When we’ll have no running water, no hyperactive emergency services, no electricity… we are going to turn back to what people did 100 years ago. Here you’ll find some “little” survival tricks popular in the early 1900’s and (some of them) useful even today.

100 years ago Gallaher Ltd printed a short “How-To” series, with clever hints for emergency situations. The cards were distributed with packs of cigarettes. All the pictures bellow are part of the George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. Please enjoy the article.

During a SHTF situation, pain could become an annoyance for some, but unbearable for others.

If doctors are scarce and medicine becomes even scarcer, this one little weed, found all over North America and similar to morphine, could be a saving grace.

1. How to Extract a Splinter

Take a wide mouthed bottle and fill it with hot water nearly to the brim. Now press the affected hand or foot tightly against the mouth of the bottle.

This will then cause a suction and pull the flesh down. The suction plus the steam will help pull out the splinter.

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2. How to Make an Emergency Water Filter

A handy and efficient water filter can be made out of an ordinary bucket.

First make a hole at the bottom of the bucket.

Instructions: “The water percolates through the layers of fine and coarse sand, and clean picked gravel and stones, with which the pail is filled, filtering through to the bottom in a clear state.”

One of the best layers you should add to this bucket is one made of charcoal.

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3. How to Engrave on a Knife

This method was widely used during the Middle Ages and all the engravings in swords or armors. Here are some armors engraved using this traditional way.

Instructions: “The steel to be worked upon should be covered completely with a coating of beeswax. The lettering or design to be engraved can then be drawn with the point of a clean quill pen. This lays bare the metal. A strong solution of sulphate of iron should then be repeatedly poured over the exposed surface for about ten minutes. The more prolonged the action of the sulphate the deeper will the steel be engraved.”

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4. How to Make a Fire Extinguisher

Although is good to know, probably none of us will make these old fashion extinguishers since is much easier to buy one. And because the new ones are more effective (I guess) and definitely safer.

Dissolve one pound of salt and half a pound of salt-ammoniac into two quarts of water. Then bottle the liquid in thin glass bottles holding about a quart each.

Should a fire break out, dash one or more bottles into the flames, and any serious outbreak will probably be averted.

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5. How to Purify Water in a Cistern

Easy! Stir in a tablespoon of powdered alum.

After 30 minutes the alum cause the particles and the bacteria to bound together and cause them to drop to the bottom leaving a clear purified water.

A tablespoon or half an ounce of alum will purify from sixteen to twenty gallons of water.

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6. How to Treat an Animal Bite

First tight a ligature round the limb above the wound. This will stop a little bit the bleeding and it will give you a better visibility to evaluate the wound.

The next advice given back then was: “Thoroughly cleanse the wound and if there is any suspicion of madness in the attacking animal the place should be well sucked and cauterized with luna caustic, or a white hot iron, after cutting away the surrounding flesh with a sharp clean knife.”

The advice was really good for that time, when there were no vaccines. And even today doctors recommend thoroughly washing the wound as soon as possible with soap and water for approximately five minutes (to reduce the number of rabies particles). Povidone iodine or alcohol is then recommended to reduce the virus further. When SHTF and we’ll no longer be able to access vaccines this is your only option available.

(Here are 23 survival uses for honey that you didn’t know about.)

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7. How to Detect Escaping Gas

Gas leaks can be caused by faulty appliances, or by those that have been incorrectly installed or poorly maintained.

Some of us don’t even use gas anymore (like me) or some may have gas detectors, but either way, after an earthquake, or a hurricane or a tornado there will always be gas leaks.

This 100 years old method is risk free and quite reliable.

“Paint strong soap solution on the suspected length of pipe and the gas will then cause bubbles at the escaping point, which can be dealt with at once.”

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8. How to Light a Match in the Wind

Instructions: “The familiar difficulty of lighting a match in the wind can be to a great extent overcome if thin shavings are first cut on the match towards its striking end, as shown in the picture.

On lighting the match, the curled strips catch fire at once; the flame is stronger and has a better chance.”

Preparedness Hacks: Once a nuke is heading your way, you might think that there isn’t much left to do, but you would be wrong!

Because we will show you America’s natural nuclear bunkers that are also EMP proof. When the sirens start wailing, all you need to do is pick the closest one to your home, where you can take cover before it hits.

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9. How to Find a Lost Trail

If a trail is lost, there isn’t much to do but to search for it.

A very good way to do that is to mark the last foot-print or sign you notice as the center of the circle and go round it at a distance of anything from 30 to 100 yards.

The trail should be discovered somewhere crossing the circular track you are following.

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10. How to Cure Chilblains

“A simple and homely remedy, which immediately relieves the irritation and pain caused by chilblains, is salt and fresh apple juice.

