The role of metals in preparedness

[Z00]

I feel that this will be a pivotable year for many things and have increased my preparedness activities accordingly. TPTB will probably manage to hold things together til the election, after that all bets are off.

I have been asked in other forums about the best approach. This is my take:


Many people seem to have the wrong take on the role of metals during a
SHTF situation.
The PRIMARY function will be wealth/asset preservation. People will start out
with trade/barter with their local circle. The focus will be on immediate survival.

Defending yourselves and property and feeding yourselves will be paramount.
The role of metals will resurface once the need arises to travel outside the local
circle to acquire goods that are needed and can't be supplied locally in an easy
manner. It will not be feasible to carry large bulky items to trade with. That is
what made "money" necessary in the first place and will do it again.
Who knows what the value of that money will be? I sure don't. Unless there is a
complete meltdown in national communications, there will likely be some
"national" entity informing us of what the general value of things is. Other than
that it comes down to the "price" decided between a willing buyer and a willing
seller.

My feeling is that I will be much better off with a supply of these metals than a
person without them.
I feel that the "Beans/Bullets/BandAids" crowd that keeps saying that you can't
eat metals will wish they had some when something runs out. Of course they
also say that if you run out of something that it was poor planning on your part.
I wish I was as all knowing of the needs of the future as they are.

Now, What is the proper approach to metals accumulation?
It depends on where you are in the total scheme of preparedness.
The first priority is ALWAYS food, then supplies, followed by
defense/G.O.O.D. preps. Then metals.

1st get your lifestyle adjusted to a more "minimalist" living. Cut out all the fluff
and things you buy just because "you feel like it" or "I can so why deny myself"
and look at the disposable income you have left. Allocate it as follows:

% of prep allowance:

New prepper just getting started:
30% food, 30% supples, 30% defense, 10% metals
Goal 1 year food & supplies stock. basic defense.
(You can build this with everyday shopping items. See Grandpappy's list)
http://www.grandpappy.info/hfood1yr

Prepper well on the way. Has year supply of food.
25% food, 25% supplies, 25% defense,25% metals.
Goal: Increase stocks to 2 year level.
(At this time you start looking at long term FD and DH foods.)

Well established prepper. Has 2 yr food and supplies, good defense cache.
30% food/supplies, 10% comfort foods, 30% defense, 30% metals.
Goal: 3 yr food/supples. Beef up defense.

Ready to go prepper. Has 3 year stock of food/supplies. Good level of
defense.
25% maintain food/supplies, 25% maintaining defense, 50% metals
(Defense means more than guns and ammo. It also means monitoring your
environment.)
Goal: Maintaining readiness level. Increasing asset preservation.

That is my plan and I'm sticking to it.

[Nickelless]

Great post, Zoo.

[Mossy]

We used to go 'round and 'round on this over at alt.survivalism, back before I lost the ISP that carried usenet.

My belief? Diversify. Exactly as Zoo is saying. I'm not so up on percentages, but ideal is probably 2 year's worth of staples, plus a garden (size dependent on weather and soil), plus access to fish (pond, barrel, river, no matter), plus basic transportation for local, plus... well, that depends on you, your situation, your location, etc. Go with what keeps you alive to start, then start working on storable wealth, like PMs.

[justoneguy]

I've gotta go with the 5 G's also
God, Garden, groceries, guns, and gold.
but i'm too cheap for gold so it's just a 'lil silver