Quote:
Originally Posted by theking
Less than 20% of Americans smoke so cigs are not really an important trade item to have.
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that's 45 million smokers...granted that in times of peace tobacco is pretty useless...but you have to imagine the total collapse of currency...prices changing 2x/day and shop owners not being able to sell at a profit because the price you put up this morning just got 20% weaker in the evening and you are not allowed to sell for hard (foreign) currency because it further devalues the local currency, war time laws against such things are strict, ect ect...
factor in no gasoline even though you produce it, if currency collapses it will not be profitable to produce, remember that there is no currency (in my example of course)...you can not make people work for free for long, it will be force produced at best, you will wait for gas on the gasoline stations for 3-4 days during the good periods...people sleeping in cars...just to have gasoline in case of emergencies...or to resell as a most valuable commodity...there will be no gasoline for supply trucks or public transport...
now you will begin to see tobacco differently...its a barter item...one of few...its not like there will be a lot to barter...trust me in such situations cigs are better than gold...you can not eat gold...cant eat tobbacco either, but its sooooooooo important to smokers in times of utter crisis you would not understand unless you smoke...it was easier to barter than gasoline or medication just to paint a clearer picture for you...I have seen gold chains go for meals i shit you not...
in any case tobacco is not ideal...you are pretty fucked no matter how you prep...
@CDSmith
it is irrelevant how peaceful your society is...human nature is human nature...the MOMENT there is no police to call you will all turn mad max on each other...
maybe it wont happen in your tight peaceful community for the first few weeks but once people get hungry and desperate you will see what I saw 2x in 2 wars...stuff will deteriorate, normal life as we know it depends on electricity, gasoline, regular supplies, clean water, safety, hope in a better future ect ect take just one away and you have chaos, take more than one away and you have mad max...
cold and hungry is a particularly bad combination...if its cold, don't be there...if you are in a cold region go where its warmer...most houses/appartments are not adapted to heating without electircity/gas/coal...or do not have a readily available supply of wood to burn...or its not practical to carry 100lb of wood to the 15th floor every day on a one egg/day diet...when the cold comes it becomes game of thrones type of stuff
with those ice walkers
...game of thrones takes me right back LOL
the really bad shit began when the winter came and the desperation really set in...im serious about the winter regardless of my joke about game of thrones...you will either be doing some serious shit to keep warm or you will be in constant fear of being raided ...canada sounds cold...maybe everybody in your community has fireplaces and woods around them and thats fine unless there is a big city near by with millions of freezing people, then this is not fine...