Planned Obsolescence and Prepping – The Organic Prepper

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One of the most regrettable things I see daily down here (and have experienced my own quota) is watching someone fall into that trap, and spending hard-earned money on products designed to fall apart. My kid´s shoes, for example. Sure he walks a lot all over town, but still. They should last a little longer than a few months without getting loose because of the gluing falling apart.

Planned Obsolescence

Planned obsolescence is a strategy. The manufacturers use it to design products with a limited lifespan, ensuring that they become obsolete or require replacement within a specific timeframe. They usually achieve this goal through various means. These include low-quality components, making repairs difficult or even impossible, or introducing new models with minor upgrades that encourage consumers to “upgrade”.

You may want to check this link.

Being in the repair business, me and my family have noticed this trend increasing exponentially, with mechanics becoming mere part-changing laborers, in charge of replacing the parts after a diagnosis. Sure, not many parts or subsystems are fixable nowadays.

For example, some brands offer the possibility of completely repairing components such as fuel pumps, alternators, and starter motors, even selling the kits to do so.

The goal of this article is to provide guidance for unaware readers and help them detect the products that best suit a “Right To Repair” mind setup. Tools and items designed to fail are something we don´t need or want.

The thing with planned obsolescence is not only that they force their products to fail within a specific timeframe. It´s the cartel-like practice that makes this trend so obnoxious (see page 4). This can be achieved through using low-quality components, making repairs difficult or impossible, or introducing new models with minor upgrades that encourage consumers to “upgrade”.

1. Electronics: Smartphones, laptops, and other devices often have batteries that degrade quickly or are difficult to replace, forcing users to buy new devices.
2. Tools and appliances: Washing machines, refrigerators, drills, saws, and other appliances may be designed with components prone to failure after a certain period, requiring costly repairs or replacement. I am sure many of us remember with nostalgia the 80s appliances…you don´t need hundreds of different cookware items: you just need a few good quality ones!
3. Wearables: We all have experienced this with cheap clothing and shoes rapidly failing, which forces us to discard them and get new ones. Back in the day, I used to wear leather boots (there is a national manufacturer that has endured and survived every crisis because their products are so awesome). Expensive, yes, but if a 75$ pair of boots lasts more than 15 years (which they did), then it´s totally worth it.

Impact of Planned Obsolescence on Prepping

Analyze how planned obsolescence hinders the acquisition of durable and repairable equipment, long-term planning, and self-sufficiency.

We preppers need to prioritize durable, reliable equipment that can withstand long-term use and be easily repaired. Planned obsolescence hinders our preppers’ ability to:

1. Acquire durable equipment: Products designed with planned obsolescence are not built to last, making them unsuitable for long-term survival scenarios.
2. Plan for the long term: Preppers need to be able to rely on their equipment for extended periods. Planned obsolescence makes it difficult to predict how long a product will last, disrupting long-term planning.
3. Achieve self-sufficiency: Self-sufficiency often relies on the ability to repair and maintain equipment. Planned obsolescence makes repairs difficult or impossible, undermining self-sufficiency efforts.

Day-to-day Strategies to Combat Planned Obsolescence

Preppers and not preppers can adopt strategies to mitigate the impact:

1. Repairing: Learning to maintain and repair your equipment. This was already covered in an article, Building Resilience.
2. Recycling: Recycling components from old products can provide materials for repairs or for building new equipment. Like my project to get rid of and give a second life to the PET material of the soda bottles my brother discards.
3. Buying second-hand: Second-hand products may be more durable than newer models and can often be repaired more easily. This is if the brand quality is good. I have experienced this with cars.
4. Manufacturing own equipment: Building equipment from scratch allows preppers to choose durable materials and design products that meet their specific needs.

Let us detail these more carefully below!

Technology can be both a useful tool and a vulnerability.

Technology is a valuable asset for preppers: tools for communication, navigation, and information gathering. However, planned obsolescence can make technologies unreliable in long-term survival scenarios. Preppers should consider:

1. Choosing durable technology: Opt for devices with long lifespans, replaceable batteries, and repairable components.
2. Developing “analog” skills: Preppers should also develop skills to do not depend on technology, such as traditional navigation techniques or fire-starting methods.

Creating a Community and Sharing Knowledge

By doing so, we can:

1. Identify durable products: Sharing knowledge about reliable products can help preppers make informed purchasing decisions.
2. Share resources: Communities can pool resources to purchase tools or materials for repairs or manufacturing.

We Venezuelans chat a lot in specialized groups and share all sort of information there to fix our stuff, mostly cars and bikes.

