Clothes for TEOTWAWKI

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Morgan101

Morgan101

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Does anybody save clothes for barter, or as part of your long term preps? My diet has finally started paying dividends, and my clothes are looser. I haven't moved down a size, but I am getting close. I have always thought that in a real apocalyptic scenario between a limited food supply and a huge increase in physical labor you could lose a significant amount of weight, even if you were thin to start. I have also thought that clothing would be a very good barter item it things ever got that bad.

I have kept old clothes that I hoped I could get back into some day, so I feel moderately prepared. I don't know how much I have if there is a significant weight loss in the future. Is this part of your preps?
 
Morgan101 said:
Does anybody save clothes for barter, or as part of your long term preps? My diet has finally started paying dividends, and my clothes are looser. I haven't moved down a size, but I am getting close. I have always thought that in a real apocalyptic scenario between a limited food supply and a huge increase in physical labor you could lose a significant amount of weight, even if you were thin to start. I have also thought that clothing would be a very good barter item it things ever got that bad.

I have kept old clothes that I hoped I could get back into some day, so I feel moderately prepared. I don't know how much I have if there is a significant weight loss in the future. Is this part of your preps?
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We wear our clothes out. I worked hard at decreasing needed closet space by eliminating about 2/3 of my wardrobe (mostly dressier clothes that I seldom wore.) Then last year happened and I was getting pretty low on jeans and stores closed. I now keep a box in the closet of extras for Hubby and myself. I have enough fabric on hand that we wouldn't go 'necked' but never thought they would or could close down all businesses and deem clothes as "nonessential." So to finally answer your question, no I don't keep any for bartering. Most people have so many clothes that they could improvise with belts or a few stitches etc.
 
I go through changes in what I keep and when I purge. It depends on my life, if I am busy, overwhelmed by other activities. More than a decade ago I cleaned out my closet and donated 7 trash bags of clothing. I did a closet clean out when I retired because I no longer needed 30+ dresses. I did keep some for funerals and church. I do have a stash of paint clothes that were formerly clothing that I wore out and around.

And then there is the clothing that we outgrow and actually need to lose weight to fit again. Guilty.

Some clothing has been saved for quilting--special t-shirts, a bunch of cotton capri's made of sheeting, jeans.

I have to keep purging or I will look like a hoarder. Maybe to some, I already do.
 
I wear out my bib overalls until they are thread bare. The Princess says I am a trend setter. I only start a new pair when i retire a set. The Princess has a tote full of bibs that are brand new and waiting their turn.

She also has clothing in the attic stashed for when people may need clothing or barter.

So yes she caches clothes.

Ben
 
Can I split hairs here? "Hoarder" IMHO is a recent term probably coined from the TV show. I had an SIL who was a true hoarder, and it was a nightmare when she passed away. JMHO there are degrees of hoarding. The people they have on TV are world class hoarders. I would even go so far as to call it an obsession.

Most of us probably remember the term "savers" and "pitchers". There were people who saved things, and people who pitched things. We probably fit into one of those categories. We all keep things that other people would consider silly, but it is important to us. Others can't stand the clutter, and pitch anything that doesn't get used. Saving some things for barter situations or for charity is good as long as you have the room, and it doesn't interfere with everyday life.
 
Loose, baggy, outsized clothes are an asset during extreme SHTF situations... especially if you have a well-stocked pantry and the “Walmartians” do not. Let everyone think, by looking at you, that you are just as unprepared and bad off as they are. 🤔
 
Grizzleyette___Adams said:
Loose, baggy, outsized clothes are an asset during extreme SHTF situations... especially if you have a well-stocked pantry and the “Walmartians” do not. Let everyone think, by looking at you, that you are just as unprepared and bad off as they are. 🤔
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I still smile when thinking about when we were looking at the property we are remodeling and the real estate agent whispering to me "You know a bank will never right a mortgage for this property?" and replying, "That is OK we will be paying cash.". ;)

Same thing with the house and the vehicles. If a thief is scoping out the neighborhood They will go for Karen's place and regarding the vehicles, I want them to think they will get dirty if they stole the truck.

Ben
 
Bacpacker said:
I keep my old jeans and comfy shirts. They become work clothes around the house. Socks is about all I toss, until wife makes me throw out my holey t shirts. 🤣
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Me too. I tell her that if you can't toss a 50-cent piece thru the hole, they ain't done yet.
I wear jeans and a t-shirt every day (except to a funeral :rolleyes:).
I have enough t-shirts to make 10 years on. Jeans, probably 5 years.
 
