Quote from: Telmark on September 10, 2013, 10:56:05 AM
All good points Solar. Everyone of them.

I'd say that potable water (and the filtration systems that create the same) might be the most important thing to have on hand. Tents and tarps would/could be useful barter items as well.

Speaking of "stocking up," I once had a well equipped garage that included many items that you've mentioned. Building materials (wood, steel, and plastic), countless fasteners, and a bunch of power and hand tools; I, or should I say, my wife of the time and I seemed to everything you could imagine in that garage including a couple of 7 gal. buckets of powdered laundry soap (the "Costco craze had just hit town and boy, did we buy a bunch of stuff in bulk). Sadly, a bumpy divorce, along with the passage of a couple of decades, pretty much wiped that all out (I got to keep my 10 year old 4 x 4 truck and she got to keep our brand new sports car).

But ya, I used to buy motor oil a couple of cases at a time whenever it went on sale (whether I needed it or not). Had a friend who bought a "truck load" of surplus fasteners for pennies on the pound... Man, I ended up an entire 4 ft. high heavy duty metal chest of drawers full of both inch and metric fasteners of every type you can imagine (I, a long time auto mechanic, wasn't even sure what some of them were for...).

And I used these tools and materials more than some might think; automotive and motorcycle bits and pieces, a pair of MC rear sets (foot pegs), a wooden wood working tool chest (that I have to this day), an eight foot work bench with built-in steel drawers, numerous bicycle and RC car, buggy, and boat repairs (for my son and his friends), shelves for this and tables for that. I even built an electric 3/4 hp air compressor w/ a 5 gal. detachable tank just for the fun of it. Most of the necessary materials and components were already laying around in my garage and backyard, so I said what the heck... just had to weld a frame up from an old steel bed frame (this material was difficult to weld because of the high carbon steel) The crazy thing was that I already had a store bought 1.5 hp 20 gal electric compressor!

Yep, those were the days I guess.

Sorry for the boring story...

Yeah, I'm a bit of a pack rat and just can't seem to throw anything away.
But I'm changing my habits, now when I buy stuff, I ask myself if I'll really use it, and generally keep walking.
Though we have been investing in years supplies of freeze dried food, more than we will probably need, but at least I'll have some to barter with, if worst comes to worst.

Quote from: Solar on September 10, 2013, 03:56:42 PM
Yeah, I'm a bit of a pack rat and just can't seem to throw anything away.

Same here. Wife tried to tell me that I was a borderline hoarder the last few years, but I wouldn't listen. Well, we recently moved out of CA and I now have to admit that I was headed towards being just that. Packing, moving, and unpacking 8+ years of just my "garage stuff" has turned out to be a nearly impossible task Shoulda-coulda hauled about a dozen truck loads to the Salvation Army and/or dump (I hauled more than 22, yes 22, truck loads to the dump during our last move back in '01 and that move seemed to be as smooth as silk compared to this latest move). There is just no end to all the stuff that I've collected over the years.

Quote from: Solar on September 10, 2013, 03:56:42 PMBut I'm changing my habits, now when I buy stuff, I ask myself if I'll really use it, and generally keep walking.

Yep, been doing just that for the last couple of years (even more so right now). We need to really ask ourselves A: are we going to use it enough to justify owning it? And B: is owing it going to be worth the trouble of maintaining and/or storing it? If not, then we probably A: don't need it, or B: would be better off renting it (if possible).

Quote from: Telmark on September 16, 2013, 06:43:16 AM
Same here. Wife tried to tell me that I was a borderline hoarder the last few years, but I wouldn't listen. Well, we recently moved out of CA and I now have to admit that I was headed towards being just that. Packing, moving, and unpacking 8+ years of just my "garage stuff" has turned out to be a nearly impossible task Shoulda-coulda hauled about a dozen truck loads to the Salvation Army and/or dump (I hauled more than 22, yes 22, truck loads to the dump during our last move back in '01 and that move seemed to be as smooth as silk compared to this latest move). There is just no end to all the stuff that I've collected over the years.


Yep, been doing just that for the last couple of years (even more so right now). We need to really ask ourselves A: are we going to use it enough to justify owning it? And B: is owing it going to be worth the trouble of maintaining and/or storing it? If not, then we probably A: don't need it, or B: would be better off renting it (if possible).

   Sorry...   We moved 5 years ago and downsized.  We had the same big place for 40 years, talk about thing you have not used in 20+ years.  We also had truck load after truck load for the Salvation Army.  I can now drive into my half of the garage and walk around my truck and see everything I need with out digging for it.   Also on my side of the garage I have my quad, snow blower and riding lawn mower.  Now on the other side of the garage is my good wife things.  She has been quilting for over 50 years, need I say more.