The affected parts are rubbed gently with a slice of apple dipped in common salt. A good juicy apple should be used.”

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11. How to Secure Loose Hammers and Axe Heads

After wedging the handle of hammer as tight as possible, drill two holes at the end of wood and drive in two large screws.

An axe-head can be secured by boring a hole through the haft just bellow head and wiring through the hole and over top.

The wire should be twisted and staple driven into a hold position.

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12. How to Tell the Points of the Compass with a Watch

Take the watch of your hand. Point the hour hand at the sun and then lay a piece of wire or a blade of grass crosswise between the hour hand and the figure twelve.

The end of the wire between the twelve and the hour hand points south.

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13. A Simple Cure for Catarrh

Treatment for catarrh may not be necessary because it often disappears within a few days, after your body has fought off the infection. But in some cases it doesn’t go away and it can be a health problem, especially for the underfed. In food crisis when people are poorly fed, these low-risk diseases kill more people than starvation itself.

Instructions: “Take a pinch of ordinary table salt up the nostrils, just as you would a pinch of snuff.

Then gargle the mouth and throat with warm water, being careful not to swallow it.

Do this each morning before breakfast.”

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14. Three Useful Knots

No. 1 is the Timber Hitch, which is especially useful in lifting all kinds of heavy work, such as huge beams.

No. 2, the Fisherman’s Knot, shows a good method of joining two ropes tightly together.

No. 3 is the famous Clove Hitch, which becomes tighter the harder it is pulled.

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15. How to Bandage a Foot

A traditional method used to make the inflammation heal faster (especially for sprain ankles) was to place a leaf of cabbage between the bandage and the ankle.

In the picture: “Rest injured foot on operator’s knee on a clear towel.

Commence bandaging in manner shown by the lower diagram, the bandage being bound over and round the back of foot in spiral fashion, and eventually fixed by means of a safety pin, just beneath ankle, as shown in upper illustration.”

(Here are 21 wild edibles you can find in urban areas.)

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16. How to Make Roller Bandages

Instructions: “A roller bandage must be rolled evenly and tightly, so in the absence of a machine a chair will serve this purpose.

The picture illustrates procedure. Whilst one person carefully rolls another pulls tight opposite end of the bandage, and at the same time sees that no folds or creases are allowed to form.”

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17. How to Fell a Tree

Having decided which side you wish the tree to fall, cut alternatively a downward and inward cut as you can see in the picture – in this order.

When about half through, proceed to cut the other side a few inches higher, and finally pull tree down with the help of a rope.

In a survival situation (and not only) you can use trees for their nutritious sap.

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18. How to Build a Simple Shelter

Instructions: “A simple shelter can be made by driving two forked sticks into the ground and connecting these by a pole resting on them.

Branches are then laid resting on the pole. The right angle should be around 45 degrees, and the screen fitted up with smaller branches, ferns, etc.”

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19. How to Make a Water Fountain for Chickens

Instructions: “A simple water fountain, ensuring a supply of fresh water for the chickens, can be made from a pint wine bottle, supported by wire loops to a wooden upright as shown.

The bottle is inverted over an earthenware pan, with the mouth of the bottle about half an inch above the bottom of pan.”

I see that now there are even some “rodent resistant chicken feeders” which can be used together with the water fountain if you leave for 2-3 days.

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20. How to Remove Foreign Particles from the Eye

Few things are more irritating than having something in the eye.

“Drop sweet or castor oil into the corner of the eye. Picture shows a ready method of allowing drop of oil to fall into eye from the poim of a paint brush.”

If the particle is of mortar or lime, bathe eye with weak vinegar and water.

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21. How to Make a Chair to Cross a Stream

If your group has one or more people who cannot (maybe there are wounded) or don’t know how to swim, you might want to find a simple solution to help him cross a river. If there are nearby trees – and usually near rivers there are – all you need is a rope.

Fasten a strong rope to a tree and let somebody (who can swim) go across the stream and fasten the other end to a tree on an opposite bank.

Use another rope to improvise a chair fastening it into a running loop. “By means of a light rope fastened to the middle of (the) chair and held by someone at each end, those unable to swim are safely passed over.”

These Solar Backup Generators Deliver 4 Times More Power Than Other Models!

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22. Keeping Plants Watered While Away on Holiday

There are many simple and cheap DIY tricks to keep your green friends properly hydrated so that you don’t return home to a house full of wilting and yellowing plants.

A traditional method is to fill a large bucket with water, and place it a little above the level of the plants.

You can group round or near as many plants as you want. Place one end of a strand of wool in the bucket and the other one to the plant.

You can place as many yarns as you want.

