So I was talking with another prepper about the value of having a bread maker for prepping. It saves energy and labor, we have plenty of solar power, the energy use is a fraction of an oven, and it cost me $20 at a thrift store. So it was a no-brainer. I have wheat berries and it would make using them easier.

He scoffed saying, "I don't understand 'backup' systems that are just as complex as what they replaced, and aimed after creature-comforts. Give me a wood cookstove and cast iron any day. All it takes is a single bad solder joint for all your gizmos and gadgets to become another piece of junk."

I asked, "Why does it have to be either/or? I’ve got both :) It's easy when the energy-saving appliances are cheap like that."

I've seen this kind of either/or thinking with a lot of preppers.

* Either you have Bitcoin OR you have gold.

* Either you have a generator OR you have solar.

* Either you do bushcraft OR you have a fully-stocked RV.

* Either you have a thrift store bread maker OR you have a wood cook stove.

The military uses PACE planning:

* Primary: The fastest, most convenient, and preferred day-to-day method (e.g., standard cellular phone, office fiber internet, or primary radio network).

* Alternate: A reliable, secondary method that is nearly as good as the primary and often monitored at the same time (e.g., encrypted messaging apps, landlines, or mobile radios).

* Contingency: A workable, less convenient fallback used when both primary and alternate systems fail (e.g., satellite phones, amateur/ham radio, or mobile hotspots).

* Emergency: The last-resort option used in a catastrophic failure when all other channels are dead (e.g., pre-arranged physical link-up location, a trusted runner, or short-range talk-around radio).

In the example of the bread maker, the Primary is baked bread from the store. The Alternate is the bread machine I found for cheap. The Contingency is our propane RV stov. And the Emergency is something crafted by hand such as a solar oven or brick stove.

I could have fired back at him, "And what are your plans if your cook stove becomes inoperable for any reason, or you have to leave it behind, or your property gets stolen?" I hope he's got a PACE plan in place, because either/or thinking can get you killed.

If you can afford multiple options, why not have multiple options? Two is one, three is for me, four is more, five will keep you alive... 😄

Can the group recommend a cheap Android Phone that has WI-FI capabilities? I would like to use this with my Starlink Mini, should the cellular towers are down.