One is none.
I put my laptop into the shop last Thursday a.m., supposing to get it back that evening. Except for one thing. They neglected to ask for my password, and I didn't think to give it to them. It was being repaired by the computer club at my college, so they are only there on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
So, for seven days I was computer-less. My back-up computer (which my son uses) was not functional because someone had stolen the power cord at a place he had stayed (and he never told me). His tablet started refusing to charge and eventually the battery ran down.
So, just because you think you have all bases covered, think again! Every time we get fire drill opportunities, go through your stuff and find out what's not working, what needs replacing, what's expired (foods and meds), what you might need that you never thought to get, etc.
Here's another story. I have what I thought was a wonderful lantern. See petromax.com for what it looks like. It runs on diesel, kerosene, lamp oil, vegetable oil, just about anything. Run times depend on the type of fuel. I went to the site looking for a reflector (the top round part) which I thought had been lost (turned out it was just misplaced, unwrapped, and starting to rust). Anyway, I learned there were videos on how to operate the thing. O...M...G!!! I'm scared to touch the thing.
It's a pressure lantern. It needs brake fluid for the pump that builds up the pressure. The thing can flare up and cause a fire if you don't know what the h*ll you're doing. The mantle (like Aladdin lamp mantles) are temperamental (so be sure to have extras for the learning curve).
So, one day I will conquer the thing, but maybe I'll take it to the Fire Department it flares, just in case. I think it's a great lantern, if you know what you're doing. It proves the point of using your stuff before an emergency. It was put away and forgotten about for years and a recent power outage back in June caused me to get it out. Doesn't work without brake fluid, and I didn't have any.
Anyway, I'll be getting a new power cord for my back-up laptop, getting the tablet fixed, and my son has a phone that can get on the internet. Plus, he has a barter economy going and traded services for a two-year-old desktop, barely used. So, no more computer disasters. I hope.
The 3 is 2, 2 is 1, 1 is none, does not always work out. I have my car. I bought a used car for $565 for my son and his girlfriend to get around in. And, his friend who lives with us (who has cerebral pasly) had his car. So, three cars in the family. So, his girlfriend (who is a new driver) managed to put their car in a creek and it was totaled getting it out. Then, the friend's car had a problem with the front passenger wheel. There was a wobble. (Of course, I told them to fix it before it became a worser problem, but no one had the $$$ to do it.) So, one rainy evening, going around one of our famous mountain curves, it failed and the car went off, hit a phone pole, and that was the end of that car, the wheel problem totaled it (meaning it will cost more to fix than the car is worth, for those of our readers who may not know what that means).
So, again, three is two, two is one, and one is none.
Not quite, but almost. In Virginia, we have annual safety inspections and have to display a sticker on the front windshield. So my sticker was about to expire, and guess what. I needed four new tires to pass inspection. A $400 price tag, but luckily some very good, long-time friends bailed me out. Two weeks later, guess what? The battery, alternator and belt failed, and it was almost another $400. Again, my friends bailed me out. Without their help (God bless them!) "One" would have been "None."
Okay, so the moral of the story. Back ups are necessary, but even multiple back ups can fail.
So, another example. With winter's getting harsher, heat is important. My main heat is an electric furnace. My back-up heat is a propane heater. But if a power outage lasts longer than a week, then what? Next on my list is to get a wood-burning stove, but that's an expense I've saving for.
I went on the internet and found a make-shift heater that works with candles and clay flower pots. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfQ3e1is4F4 for the how-to, but also see this warning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnna1PAakV4. Note, he had this heater on a boat, so that may have caused the flare. Put yours on a stable surface, definitely surround it with ceramic tiles or other flame retardant material. Take his advice and don't let the tea lights touch. Another possibility is burn regular, small stout candles on a bed of aluminum foil to catch the wax drippings?
Another design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3iWEclgj8Y.
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