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23. Rescue from Fire

If it is necessary to enter a burning house in a search of unconscious persons, or to save a family member, first place a wet bandage over your nose and mouth and crawl in on all fours. You do this because the only Oxigen you may find is on close to the floor. (and the visibility is better)

Place a rope around his ankles. The other end of the rope around your chest or shoulders.

Then turn your back on him and drag him out. (you’re going on all fours with rope underneath)

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24. How to Preserve Eggs

Preserve only eggs that are newly laid. Bury them in a box of salt.

This traditional way of keeping eggs has been almost forgotten. The eggs last about an year when they are totally buried in the salt. No air whatever must be allowed to get at the shells.

This way you’ll have eggs and salt for survival.

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25. How to Treat Sprains

Elevate the injured joint and wrap in cloths wrung out in cold water. The picture shows how to keep the cloths constantly wet without having to change them.

Place a jug of water higher than the injured limb and a strip of linen with one end in the jug and the other end resting upon the wrapping of sprained joint.

The water will pass from the jug to compress keeping it constantly wet and cold.

The SHTF we all prep for is what folks 150 years ago called daily life. A hundred years ago people knew how to do a lot of things – that we now take for granted. Learning how to do stuff on your own is one of the most important things that one can do to prepare… And in time of crisis you need to be able to support and sustain your family without much outside aid.

Experts predict that an EMP strike that wipes out electricity across the nation would ultimately lead to the demise of up to 90% of the population. However, this figure begs an important question: if we were able to live thousands of years without even the concept of electricity, why would we suddenly all die without it?

There is a mantra within the hallowed halls of prepper knowledge, lore and opinion that goes something like this. The only way to survive TEOTWAWKI is to find a hidden retreat far away from any city of significant size and live there as self-sustainably as possible year round. This idea of the survival retreat has been around for years and it is actually a lifestyle I aspire to for myself and my family. I dream of a fortified home in the woods, streams rolling through my mountain location, solar arrays, livestock in fences, wild game aplenty and wood burning stove goodness all around me. There is one major problem with this mantra though and that is the prospect of moving everything we have and living in a cabin in the woods is nearly impossible for the large majority of us.

If you accept the argument that the hinter boonies are your best chance of survival, then the flip-side of the mantra and conventional wisdom is that everyone living in or near the cities will die. It can give you the idea that you are doomed unless you are living in Northern Idaho, chopping wood for your stove and tending to your garden every day of your life. Is that the only choice we have? Does ultimate survival come down to either living in a small handful of states or you are screwed – no matter what? Is Urban Survival an oxymoron? If you aren’t one of the lucky ones who lives 2 hours away from the nearest Walmart are you doomed to die a horrible death? The real question for the majority of preppers is this; is Urban Survival possible?

The problem with surviving in urban environments

I will readily concede that you have problems living in urban environments that will make survival tougher. Larger cities have a higher population of people living in closer confines. This makes any available resources like food and fuel deplete much faster in times of crisis just because there is greater demand for these resources. Sheer numbers overwhelm the system more quickly and the panic associated with a larger mass of people spreads faster, it is more chaotic and violent. It would be like a swarm of locusts.

Urban environments are a larger risk for terrorist attacks because of the higher concentration of people and media attention. If you blow up a few buildings in New York you will cause a much bigger stir (and kill more people most likely) than blowing up the same number of buildings in Steamboat Springs CO. It is the same with virus or disease in that it spreads much faster in higher concentrations of people. Larger cities pose a larger risk to a numerically higher number of lives so risk to your life is higher.

Additionally, urban environments for the most part have limited natural resources unless you consider buildings, parking lots and concrete or asphalt natural resources. Sure, there are trees in cities, even New York has Central Park, but can you imagine how long it would take for Central Park to have every single one of its trees chopped down if some catastrophe happened and people needed wood fires to keep their families alive? Some major cities are built along rivers, but the water is usually so polluted you wouldn’t want to bathe in it much less try to eat anything that lived in there. Along with that lack of natural resources, there is not an abundance of good soil for growing food, at least not in quantities sufficient to support the populations of those cities.

I am not saying that you have a better chance for survival in cities, but I think we should be looking for options in every prepping scenario.

Are there any advantages to urban environments?

Yes, there are definite problems with urban survival chances, but do cities offer any advantages at all? I think you could find some benefits if you know what you are looking for. For starters, cities offer much more secure buildings than rural environments. Large concrete buildings are much better at stopping bullets than the walls of any suburban home. I think cities would offer you a greater supply of materials to use in a worst case scenario as well. If things got so bad you had to outfit your vehicle, Ala Mad Max, all of those spikes and metal would be much easier to find in cities.

