Dual Systems

[Scythe13]

This is a continuation of the thread about weight decreasing with knowledge gains. But it's also an important, informative bit of text. If you're ready, and with your assumed permission, I'll continue...

There are frequently debated and ideas placed around about one item or another, but they are frequently blindsided by the notion that by accepting one system or idea you do so at the expense of another. For example, a person might like to enhance their night vision by not using a torch. This is perfectly acceptable. I'm partial to similar myself. But the assumption is that the person hoping to enhance their night vision does not have a torch. Here's another example that I did yesterday; I wanted to meet my wife at a restaurant so I set a time for when she finished work and I met her there. I want to enhance my fitness, so I ran 3 miles to the restaurant. Okay, we all know I have a car, but I opted to run to the restaurant. If I couldn't cope with the run or something happened, I could have just called my wife and she would pick me up. It's 3 miles and very little should go wrong. If I decide to run to the restaurant, it does not mean I will never drive my car, or that I am against other people driving cars (although there are plenty of people that should not be driving at all haha). Because I run to a restaurant does not mean I am against cars. So, with the guy hoping to enhance his night vision by not using a torch, the same should apply, right? Just because he chooses a different route, does not mean he is against torches. It certainly does not mean he does not own a torch either.

Okay, so what's the point of this post?

The point is that as survivalist/preppers, we are allowed to work on multiple systems at the same time.

Take old fashioned bushcraft skills vs modern materials. Just because a person likes to know the skills of survival without modern materials, it certainly does not mean they are against using modern equipment. For me, learning the bushcraft skills has given me greater appreciation for the modern materials available.

For example, my knife (got a new beast of a knife yesterday...very happy me!!!). I can go into the woods and survive with all my modern equipment, tent and the alike. But I am very pleased I have a big ass knife or 3 to work with. They make like much easier! I could cope without them, but it would take me much longer to make a sharp blade from flint or bone, than it would to just pop the retention strap and pull out a knife. See how this works?

Even though a person may have the ability to do a certain thing, it certainly does not mean they opt against doing it an easier way. Maybe they just want a practice, because bushcraft skills are perishable.

The same is true of prepping. If you have a load of plants ready to grow and tinned food, it does not mean you should overlook the potential bounty of the wild. Growing food is good and makes like pretty simple, but if you took those plants away, do you have a back up system than you can run with?

In our garden we're looking at a greenhouse project, but we're also looking at aquaponics, raised beds in the garden, as well as tinned food, foraging, hunting and trapping too. If we were to lose any one part of our food system, we are running dual systems parallel to that, so that we are able to cope much more easily with any system loss or malfunction.

Think about your energy system. Highlander is the perfect example of running dual systems. Firstly he has solar panels on his roof. Pretty good thinking there mate. But if they fail...not a problem, he has a backup wind turbine. But if the wind isn't blowing, no doubt he's already thought about rigging a bike and chain system up to the wind mill to be able to power it with sweat equity. But we'll go a few steps further in our assumptions and the benefits of dual systems...I would put money that HL has a generator or 2, and a stock of fuel, as well as that I reckon he would be able to cope without the luxury of electricity because of other systems and functional items (think log burner for heat, candles for light, etc), and because of knowledge if all the aforementioned items failed, he would have sufficient knowledge and practice in making life relatively comfortable.

What about defence systems? Many of us have defence via deterrent, like motion sensitive lights, an alarm, locks on the doors, an NRA member sticker in the porch, then add to that a gun or 2, machete, knifes and swords, etc. Multiple levels of system incase one does not work.

What about when you bug out? Do you have multiple systems?

I'm sure MikeA won't mind me saying, he uses multiple systems for bugging out. If his primary BOV doesn't work, he'll deploy a secondary BOV, if that doesn't work, he's fit enough to carry his gear as far as needs be. Multiple systems.

What about when you get to your bug out location? Do you have multiple systems in place for food, water, shelter, fire, etc? Caches count as a system, but what about if they're compromised, do you have back up caches, and systems?

This is true of when you go small scale too. Water purification, how many systems do you have? How many ways to boil water? How many ways to cook? How many ways to stay warm? How many ways to start a fire? If your main system fails on you, do you have sufficient other systems, and practice of those systems, to survive?

What do I mean about system practice? We'll go back to HL's energy example again. Let's say he rigs up a bike to cycle and power his windmill. If HL was super unfit and was not used to being on a bike saddle for long, he'd not be able to count that rigging as a usable system for himself. Thankfully HL's job and 3 dogs keeps him fit so that he would be able to do the cycling needed to pump some power into his batteries. But the point is still there, practice with a system is just as important as having the idea or knowing 'what to do'. The practical is VERY different from theory.

Do you have enough practice with your back up systems?

So, the point of this thread is to let you know that if you are working on a system, do not do so at the expense of another system. Also, if you have a plan, function, tool, etc, make sure you have a secondary system in place to compensate, should your primary system fail.