2 is 1 and 1 is 0

[Etherealicer]

This is an often cited rule.
Never quite liked/understood that rule. I mean intellectually I understand that if you have to fight for your survival, having a backup to your tools is great. There is also the Smatchet, which had a sharp (for cutting/fighting) and a crude edge (for hacking, digging...). But quite frankly, I'm not fighting for survival, I'm not a soldier in a trench and there is really no chance that either will come up in the foreseeable future. Should I, despite that, have to rely on my knife for survival, I simply would not use it to baton .

Quite frankly, I have never broken a tool unless I was testing its limitations (exceptions are bits of course, but they are meant to break). But if this happened, I still would not carry redundancy, I would change the tool.
Not really a tool but analog idea: My bike-light (halogen bulb) died on me twice within a relatively short time-span. So instead of carrying a backup light I simply changed the light to an LED light, no problems since.
Overall, I think the drawbacks (extra bulk, extra weight) outweigh the benefits of having redundancy.
But I'm one guy, working in an office in a small town of a safe country.

Anyone subscribing to this philosophy of 1 == 0 and 2 == 1?
Care to share your thought on this?
Care to share your stories where your backup saved the day?

P.S.: while I don't carry redundancy, I certainly have stashed tools everywhere (there are 2 knives on my desk at the office and a drawer full of tools, there is a SAK in my nightstand etc...)

[ezdog]

I work often in places that are pretty dark and have no light of their own at all.
Places like Attics and Crawl Spaces and vacant huge buildings or Sports Complexes or Sports Bars and Warehouses.

I have a tough time seeing well enough to function if there is light sometimes ut in the dark I am just screwed.

It is easy to imagine getting into a situation where my light source dies for whatever reason and I can not continue or even get out of where I am unless I have comsidered in advance that the possibility is real for this and can bring a second light to use.

In this very common and I think easy to imagine situation 1 has quickly become none!

Not too complicated and the reason that I always have 6 lights with me as a minimum if I am wearing pants.

OK and I like lights obviously too but clearly they are a tool and I need to be able to count on having light no matter the costs.

[Aloha]

It is only recently that I heard the 1 is none and 2 is one saying.  When I say recently its only been since coming online to look at ( EDC ) tools.  That being said I don't bring a back up per se.  When we hike I bring one fixed blade tho I do bring a SAK as well.  Longer hikes I will bring a handheld flashlight and headlamp.  Now I don't see this as a back up per se  .

I can see how the notion of 1 is none and 2 is one makes sense for many. 

[hiraethus]

It's a succinct phrase that sounds good but in practice makes little sense.  Properly assessing the risks - severity, frequency and detection/prevention of failures - will show you exactly what's needed (if anything) as a back up.

[Nix]

I'm a fan of backup.

Matches and Zippo.

Multitool and SAK.

Head lamp and pocket light.

Compass and a wrist compass.

GPS and map.

Extra batteries and extra, extra batteries.

Shoe laces in the boots and extra cord suitable for laces in a pocket or pack.

If you feel confident relying on one piece of gear because you know it will never break, fail, run out of electrons, or be lost, that is awesome.    Me, I tend to subscribe to the one is none, two is at least one, most of the time, philosophy.

To your question.....I did have one instance where I managed to get a zippo soaked through and ended up using matches to get a fire going. If I had kept my zippo better protected, this might not have been an issue.  But...I had matches as back-up.

When I go fishing, I carry one fishing rod. I was on a trip where my rod got broken in a fall down a small embankment. Trip over. If I had had a backup rod in the truck....... 

[Nix]

Do you carry a spare tire on your bike or car? 

Spare plug?  Spare gas/petrol?

[SteveC]

Do you carry a spare tire on your bike or car? 

Spare plug?  Spare gas/petrol?

I just tow a spare car   

[Nix]

When I've gone exploring some remote areas, with a buddy, I've taken an extra truck or jeep, too.   

[Etherealicer]

Do you carry a spare tire on your bike or car? 

Spare plug?  Spare gas/petrol?

No, I keep my bike in tiptop shape... replace the tube and the brake-cables every 2 years the tires every year (I ride about 100km/week). I also service my gearbox in regular intervals. There were some screws that had a tendency to come loose, so I loctited* them.
Result: Except for the broken light, no unscheduled repair in the past years
Fun fact, I wear glasses for 34 years now. Never needed eye-glass screwdriver for them on the go.
I think it is all about maintenance. Keep your stuff well maintained and it has a far lower chance of breaking down.

*If that is not a verb then it should be a verb!

[Etherealicer]

I work often in places that are pretty dark and have no light of their own at all.
Places like Attics and Crawl Spaces and vacant huge buildings or Sports Complexes or Sports Bars and Warehouses.

I have a tough time seeing well enough to function if there is light sometimes ut in the dark I am just screwed.