Scrap metal, fencing, chains, wires and building materials as well as spare auto parts (batteries and tires) would be much easier scavenged in a city. Try building a fence out of trees or a coconut battery… Yes, this is a worst case scenario but I wanted to at least discuss some of the potential upsides as opposed to simply saying if you live in the cities you will die. Cities offer a lot of advantages in the form of security and observation simply because you have tall, semi-hardened structures. You can position look outs on 4 buildings a few blocks apart and using simple FRS radios, command a huge area.

What do you need for urban survival?

So now we have discussed some of the drawbacks and possible resources you could take advantage of, what is really needed for urban survival? The simple fact is that you need the same things for survival in the cities as you do in the suburbs. The difference is finding some opportunities you might be able to use to your advantage if you find yourself stuck in the city after a disaster.

Food

Food is a constant survival need and I recommend stocking up as much food that you normally eat as possible and augment that with some amounts of long-term storable food like freeze-dried food or MRE’s. What will you do when your food supplies are gone? You will need to do what the people in the burbs are doing and that is bust up some ground and get your food growing as soon as possible. As a backup I recommend having a supply of Heirloom seeds with which to do this, but starting now will give you the best chance of long-term urban survival. That is assuming your city wasn’t nuked of course.

Food co-ops are a great idea, but you will have to rely on yourself for food in a survival situation. Roof gardens would be one way to grow vegetables. Could this feed a whole building? I don’t know but it is an option you have in the city that could allow for food production within the safety of your higher vantage point. Another option that the city affords is a high number of homes in a relatively small area. Each of these homes may have food or supplies after a collapse (assuming of course nobody is living in there) that could be available for scavenging. Scavenging is a polarizing subject I understand, but would be a possibility in a worst case scenario.

Water

Rainwater collection might be a little harder in the city as most buildings have flat roofs that house equipment, but if you have a flat surface that collects water that can be diverted into tanks, it should work the same as anywhere else. Another aspect of city living is that almost every building has water sprinkler systems and these can hold many thousands of gallons of water that should be safe for drinking or can be filtered with a good gravity filter. The trick would be to find the main drain valve which is commonly found in a stairwell on the same floor as the fire sprinkler heads that it supplies. The water may be draining outside so don’t turn that knob unless you know where the water will be coming out. Optionally, some buildings have water tanks right on the roof.

Fire hydrants also are a good source for water and if you find a low hydrant (lower elevation) you may be able to get millions of gallons from that source alone.

Shelter

This to me seems to be one of the benefits of urban environments that of course is weighed against the risks. There should be an abundance of shelter options for you but safety will be an issue here. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, many people will leave, many could die. There should be available shelter that you can find. I would try to get up as high as possible and work on fortifying my entryway so that I could really make it difficult for anyone to get in. I would look for warehouses with heavy metal doors before shops with glass windows, but you may have to look at several places before you find a suitable location.

Shelter in this regard is primarily going to be focused with keeping you out of the elements initially. For something more permanent, I would be looking to live with a larger group of people for common defense and shared work duties. Could these be the people currently living in your building? Could you control access to your building now or after some fairly simple fortifications?

Security

Safety of the people in your group will be extremely important and this will rely on having observation at all times, a good communication system and a plan to deter threats. Solar panels situated on the roof of buildings could keep your power supply from being noticed (unless there is someone in a higher building) from the ground and reduce the risk of theft.

Access control to stairwells could prevent attackers from sneaking up unannounced. Barricades could be easily constructed from old furniture or equipment, even sections of fence. The height of the buildings will give you vantage points and could allow you to funnel any traffic into one location that could be manned by a couple of people with radio access to a spotter on the roof.

Would all of this be possible? It would depend on the disaster, where you are, what you have with you and a lot of other things. Would urban survival be more difficult? Maybe, but I don’t think it is hopeless. Unless there was some serious issue driving you out of the city, it may be safer to stay while everyone leaves and tries to survive on the road or in the woods.

I don’t think cities will be completely devoid of people in a SHTF event. I think some will find a way to survive as humans have for a long time.

In the event of a social collapse, it will become everyone for themselves. Those who have prepared for that moment may feel like they are sitting pretty, but that does not mean their initial preparations will be sufficient forever. All it takes is one unaccountable factor to throw your plans down the drain.

In this instance, you may not struggle to survive–depending on your knowledge of survival–but you will still be doing without. Moreover, the natural progression of time will ultimately cause your stores of rarer items to diminish as well. As such, you will want to be able to acquire various goods and items no matter the quality of your preparations. But once society collapses, so too does the economy–or does it.

