You know disaster survival is all about preparation. The more prepared you are, the better your chances of survival. One other prime rule of disaster preparedness and survival is to stock up on items which do double or triple duty. For instance, honey is a food item which can also be used to heal wounds and treat acne. Its incredible shelf life combines with this versatility to make it a top bartering item for disaster survival. Start stocking up on honey and these top 7 disaster barter items and you will always be able to trade for what you need.

1 – Toilet Paper

Toilet paper, also known as Mountain Cash in mountainous areas of the United States, is an excellent, low-cost barter item. Oddly enough, it is not always an item that preppers and survivalists immediately consider when they think of a doomsday scenario. Inexpensive, lightweight and versatile (can be used to stuff a pillow case or as a fire starter), toilet paper makes an excellent post collapse bartering item.

2 – Fire Starters

Fire starter squares are small, compressed pieces of highly flammable compounds. There are also fire starters made from magnesium, flint and steel which fit on your key ring, some of them including an emergency whistle or flashlight. Fire is one of the 4 essentials for human survival after a mass disaster, along with food, water and shelter. A recent search for “fire starters” on Amazon returned 8,078 results, with prices starting at around just $3. Stock up on multiples of this excellent barter item.

3 – Coffee And Tea

You do not need tea or coffee to survive. But anything that helps you retain some sense of normalcy in a time when the world has been turned upside down is going to carry a very high value. A hot cup of Joe in the morning or a relaxing, stress relieving chamomile tea in the evening after a long day of hunting and gathering is a luxury many disaster survivors will be happy to trade for. You can spare it since its not a must-have in your emergency food supply.

4 – Heirloom Seeds

You can purchase 100 cucumber seeds for around $5 from multiple online heirloom seed retailers. Seeds for carrots, beans, corn, onions and herbs are likewise incredibly inexpensive. They are also perfect for survival bartering because they take up almost no space, their shelf life is virtually infinite, and their weight is inconsequential. To the right person, 30 or 40 cucumber seeds which cost you $2 or $3 could easily be worth many more times that value in a disaster survival situation.

5 – Liquor

What’s that, you say? You don’t drink alcohol? That’s okay. But personal preferences aside, vodka, rum, tequila and other types of liquor can be extremely valuable after the zombies take over. Imagine encountering a whiskey lover that has not had a nip in months. All of a sudden your small half pint of whiskey becomes an essential survival component he simply has to have. This is what makes liquor a must-have survival barter item.

6 – Toiletries

Dental floss, shampoo, toothpaste, soap – all of these small, inexpensive and easy to store items make you feel more human. Disaster survival will most likely be a dirty, sweaty, grueling and grimy experience on a daily basis. That is why even the smallest supply of toiletries look like a godsend to a prepper who has not “freshened up” in quite some time. (Toothpaste is also excellent for removing stains, cleaning vehicle headlights and treating insects stings and minor burns. This versatility is well known in the prepper community, increasing its barter value.)

7 – Coffee Filters

You may not think something as simple as a coffee filter would be a worthwhile barter item. After all, coffee will probably be at a premium, which is one of the reasons it makes such a good barter item. But any smart survivalist or prepper 
will tell you coffee filters have dozens of survival uses. At a current cost of around $1 per hundred when purchased in bulk, this lightweight, portable and versatile item is definitely a top 10 survival barter must. (Check out our list of 17 ingenious survival uses for coffee filters here.)