Poor Man's Barter Items

I started reading this thread and was thinking about how to thank for all the ideas.

...then I started cracking up. Now I have to go back and reread the first coupla pages.

 

People are going to need propane in small containers,strike anywhere matches,gasoline,diesel,motor oil,lots of batteries,cigs,coffee,and whiskey for comfort. You would want the whiskey to be in small containers as you would not want a bunch of drunks hanging around causing trouble. I think the die off in my area would be pretty quick as most are on either food stamps or welfare. Most live week to week or payday to payday and save very little.I believe it would be best to hunker down and stay out of site until the main die off is over,you do not want anyone to know what you have hid back. Loose lips sink ships.

 

As Selco (SHTF School | Real Life Survival Experiences points out from personal experience, bartering after the poop hits the prop is very dangerous, and usually shouldn't be done from your base of operations. Selco also pointed out that many people died trying to borrow fire from one place and carry it to another. Fires were too fuel-expensive to be kept burning all the time, but there were times when having a fire was absolutely necessary. Selco made a lot of good trades because people needed fire starters and he had a way to refill bics. That being said, one might consider turning thrift store Levi jeans (100% cotton) into char cloth, for use & barter. It not only makes starting a fire a lot easier, it makes carrying fire easy and unobtrusive. And no one you trade it to will be able to turn around and use it against you.

 

There was a device sold back in the 90's that was used to refill those small propane tanks.. Have not seen them offered in some time , but ran across how to make one some place on the net.. I have a lot of those tanks laying around in a shed.. Wast not want not..

Hydrogen pyroxide has a short shelf life, however it can be made at home. find out what else can be made at home and stock up on the raw materials.. Many items have dual uses, Nail polish remover is primarily acetone and it's handy in the shop as well..

 

I have the instructions for making peroxide, however the point of my post was to look at what you can make and barter from base ingredients. Personally, I look at everything I use and consider how it's made and how would I get along without it.. If I would miss an item, someone else may as well and there is an opportunity..

 

Here ya go!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AMC5WO/?tag=survivalmonke-20

Restricted in Canada, because we don't trust @Mindgrinder with sharp or flammable objects

 

Similar thread/post/discussion (ignore the PM part):
Intrinsic value post SHTF | Survival Forums

 

Anybody refill IsoButane canisters? | Survival Forums

 

I have heard of people hacking one of the cheap import stoves to do it. But they refill with propane so you lose the really low temp ability
of the mix. Might as well just pack a propaner stove or lantern. The "gram Nazis" scream but oh well.

 

I posted it for the info posted in that thread by @ColtCarbine . and the adapters linked there.

 

I refill small propane tanks. I do not bother chilling the one pound tanks. I get about a @80% fill with no extra steps. Just invert the tank and fill, then wiegh (for safety reasons) then check for leaks.

 

Chilling them is the key. I won't tell anyone "they" should do this, but I bleed off the tanks before putting them in the fridge. I've been refilling those little tanks for years. I got tired of just tossing them after a weekend camp out with my girls-seemed like such a waste. We have a fair amount of the coleman propane lanterns and that is what these tanks are used for 90% of the time with us. I've never had any problems with any of the refills. I keep the little thread protectors and reuse those as well. While I'll still buy new cylinders whenever I find them on sale, I haven't used a "new" one in a very long time. On the tank that powers our genset I made sure it had a wet leg to refill larger tanks. I've got a brass fitting that will allow me to screw the adapter into that line to refill the little tanks as well.

 

What am I going to do with my garage full of milk crates?

 

I don't see the point of chilling 'em. Yes, I could get a little more in each one, but I have never yet over filled one, it will be refilled again, and if I need more propane, I just add another bottle. Why bother pushing for max capacity?

 

For me, when I filled the bottles at room temp they didn't fill all the way, maybe just over half. After I started chilling them I would get full bottles. This may sound reckless to some, but I no longer weigh the bottles. For me, if I bleed them off, put them in the fridge, then fill they are filled in 60 seconds using a 20lb bottle as the filler tank. This has proved correct (for me) again and again so I just time them with my watch.