Without a government to ensure the value of a currency, people will naturally return to a barter system. Of course, disaster will place certain goods and services above all others, but that is where a bit of thought and further preparation can lead to security and even profit.closeVolume 0% 

1. Gold

It is a fairly well-known fact that valuable metals have a tendency to maintain their value even through the harshest of conditions. Even thousands of years ago who many people were still struggling to scrabble out a consistent means of living, the luster of gold still pulled strongly at the desires of people.

As such, when disaster strikes and the current paper fiat money is considered worthless except as kindling and toilet paper, it will be a good idea to have some non-functional item that can still be reliably bartered with value. If you have been prepping for any length of time, then you have likely already stumbled across numerous people and posts suggesting that you purchase gold.

This is a great investment in a survival economy as gold will retain a fairly high value while remaining durable and resistant to the elements. Just make sure that the gold is stored safely away in a secure location, preferably one that is not in or next to your bug out location.

Because of its durability, gold can be burrowed away pretty much anywhere and suffer little to no damage beyond some minor tarnishing that can be easily cleaned. Also, do not get bullion. It may be “efficient,” but people will not often be able to trade with it at value, and bullion can be difficult lugging around.

2. Alcohol

Alcohol has existed since the Stone Age, and there is no reason to suggest that demand for the intoxicating elixir would do anything but rise should society and the economy collapse. It has been well-documented even in relatively modern times that when the world struggles or seems to be going mad, people often retire to the comforts of drunkenness to ease their worries.

Of course, alcohol can come in handy for other reasons as well. Isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, will only last for so long. After that, people will have to once again return to ethanol alcohol to disinfect open wounds to prevent infection and tissue corruption. In this instance, alcohol will be able to provide value even to people who do not want to drink it.

One thing to keep in mind is that you will want to stockpile hard liquor over wine or beers. For beer the reasons are manifold in that once the beer can no longer be kept refrigerated, it will quickly sour. However, for both wine and beer, the relatively low alcohol content of both will decrease their overall trade value.

As such, any alcohol you stockpile for trading purposes should be at least 80 proof, or 40 percent alcohol by volume. For one, weaker alcohols will not work effectively as a disinfectant, but it also comes down to economics. Stronger alcohol will be worth more and can even be traded in smaller amounts.

3. Cigarettes

Much like alcohol, tobacco is another item that is generally seen as a vice which can maintain a high degree of value once the economy collapses. Moreover, cigarettes have the additional advantage of creating a physiological addiction in smokers, making them far more likely to engage in barter or trade for them–potentially to your advantage.

Beyond serving as a simple product of vice, tobacco can also be used for a number of genuine survival applications as well–something we cover in my extended bug out guide. This makes cigarettes similar to alcohol in regards to providing value and appeal to non-smokers as well–though you may need to explain this to them.

One issue that tobacco presents that alcohol does not is a limited shelf life. In fact, compared to alcohol, cigarettes are downright fragile, though they will last for up to five years if properly stored. Beyond that, the tobacco will begin to break down, though, by that point, smokers will likely still be willing to trade just to take what they can get.

When selecting cigarettes for stockpiling purposes, do not get menthol varieties. For one, not everyone who smokes prefers menthols, but all smokers will smoke non-menthol cigarettes. Also, menthol cigarettes get their minty quality not from mentholated eucalyptus or some other plant but from fiberglass. This can reduce its survival effectiveness in other areas.

4. Social Skills

As noted previously, one should not underestimate the value of strong social skills when disaster strikes. Aside from the fact that it will aid your own party in communicating, your interactions with other people will carry with them a much heavier weight than they do today. As such, ensuring that those interactions occur as much in your favor as possible is a vital resource.

For one, you may very well need to explain to people why your trade goods are worth the value you assign them. For alcohol, many people are likely to know that it can serve as a disinfectant. However, the therapeutic effects of tobacco may not be nearly as well represented. Being able to effectively and convincingly explain this and other qualities can go a long way in not only ensuring you receive a fair value for your goods but in brokering a deal in the first place.

One thing to keep in mind, you will not want to present yourself as the holder of the goods you are trading. This simply makes you a target for other people who might use the prospect of trading to find people to loot. Instead, position yourself as the “middle man” of your own goods. That way, even if the potential traders would otherwise intend to steal the goods, they may think twice before burning such a resourceful “contact.”

5. Survival Skills

Following the principle of using social skills to explain the value of items to those who may not be as well versed in survival preparation, survival skills, in general, can be equally as valuable as a trade when it comes to a post-collapse economy. Remember, chances are the overwhelming majority of the population will not possess these skills.

