOW, and difficult for a casual passerby to assess.

Got money?
Time to deploy some more of it.
Money is not going to do you any good in the aftermath phase.


Storing fuel?
Blaze-o jerry cans are about the most secure and fire proof. Acetone and octane booster, carburetor cleaner additives help restore aged/varnished gasoline. Sta-Bil works, but best is PRI-G. Be sure your gasoline storage is vegetation free. Also good idea to have sand or gravel around perimeter.

Good time to verify zeros on weapons with the ammunition you will deploy. Things are looking rather dicey out there with the food supply situation and financial system.

Got all the spare parts you think you might need?
I am ordering as much gear as I can from suppliers who will sell COD. The extra fee is peanuts for the access and timing it gives you.

What are your best values for money?
That will be another topic.

hey lester, just got home from work, so i have not read all of this yet

i was wondering if you had any advice how a group of guys could work together as a tactical team? i was wondering what would be a good size group, weapon choices, who would do what, i have a pretty good idea of what my capabilities are, and have a handful of people i would trust with my life, just looking for some ideas from you

thanks

Pin, please. This thread is a masterpiece, Lester!

Thanks for all this valuable information...

Tactical Team Operations?

This guy has a website with PFD downloads of Military Manuals you might refer to, Malu:
[link to www.stevespages.com]

I really think you and your buddies would be better off meeting those who live in the area you are considering operating in. Read some of the manuals and get some ideas how to stage an ambush and reconoiter your area. Got topo maps? County road maps? What proximity do you have to backcountry access?

I really suspect that the initial effort should be placed at safeguarding your home and hardening it to discourage casual hijackers. Having an organized plan of action printed up in advance, something you can give your immediate neighbors right after the baloon goes up can give you a more organized group of homesteaders; versus people just too confused to know what to do first.

Roads are going to be dangerous places. Dangerous to travel and those travelling will be suspect. Unless your neighbors know you & your team on sight, know you are operating and friendly to them; you will be better off to sit tight. What kind of communications gear do you have? CB radio and FRS will be pretty useful.

Question 1 is really "Do I Know my neighbors and do they know me?" Question 2 is "What are the defensive points in my area that keep nogoodniks out or route them elsewhere?"

Weapons? .223/.308/.300win mag Nice to be able to share ammunition. 75gr .223 ammo fired from a 20" barrel will be accurate to 500+ yds or more.

thanks for the link, i will bookmark that

we have com gear and all the above weapons, medical, food , water, farms, etc

i will check out the link and see if i can find what i am looking for

Holy moly, that's a fantastic link!

this could be the missing link!

it is an awesome site, i wonder what would be the cheapest way to convert the ones you wanted to paper?

The files I've looked at so far have all been .pdf's. Just go to your neighbor's house and print them on their machine, lol.

Got Money? Not investments or "assets", but hard cash money or precious metals? Whatcha gonna do with this in the AfterMath? Gonna open a bank? Insure some operation? Sit on it and wait?

Things will never be any cheaper, or more available than they are today. Food, unless you ranch & farm, is #1. Got a homestead? Maybe you need to put aside a few bags of seed from your local grain mill or farmers Co-Op. Not for eating, (not if its treated), but for planting or to do a sharecrop with a neighbor who has implements.

Maybe you put aside a couple hundred gallons of #2 diesel just to be sure neighbors tractor can operate to plant that seed? Hydraulic 10wt and 15/50 by the 5 gal bucket also.

Think anything is going to be less expensive in the months ahead?

While you're waiting for Silver to top $50/oz, ammunition, fuel, food and all other commodities are soaring. What good is $100 silver if .22lr ammo is $150 a brick; but none is for sale?


Got self-sufficiency motivations? Have you gotten into soap-making and other home formulations for things you need and use daily? Are you a decent scratch-Cook? Competent with Homeopathy and Naturopathy/Herbalism? Know what it means to "take the case"?

How are you set for adapting your home electric system to backup or AE power sources? Got the tools to work on your home wiring box? Got insulation materials to help your freezer and refrigerator stay as cool as possible? Did you know you can switch your reefer and freezer off while you sleep and save the compressor cycling costs? Do your appliances sit in direct sunlight? On a real basic issue, do you own a set of quality dishpans to conserve water and also have drying rack? How about clothes pins and a hundred feet of clothesline?

What is money worth when no one has anything for sale, but they will take barter? Consumers are going find their habits die hard. Being "consumers", they don't know how to adapt, just buy what they need. You may have to trade 4 times to finally get what you need to have to acquire something you want to own. But that's down the road; if you get that far...

