Instead of the $1000 in benjis, why not a mix of krugerrands and high value trade goods?
Smaller denoms would be nice as mentioned above, but presumably you have the rest of your kit to barter away for smaller items like food or water that might become urgently needed and yet are available for less cost than one full unit of currency. Still, you might include several rolls of quarters and half-dollars, since they might serve as currency in a pinch and also have the back-up usefulness of metal discs.
Among high value trade goods, I'm thinking of stuff like good liquor; silk cloth; select medications like anti-malarial, anti-ulcer, aspirin, viagra, others that have a clear and demonstrable effect; bulk fishhooks; bulk flints; etc.