Jet airplanes have two backup systems for flight controls and major systems. Most vehicles have a spare tire. People who are away from home a lot usually keep a power bank handy for their electronic devices. Redundancy is part of our lives for safety as well as convenience, and it should also be incorporated into your survival planning efforts as well. However, redundancy doesn’t mean that you need two of everything. Take a look at the following suggestions to help you to beef up your stockpile and keep you up and running if some of your items go on the fritz.
Power
It is imperative that you have alternative sources of power available in case you lose your first option. This could be in the form of a backup generator, solar or wind charging unit or extra batteries. You never want to be in a position where you don’t have the ability to stay minimally connected to your own personal grid. On the other hand, you should also consider adapting to an analog lifestyle in order to minimize reliance on power for as many tasks as possible as well.
Equipment
Try to move away from reliance on sensitive, digitally-controlled, devices whenever possible. You should always have analog backups for everything from radios to flashlights or tools and appliances. There are many old washing machines, lawn mowers and even crank-powered radios out there that can be used without the need to rely on circuit boards and motors that may fry out and need replacement in the future. Try to have backup options in place that need little more than some basic tools to maintain or repair in case obtaining replacement electronic items may be very difficult if the SHTF.
Tools
Try to maintain a supply of hand tools that will decrease your reliance on all of the powered alternatives out there. All it takes is a short or a faulty switch to render power tools useless, and hand tools are just as cheap and abundant. You should also practice using hand tools in order to get used to how they feel and what kind of effort you will need to exert while performing odd jobs around the house.
Parts
Focus on getting spare parts for equipment that you have as well as things that commonly break. Switches, wires, cables, belts, blades and pipes are a few examples. Take an inventory, think of repair jobs you did in the past that forced you to run out to the hardware store because you needed some odd item, and plan ahead. You don’t need to turn into a garbage collector or hoarder, but try and keep some extra items on hand so that you don’t get stuck when things break down and you need to make repairs.
You can apply principles of redundancy to bugging out as well, but obviously space will be at a premium in those kinds of situations. However, doubling up on some basic supplies will dramatically expand your options when you are already working with limited resources. Take some time to think about how you can compliment your current supply and storage efforts, and give yourself backup options whenever they are feasible and practical.