An armed society is a polite society.

Unless you want to expose yourself to the unbridled depravities of your fellow citizen-consumers as they detox from 20yrs of Prozac ingestion; you had better own firearms.

Nothing takes the place of a firearm. If you don't have one, you may have to be MacGuiver-like Ingenious; but having one is the prefered option. Have several. Keep a few accessible around your home, hidden from plain view, but loaded and ready to grab and use. Carry a compact & powerful semi-auto pistol, even at home when things begin to ramp up. A .45acp is the proven Fight-Stopper. Note, I did not say killer; but fight stopper. A hit in the chest from a .45acp will take a large man down, out of the fight. That is the quality of performance you need and desire. A 9mmP with a 20rd magazine may work, but why worry? Get the proven performer and learn to shoot it.

A .22LR semi-auto is excellent for persons unable to use other weapons. Loaded with high-energy or heavy 42gr bullets, and with a cold, precise deployment; shoot for the eyes.

Firearms and ammunition are excellent stores of value, as are handloading tools and components, extra magazines, basic replacement parts for common weapons, cleaning brushes and special solvents, telescopic sights and mounting systems.

Don't skimp on firearms. Buy the best you can afford, and then spend as much or more on ammunition and then buy the accessories. A .45acp pistol should have 3-4 spare magazines minimum, and a good holster and double magazine carrier. For precise rifle work, IE longrange precision shooting; your scope and mount system should cost more than the rifle. Scopes with illuminated reticles are worth the money, even cheap ones.

water is #1
food #2

believe it, or not

Lester,

My cat, Lester died.

Lester!

Amazing fucking work man!

GOOD GOD. So many fucking posts.

A masterpiece, seriously.

This should be pinned for 2 weeks.

That is my vote.

This is so beautiful, Lester.

:O

[I'm SOOOOOOO high]

You're going to need two 18-wheeler semis to haul all this shit around. If someone actually did stock up on all the stuff listed in this thread, they would be volunteering to be the biggest target on the map for both .gov and roving hoardes of feral people.

I agree with stocking up on some supplies, but if it's more than what you can fit in your SUV or minivan, you are wasting your money.

Also, bugging out should always be the LAST resort. If you are among the first to bug out, you will surely encounter roadblocks, again either .gov or feral people. First rule of survival is STAY PUT. Only bug out if your life is in immediate danger and you cannot defend the home fort.

What kind of tools do you need to make the lifestyle you need/want?

Bugging out?
A survivalist should already be living where they want to be located. Out Of The Line Of Fire...

Got money?
You might find a self-sufficient homestead for sale.
How much is a nice home on 20 or more acres with well and secure & remote location worth to you? The ability to grow your own food, keep livestock, have a physical plant for survival...

Living on a self-sufficient basis requires gear and ability.

Not going to be much need for recreational driving.
Not going to be anywhere to drive for shopping.
No real prospects for bringing home a bunch of stuff anyway.
Not after TSHTF.

Then what about mobility? If you are a survivalist already living where you want to be, and an overwhelming force approaches your homestead, then what? A stocked up homestead in the boonies is the perfect target. There's nobody around to hear you scream out in the wilderness. Don't you think FEMA will want to send out a "strike team" to apprehend hoarders out in the boonies? They have satellites ya know!

I say prepare enough to bug in for a few weeks, but not so much as so you can't bug out when the strike team comes a knockin.

that really does not make much sense, so you would have to resupply every few weeks , putting yourself in danger each time
i think having a permanent base away from society is always your best bet, from there you could make stashes all over, in case you had to bug out

they are going to have their hands so full with the cities, i don't see any "strike teams" venturing too far from there home base, if they do they will be picked off one by one, and their gear would come in very handy, especially com gear ;)

With the introduction of a new Assault Weapons ban, and the forthcoming Supreme Court case ruling on pvt firearm ownership, RIGHT NOW is the time to BUY ANY Firearm, Ammunition, or Handloading Components you think you might ever want/need. If you don't buy it NOW, might not be able to later; for certain will cost much more in the days ahead.



Ought to have a Lee Loader for your main rifle and pistol ctgs, if nothing else. Very slow, but dependable; cheap too. You will have time, and empty cases; but if you don't have a loading tool, you are living on borrowed time/ammo.

