Since it is a bit quiet here; let's have some discussion here.

I have been changing my lifestyle to a far more lean, minimalist and sustainable approach.

Having worked for the emergency services and currently doing training with them I found that more is not always better. More gears also mean more training, more maintenance, more money spend, confusion and dependency. At a certain point it's just a headache; impossible training/work schedules and/or overcrowded incident sites; where everything is blocking everything else.

I'm also an alpinist and do many other outdoor activities, so keeping weight and bulk down is pretty ingrained in that too. More weight and bulks mean slower, more energy spend, more danger, less comfort.

Less stuff, less maintenance, less training, less weight, fewer things to think about, fewer things to care about, more time left to do fun stuff, more freedom to just ditch things and start over. If you are resourceful and able to sustain some discomfort, then you can really do with very few things.

I'm quite surprised by some discussion about certain gear. Let say generators; it adds maintenance (skill, time and parts) and requires a fuel supply (which requires storage containers, stabilizer or frequent rotation). I fully understand if your life depends on power for medical devices, but some people are talking about tv's. Even if it's for the fridge, for people in urban places where power is pretty reliable, I generally don't even see the point in investing in hundreds, if not thousands just to keep the content of the fridge well. It's not an instant full lose. Generally, you have some time to start eating the fridge content and then the freezer part. How much money is actually lost from the fridge compared to the cost and time invested in a generator?

I have been reducing my gear by selling them/giving them away and then slowly getting smaller, lighter and higher quality things. Just the basics, but done right.

I'm reducing my 'regular' food stock, as I had too many things past there use by date by a wide margin. Such a waste, but it doesn't really work well for me as I generally only cook fresh things. Just have freeze-dried food which lasts long and is part of the stock I use for my outdoor trips.

What are you guys thinking of a lean approach to preparedness?