Old tech is better then No tech...

I have an ongoing debate with one of my friends about this little philosophy of mine.  Whenever I pick up some "new to me" gear for camping, survival, or just general preparedness, he says "i'm not going to risk my life on some previous generation equipment in an emergency!".  And my response is always "old tech is better then no tech".  Seriously, now when I hit the lottery and have 10 million dollars to spend on a off grid retreat and all the latest equipment, thats what i'll have.  But until that day, its a guns or butter decision.  Simple economics.  The allocation of scarce resources.

I don't have to be the fastest, just faster then the next guy.  A classic example is what if the lights go out. I mean really out!  For security's sake you may want to stand watch for your family, group, whatever. The way I figure it how many people will have night vision, 1 in 100, 1 in 1000, 1 in 10,000?  So maybe 1 in 5 with night vision actually have the latest gen 3 night vision equipment.

So when it comes to securing my families surroundings i'm way ahead or the average person with minimal investment. good solid used Gen 1 and Gen 2 sets are available at attractive prices and are far superior to squinting in the dark. Both of mine are Night Owl Optics Products. The Monocular is a Gen 1, and the Binoculars are Gen 2. Night Owl is a trusted company that makes quality products, so i feel comfortable relining on their products.  Both run on AA batteries and i can use my rechargeable ones with my Goal Zero power system.

Now, i'm only using night vision equipment as an example, but this holds true for a lot of the more advanced support tools.  Anyway, My advice is to do your research first, keep an open mind, and don't be afraid to look for deals. But there are ways to gain a substantial advantage reasonably, but ONLY if you act.