So $15 or $20 for a Lee Loader.
Primers about $4 per 100
Smokeless powder about $20 per lb (7000 grains)
Cast bullets for revolver About $50 for 500 or 1000 depending on caliber,
Jacketed bullets for Rifle, about $20 per 100

If you have saved your empty cases, get started loading them now. Best way to store components is as loaded ammunition.

If you are planning to relocate to another property or distant home/retreat; do you have alternate routes written out in event of unforeseen circumstance? Know how to transition your routes on the fly? Have you driven your routes lately? Maybe you should cache some fuel along the way?

Got topographical maps & a compass? In your personal kit?
Got a handgun or takedown rifle? Are the sights zeroed? Got a cleaning kit?

Good binoculars are essential. If you can avoid a trap or danger, you chalk up a win. Cheap pocket binos or monocular are good to have also; always with you, like your Swiss Army Knife and belt knife. Also your fire kit, or at least a Zippo lighter. Got those covered?

You may find yourself dependent on what you have with you at the time; Stuff Happens! Time to be concerned with readiness for Real.

bump

Have you set a set of goals and prioritized your planning yet? We only have so much time available, are you making Best Use of yours?

Being stocked-up means you have time to learn, to make those mistakes you will make in acquiring new skills. For example, I am not an expert gardener, but have gardened off/on for about 15yrs. I am confident that it is a better use of my time, this year, to buy and store food than to grow it. Time is just too precious. Too many things to do.

Are you able, yet, to move from seeing things in terms of their "dollar value" to their intrinsic value? How much is it worth to you to prepare to be self-sufficient? Do see all the turmoil and crisis in credit and capital markets as temporary and view them as opportunity? Or, are you beyond the mirage and seeing the collapse for what is there?

Are you optimizing your resources or beginning to indulge in panic-buying? There is a difference in panic-buying and over-paying. I bought some gear yesterday and over-paid. Yes, I could've bought this stuff mail order and saved maybe 20%; but, it was there yesterday. All too many vendors are unable to fill complete orders these days, so if an item is of critical importance, like handloading components; I just pony up the bucks, and am pleased to be able to acquire the merchandise.

Most people take it all for granted. Figure there will be no interuptions. Just wait... Got your list & checked it twice? Maybe you just never began your acquisition phase? Unless you begin the fulfillment of your planning NOW, you may wind up holding the bag.

Got those spare parts for your essential machines?

Find the time to assemble your reloading/handloading equipment and make a few cartridges. Turn off the TV and spend an hour slicing a rump roast into thin strips and make jerky. Pack your bug-out bag and try hiking with it for an hour. Are you cooking your meals from scratch yet? How else will you learn self-sufficiency if you aren't doing for yourself NOW?

Okay, most of us aren't homesteaders, we're suburbanites. I have some supplies, but not nearly enough. Maybe this is a good thing. We don't look like a target unless people want to come in and steal our soon-to-be-useless electronic crap.

I have seeds, but don't have any plans to plant them until a few months AFTER TSHTF. I figure by then the most incapable people will have already given up or killed each other over what they've looted from Sam's Club.

Would there be anything about suburban homes to make them targets if people are just in them eating their last couple of granola bars? Would the people with guns want better targets than that?

Is it my neighbors I need to worry about, more than roving gangs? Help me assess the danger, and what I can do to make the situation *somewhat* survivable. I have plenty of water jugs, and various means to purify.

Give us less talented people a few tips!

Tips for Surburbanites>>


Water storage: cheap above ground pool at wallyworld will store couple thousand gallons of water, or use large trash cans w/contractor bags to collect roof run off. Maybe you have a high water table and can drive a sand point to make a well? Got plain hypochlorite bleach for water & sanitizing?

Food gathering: a scoped pellet gun even a bb gun for birds, squirrels other small game like rabbits and pigeons. Learn to sprout Alfalfa and Mung beans for vege substitute. Container gardens with cheap grow lights indoors. Go to your library & county agent/extension office and see what resources they have in terms of books and handouts.

Cooking: Cast iron cookware is very durable; if heavy, and enables long service outdoors. If you have a yard, you can cook in it. Maybe you have time to make a brick cooking pit? Gather small wood for firemaking. Do a google search on Hobo Stove and see ideas for coffee can cookers. Have some plan for keeping your refrig/frozen food viable as long as possible. Either cook it right away or keep it at safe temps. Got strike anywhere matches? Got a fire kit? Can't cook without heat, can't process food without knives/spoons etc. Got a decent carving knife & board?

