Disaster barter items...

[teamnelson]

I know some preppers envision a post-apocalyptic dystopian society patterned after a dime novel Rendezvous in the Frontier days ... everyone was civil, bartering was fair, justice was personal, and women & children were sacred. History dispels that myth, so I have no such expectation of the future.

Some pulp novels have suggested .22 ammo as a medium of currency, which I could almost see given its the least threatening of the common calibers, hardest to reload, cheapest to stockpile, and arguably the most useful to have in your pocket if you're hungry. So I may hang onto my bigger bores for the tactical advantage. In the book, the Patriots, you see them trading guns and ammo after an elaborate meeting of "the group", usually to consolidate the team to common platform/caliber, or unload that oddball to someone else for something of more vital importance like livestock. I think that would only work if there was a common enemy amongst those bartering to where the likelihood of use of that arm was in common defense.

[mcwoodduck]

Look at history,
Castles and walls were built to keep raiders out and defend people inside.  Walled cities go back to the early chapters in the bible.
Large groups of people moved all over europe (Celts, Romans, Vikings, Goths, Visa Goths, Francs, Hun, Turks, Persians, Moors and Mongols)
Some moved cause they wanted to expand their dominance, some were exploring, some were raiding, some were forced, some looking for greener fields, and some were fleeing.  Walled cities were developed to protect the people and goods the raiders wanted.
If society breaks down, Government goes under like in the days ending the Roman Empire, people leaving the cities will band together and move somewhere, trading, steeling, or taking with force items they want or need to survive.
Think of what you would do to get off Hawaii with your family.  Steal a sail boat?  Steal supplies?  Forcably take a boat that is already loaded with enough stuff to sail the 3,000 miles from there to here?
Now what do you think a few million people living in NYC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, or other city will be willing to do to survive and get to someplace they think is safe, with a food source and fresh water.

[teamnelson]

Think of what you would do to get off Hawaii with your family.

Yeah, I know, that's why I posted above that history leads me to believe that all will not be sweetness and light in the aftermath. It'll be ruthless and nihilistic, women will be chattel, children will be food, and not much will be sacred. (Grim I know, but again, look at history.) It'll be tough on those of us who are driven by a sense of morality to stay "untainted" and I have a resonable expectation to be leaning on mercy with the Almighty to get my family safely through. Which is why I prep as much as I can, to limit the predictable number of moral dilemmas I'll have to face, knowing that I cannot avoid them all. Bartering is a moral conversation, as evidenced by the dialogue this thread has started.

Lately I have come to hope that it'll hold off until I can get us back to the mainland ... being stuck on Oahu is only slightly better than making a 3000 mile journey across open water to anywhere on the left coast.

[mcwoodduck]

Couldn't you also head East to one of the saloman Islands?
At the point where The US government colapses others will have already colapsed.

[Dee]

All you boys tradin ammo and guns to strangers, I hope don't move close to me.

[mechanic]

Something that has not been much touched on in this thread, is the fact that so many in our society would lay down and die not having any idea what to do.  Nature always takes the weak.  There are others that are barely civilized now that would quickly shed all pretense.  They would become predators and enjoy it.  These are the true threat. The problem is we may not know until it's too late.  I'm thinking I would not trade or barter ammo for food, but I might barter food for ammo. 

I'm also thinking that many of us will endanger ourselves out of concern for others who are weaker.  There will be many heart rending decisions to make.

Here in the South during the uncivil war, and for many years after, our population survived on black eye peas and cornbread.  Very little game survived, and farming was tough because most of the larger farms were confiscated for taxes to the martial law government.  My people were used to surviving on little.  Today our population base is such that game would disappear quickly, and IMO within a few months there would be a massive die off of the populace.

In this situation, only the strong and the smart will survive.

[SHOOTALL]

All you boys tradin ammo and guns to strangers, I hope don't move close to me.

I would guess a trade system would grow up in areas and outsiders would not be welcome . After time the borders of each trade area would expand and unite with each protecting each other.
 I would think at some point city folks would leave the city . The first to go would be those who want to survive and see they can't in town. These may bond with country folk in a helpful way , they may bring some food, some ammo and guns and alot of labor. The next would be the bad guys looking for easy targets and last the starving and sick looking for help.
 Truth is it will be hard to tell , It would be best to not mix as they all may cause sickness after living in the waste build up the cities will see .
 As far as trading guns and ammo for food , i would guess alot will try and take both with out working out trade agreements 

[Victor3]

It'll be ruthless and nihilistic, women will be chattel, children will be food, and not much will be sacred.

 Well if that's how it's gonna be, I'm not gonna come to the party. 

[RON17T]

Why barter?  I'll just trample the weak and get all I can