Supervisor42 said:
Me too. I tell her that if you can't toss a 50-cent piece thru the hole, they ain't done yet.
I wear jeans and a t-shirt every day (except to a funeral :rolleyes:).
I have enough t-shirts to make 10 years on. Jeans, probably 5 years.
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Jeans and t shirts don't get comfortable till they are worn down some. A few hole, just breathes better.
 
Jay said:
Barter items are always good if times get bad. There is a great difference between good items for barter, and what TV calls hording, which in my opinion is just being nasty for the sake of TV ratings.
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I do have barter items... and they ain't clothes.
A brand-new pair of name-brand jeans with the tags still on them, probably get you about $2 at a yard sale here.
Boxes of .308 and 9mm ammo? Think that will trade if SHTF? :eyeballs:
I think I'll have better luck with that than trying to barter with my 10 year old t-shirts.:rolleyes:
 
Supervisor42 said:
I do have barter items... and they ain't clothes.
A brand-new pair of name-brand jeans with the tags still on them, probably get you about $2 at a yard sale here.
Boxes of .308 and 9mm ammo? Think that will trade if SHTF? :eyeballs:
I think I'll have better luck with that than trying to barter with my 10 year old t-shirts.:rolleyes:
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Same here but there was that boating accident...

Ben
 
I think even in an eotw situation there will be clothing available. There are millions of pounds of old clothes that are getting harder and harder to dispose of and most of it end up in landfills.
Things we currently have are not going to just magically disappear. There will be items that are hard to come by but clothes should be found easily.
Most of us have enough stuff in our closets and drawers to last a lifetime.
 
backlash said:
I think even in an eotw situation there will be clothing available. There are millions of pounds of old clothes that are getting harder and harder to dispose of and most of it end up in landfills.
Things we currently have are not going to just magically disappear. There will be items that are hard to come by but clothes should be found easily.
Most of us have enough stuff in our closets and drawers to last a lifetime.
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Agreed for end of the world but...

In 2010 we had a wake for my recently departed father. Snowmagedon came in during the wake and all roads were inpassable as the wake shutdown. My son and his family couldn't make it back to their place so they stayed with us as 4 feet of snow piled up and the power went out for 4 days. The township only got the acess roads cleared on day 4 but the neighborhood streets were still days away.

My son is a big guy but The Princess was able to produce extra clothing so that he was able to layer up to wait out the snow. Grant you the red and black plaid sweat pants were hardly fashionable but hey kept him warm along with boots.

There situations where having something on hand is worth the effort to store them.

Ben
 
Jeans can be patched so you can't even see the patch - at least when I do it. T shirts are for cleaning glasses and guns. Socks are for stuffing and shirts are for wadding in muzzle loaders.
 
backlash said:
I think even in an eotw situation there will be clothing available. There are millions of pounds of old clothes that are getting harder and harder to dispose of and most of it end up in landfills.
Things we currently have are not going to just magically disappear. There will be items that are hard to come by but clothes should be found easily.
Most of us have enough stuff in our closets and drawers to last a lifetime.
Click to expand...

In many cases I would agree with you. But some folks aren't average size. My wife for example, 4'10', shoe size 3. Myself 6'4" shoe size 14 and I am long waisted. We both have hard enough time finding clothes that fit when stores are fully stocked. We might could take up some stuff for the wife, but I know I won't be able to find anything. Not planning to
 
I don't throw much clothing away until it's shot. Holey socks become shop rags. They also have another valuable use that recent experience has brought to light - slice them open so they will lay out flat in a single layer, and they become reusable butt wipers.

(I learned this out on the railroad. We don't always have restroom facilities available to us. The tried and true method of cleaning yourself when you have to "go" behind a tree is to cut the ribbed elastic part off your socks, and slice it longwise so it's a flat single ply. Then proceed as usual, and bury them when you're done...)
 
Spikedriver said:
I don't throw much clothing away until it's shot. Holey socks become shop rags. They also have another valuable use that recent experience has brought to light - slice them open so they will lay out flat in a single layer, and they become reusable butt wipers.

(I learned this out on the railroad. We don't always have restroom facilities available to us. The tried and true method of cleaning yourself when you have to "go" behind a tree is to cut the ribbed elastic part off your socks, and slice it longwise so it's a flat single ply. Then proceed as usual, and bury them when you're done...)
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I was with you until the bury them part.

Anyone that loves the earth would put them in a zip lock bag and take them back to the hotel and wash them out in the sink.

Q
Can ylu get clorox through TSA these days?


🌳;)

Ben
 
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