Security: Got some way to keep intruders from kicking down your door and making a surprise visit? Got firearms? Ammunition? More than you ever think you will need? Got an emergency plan for your family if shtf while you are apart, doing other things? Got fire fighting gear? Is your house landscaped so fire & burglars can't approach? Sand, rock, non-flamables in perimeter around your home. Maybe you need to floor in a part of your attic? Got a dog for inside and outside? Small dog is very excellent to warn you of shit coming.

I don't see the suburbanite having any different priorities. Just more neighbors to deal with. Do your neighbors know you? Do you know them by name? Can your neighbors work together? Do you know other people in adjoining areas? Know the routes in/out of your area well? Got pickaxe and shovels in case you have to dig a shelter? Have you downloaded Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson Kearny? www.ki4forU.com.

I would be doing a lot of cooking and storing food. Practice your skills, see what you need to stock up on; then do it.

Last Minute Essentials To Consider....
Quote

Unless you live extremely remote, it is likely your vehicle is intended to play an essential role in your preparations. Economic Collapse is looming, looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa but without hydraulic jacks and structural engineering to keep it from tumbling down. Pakistan is a smoldering nuclear maelstrom; where there's smoke, there's fire! Russia has warned the USA about Iran. Iran is continuing to vie for time with the gameplaying they've engaged in for several years now. Brinksmanship. It don't take much to push this teetering rock over the edge...

So, have you made your situation ready?

Vehicles. Have you serviced your vehicle? While you can get parts at your local NAPA, or wherever, have you replaced all your filters? Changed your oil to a year round synthetic weight? Installed some new spark plugs, maybe upgraded your air filter and considered new tires??? Do you own a grease-gun and a few tubes of grease? Some spare Zerks (those fittings for your grease gun)? Got anyway to service your tires? At least some spare valves and a patch kit? Maybe you have a portable compressor or better? Probably worth your while to buy a locking gas cap. While you're at it, buy some acetone and add 2.75ozs per 10gals to your fuel tank. Does seem to improve gas mileage. Also recommend PRI-G(asoline) or D(iesel) as these are RESTORERS, which means any old gas you find can be renewed/restored. One bottle treats about 250gals. Sta-Bil is cheaper. Will preserve stored fuels for a year or two. Adding a couple bottles of carburetor cleaner and octane booster will also rejuvenate fuel that has been in your vehicle's tank a while. PRI is better though.

Got a few spare fuel cans? The steel jerry cans from Blaze-O are about the best and safest. Also cost about $40ea. Definitely want to have several fuel cans that you can fill when your spider-sense begins to tingle...

Got some short rifles or shotguns for use as you travel? Pretty hard to beat a Ruger Mini-14 with folding stock or an AR-15 16" barrel for your shotgun rider. Maybe a lumpara (coachgun) shortbarreled double barreled shotgun or a semi-auto in riotgun configuration. I am not much on shotguns. A .45acp in a shoulder holster is a nice comfort for the driver...

Expect to get where your going when the going get's tough? Better have your alternate routes planned and you'd better drive them NOW just to be sure.

Got a CB radio? Maybe a scanner, and FRS set of radios? Maybe you have several people meeting up to trek out together? Might think about installing/hard-wiring some extra 12v capacity and a 2500 watt (peak) inverter.

Lester
User ID: 463926
7/6/2008 6:22 PM

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Report abusive post Re: Last Minute Essentials To Consider.... Quote

Have you read or downloaded Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson Kearny? Try the ki4u.com website for that download. All you need to know about what you need to do to survive a nuclear event is on that site. The book is tremendous, even shows you how to make a radiation meter from a coffee can and some sheetrock. The US Army also has some Field Manuals you might read/research. Especially the Field Fortifications manual. Here is a site with many of these online in PDF format: .stevespages.com/page7c.htm. You know what goes before the first dot, right?

Back to vehicles for a minute. If you have a station wagon or sedan, you might think of modifying your rear seating arrangements. Removing the rear seat can free up a lot of storage room, if passengers aren't intended. A few pieces of plywood, cut to fit where the seatback was and over the driveshaft hump in the floor will give you a lot more cargo space. Pretty easy to reinstall your seats at a later time.

If you do max-out the loadcarrying ability of your vehicle, you need to look at your shock absorbers, springs, and tires for load capacity. Not a lot of expense if you replace these yourself, but bear weight limits in mind. Having a tow hitch and a small trailer is probably best for real heavy transports.

