“...There is always a bigger fish.
“Unless they have a metal detector, nobody will know how much gold I will be carrying. And I could easily carry $100k while still looking like a common, unwashed peasant.” [beancounter13, post 50]
Quoting Star Wars film dialog cannot necessarily be distilled into sensible advice.
Bartering of precious metals for food & goods depends completely on the pre-existence of a stable social order. We dare not assume that will prevail in potential conditions of instability & fragmentation.
An armed person can easily relieve someone who is unarmed of whatever they possess - $1.00 or $100,000.00, doesn’t matter.
An unarmed person attempting to disarm and rob an armed person faces a more difficult task.
Ammunition is indeed less portable than precious metals, but that only illustrates the truism that there are no perfect solutions, only compromises.
“Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don’t.” [origin unknown]
Let’s be clear: I am not advocating for disarmament. Far from it. In fact, self defense should be the first priority for everyone.
However, beyond what is needed to provide sustenance via hunting, and escape via a roadblock, I don’t see a need in building an armory. I will follow Sam Houston’s example before I follow that set by Will Travis.