1) Fire starting materials
Items like books of matches, disposable lighters, and wicks and flints for Zippo’s will all be worth their weight in gold in a real-life survival situation. They are simple to trade, easy to travel with, and will always be in high demand. (Related: Read an interview about the barter and trade system of a SHTF economy from a survivor who actually made it through.)
2) Over-the-counter First-Aid supplies
When society collapses, simple first-aid supplies like band-aids, aspirin, Tylenol, antacid tablets, alcohol prep pads, and cough and cold supplies will be very valuable, and most people in search of them will be willing to make generous offers in order to obtain them. Most of these items are easily affordable as well, meaning that you can stock up on them before SHTF.
3) Toiletry items
These items include small individual bars of soap, shampoo bottles, toothpaste and shaving cream. To most survivalists, maintaining good personal hygiene will still be very important, so toiletry items are great for bartering when SHTF.
4) Batteries
A world with no power means that batteries will be in high demand. That being said, it’s a good idea to stock up on them not just for your own personal use, but also for trading and bartering in a survival situation. Just remember to protect them from moisture and examine them often to be sure there aren’t any leakages. (Related: Make sure that you have these items before SHTF so that you can trade and barter.)
5) Sewing supplies
This is a perfect example of an item that costs next to nothing pre-collapse and yet becomes pretty valuable post-collapse. People will need things like needles, thread, thimbles and safety pins to repair clothing and other materials.
6) Small tins and cans of meat
Like most other items on this list, tins and cans of meat are usable both for your own supply and for bartering. Small 3 to 6-ounce cans of sardines, herring, chicken and tuna fish are all tradable and will be worth their weight in gold for their portability.
7) Candles
Small candles are inexpensive and will be easy to trade when SHTF. If you decide to stock up on them, remember to store them vertically to avoid having the wick “migrate” towards the bottom, which will ultimately ruin the entire candle and render it unusable.
8) Miniatures of alcohol
In addition to drinking, alcohol has many, many uses in survival situations. As explained by UrbanSurvivalSite.com, some of these uses include disinfecting wounds, removing odors, starting a fire, relieving poison ivy, treating colds, and much more. For these reasons, alcohol will be a valuable item when SHTF and can be easily traded.
9) Tobacco
Items like cigarettes and cigars will definitely trade, and for obvious reasons – even after the collapse of society, people will still like their tobacco. Remember that tobacco also has anti-helminthic properties and can be used to treat intestinal worms. They will be great for bartering when SHTF.
10) Sweets and other luxuries
Just as people trying to survive after SHTF will still seek out tobacco products, sweets and other luxuries will still be sought after as well. Things like chocolate, powdered cocoa, honey, packaged jellies and syrups will trade easily.
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