If you had $100-200 to spend, what supplies/preps/gear would you buy?

[MacWa77ace]

@Moab that link i posted earlier is to a metal and gem tester kit on amazon.

[NT2C]

Is my .5 oz gold plate necklace going to be worth the same as .5 oz of 99.9 pure gold if no one can tell the difference?

So again, how can you tell the difference between a 'nugget' or 'dust' of 14 kt, 18 kt, or 99.999 pure gold? How can you measure, how can you test?

Hypothetical: I can melt down a bunch of 14kt chains and pour an ingot, weigh it and stamp its weight and 99.999 pure.

Weight bud

LOL, how much volume per gram and who can eyeball that without some sort of scales etc. We're talking humans here, not metallurgists.

So what preps are you going to need to be a successful trader in gems and metals in the PAW?

I can't really tell the difference by 'looking' at at 14kt chain  and a plate chain that both have different links and lengths. And if you weigh them, of course they will be different weights cause one has a thick link and is two inches longer than the other. Now I might know to look on the clasp for a 925 which means gold plate on sterling silver, but what percent of people know that?

I've got three different jeweler's scales that I use.  Any of them would easily fit in a pocket, indeed, one of them is intended just for that purpose (for weighing diamonds in the NYC diamond district) and includes calibration weights.

[Moab]

@Moab that link i posted earlier is to a metal and gem tester kit on amazon.

I missed that. The one I saw was an electronic pen. Looked like a circuit tester. 

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Who thought that saving silver as a store of value against inflation would be so controversial?

[MacWa77ace]

Against Inflation not so much, for use in the PAW, looks like it'll have to be sorted out after.

[NT2C]

Against Inflation not so much, for use in the PAW, looks like it'll have to be sorted out after.

Much like wearing that tie with that shirt.

[Moab]

Who thought that saving silver as a store of value against inflation would be so controversial?

The difference is prepping it simply for inflation and prepping for a PAW. I completely agree with prepping gold and silver for terribly bad inflation. As long you have a trusted institution that can set fair rates. And some form of standardized testing. In a PAW those difficulties and transport seem problematic.

But we often get into discussions about prepping. Where one person is thinking PAW and another is thinking 6 months temporary grid down. Two very different scenarios. For everything. Not just currency. 

And one person's definition or vision of each can be very different. 

[Uomo Senza Nome]

Who thought that saving silver as a store of value against inflation would be so controversial?

The difference is prepping it simply for inflation and prepping for a PAW. I completely agree with prepping gold and silver for terribly bad inflation. As long you have a trusted institution that can set fair rates. And some form of standardized testing. In a PAW those difficulties and transport seem problematic.

But we often get into discussions about prepping. Where one person is thinking PAW and another is thinking 6 months temporary grid down. Two very different scenarios. For everything. Not just currency.

And one person's definition or vision of each can be very different.

OP:

I was trying to have a conversation that might include some different perspectives on how we--we, not I--prioritize our needs and wants.

I mostly prepare for the most likely events rather than the most dangerous. The most dangerous would be global nuclear war. There will be few survivors of that around the states. But hyperinflation and shortages? A lot of people think that is unthinkable but it has happened here before.

[Moab]

Who thought that saving silver as a store of value against inflation would be so controversial?

The difference is prepping it simply for inflation and prepping for a PAW. I completely agree with prepping gold and silver for terribly bad inflation. As long you have a trusted institution that can set fair rates. And some form of standardized testing. In a PAW those difficulties and transport seem problematic.

But we often get into discussions about prepping. Where one person is thinking PAW and another is thinking 6 months temporary grid down. Two very different scenarios. For everything. Not just currency.

And one person's definition or vision of each can be very different.

OP:

I was trying to have a conversation that might include some different perspectives on how we--we, not I--prioritize our needs and wants.

I mostly prepare for the most likely events rather than the most dangerous. The most dangerous would be global nuclear war. There will be few survivors of that around the states. But hyperinflation and shortages? A lot of people think that is unthinkable but it has happened here before.

Agreed. It also depends a GREAT deal on your AO. I live next to LAX. I can think of a laundry list of manmade and natural disasters that could befall me. I can't possibly prepare for them all. 

But I think there is a much higher likelihood of the aftermath - including most of the dangers I mention above. The citizenry of LA is very different than say Omaha. (Although I know jack sh*t about Omaha.)But you get my point. If things are going to devolve into chaos. It's going to be here. 

But I also don't think its going to take long for all the major cities to fan out across most of America. Most of LA would probably flee as far as there gas could take them. At least into smaller towns or more out of the way areas with basic resources. And a relative amount of safety. Meaning slightly safer than the major cities. 

[MacWa77ace]

I'm looking at 3 main types based on my AO. YMMV by AO. If I plan for these then I should be good for every type in between these if we can survive the initial cause.

Hurricanes. A direct hit cat 4 and above and that's at least 1-2 weeks with no power. And everything that goes with no power for that time period in the affected region.

Nuclear power plant disaster, I'm 60 miles from one. Prevailing winds and distance are a plus for any radiation but evacuations and refugees and infra structure will be chaos for a while.

A 6 month or less Grid Down like @Moab is mentioning, there's a long list of causes for this, natural, govt, human. But if its effect is a grid down for only 6 months, and just in my country, I'd expect total chaos after 3 weeks. Probably some govt tyranny including but not limited to, overreach locally, state and fed, definitely shortages and life threatening and altering situations. Possible recovery in a year after the grid comes back up with a lot less population . World wide grid down for less than 6 months and recovery would be in the decades with dire consequences. More than 6 months 

[Moab]

I was watching an interview yesterday with a well respected Navy Seal. I forget his name. He has a fairly famous podcast. He lives in Montana. He was asked about what would happen in a shtf or paw. He made a comment about "you're about 9 meals away from everything breaking down". Meaning in three days the foods going to run out.

He's a pretty laid back guy. And does not prep much. But he does have an acute knowledge of societal breakdown, considering all the places he's worked. 


https://youtu.be/sS7MrapVjnc?si=RBgKgHtfQV-zjk_V