I’m thinking either Bic lighters or cigarettes, just to trade
AA-batteries
I’m diabetic. I choose insulin.
I think alcohol would be useful for trading.
Not a single mention of bullets? Seriously?
In an apocalypse, ammunition will be worth more than gold.
Metro 2033 ing intensifies
Maybe in a zombie apocalypse, but what are you gonna do with bullets in a regular apocalypse?
You may be the only person you’ll ever see for years at a time. You can’t drink them, you can’t plant them, you can’t build with them.
You could probably use them on yourself if you’ve got a gun that they work in, though, especially if that’s the only one item you decided to choose for long-term survival. 😮
The bullets aren’t for the zombies…
They wouldn’t be much of an issue after a year anyway, but ammo will still be extremely valuable, especially if you’re trying to rebuild society. Gonna need something to defend yourself with against invasions from rival gangs.
Gonna need something to defend yourself with against invasions from rival gangs.
Bullets won’t protect you against an intentionally set fire to your home or base. Without laws, it won’t be gun vs gun situation.
That said, it would really depend on the type of apocalypse we’re talking about.
Massive natural disaster? Nuclear? Pandemic? “Zombies”? Global drought? A breakdown of society?
Bullets might be fine depending on the situation. You might not even survive long enough to use them.
Milk, given an unlimited supply i won’t have to worry about it spoiling. Gives a decent amount of nutrients and water and can use it to make cheese or butter eventually, And is a life without cheese and butter really worth living?
I’m lactose intolerant… but damn if you didn’t sell me on this OP
You could use the rotting milk to farm insects for protein.
And is a life without cheese and butter really worth living?
Shit you got me there, milk it is!
Toilet paper. During apocalyptic scenarios, it’s worth is apparently uncountable, so I will be able to trade it and live a life of opulence.
Got that covered … I’m still going through my excess toilet paper supply I bought during the start of the 2020 pandemic. When people started clearing the shelves of toilet paper, we panicked and bought several whole cases of the stuff. It was completely insane.
I haven’t bought toilet paper in five years.
You where the problem lol
Just use water.
You expect the guy who bought cases of toilet paper to worry about wasting it?
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to finally see the first item to disappear in every real apocalypse I’ve been through. Plus it’s man’s greatest invention. Just ahead of the Hubble space telescope.
You guys were smart to say water, first thing I thought of when I read the question though was peanut butter.
clean water
If you are going that route: Rule of 3
3 minutes without oxygen. 3 days without water. 3 weeks without food (I think it is also “3 hours without shelter” but that is a much more environmental factor and feels shoehorned in). And, depending on the apocalypse, clean air can be hard to come by.
Yeah, obviously need the first that that will kill you. We take breathable air for granted. But if you need an infinite supply of clean air, you are probably dead anyway. An infinite supply of water has many uses beyond drinking and hygine – irrigation, power, and cooling come to mind as very useful post-apocalypse.
I’ve heard it phrased “3 hours without shelter in inclement weather”.
We can clean up the entire Capital Wasteland!
Came here to say just that.
This really is it. Sure, a high water ratio soup would provide both nourishment and fluids for living, but basic clean water allows for cleaning and the ability to grow food or trade for other stuff.
Plus truly unlimited means you can start your own river to help society recover!
We’re putting Gatorade on the crops and they don’t grow. Ground is broken!
But it’s got what plants crave!
No silly that’s brawndo! Gatorade just isn’t there yet you see.
I would never have imagined I would witness this becoming our reality but it looks more and more like it.
Post-apocalyptic enough for that item not to be 7.62x51?
Lighter is a good choice, but I’m thinking toilet paper rolls for bartering.
Ok so some people are asking what type of apocalypse but I feel that’s mostly irrelevant because you said it’s a post apocalypse scenario. The apocalypse has already passed.
So there’s kind of two options. One is where I would be the sole survivor on the planet, and the other is where there’s still pockets of survivors out there.
Most post apocalypse situations involve other people surviving, so I’ll start there.
You didn’t put a limiter on what the item could be, whether it had to be realistic or not, and how this supply would come to be. So I’ll give three answers, each with different degrees of what I’m assuming your intention behind the question is.
The first would be an infinite supply of non tricky, non malevolent genie lamps. Infinite wishes baybee, this trumps pretty much everything.
Something more fantastic but more reasonably grounded would be computers, with a complete set of data on human history, art, music, science and schematics, with instructions on how to rebuild society in a more equitable way, translated into all languages possible, with a pictogram of how to charge it up etched on the outside. Pass those suckers around, rebuild society, got infinite of them, everyone gets one and it has the windows space pinball from the 90s on it just for fun.
But since you said lighters, to play with the idea of things that exist, I’m gonna go with tents. Probably those onion shaped ones that are designed to be permanent housing, or yurts. Sure water and food are important but without shelter you’re fucked, and I could house everyone.
Now if it were an apocalypse where I’m the only survivor, I would want an infinite supply of one thing.
All you big brains saying water.
My first thought was soybeans, since they’re so versatile. Or corn for the same reason. Granted, I don’t have any way to process them so I didn’t think it through.
But a food source that also provides water would be a good idea. Watermelon is too sweet to be your primary food though.
You can make pretty nice savoury dishes with watermelon.
Okay, and this is why we burn heretics
Haven’t seen that one yet. I can vouch for a watermelon feta salad, or grilled watermelon with chili flakes, though.
Potatoes are the best. Easy to grow in marginal soil, varied ways to cook them, and they store easily long term in a simple root cellar.
Add in some squash like pumpkins which have the same advantages and you should be good to go.
Ive heard if you need to survive, potato, radishes, and beans do really well.
Personally ive had more luck with radishes and beans. They grow quick in just about anything.
Food sources don’t provide water unless there is water to grow them, and if the water is contaminated that will just end up in the food.
Mainly maps, but also other informative reading materials such as natural medicine, almanacs and other foraging guides.
Condition is infinite supply of one item. You have to choose printed Wikipedia book for it to be one item.
The surface of the planet is now covered in a 30-foot-thick layer of paper. All survivors have been crushed to death.
Fresh, hot pizza from Ray’s.
Not fresh at the time of the apocalypse. Fresh at the time I seek it.
Of course that would mean I would also get a steady supply of clean water and of all the ingredients required to make the pizza. But that is simply a secondary side effect of having made my choice for the one, single thing.
For all you know it would be a drone coming to you to deliver the hot pie directly, not a delivery of all raw ingredients. Then again, you know the old saying, to make a pizza from scratch you first need to create the universe.
Water; for living
Evil Genie: “Granted.” It starts to rain. It never stops.
Like that time it rained for two million years
Ugh i remember
'Twas such a drag, ʕ ͡° ʖ̯ ͡°ʔ
“I’ve seen drier days on Ferenginar. And we have a hundred seventy-eight different words for rain. Right now it’s glebbening out there. And that’s bad.”
- Quark
Will “fully equipped cruize ship” count as one item? Then I can scavenge them for all parts required to build new civilization.
And if it is not, then question to OP, what is the limit for the composite items to stop being counted as one item?
Why cruise ship and not aircraft carrier?
I don’t know how to drive an aircraft carrier, silly
