If you have replication, you can lose one of the replica, that's the point. This is what Garage was designed for, and it works.
Erasure coding is another debate, for now we have chosen not to implement it, but I would personally be open to have it supported by Garage if someone codes it up.
Erasure coding is an interesting topic for me. I've run some calculations on the theoretical longevity of digital storage. If you assume that today's technology is close to what we'll be using for a long time, then cross-device erasure coding wins, statistically. However, if you factor in the current exponential rate of technological development, simply making lots of copies and hoping for price reductions over the next few years turns out to be a winning strategy, as long as you don't have vendor lock-in. In other words, I think you're making great choices.