Historical disasters and their reactions to them can provide insight into what you should have on hand in case of an SHTF. The first items to vanish will be bottled water, tinned goods, batteries, paper goods, and first aid supplies. Although some survival supplies can be expensive, the majority of what individuals will need if the SHTF is actually rather affordable. Remember that many of the inexpensive things we typically take for granted will become priceless in the event of SHTF when making preparations for the worst-case scenario. Here are the essentials of the current inventory. It will be necessary for your survival, the welfare of your loved ones, and perhaps for use in exchanges.
The Foundations of Risk-Free Negotiating
Before we get started on the main agenda, let me first go over some fundamental safety precautions. Every time you offer your items for swap, you are putting yourself out there and attracting unwelcome attention. Customers won’t buy from you if word spreads that you offer an oversupply of high-quality goods. You’ll quickly rise to the top of the social scale, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get a free pass to all the tea parties. Keeping in mind these trading laws will keep you alive if the SHTF.
1) People may view you as an obvious mark if you advertise your wealth if they know you often have the greatest goods.
2) You should attempt to bargain in a new situation every time. This will stop thieves and looters from figuring out where you are and planning your next move.
3) Be sure to switch up your offerings each time if you don’t want to be known as the “food guy” or the “water chick.” People will come to you when they genuinely need that product, and they might not be in the mood to barter.
4) Avoid drawing attention to yourself; you might not want people to assume you’re hiding something.
5. You should never share the whereabouts of your stockpile, not even with your most trustworthy friend. Although you may be confident in their honesty, the needy person who gets to know them discussing your stockpile may not be.
The following ten items are anticipated to be in high demand in the SHTF:
These ten affordable items will probably be in high demand if SHTF. In the case of the SHTF, you might want to keep some of these things on hand in addition to your standard emergency supplies.
- Cans of preserved food
Look at any photograph taken of a supermarket right before an earthquake or a hurricane makes landfall. The canned products have been taken in large numbers. In reality, it doesn’t matter what it is. A long-lasting canned item will be promptly purchased by many consumers. If you do this ahead of time, your cupboard will be filled with canned foods that you won’t mind eating.
2) Life Straw water filters
The availability of water is more important than the availability of food in times of social upheaval or economic hardship. A few days without water can be disastrous, yet you can survive without food for a while. Life straws are a fantastically incredible deal and make excellent exchange commodities, but it’s absurd to expect to get back expensive trekking water filters. There is now a small, inexpensive water filter that can purify up to 1,000 gallons of water.
3) Bandages
A box containing many bandages just costs a few bucks. You’ll be working outside in an SHTF situation, removing debris, fixing windows, etc.; therefore, it’s necessary to stock up on these to treat minor injuries.
4) Medicine
There will be a huge demand for generic over-the-counter medications. Imagine you didn’t have any medicine to take care of a headache or an upset stomach. If you haven’t planned for a supply shortfall during an emergency, you can find yourself without access to vital prescriptions when you need them. Acquire big amounts of acetaminophen and other required medications to use as trade commodities.
5) Toilet Paper
While keeping a lot of toilet paper around isn’t the most effective use of storage space, having some on hand is always a good idea if you have the space. To make toilet paper last longer or in an emergency, some tough individuals have suggested using bidet bottles instead. Toilet paper will undoubtedly be a very valuable product, but you shouldn’t commit too much room to it.
6) Salt
Even though the media frequently reports on how many individuals use too much salt, if the economy were to crash, the trend could change quickly. When times were rough, especially during the Civil War, salt was difficult to come by. Salt is essential to life, yet it also serves practical purposes like extending the freshness of food. It can be used to disinfect cuts and scrapes even if it hurts. Even so, it’s preferable to contracting a potentially fatal disease.
7) Tents and outdoor equipment
If we’re discussing essentials, a place to sleep at night ranks right up there with food, water, and air. It’s not like you can book a hotel room after the end of the world. Water and tinned goods, tents, sleeping bags, candles, lanterns, tarps, stakes, and other items are in high demand. at least in the areas with the most intelligent people.
8)Batteries
Take all of them that you can transport. Their value will be readily obvious given the electrical system’s collapse.
9) Lights and matches
Residents will have to rely on fire to heat their homes and prepare food because the electricity grid is down. You’ll also need to gather some supplies for it. Lighters and matches are essential items in every survivalist’s emergency stockpile because of their inexpensive cost and compact size.
10)Toiletries
If the economy worsens, there will be a large demand for necessities like soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, toothpaste, and tampons. Purchase your supplies of these and other necessary items right away (especially those with a long shelf life).