It is easy to imagine getting into a situation where my light source dies for whatever reason and I can not continue or even get out of where I am unless I have comsidered in advance that the possibility is real for this and can bring a second light to use.

In this very common and I think easy to imagine situation 1 has quickly become none!

Not too complicated and the reason that I always have 6 lights with me as a minimum if I am wearing pants.

OK and I like lights obviously too but clearly they are a tool and I need to be able to count on having light no matter the costs.

I too like lights... but in this case the smarsmurfch and the smartphone are more than adequate back-up without being redundant. Of course with flashlights the problem is battery, so if I were in your shoes I would get a flashlight that tells me how much charge is left... Wait, I think I need a new flashlight
Not a critique, just a different viewpoint. But to me, more than 1 flashlight only means I would have to track battery-status of more than 1 flashlight. Which results in more maintenance and most likely little to no benefit.

[Etherealicer]

It's a succinct phrase that sounds good but in practice makes little sense.  Properly assessing the risks - severity, frequency and detection/prevention of failures - will show you exactly what's needed (if anything) as a back up.

Totally this... plus maintain your gear properly.

[Etherealicer]

When I've gone exploring some remote areas, with a buddy, I've taken an extra truck or jeep, too.   

I recommend bringing a tank on the trailer of your "truck"

[lister]

I carry two of every consumable edc. Light, lighter and pen. Though all are quite small... 

[Nix]

I recommend bringing a tank on the trailer of your "truck"

Well, back in the old job we used to do that, too.

[Top-Gear-24]

No, I keep my bike in tiptop shape... replace the tube and the brake-cables every 2 years the tires every year (I ride about 100km/week). I also service my gearbox in regular intervals. There were some screws that had a tendency to come loose, so I loctited* them.
Result: Except for the broken light, no unscheduled repair in the past years
Fun fact, I wear glasses for 34 years now. Never needed eye-glass screwdriver for them on the go.
I think it is all about maintenance. Keep your stuff well maintained and it has a far lower chance of breaking down.

*If that is not a verb then it should be a verb!

I agree about the maintenance part, but sadly enough good maintenance won't stop a nail from penetrating your bike tyre...

When I go for a ride with the bike (be it with the mountainbike or the gravel/cyclocross bike), I always take a spare inner-tyre and a seatclamp (or how do you call that thingy to lock/unlock the tube holding the saddle?).

The inner-tyre because I've had a flat more than once in the past (probably because 75% of my rides are off-road), and I once had my seatclamp break while I was re-adjusting my saddle height after having lowered it for a very technical downhill section.

My bad for over-thightening it, but still, it happened, so the trip was over, and trying to get home with the saddle on its lowest and moving from left to right was a nightmare...

And for hiking my "rules" are surprisingly identical to the ones Nix summed up, except for the extra jeep or truck one, never done that...

[ezdog]

I too like lights... but in this case the smarsmurfch and the smartphone are more than adequate back-up without being redundant. Of course with flashlights the problem is battery, so if I were in your shoes I would get a flashlight that tells me how much charge is left... Wait, I think I need a new flashlight
Not a critique, just a different viewpoint. But to me, more than 1 flashlight only means I would have to track battery-status of more than 1 flashlight. Which results in more maintenance and most likely little to no benefit.


Thats an amusing notion but trust me the phone is not an adequate light manyplaces that I go?

Its not too tough to carry more light?

Can you really not understand that 1 is 0 in that case?

(Image removed from quote.)


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[Etherealicer]

I agree about the maintenance part, but sadly enough good maintenance won't stop a nail from penetrating your bike tyre...

Maybe I'm lucky, maybe it is the puncture proof tires I buy... never had that happen to me.

[Top-Gear-24]

Maybe I'm lucky, maybe it is the puncture proof tires I buy... never had that happen to me.

Maybe Switzerland is just "cleaner" than Belgium .

I only had a flat 3 or 4 times in 24 years, but my oldest son had a one on his first trip with his new cyclocross bike last year.

For my mountainbike I buy Michelin inner tubes with that green slime stuff inside, and I've found that, while the tyre will still run flat, I can inflate it on the spot and go for a couple of kilometers, repeating this process until I get home.

[Etherealicer]

Its not too tough to carry more light?

Can you really not understand that 1 is 0 in that case?

Agreed, carrying a 2nd light is not hard. And I might carry a backup in your situation. However, the problem with more flashlights is more maintenance. So, I question if that were the strategy I would choose (difficult to judge, as I don't know what your work entails). I would see if I can get a flashlight I can charge from my phone  (considering that many new phones have 5000+ mAh batteries, that should be capable to top off most flashlights and most have reverse charging capabilities).

Question, did you ever have a flashlight fail on you (if so, which one?) and not just run out of juice?

Also, what flashlights do you carry?

[Etherealicer]

For my mountainbike I buy Michelin inner tubes with that green slime stuff inside, and I've found that, while the tyre will still run flat, I can inflate it on the spot and go for a couple of kilometers, repeating this process until I get home.