Instead, people will simply revert to a scavenger system for as long as supplies last. Once those supplies are gone through, then people will be desperate. Being able to trade with survival skills can actually work to your benefit in two ways. First, you are able to provide a service that costs you little more than time and elbow grease. Second, you may help ensure that a scavenger does not feel the need to become a looter making you and your party safer.

Another great benefit of survival skills in a barter system is that you do not necessarily need to teach your trading partners the skill. Instead, you can simply perform the skill while retaining the knowledge. This will ensure a steady demand for your services and make you indispensable as a resource not to be abused. Conversely, you can teach some skills, like fire making, which will be necessary more when you are not present than when you are, at a higher trade value.

6. Performance Skills

Rounding out our list of tradable services for a barter economy, performance skills can be deceptively valuable. Keep in mind, you will definitely only be able to play this kind of trade if you are above average in the performative skill, but if you are, it can serve as a lucrative service which will similarly be in short supply.

Keep in mind, when society collapses, people will likely be far too focused on survival to worry much about entertainment. However, this does not mean that their need for entertainment and a break from the struggles of survival will simply fade away. In this regard, performative skills can serve similarly to alcohol except their supply never exhausts.

Granted, you are unlikely to command a significant value for performance skills–even at a master level–in a disaster scenario, but being able to acquire some rare food or another type of supply for five to ten minutes of light labor is no small task. Of course, identifying the performative skill will be the trick.

Music is an excellent option here. If you know how to play an instrument that can easily be carried, make it a point to practice and maintain or improve your skills. Storytellers can also ply their trade, though this one will be a bit more difficult to barter with. Regardless, performances of any sort at a high enough skill level can serve well for low-value trade that costs you little to nothing.

7. Entertainment

Following the performance skill premise, people will still want to be entertained even when you are not nearby–which will likely be most of the time. In this instance, they are liable to turn to items that can be easily carried and still provide an extended and enduring form of entertainment. Chances are, you have already prepped for such a need.

In this regard, entertainment items can provide a high value, especially if they are kept in good condition. Arguably the most easily tradable entertainment item will be a deck of cards. With hundreds of possible games all easily held in a compact and light form, cards can provide limitless entertainment and be easily carried for trading purposes. Remember, most people are liable to ignore this need at first, and by the time they get around to it, playing cards may be in short supply.

Another decent, though by no means as efficient, entertainment item is a book. Because they have a lengthy investment, they can serve adequately for this purpose. However, books have a fairly low repeat value–depending on the genre. Moreover, books are also much bulkier and heavier than playing cards. As such, this potential trading item is more suited for barter once you have already settled into your bug out shelter than when you are still bugging out.

8. Hygiene

This is another category that is liable to get lost in the shuffle by unprepared people–in the beginning at least. With the constant need for food, water, shelter, and clothing, hygiene is liable to fall precipitously down the list of priorities. For as much of a priority as it is in modern, civilized life, hygiene takes a back seat in a survival scenario.

That being said, even those struggling to survive will welcome the opportunity to wash the grime of the world off of their bodies. Even more, the ability to maintain your hygiene can also improve your survival chances, something most preppers already know. As such, hygiene items can be billed as both a vanity and necessity item. Just remind your potential trade partners of the various issues poor hygiene can present, and they will likely beg to trade with you. After all, no one wants to die because they did not have soap to wash up after removing a splinter.

In this instance, bars of soap, tubes of toothpaste, and toothbrushes are liable to be your most valuable hygiene items. Bars of soap are long-lasting and compact, making them great for travel. Toothpaste and toothbrushes may have a shorter shelf life–the former at least–but a reminder of how poor oral health can quickly lay them low should be all it takes to broker an exchange.

9. Food

This is where things can get a bit tricky. If you have already made all of the necessary preparations, food should not be much of an issue. Your stockpiles should be able to handle months to years worth of feeding your party. Moreover, you should likely have started some form of homesteading ahead of time and even some potential husbandry.

As such, this resource falls under the assumption that your own food needs are more than met with abundance. If this is the case, then food will likely be one of the highest value items that you can trade. Of course, as such a high-value item, food will also be coveted and one of the more likely to draw the attention of looters pretending to trade.

Regardless, it is important to balance your own needs with the potential value different foodstuffs offer. For instance, canned and other preserved food will fetch the highest value after a few months once all the stores have been scavenged. Of course, this holds true for you as well, so make sure you have a steady supply of fresh food while still ensuring you keep plenty of preserved food just in case.

Still, meat will easily be the most valuable food you can trade since most people will have difficulty obtaining it. Fishing, hunting, and traps can all serve as a reliable source of meat. If your bug out location has chickens or other egg-laying fowl, this too can fetch a high value for those who cannot otherwise get their hands on protein.

