Most preppers, I would think, are familiar with the “two is one, one is none” principle. If you have two of an item and one breaks, now you only have one. If you only have one and it breaks, well, now you have none. This principle can lead many people to stockpile far more gear than they truly need. But, if kept in check, it works out well.
As a police officer, I carry one main (Primary) flashlight on my duty gear. Now, my backup is not the same model flashlight. That would take up far too much space and add unwanted weight to carry around. Instead, I have a secondary (Alternate) flashlight that slips into my pocket and is roughly the size of a pocketknife. It is rechargeable and puts out enough light that I can see everything I need to see. With those flashlights in mind, you can see the “two is one, one is none” principle at work. (Side note: any time I am off work and out and about, the little pocketknife sized light goes with me. I have had to use it countless times and for all sorts of reasons. For those interested, the light is a Streamlight Wedge.)
Several years ago, I came across the acronym “P.A.C.E.” This stands for Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency. This fits much better into the tiered system that I prefer.
When it comes to prepping, I find that having a several of any given item is better than having just two. That does not mean that I am carrying three or more of an item with me at all times. Instead, I have a tiered system of gear that I keep loaded in bags or vehicles that will provide several options. What I don’t have is a stockpile of one type of gear, stacked in boxes, waiting for a “what if all of my others break” situation. Instead, I have “alternate” items packed in bags or vehicles while I carry my “Primary” items on my person.
For instance, I keep the Streamlight Wedge with me almost all the time. That is my primary light. Then, I keep a flashlight in each pack I have. Those are my alternate lights. I also have flashlights in my vehicles and certain areas of my house. Those would be my contingency lights. The alternate and contingency lights are not the same quality, or price, as the Wedge. They are Coast brand and cost about $10.00 each, basic and inexpensive. After that, there are glow sticks that I can crack and have some sort of functional light.
Yes, I have several flashlights. No, they are not piled in a box on a shelf. They are all being used in some way; maybe packed in a bag, maybe stored in a vehicle. I don’t have tons of extraneous gear that just sits around. I buy what I need to fill a specific role.
This principle can be applied to just about anything. Food: food that is bought/grown and eaten regularly would be primary, frozen/canned foods to be kept for future use could be alternate, and long-term shelf life foods kept as a contingency, and food stored at a secondary location could be emergency.
This applies to clothing, firearms/self-defense items, tools, or anything else that you need for prepping. A word of advice, once you have the P.A.C.E. system covered for one area of prepping, don’t just keep adding to it. Transition to another area and then to another. It will do you no good to have 50 guns and no food, or to have 10,000 bottles of water and no seasonal clothing. Once you have everything you need to fulfil a P.A.C.E. plan for every category, then go back and add what you want, where you want it. You can even try to keep everyting leveled out by addressing the “P” in each area before you move to the “A”, then the “C”, and finally the “E”. This way, everything gets addressed on somewhat the same scale.
Be smart with your preps. Make a plan. Adjust the plan as necessary.
Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.