Going where there are dirt roads and it gets muddy, real muddy? A set of Tire Chains will get you anywhere you need to go. Likely find some used at a tire shop, pawnshop or resale shop. Not the cables, you want real chain link chains.

One of the best posts ever!!

It's likely that your effort will enable others to survive when TSHTF.

Fantastic work!
Many thanks.

More last minute things to mull over....


Got a fire extinguisher? Maybe just a bucket of sand? A big box of baking soda? Anything to smother the oxygen from a chemical fire.

Got some lumber, and maybe some 2-3" decking screws?
You might need to build some kind of a structure to shelter under. In event of Nuclear Fallout, you need to put 200# of mass between you and the particles, wherever they lay. So, maybe you can use an upstairs bedroom or your attic rafters to hold bags of sand, boxes of rocks, a waterbed mattress, or a kiddie pool? If not, you can make a large table with 4x4 or landscape timber legs, 2x4 supports and 1/2" plywood, and pile stuff on top and around you. Books, weights, bricks, etc; anything with MASS/Weight to it. Situate your shelter in the middle of your home, under the highest point on your roof, as far away from the outside wall as possible. If your house is on piers, you want to put plastic sheeting, 6mil is best, around and weight it down. Cover the bottom with dirt or sand.

For fastest construction work, if you own a nailgun, or a screwgun; don't overlook the obvious. A hammertacker stapler is also a great tool for fastening. One person stretches the plastic/visqueen and maybe overlays a cardboard or stripping reinforcement; the other hammers on the staples. Electric staplegun is excellent too, while you have electric.

Might want to be sure you have some potting soil indoors. Good time to begin planting some Wheatgrass, takes potting soil for that. Maybe you have some indoor fruit trees? Citrus probably the best.

How you fixed for Vitamins? Need em all, but multivitamins and bulk ascorbic acid (vit C) are essential.

How about a kiddie pool for decontamination? You want that outside, away from your living area, also brushes with long handle, bleach, vinegar, soap, a hose with spray nozzle. A couple of cheap PVC or plastic rain suits will work for keeping particles off you. Gotta have a mask and respirator/goggles or gas mask and rubber boots. Duct tape all the sleeves and openings. Dont forget a place to hand suit and keep boots, away from shelter...

Got dish soap and laundy detergents? Hope so. Having a set of dish pans that fit your sink will save water & soap. Drying rack and towels also. Cover with boiling water to sterilize after you're done. Dishrack pan/bottom will channel water to your dishpan for 2nd use. BTW, how're you fixed for Tea Kettles? Nice for boiling water, but with the right size cork or stopper, they can be source of steam for distilling water.

Scotchbrite scrub pads are worth stocking. Try your hardware store for the lg pads and cut them down, cheaper than buying at the grocers; same stuff.

Got plain bleach (hypochlorite) for sanitizing water? 8 drops from an eyedropper per gallon, unless really dirty, rank water.

Great time to be saving all stuff you used to think was trash. Plastic cups, squeeze bottles, pour lids, soda bottles, plastic grocer bags, paper bags and boxes.

Got a decent sharpening stone set for your knives? Files for axes, chisels, and other tool restoration? With a metalworking chisel you can make a file and then you can make anything. Will take some time, but you will have lots of that. Nice to have a reference book or two on backcountry living or maybe something like WoodSmoke. Old Mother Earth News were superb!

Got a decent hose for scavenging gas from abandoned cars? A siphon might get you shot, but after stuff is abandoned it will be finders-keepers. Don't forget to drain your lawnmowers and chainsaws etc before storing them inside.

Probably your best defensive friend, after a loaded lg caliber auto-pistol, will be a good set of binoculars. Got something small enough to carry with you always? Even cheap cigarette box size binos are better than nothing. You can forget you have them until you need them. The next size up is much better but have both.

Essential stuff short list:

Axe, hatchet, bowsaw 30"
rope and twine, parachute cord
strike anywhere matches, zippo lighter flints & fluid, welding striker & flints, vaseline soaked cotton balls, pint of kerosene and gasoline mix, Firestarting log
Water filter and spare parts
heavy duty bowie knife, diamond hone, Swiss Army Knife Super Tinker, buck skinning knife
Good frame backpack IE camptrails/Kelty/jansport
HD Merino wool hiking socks
set of good long underwear
hat, sunglasses, gloves, bug dope
Compass, hiway maps, topo maps
binoculars, spotting scope or hipower binos
.22LR Ruger mkII target w/2 spare mags & holster
AR-10 or AR-15 A4 receiver w/variable scope, BUIS, and 10 mags
Heavy duty belt & Suspenders
Quality hiking boots, insulated
Fast erecting pup or dome tent
Polarguard sleeping bag w/pad & compression sack
MSR multifuel camp stove w/spare bottle and parts kit
Nesting cook kettles, tong handle & lids
Food and spices in spare pack or duffel bag

Variety of plastic or better Tarps w/ropes
Cast Iron cookware and HD grill
USGI Poncho, liner & GoreTex rain parka w/trousers


Just stream of conscious things that come to mind.

