5 Items to Remember for When Disaster Strikes

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November 8, 2023

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Combine this bleak economic outlook with our Obama-approved, hate-America-first, failed foreign policy, and you have the likely possibility of a severe economic depression during a time of multiple foreign military engagements.  (Stolen elections have predicable consequences!)

How do you prepare for such an awful confluence of events?  By accepting and acting upon the real possibility of food, water, energy, and medical supplies shortages in the months ahead.  There are plenty of articles, videos, and social media posts that deal with the basics of prepping.  Today, I’m suggesting acquiring overlooked items that may greatly aid in the rough times ahead.

1. Real maple syrup.  This household staple can be used for barter and for your own food preparation.  Sealed in small glass bottles or in those beige plastic jugs, maple syrup requires no refrigeration and can be bartered in small quantities.  Most preppers have five-gallon buckets of oatmeal in their pantry, but few include maple syrup (and cinnamon) to flavor their cooked cereal or cookies.  Maple syrup will always be in high demand.

2. 4” PVC pipe with assorted end caps, oxygen-absorbers, and desiccant packs.  Many Americans will want to protect and hide small high-value items such as pocket pistols, ammo, thumb drives, hard drives, family documents, passports, medical records, medicine, jewelry and watches, and precision tools and optics, either underground or behind a wall.  These items can be safely stored in a large PVC pipe; it is an inexpensive, waterproof, airtight container with the addition of a few desiccant packs and possibly a couple of oxygen-absorbers before being sealed.  Pro tip: Create a map of these hidden locations and have at least two different copies kept in the hands of trusted family and friends.

3. The second-best barter item in difficult times is liquor.  Divide up your liquor purchases into name brands and generic brands.  Name brands cost more per bottle but will also generate a higher value during a trade.  Generic brands cost less per bottle and will help you increase your overall bottle count faster.  Liquor is best stored in a cool, dark place, using the distillers original shipping carton.  Happily, liquor can be consumed for your own personal use.

4. Demand for cooking spices and non-perishable hot sauces like Tabasco brand will increase during difficult times because much of the freeze-dried and canned emergency food is under-flavored.  At the same time, the wholesale distribution of spices will be declining due to external events.  That said, many popular dried spices like oregano, thyme, basil, paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon, and onion powder are perishable and must be stored in an airtight container along with oxygen-absorbers.  This added effort requires time and expense, which will not immediately be repaid until demand drives the (barter) prices higher.  Your spice inventory should be allocated between barter and trade spices and spices for your own personal use.  Stored spices don’t take up a lot of space, but they will bring a high value as demand increases.

5. Other than firearms and ammo, the most desired nonperishable items will be instant coffee and tea bags, stored in airtight containers, either vacuum-sealed or with an added oxygen-absorber.a

   While unopened canned coffee does have shelf life of around 450 days, instant coffee, properly stored, can last up to 25 years. There are two market leaders in long-term coffee storage: Franklin’s Finest Survival Coffee and Legacy Food Storage Ground Coffee.  I have tasted both, and they are pretty darn good, but not as good as freshly ground coffee.  (I’m not affiliated financially with either company.)

   Tea bags generally have a shelf life of under 18 months. So there will be extra time and effort involved in repackaging tea bags in vacuum-sealed jars or using airtight jars with oxygen-absorbers.

   Properly stored coffee and tea will always be in heavy demand during difficult times.  It would not be unreasonable to store a three-year supply of survival-ready coffee and tea bags for your own personal use and an additional five-year supply for barter and trade.

“We, the People,” through the bitter experiences of the past two decades, no longer trust our major political, financial, medical, and educational institutions to safeguard our lives, our freedoms, and our property.