There are going to be things you may want to consider having extra of in a survival situation, that is, over and above the foundation items for yourself of food, water, medical supplies and self-defense.

Think about this.  There will be a lot of people, let me stress the “a lot” part, who are not going to be as prepared or, not prepared at all, but who may have a talent or skill-set that you may not have. 

Don’t get me wrong, I can hammer a nail in a pinch with the best of them.  But build a house? Huh nope. Not so sure I could build something that would remain standing for too long.

So the theory here is if you were to have extra of a few well planned out items, you may be able to barter in order to get something done that you may not otherwise be able to do - or do well.

There are some key items that could literally carry you a long way, that is, as long as you were careful and cautious about your transactions making sure not to disclose all your “extras” to anyone.

To help get you started, I’m going to name some of the many items you may want to consider.  You can begin adding some of these “extras” to your survival arsenal long with your basic supplies.  Keep in mind that depending on the situation, any extra can go a long way.

Now I’m not even going to touch the “ammunition” part because it is way beyond my knowledge base.  But just in case you are farther along than I, some common calibers are .22, 9 mm, .45, .223, 12 gauge and .308.  Keep in mind though, this can open up a whole can of worms you might not want opened by letting others know you are the “person who has weapons”.  I myself would steer away from guns and ammunition for bartering.

Other things however you may want to consider are mediations, like aspirins, antibiotics, antihistamines, histamines, laxatives, antacids, anything you can get over-the-counter. Medications we use on a fairly regular basis, but not necessarily something we would readily think about to add to our survival bag.  Who plans for heartburn? 

See where I’m going? 

Books are another thing that could be invaluable.  Think about it.  If there was a power grid situation and we were left without power, we would have no computers or devises to look anything up on the worldwide web.  That would mean we look things up the old fashion way … in a book.  So any ‘how-to’ books – which you can find for dirt cheap at any used books stores or on-line, dealing with home improvement, building and plumbing, gardening, cooking or camping would be great.  Heck any how-to books would be great! 

Now think about it.  There are going to also be a lot of dirty people and things should there be no power.  So think of cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and soaps (liquid and bars).  You may have to haul your water but at least you have things to clean with.  Think how valuable a bar of soap would be to someone who hasn't bathed in a while?  Heaven right?

And any tools that you could use to cook with or build with that you have extras of is going to go a long way for those who don’t – and get you something in return – possibly a cooked meal. 

Everyone has a talent or two.  We may not use them but we still have them. 

For example, have you ever mentioned that you did something and were met with the response “I didn't know you could do that”?  I think this may be the way it will be should we enter into a bartering world again.  We all will need to tap into our inner-talents.

Think back to when you were younger and you bartered with your sister to do her house chores in exchange for her doing your algebra homework. Just sayin'.
It will be that basic.

- Survivor Jane

Thank you for sharing Survivor Jane with your friends!

If you liked this ... then you will love my book, "Emergency/Survival Hygiene: A Prepper "Cookbook" for Survival Personal Hygiene Products", "What Could Possibly Go Wrong??? How to Go From Completely Clueless to Totally Prepared" and my NEW Book "Puzzling Over Preparedness - Survivor Jane's Prepper Word Search Puzzles"

Thank you in advance for sharing Survivor Jane with your friends!

If you have any questions, or would like to see a specific article addressing survival preparedness for women on SurvivorJane.com click here

Or contact Survivor Jane at editorial@survivorjane.com

Follow me on Twitter @SurvivorJane and use the hashtag #PrepperTalk where you will find the Largest Prepper Community on Twitter!

Survivor Jane is not intended to be expert, legal or even medical advise - just one girl sharing with others.