I only mention it because a lot of others had posted it in the past and it is the mantra by which redundancy is born. For example if I only carry one lighter and it malfunctions, I have none. If I only carry one emergency blanket and it is blown away or disintegrates I have none. And so on. My question is when does redundancy become too much?

Say I go on a hike with DSs scout troop. I want myself and others (esp. DS) to be prepared for whatever comes along (for me the scenario is less important than the preparedness - if it is important to you then you can substitute any scenario in which you might be inclined to carry survival gear and have redundancy with it). So for the hike we carry a PSK that includes items for first aid (small FAK), shelter (emergency blanket or poncho, cordage), fire (spark-lite, matches, lighter, tinder quik, small candle), water (baking bag and water purification tablets), signaling (mirror, whistle, bandana), and maybe some other items such as knife, trail mix, fishing kit, duct tape and so on. You know, typical PSK stuff we all carry but we don't neccessarily want to get into here.

Ok, so if I have these items on me already, do I then turn around and pack similar items in a pouch on my belt? More still in a day pack as well? Do I pack a more substantial FAK, a tarp and coil of rope, similar or other fire making gear, a canteen and cup with more purification tablets, a larger mirror, second whistle, etc? Do I pack just a needle and thread in PSK and put a more substantial sewing kit in the pack or pouch? The paranoid freak in me says "yes" because if I have a hole in my pocket I still have what's in my pack. But let's leave my personal problems out of this for now.

Obviously some items make more sense than others (like a canteen or water bottle - don't want a baking bag to be the primary water carry device after all) but what about the fire-making items, the signaling items and some of the others like duct tape, sewing pins, etc? I feel like if I am already carrying several different ways to make a fire in a mini kit on my person or separately in my pockets that I don't really need additional gear in my pack as well. If I am wrong in this assumption then where does the madness end. Gear in my pockets, a mini kit, duplicates and additional gear in a fanny pack or pouch, still more in a pack? Nighthiker, I am not saying I want to carry this much ... far from it, but I do want to be prepared. Should I carry an extra mirror in my pack if I already have one in my PSK on my person? Should I carry a third, fourth or fifth backup for fire if I already am carrying a spark-lite, bic, and strike anywhere matches? I don't think I do but I want to be sure for my sake and for DSs sake; that's why I am here posing the question.

As I understand, a PSK carried on the person, in pockets, or whatever is intended as back-up to ones regular gear (or to make do when for whatever reason the regular gear is not available). If so then this implies I will be carrying other, probably larger and heavier versions of the same gear (maybe not neccessarily, though, as in the case of someone on a short day-hike who doesn't really plan on staying out overnight but carries a PSK with emergency shelter items in it just in case, but even in this case I wonder how much redundancy is necessary). The question remains, and I perceive it as a more general question, how many layers of redundancy are enough, when does it become too much, and where is the balance? Additionally, what do you carry that is redundant, how much, and why? This way I can see from the voices of experience if I am on the right track or if I need to reevaluate. Please feel free to share what you carry, how much, and why.