10. Water

Similarly to food, water is another resource that is extremely valuable. In fact, water will arguably be the most valuable resource in the event of societal collapse. That said, your ability to procure clean, fresh water for you and your party first becomes even more of a priority when considering water as a bartering tool.

If you do not have a source of clean, fresh water nearby, this may not be a viable option. Of course, once you settle into your bug out shelter, you can set up water farms. Solar stills, beach wells, and transpiration bags may help you survive in moderation, but if you can set up twenty or more, you can likely collect more water than you need to drink.

If your bug out shelter and location is large enough, you may be able to set up dozens of these water collectors. Depending on the size of your party and the necessary tasks for maintaining your shelter, this can actually become a bit of a cash crop–especially if you are located in an arid region.

That said, this is another situation where simply trading the resource can be risky. However as food may be valuable to a hungry person, water is far more valuable to someone who is dehydrated. As such, be careful when trading water, and definitely, make sure to present yourself as a middleman in this situation.

Conclusion

Some people might suggest that you should use ammunition as a bartering tool if society collapses. This is a trap. Ammunition will become one of the most important items after a collapse, and even if you have a large stockpile, it is not worth it. In fact, you should be the one trading for ammunition, even if you have crates of ammo.

Still, many of the items on our list are either extra, effort, or in excess should you properly prepare ahead of time. As such, all of the entries on our list are excellent bartering tools and should place you in a prime position to master the emergent economy after SHTF.

Chile has struggled to become a thriving democracy. Once a dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet, the country has gone through considerable turmoil since his death. Capitalism has not treated everyone fairly in this country, even though Pinochet was once lauded for the dynamic free-market economy he created, once cited as the “model for the developing world.”

By no means has Chile been the only country which has struggled to become a free-market democracy. Russia is still struggling, decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Iraq really hasn’t accepted democracy as a political model, even after enormous amounts of investment by the US government. Other countries have struggled as well, but not with the same results.

Much of the problem that Chile has been experiencing has been due to the vast income inequality that exists in that country. While there are portions of the population which are thriving, many others are still suffering, especially those who are dependent on retirements that were established under the Pinochet regime. Many schoolteachers are still working into their 80’s, because they can’t survive on their $300 a month pension.

For those working in non-skilled jobs, public transit to take them to and from their work costs as much as 21% of their weekly wages. Thus, when the government announced a 30 peso rise in the cost of the metro, it was met with anger. A student-led protest, called evasión swarmed the metro, jumping the turnstiles to avoid paying the increased fare. Workers took advantage of the opportunity to save a little money and joined the protest.

While protests are nothing new in Chile, these seem to have gained traction. A demonstration which started in the capital has now spread to many of the major cities, with continued evasión of fares and widespread protests in the streets.

It appears that socialist organizers and anarchists have joined in the protests, working to turn it to their political ends. As in many such cases, word coming out of Chile is a bit confused, with each side accusing the other of what they themselves are doing. Much of the reporting is tainted by the political leanings of the reporters who are on the scene. But one thing is certain, the government’s response doesn’t stand up under scrutiny.

The Government’s Response

President Sebastián Piñera has declared that his country is “at war.” But if it is, it’s a war between the government and the citizens. While some government response is required to the violent acts of the protesters, that should be a police response, arresting the worst of the offenders and those who are inciting others to commit illegal acts. Protests, as our own government has learned, are not the reason to call out military forces armed and equipped to use deadly force.

We’ve seen that before in this country; at Kent State University in 1970. National Guard troops were called out in response to a protest. Although the National Guard does receive some training in how to respond to a riot, they are first and foremost soldiers, equipped and trained to kill, not to arrest people. In this case, the results were four dead college students and another nine who were injured.

The soldiers on the streets of Chile reminded many of the older citizens of the years of Chilean dictatorship, when such sights were common; a parallel that was lost on the students who started the protest. For the older citizens, that sight struck fear in their hearts.

The government has admitted to eight people being killed in the protests, but information leaking out of the country claims over 20 killed. There are also widespread reports of police and military brutality against the population, including against people who were not protesting, but merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Martial law was declared by the President, early on in the protests, allowing for the use of military forces and imposing ever more restrictive curfews on the people. Interestingly enough, whenever the protesters have gotten the upper hand, troops have retreated to wealthy areas of the cities, focusing on protecting the wealth centers. It seems clear from that action alone, that the leadership of the country is only interested in protecting their financial standing, not protecting the people.

Under martial law, police and military forces have beaten hundreds or perhaps even thousands of innocent people, often plucking them off the streets in civilian clothes, in an attempt to hide their identity. Civil rights are being trampled daily, as the government attempts to regain control.

Could that Happen Here?

