How about developing a wider range of alternate "currencies?"

[SpeedPhreak]

Honey-money

lol

yea - mead is good.

[Insurgent]

And likely to skyrocket in price because of the massive bee de-population that's been happening lately!

[Dave Ridley]

I hadn't thought of honey as a potential currency. 

It has a limited shelf life crystalizes however, correct?  Is there a way to store it so it doesnt crystalize?

[SpeedPhreak]

I don't know about the crystalization Dada - but honey can't really go bad either.  Pots of honey that are perfectly fine have been found in egyptian tombs (over 3000 yrs old).

If it does crystalize - I believe you can reconstitute it by gently heating it in a double boiler.

[error]

Comestibles as currency seems like something that would be short-term only. I'm not sure I'd bet on it.

[Bald Eagle]

Other items of high value would be iodine, perhaps packaged in "to treat X gallons of water" ampuoles, potassium salts, nitrates, pure vitamins, and other top-of-the-industrialized-nation pyramid.  Rifle brass, powder, primers, bullets.  Specialized metal alloys.

I'd be into accepting tech-grade and above chemicals stored in sealed containers.  It's nice to have pre-formulated chemical products, but WTSHTF, I want the constituent chemical components so I can decide what product I want to make as the need arises rather than have to store a zillion bottles of ACME X, Y and Z.  Things like lye, pure soap sans Alex Jones, SDS, concentrated acids, pH indicators, dessicants, dichromate salts, etc. 

I'd really like to set up an old-school Chemist's shop with while-you-wait compounding services for the majority of products people would want.  SO much money is wasted buying that stuff for retail prices when it costs the company 2 cents to manufacture it.

Medications, antibiotics, medical supplies, tools and electronic equipment. 

Wire.  Nails and other hardware.  Whiskey tobacco and chocolate, yes, but purified ethanol above all.  Batteries. 

Storage space.

[Dave Ridley]

hmmm interesting bald...

[Raineyrocks]

Other items of high value would be iodine, perhaps packaged in "to treat X gallons of water" ampuoles, potassium salts, nitrates, pure vitamins, and other top-of-the-industrialized-nation pyramid.  Rifle brass, powder, primers, bullets.  Specialized metal alloys.

I'd be into accepting tech-grade and above chemicals stored in sealed containers.  It's nice to have pre-formulated chemical products, but WTSHTF, I want the constituent chemical components so I can decide what product I want to make as the need arises rather than have to store a zillion bottles of ACME X, Y and Z.  Things like lye, pure soap sans Alex Jones, SDS, concentrated acids, pH indicators, dessicants, dichromate salts, etc. 

I'd really like to set up an old-school Chemist's shop with while-you-wait compounding services for the majority of products people would want.  SO much money is wasted buying that stuff for retail prices when it costs the company 2 cents to manufacture it.

Medications, antibiotics, medical supplies, tools and electronic equipment. 

Wire.  Nails and other hardware.  Whiskey tobacco and chocolate, yes, but purified ethanol above all.  Batteries. 

Storage space.

Now that's what I would want some whiskey, (I would like some bud as a chaser but oh well), tobacco and chocolate!
I don't get manicures so I don't need the nails.    

[David]

Practical stuff that will always necessary is very useful for barter in a shtf scenario.  Bald Eagle hit on some of them. 

Cigarettes were the preferred barter item in post war germany.  A pack could be broken down into smaller units, and they remained somewhat valuable no matter what happened.  It is true they get old, but if they start losing value they will be smoke off rather than traded. 
A generator and lots of fuel will probably be more useful than salt for preservation of food to power refrigerator.  And with canning and dry foods, (both can be done at home) in a disaster we may not need refrigeration.  I have a power inverter for my car.  It is not very powerful, but can charge up my cell with a normal cord, and run other power equipment. 

[Dave Ridley]

>> I have a power inverter for my car. >>

those are wonderful even in normal times.   
in hard times a single inverter converts your vehicle into a generator.   i got one from radio shack in 2002 that works great still

[cxxguy]

I would be cautious about using cigarettes as currency in this day and age.  The problem is that the number of people who have a need for cigarettes is dropping.  Also, there is the brand issue.  It is not like pot (or like cigarettes once were), where there are only a few types and people will smoke what you have.  Now, smokers are very particular about what they smoke.

I used to know a buttlegger (one who engages in arbitrage of low tax cigarettes), and he would generally buy about 300 cartons of 20 brands to keep his customers happy, and still had a hard time proportioning his purchases in order to run out of everything at the same time, and make another trip.

Of course, if it's a teotwawki situation, smokers (myself included) will smoke what they can get and thank you for it. 

BTW, my father tells me that they used to grow tobacco in Connecticut, which surprised me.  I thought Connecticut was too far north.  If they can do it, we can do it!

[Lloyd Danforth]

They still grow tobacco in CT and further north into Mass.  All of it is cigar tobacco and most of that is cigar wrapper.

[KBCraig]

The cigars I've enjoyed most all have Connecticut shade-grown wrappers.