This is a very interesting question. The answer to that in a catastrophic event survival situation is, NO. And what I can tell you is I have traded some interesting things with people when I was out on a solo journey. Here are some things traded.
- A cigarette – There will still be nicotine addicts out there that will give an arm for a cigarette. I had an unopened pack of cigarettes and a guy came up to me for a spare cigarette. He said, “I can give you a dollar for one cigarette.” I wasn’t interested in currency, because I couldn’t use it now. But I asked, “What else do you have besides money?” He had food, and I traded him one cigarette for a stick of beef jerky which I really wanted and needed.
- Coffee grinds – I love my coffee, but so do other people out in the wilderness. A couple approached me and said they ran out and wanted enough grinds to make 2 cups. In return for my coffee grinds, I got 2 small fishing hooks.
- A hot coal from my fire – I had a couple come up to me and asked if I can give them hot coal to start a fire. It was raining, damp and wet, and they could not start one. I had a fire that was sheltered so it was nice and toasty. They also had a full pack of unopened beef jerky that they gave me in return for a sizable hot coal.
- Some paracord – This one I didn’t want to just give away as paracord is a necessity as opposed to luxury. But a group needed 20 feet and I still had over 100 feet. One thing I needed was food. They prepared a meal and brought it over to me after they finished their shelter.
I have so many other trades that would be a great novel, but in the end, currency like cash, is going to be useless if no one can use it. It’s always good to have some on hand since there will be some place where they will take them (for now.) But in a serious survival situation, it is the simple things people need that they do not have. Bartering is a skill that you should acquire, and in the end, sometimes just helping people goes a long way. The example of a hot coal from my fire, I have provided that to many people without bartering because they needed it and I had plenty of it.