Regardless of where you stand politically, Americans have grown afraid of politicians on the other side, especially as the political divide has grown. Each side assumes that the other is likely to declare martial law, on the thinnest of pretexts, imprisoning those who have declared themselves aligned with the other side. Yet that sort of thing has never happened in this country. For that matter, we haven’t seen people rounded up and put in any sort of detention camps since World War II.

Those on the left decry the “oligarchy” regularly, declaring that this country is actually run by them. But I’d like to propose a different viewpoint on that. That is, every government that has ever existed has been an oligarchy of one sort or another. Even monarchies are oligarchies, as the wealth is concentrated in the hands of the royalty.

Successful merchants could buy themselves titles under such a regime, gaining political respectability. But that’s not all they bought; they bought access to the throne, the seat of power. That’s what their titles and their money did for them, just like the oligarchy we have today.

Why is this important? Because in reality it has always been the oligarchy, the elite, who have been in control. I don’t care if you’re talking about the Rothchilds, the Bilderberg group, George Soros or our own political parties, they have kept the power to themselves. Much of the reason why they hate President Trump, is that he has defied their rule and has been working to do whatever he can to overthrow it.

As we’ve seen in the last few years, these power-brokers will do whatever they have to, in order to keep their power. Rumors have existed for years about how the Clintons have done away with anyone who could be a whistleblower on their nefarious actions. The same sort of rumors existed about Obama when he was in office. I’m sure if we searched around the world, we would find many more examples.

The accumulation of power and money is the central focus of these people’s lives. As such, they will do whatever it takes to retain that money and power. They don’t mind if we “little people” accumulate wealth or even some local power; but they aren’t sharing theirs with us. They will use whatever they have to, in order to keep control. Whatever they have to includes military forces.

These power brokers have control of large portions of our government, just like they do in other countries. As long as things go their way, they will allow us the illusion of our freedom. But if things don’t go their way, you can be sure they will take the necessary action to retain power.

What that Means for Us

One big difference between the United States and Chile is the Second Amendment. Even though there are those who are constantly chipping away, trying to take that right, the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear arms. There is no such equivalent in Chile.

That’s not to say that the Chilean people can’t own firearms. They can; but there are huge hurdles to overcome in order to get a permit to own one. Even bigger hurdles exist to having a permit to carry that gun outside your home. On top of that, private ownership of semi-automatic arms is prohibited.

Should martial law ever be declared in the United States, you can almost guarantee that it will be accompanied by widespread gun confiscation. This happened in New Orleans, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Probably the only thing that kept that from turning ugly and kept armed citizens from defending their right to keep and bear arms, was that there were so few of them still in the city; government forces had them outnumbered.

Many have declared that widespread gun confiscations would result in civil war. I tend to agree with that. While there are many gun owners who would give up their guns, albeit reluctantly, rather than fight government troops, there are enough of us who would stand up for our rights. How that war would end is anyone’s guess.

Recently, the new Democrat majority in Virginia’s state legislature passed a number of very restrictive gun control laws, without taking into account public opinion. They ended up being forced to retract those laws, when citizens got up in arms about it and law enforcement officers declared that they would not enforce those laws.

The same thing has happened in other parts of the country, as Democrat controlled state legislatures have tried over and over again to tamper with our Second Amendment rights. But in each and every case, while there have been some who have complied like good little sheeple, the majority refused.

This means that any protests against government overreach here in the United States have the potential of becoming much more violent than they do in other countries. While those of us on the right, who own most of the guns, are not the kind to take violent action, there are always a few who don’t see it that way. All it takes is one or two of them to start the ball rolling, and things could turn ugly, real quickly.

A second American Civil War would be even bloodier than the first. Not only are there more privately owned guns in the hands of citizens, than there are citizens, but the level of military technology has increased by several orders of magnitude. Hunters alone have our military grossly outnumbered. On the other side, the military has all the tanks, planes and artillery. As I said, it would be bloody.

This is probably why there are those in government service who are so bent on disarming the population. It also explains why the AR-15 is the main target of these people. You can’t win a war with pistols and even trying to win it without semi-automatic rifles would be difficult. Those who want to control us don’t want us to be able to fight back.

Throughout the last century, there have been numerous examples of what happens when the government disarms the civilian population. What we’re seeing in Chile today is nothing new; it has been done time and time again. Those who want to be despotic dictators (regardless of what political name they hide behind) know they must disarm the people first. It’s much easier to get sheep to submit, than it is to get sheep dogs too. The sheep dogs have teeth.

If anything, Chile serves as one more reminder as to why we need to defend our Second Amendment rights. Otherwise, it’s much too easy for those who would take away what remains of our liberty, the freedom to do so.