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American Family Safety vs The Ready Store

Monday, June 5th

2023 Survival Gear Store Reviews

American Family Safety Review 4 Star Rating

American Family Safety

4 Star Rating
  • Many kinds of safety and disaster kits
  • Easy-to-use website
  • 30-day return policy
  • Discounts for military
  • Made in the USA

American Family Safety is the only site in our review with supplies specifically for pets, so this is a big plus! Their well-organized products also being approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is also a mark in their favor. Despite a lack of feedback or a BBB listing, American Family Safety still earns a high ranking here.

The Ready Store Review 3.5 Star Rating

The Ready Store

3.5 Star Rating
  • Fantastic range of survival gear options
  • Helpful, informative website
  • Insider customer program available
  • Can subscribe to buy desired gear over time, according to budget

The Ready Store has an impressive amount and variety of survival gear and emergency preparedness supplies. Their list of food brands was the longest among all the reviewed stores. However, The Ready Store wasn't quite ready for a higher ranking due to a restocking fee and a high number of recent customer service complaints.

Where Can You Buy the Best Survival Gear?

No matter where you live, there is some risk of an event that will cause you to potentially need survival gear. It could be earthquakes, floods, wildfires, tsunamis, volcanoes, or even civil unrest. You don't want to be without food, water, power, first aid, and basic survival kits to get you through times of uncertainty.

Many companies offer survival gear online. Whether you're looking for made-ready-to-eat (MRE) meals for your "go bag" or if you're planning to shelter in place and eat from buckets full of dehydrated entrees, it's easy to find a number of stores where you can buy just about anything.

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Survival Gear Store FAQ

The world is a very unpredictable place. Natural disasters, man-made crises, and even employment loss can create a food shortage for individuals and communities. Stockpiling an amount of food, water, and emergency supplies for an uncertain future can make living conditions more tolerable in such situations.
A 72-hour kit, also known as a "bug out bag" or "go bag" , is usually in the form of a bag, backpack, or hard container. It typically contains emergency essential supplies such as first aid kits, flashlights, rain ponchos, flares, pocket knives, water filters or water treatment kits, and various other tools. In the event that you have to leave your home due to a natural disaster or civil unrest, having a 72-hour kit that you can grab on your way out the door or keep in the trunk of your car will ensure that you will have what you need for self-sufficiency until the emergency ends or you get to a safer location.
Freeze-dried food starts out as normal, frozen food. It is put into a chamber from which all the air and moisture are rapidly pulled out of the food. The dehydrated food is then stored in an airtight pouch or container. Without the water and air, the food will be able to be stored for long periods of time.
Dehydration is a slower process of naturally drying a food item using air and heat. Some water and air is retained in the food, making its shelf life shorter. Freeze-drying is rapidly performed in a vacuum chamber, leading to better quality, retained nutritional properties, and longer shelf life.
Most often, the food simply needs to have water added back to it, whether hot or cold, and mixed. Freeze-dried foods can also be cooked in a pot on the stove, in a microwave oven, or in a conventional oven according to the manufacturer's instructions.
At a minimum, you should have food, water itself as well as a purification method/system, a blanket, a first aid kit, and basic tools to suit the tasks you're most likely to need them for. As secondary considerations, have a change of clothes, extra money in cash, and basic toiletries for hygiene and good health. Be sure to include phone numbers and copies of essential documents.
Survival gear is important for everyone to have because natural disasters can happen anywhere. And, in cities there are still risks of civil unrest, widespread destruction from earthquakes and storms, and increases in the risk of contagious diseases or pollutant contaminations. Being able to leave quickly or shelter in place with the things you need to survive is often more important in a city because the natural world is less likely to provide the things you need (like food you can harvest or hunt, fresh water you can collect, and so on).
Each food has a different shelf life depending on factors like packaging, type of food, and processing methods used to preserve it. Read the labels carefully and choose a storage method that will maximize the shelf life of the food item. Typically, this means storage in a consistently cool, dry, dark place like a basement, closet, or pantry. For survival gear, ensure that no moisture can occur in or around the backpack, bag, or box where you store it.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

What's more difficult is knowing which ones are reputable, high-quality, and will honor their commitment to the customer by offering an easy, money-back guarantee on their wares should something arrive damaged or be generally unsatisfactory. With many stores competing for your emergency preparedness dollars, you need an idea of how to sort the good from the not-so-much.

Keep these criteria in mind as you browse stores offering survival gear:

  • Selection. How many product types do they carry? Is it just MREs and water purification tablets, or can you get a good range of options for a variety of situations? Do they carry more than one brand or offer multiple choices within a product category?
  • Price. How much will you spend to gear up? Are prices competitive with rival stores? How much will you pay for shipping? Are there any discounts that might sweeten the deal?
  • Focus. Does the store specialize in survival gear, or is it just one of many types of products they carry? The latter gives you more of a one-stop shopping experience, but buying from an expert survival gear retailer can help you get the best products available.
  • Satisfaction Guarantee. If your order comes and you're less than impressed, how will the company make it right? Can you get your money back? Are there any exclusions, like consumable products or custom orders?
  • Reputation. How do other customers describe their experience with the survival gear store? Are orders delivered on time and with all gear as expected? Has the Better Business Bureau given the retailer a good rating?

TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked today's top retailers of survival gear. We're confident that this information will help you find what you need to be prepared for any situation!

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