That is cool

[McStitchy]

I just tow a spare car   

Well, back in the old job we used to do that, too.

You guys...   

[McStitchy]

The answer to this might come with experience.
And it depends on the task/event at hand.

On a hike I do like redundancy, with common sense applied (think bulk and weight).
On the bike I do have a bike tool, Multi Tool, patch kit, two rear lights with me.

In town I do not have any redundancy. That being said I just realize that there is some too 
Must have been me subconscious playing tricks 

[Echotech]

I just tow a spare car   

   

[ezdog]

Agreed, carrying a 2nd light is not hard. And I might carry a backup in your situation. However, the problem with more flashlights is more maintenance. So, I question if that were the strategy I would choose (difficult to judge, as I don't know what your work entails). I would see if I can get a flashlight I can charge from my phone  (considering that many new phones have 5000+ mAh batteries, that should be capable to top off most flashlights and most have reverse charging capabilities).

Question, did you ever have a flashlight fail on you (if so, which one?) and not just run out of juice?

Also, what flashlights do you carry?

My Maintenance consists of making sure that I have charged batteries in lights where I can use them and decent batteries in the lights that use disposable primaries.

I have never considered using the phone as a light and hope I never will.

I have had various lights fail me for sure of all kinds and different reasons and of course batteries run down though they were topped off and ready to go when I started out for the day.

I have a Zebralight SC64w in my right pocket always and another 18650 light on the other side always too usually something that throws better than the ZL.

I also carry an 18650 headlamp

I also have 2-cr123 lights like the Olight S-Mini and 4/7 Mini Ti always on keychains in each pocket and then I also have my Skinth on the Bat Belt with a Jetbeam AA and Milwaukee 2aaa light there.

I have to carry spare batteries and it is just as easy to just carry them in the backup light in the end and that just makes it all more simple anyway if needed.

Obviously it is more work than not carrying all of this but I have been stranded in the dark too and it is worth whatever it requires for that to never happen again if I can help it period.

There is literally no difference at all between carrying other tools to do my job as the lights are part of what I need so of course I carry them.

[Gareth]

Very situational I'd say.  If it is merely an annoyance if something fails/gets lost/whatever then I won't bother.

If it is something that becomes a major PITA if it lets you down then perhaps some sort of lesser, smaller backup might be in order.

I've done quite a bit of multi day hiking over the years and I don't subscribe to the "one is none" then.  All you end up doing is carrying around 15kg of stuff that you're not actually using and that gets very old very fast.  Nothing wrong with carrying a lighter and matches and an extra pocket torch but I've had someone tell me I should be carrying two sleeping bags in case one of them gets wet. 

[ElevenBlade]

I think it makes a lot of sense for an important military expedition.  But it makes less sense for me to to go by the Two is One, One is None adage.

In day to day life, I don't follow this at all.  I may have two tools on me, but one isn't a backup for the other - they're for different purposes. 

When I go hiking or camping, I do have some degree of redundancy... but not a backup per se.

I'll carry a locking folder and a SAK

I'll have a flashlight, and something else that's suitable for inside the tent but bright enough to walk around with - i.e. a headlamp or regular flashlight, plus a smaller flashlight/lantern or keychain light. 

I have vessels that are good for cooking and eating. and I bring a couple.

Recently I bring a small woodgas stove along with a backpacking stove.... at least 2 methods for fire starting...

But anyway, I do factor in redundancy, but I don't have equivalent backups 

[comis]

I don't subscribe to "2 is 1, and 1 is none" for everything I carry.  But I could totally see certain job or hobbies do have the need for the redundancy. 

For myself, if I am going on a photography trip to remote locations, I always carry at least 2 or even 3 camera bodies, and even redundancy in lens, memory storage, batteries, flashlights(the list go on).  If a trip took a lot of time and money to plan, it's the silliest thing to have gear breakdown when you need it to function.  I have also read horror story about hobbyist caver getting lost because their flashlights malfunctioned, and luckily they get rescued just in time to have survived.

[Etherealicer]

[...]I've done quite a bit of multi day hiking over the years and I don't subscribe to the "one is none" then.  All you end up doing is carrying around 15kg of stuff that you're not actually using and that gets very old very fast.  Nothing wrong with carrying a lighter and matches and an extra pocket torch but I've had someone tell me I should be carrying two sleeping bags in case one of them gets wet. 

Furthermore, you most likely don't hike alone, so redundancy is a given. In fact if your friends are gearheads as well then a bit of communication can save you kilos.

[comis]

When I've gone exploring some remote areas, with a buddy, I've taken an extra truck or jeep, too.   

Funny, I have done the exact same thing in the past. 

[Hevy (CT-782)]

Two is one, one is none os valid on some aspects of my daily life...

Flashlights is one of more important things. I usually carry more than one.
When I'm inspecting machinery inside a steel hull or exploring a (very wet)cave, flashlight is essential.




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