Must all your gear be top shelf ,or are the things that are expendable ?

I have through the years, noticed that stuff gets lost, damaged , broken, or stolen, when I'm out and about and of course the greater the investment the loss is not just inconvenient but disheartening .
I have a pocket knife or two I cary for this reason,
I figure that should there be an EMP all the electronics would be toast, along with LED flashlights, so there is a lot of stuff I cary I know that i will be casting off in that event,

 

Everything I have is expendable, if only to lighten the load and save weight to save time, distance and my life.

 

Only my Scotch MUST be top shelf...

 

I like top notch for things that matter, like swords, and family related kit...like a grain mill. But I gravitate to quality, not price, and I know where my standards are on most things.

 

First--buy whatever you can get if the price is right. Even poor quality goods are better than none at all.
Getting caught with cash when you need gear can be very bad.

A $20.00 bill will not chop firewood, or keep your feet from blistering on a hard trail. Even a cheap ax will cut wood, and surplus boots can serve for a while if they fit right.

At the same time, watch like a hawk and take every opportunity to upgrade your gear to the highest practical level.

Your second-tier goods can be sold off (often at a profit) or saved for fallback uses, not least of which is helping out others.

It's great to have a premium Goretex sleeping back that weighs three ounces and is rated to 600 degree below zero, in the rain--but it's also really nice to have a a junky old $5.00 Coleman bag tucked away in an undisclosed location.

Just in case you need it.

Fate can be unkind--so maximize your options.

 

If you are going to buy cheap, you MUST buy the RIGHT cheap. Preppers like to say (cheap) and mean (decent quality surplus that is being let go for not much money). Don;t confuse the the two, we are bad at syntax. Haha.

 

Good responses thank you all .
Some times there are things I want but can't afford but I can make do with a similar product and modify it my self . as a mechanic this comes up from time to time making special tools .

 

Quality only hurts once.

 

What you in the market for?

 

Quality can hurt twice ,once paying for it initially and the second time, loosing it .

 

And, if you know how to judge quality by criteria other than price, frequently not much at all.