Converting paper assets to gold before hyper inflation sucks the life out of the USD is something that is done so that when the economy returns to normal, one can buy back in and use the gold to purchase whatever is being used as the new USD. It is a protection of your assets....not for buying food and water. That is a whole other topic.
You be surprised how many FReepers have written me with a attitude that their gold will see them through. They just can not comprehend a scenario where their gold won’t get them what ever they need or want.
Bingo. Gold is only useful when someone else has something worth trading and is willing to do so.
When the US invasion of Japan was looming (before averted via nukes), citizens began hoarding gold in the theory they could buy anything with it. When the time came to buy what they needed, there was nothing to buy. Insofar as there was anything, however little, to buy there was far too much gold vying for it - rendering gold near valueless.
Bears repeating. Gold is for storing and maintaining wealth for when any perceived SHTF crisis is over. If any precious metal is to be accepted for trading during a SHTF scenario, it will likely be junk silver coins, because of the smaller denomination value and verifiability of authenticity.