Ooh, very good. Thanks, Lester!

What about barter supplies?
Gonna rely on the Fed Reserve Note for posterity's sake?
Your posterity might not realize a dime on the dollar.
Better to have something somebody else might need or use to trade! So, what comes to mind?


Toothbrushes
Sewing needles, thread, basic notion items. (Lots of potential here)
.22lr hollowpoint ammunition, buy the bulk packs and bag em up by 10 or 50 rds in sandwich baggies
Coleman lamp mantles
sharpening stones, carborundum or diamond hone
cheap baseball type hats
cotton & leather work gloves
sunscreen #20 or higher
bug repellant
Strike-Anywhere Kitchen Matches and smaller pocket box size
Zippo lighter flints & fluid
shoelaces, parachute cord, jute string for gardening
electric light switch and plug receptacles, electricians tape
Hunting ammunition for common rifles: .30-30, .243, .270, .30-06, .308, .223, .44mag
Wool boot socks, cotton athletic socks
Cotton diapers
Gal jugs of plain hypochlorite bleach, soaps, scrub brushes, washboard, clothes pins
Axe handle wedges, bastard & chainsaw (round) files
2 stroke gasoline-mix oil
Toilet paper
Inexpensive 300w 12v battery inverter
12v lighter adapter with aligator clips
Cheap solar panels
Sta-Bil gas treatment, PRI-G(asoline) PRI-D(iesel) fuel restorers, Acetone, Red bottle gasoline de-icer
Anti-freeze, brake fluid, 5qt jugs of motor oil
5gal cans of Kerosene, wicks for kerosene heaters
Oil tank sediment filters
Cheap towels and linens
Basic fabrics in basic colors,
Nails and outdoor decking screws
staples for staple guns
Cheap back-to-school college ruled paper, notebooks, pens & pencils.

More later.
But you get the idea. Fiat money won't do you a helluva lot of good, but this stuff might get you something else you can trade for or keep til later. Idea is to take some spare funds and invest in stuff people can use and will need. A few hundred bucks in common sundry items and dry goods could be the best money you ever spent.

Lots of idiots say they're buying cigarettes and liquor for barter. The only people who "need" that stuff are slaves to it and you want them tied to you when SHTF because you are their new best buddy & supplier?

Maybe you keep some 100proof vodka or Everclear for making medicinal herbal tinctures. You can even soak golden raisins in gin (for 30 days) and get an anti-arthritis remedy that is well regarded. People who are going to trade you stuff you need for cheap booze are going to figure you owe their stuff back to them when you run out of liquor. Really want to take the only means from a family to barter for their survival because the dad/mom has an alcohol or nicotine addiction?

Maybe if you're a well-heeled sort, putting away some of the premium brands in case-lots in your wine cellar makes sense? Maybe your kid gets the local doctor's attention first if he's fond of Wild Turkey 101 or Glen Fiddich? Maybe you gonna trade a box of Partagas #10s to your local bullet casting reloader or another well-healed swell; but think long and hard about this concept. People change, and people with addictions are unpredictable. Even the "best people" do shitty things when decorum is all that is left to genteel behaviour.

Kind of the same way with trading ammunition. You want to be as confident as you can that it won't be aimed back at you down the road. Pretty hard to do mayhem with a clothespin. Sure, maybe they can make triggers for bombs but anything & everything has potential for evil employ. Gasoline and cotton fabric combined with a bottle make a Molotov. Yet, most of your neighbors will use fuel for gensets, motorbike, or to barter with themselves.

Might also give some thought to "how soon" will you begin to barter with people? Do you want to be known as a resource right away? Maybe not?

Also, if you have a good stockpile of food; pay some thought to hiding or burying some, just to be sure if some Civil Authority decides to confiscate for "the greater good", you are not left holding an empty bag. A post hole digger is a great tool. Remember to try and keep the first layer of grass etc intact w/roots and place it level over your buried treasure. I wonder if you can have too many 5gal buckets or other waterproof containers?