Prudent Prepping: When Is Good Enough 'Good Enough'?

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping. 

I went through my lunch box, GHB and sling bag the past weekend. Again.

I looked at the stored food in the house. Again.

I looked at the stack of totes containing my camping gear, fishing supplies and what I call my Bug Out Gear. Left that alone, as there's not enough time or space to lay things out and sort through even half a tote.

This made me think about something that's been rolling around in my head for a bit.

When Are Things 'Good Enough'?
I have things that have been mine for over 30 years: a very nice North Face down sleeping bag I bought from a gear rental place, when it needed patching; a second poly-fill bag that won't compact down as small, but is best in summer and fall; fishing gear that I'm certain my Grandpa gave me; a dual fuel, old-school Coleman camp stove.

Some of the newer items I have since writing here are:

• Nitecore Rechargeable Flashlight
• Anker 20100 mAh power bank
• Solo Stove and Pot
• North American Rescue CAT tourniquets 
• Hatori single AAA flashlight

... to name just a few. I paid for every single one of them from my own earnings and savings. There were sometimes a dozen different items, all very close to each other in quality or performance, and many of them were hard to choose from the selection offered on Amazon and elsewhere. What I've had to do, once I narrowed the choices, is look at what things cost. Yes I know, cost isn't the only thing that matters, but it is certainly an important part of my decisions. The name of this blog is Blue Collar Prepping for a reason.

Most of us, including myself, are working for a living at someone else's business and not our own, so when I want to add to my gear I have to balance performance and cost, which leads me to the problem of  "What is good enough for me?"

How To Decide
I've never been able to just go and buy what is out there. I read everything I can, and on more than one blog or site the commenters look down their noses at everyone who isn't running the very best and exclusive gear. In my opinion and in many cases, the difference between what I choose and the very best is a small difference in performance but a giant leap in price. Once I find things I like, one price-reducing option is buying used, like my sleeping bag -- if I had to replace it with a comparable model today, I'd need to spend over $400. I looked at some of the places that rent and what I did find were things I didn't want, because they were too worn or not worth the asking price.

This has made choosing what I buy somewhat easier as I get older, since I find that what I want in many cases are the actual brands many of the upper crust moved on from. If it was the brand/model/type that was their first choice, it certainly will be good enough for me!

I'd really like to hear for all of you what is your favorite "Good Enough" item and how you decided it fit that category in your gear!

Recap And Takeaway

• Nothing was purchased this week, and the things I wanted to test were delayed by Amazon.
• Look at your things and see if you are happy with what you have.

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Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.