"I hate to say this, but if you look through your survival/prep gear and supplies and find that a lot of it is 'Wal-Mart' brand, you aren't doing yourself many favors," wrote James L for preparedness and survival website Plan and Prepared. "In a long-term survival situation, quality will always trump quantity," he said.
But he adds that, in certain situations, people with difficult financial situations might only be able to afford cheaper standard- or low-quality gear. "And in that case, that is better than nothing," he argued. (Related: Prepping on a budget: How to use your food supply to get through unexpected financial emergencies.)
Focusing on quality gear has its advantages. Quality gear is much more reliable. By prioritizing quality over quantity, the selection of gear you have to pack into your bug-out bag will be limited to only a few essential items. But these items are well-made and come from top-quality materials, the kind of gear you do not have to worry about damaging or breaking from extensive use.
Your preparedness budget will likely force you to make certain concessions concerning quality. But there are certain items you should never compromise on and invest the most money into. Here are three of them.
Footwear
Movement is critical for any emergency. If you are at work and a disaster strikes, or if your home is right in the middle of an SHTF situation, your ability to get out of your home and move to a safe place could easily save your life. This means you will most likely be on your feet – and you need to take care of your feet by procuring high-quality footwear.
It should go without saying that your quality footwear must be able to endure going through rough terrain. Consider water-resistant shoes, as well as those which provide good ankle support, have rubber soles and are very breathable. Hot and sweaty feet can lead to potential health concerns.
Make sure to break in your shoes before a disaster. Having to go through survival situations with blisters is going to be very uncomfortable.
Listen to this episode of the Health Ranger Report, a podcast by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he tells you about the importance of knowing whether all of your survival and prepping gear works.
Survival bag
Whether your survival bag is for bugging out or for getting you from your office to your home, this is why it must be of the highest quality that you can get. This bag will hold all of your gear, and all these items will be of no use to you if a strap or a zipper on your bag breaks.
Your high-quality survival bag must allow you to move quickly and quietly with it. Consider a bag that is tough enough to survive a full day's march.
If you already have a good quality backpack and want to test its quality out, you can try going on a hike or a camping trip. Notice how well your pack is holding up during the trip and after you return home.
Was your bag susceptible to the elements? Are there any potential parts of your bag that might tear open? Are you having difficulty opening or closing one of the zippers? Are the straps liable to snap off? If you answered yes to any of these or other questions regarding the quality of your bag, it may be time to invest in a more durable one.
Firearms
Quality is perhaps the most important measure by which firearms can be judged. Any situation involving a firearm can easily become a matter of life and death. This is why you need to purchase the best firearm for your situation, rather than just relying on a cheap knock-off.
If you need to pull the trigger on your firearm to defend yourself in disaster situations, having a high-quality gun means it is less likely to
Some of the most common firearm malfunctions, such as the failure to fire, feed, extract or eject, can all be avoidable if you have a high-quality firearm.
Having a quality gun is not enough on its own. Your shooting skill needs to be top-notch, and malfunctions can still occur if you don't know how to maintain your firearm.
When shopping for quality gear, simply looking at the price tag is not enough and sometimes, price might not even be an indicator of good quality. Do your own research, learn what questions you have to ask sellers and what problems your high-quality gear needs to solve.
Learn more about the kinds of quality gear preppers like yourself need to invest in by reading the latest articles at Gear.news.
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