10 Methods to protect us against programmed obsolescence

Let´s see some methods for outsmarting planned obsolescence:

1. Prioritize Quality over Quantity

1. Research before you buy: Don’t be swayed by trends or brands. Look for products with good reviews, durable materials, and solid warranties.
2. Prefer repairable items: Opt for equipment that can be disassembled and whose spare parts are readily available.
3. Buy less, but better: Invest in high-quality tools and equipment that will last you for years, instead of accumulating cheap products that break easily.

2. Learn to Repair and Maintain Your Equipment

1. Develop skills: Learn to fix your tools, clothing, appliances, and electronic devices. There are many online resources, workshops, and courses available.
2. Create a repair kit: Keepbasic tools, common spare parts , and materials on hand for quick repairs.
3. Share knowledge: Join prepping groups or online communities where you can learn from others and share your own skills.

3. Acquire Second-Hand Products

1. Second-hand markets: Explore thrift stores, flea markets, and online platforms to find durable equipment at lower prices. (I´ve found great items here at ridiculous prices)
2. Inspect carefully: Before buying, check the condition of the product, look for signs of wear and tear, and make sure it works properly. Download and print an inspection guide before you buy the item!!

4. Manufacture Your Own Equipment

1. DIY projects: Learn to build your own tools, furniture, clothing, or even small electronic devices.
2. Recycled materials: Use recycled materials to create your own equipment!
3. Share your creations: Show your projects to the community and encourage others to create their own equipment. You can even get a side income by doing so.

5. Extend the Lifespan of Your Products

1. Preventive maintenance: Perform scheduled maintenance on your equipment to prevent breakdowns and prolong its lifespan.
2. Proper storage: Store your tools and equipment in dry and protected places to avoid damage from moisture or rust.

6. Join “Repair” Communities

1. Repair Cafés: Look for Repair Cafés in your community, where expert volunteers will help you repair your broken objects for free. Of course, this is a trend in industrialized countries; we have mostly cramped old-style repair shops like those in the 60s and 70s.
2. Exchange groups: Participate in exchange groups where you can exchange tools, spare parts, or knowledge with other preppers.
3. Community workshops: Organize or participate in community workshops where repair and maintenance skills are taught. Again, maybe a modest side income?

7. Support Companies that Promote Durability

1. Sustainable companies: Look for companies that manufacture durable products, offer extended warranties, and facilitate the repair of their products.
2. Conscious consumption: Avoid buying products from companies that practice planned obsolescence (including cars) and support those that care about the environment and durability.

8. Learn Survival and Self-Sufficiency Skills

1. Practical knowledge: Develop skills such as gardening, construction, sewing, cooking, natural medicine, and food preserving.
2. Local resources: Learn to identify and use the natural resources available in your environment, such as edible plants, wood for building, or water sources.
3. Independence: The more self-sufficient you are, the less you will depend on manufactured products and the less you will be affected by planned obsolescence.

9. Reduce Your Consumption and Simplify Your Life

1. Minimalism: Adopt a minimalist lifestyle, where you only own what you really need and value.
2. Disconnection: Reduce your dependence on technology and reconnect with simpler and more natural activities.

10. Spread the Message and Educate Others

1. Awareness: Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors about planned obsolescence and its negative impacts. It´s incredible to see how much people prefer cheap products that won´t last, rather than spending on something with much better quality.
2. Alternatives: Share information about durable, repairable, and sustainable options. This is much better for everybody because real-world data is priceless. That´s why you have read this so far, right?
3. Empowerment: Encourage others to take control of their lives and not be victims of planned obsolescence.

Guys, this is serious. Programmed obsolescence of electronic components is even polluting our water sources worldwide.

The best example I can tell is getting rid of the old Operating System of one of my “obsolete” laptops, and installing a new FREE Linux-based OS that made the old toaster come back to life with a decent performance! (Take that, BG)

Please join my channel! I´m just 100 subscribers short of the 1000, and a lot of scripts for future videos. I already have a good camera to film with.

What negative recent experiences have you had lately with planned obsolescence?

Have you done anything to deal with it and guide your next generation? Let us discuss this in the comments section.

Stay safe, and keep tuned!!

Jose

About Jose

Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has an old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Jose and his younger kid are currently back in Venezuela, after the intention of setting up a new life in another country didn’t  go well. The SARSCOV2 re-shaped the labor market and South American economy so he decided to give it a try to homestead in the mountains, and make a living as best as possible. But this time in his own land, and surrounded by family, friends and acquaintances, with all the gear and equipment collected, as the initial plan was.

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