Why prepare.blog Exists
Most emergency preparedness advice falls into two camps: survivalist fantasy or bureaucratic checklists. Neither helps a real family figure out what to actually do when a winter storm knocks out power for three days, or a wildfire forces a 30-minute evacuation.
prepare.blog exists to fill that gap. Every guide here is built on field experience — not just research. Before a topic goes live, I've either done it myself, stress-tested the gear, or spoken with people who have. The goal is to give you the same honest advice I'd give a friend who called me at 6am asking what to do.
Preparedness shouldn't be expensive, overwhelming, or fear-driven. It should be a quiet confidence that you and your family know what to do — and have what you need to do it.
By the Numbers
149+
Guides published
12+
Years field experience
0
Fear-mongering
100%
Free to read
Meet Your Guide — Josh Baxter
Josh Baxter has spent over a decade studying emergency preparedness, wilderness survival, and self-reliance — not from an armchair, but from the field. He's completed FEMA emergency management training, holds a Wilderness First Responder certification, and has logged hundreds of hours practicing the skills he writes about, from fire starting in wet conditions to long-term food storage rotation.
Before launching prepare.blog, Josh worked as an outdoor educator leading survival skills workshops for families and corporate groups across the Pacific Northwest. He's camped in sub-zero temperatures, navigated without GPS, and cooked enough freeze-dried meals to have a genuine opinion on all of them.
His philosophy is simple: preparedness shouldn't be about fear or extreme scenarios — it should be practical, affordable, and actually usable by real families. Everything on prepare.blog is written with that goal in mind.
Areas of Expertise
- Emergency Planning
- Wilderness Survival
- Food Storage
- Gear Selection
- Water Purification
- First Aid
Our Editorial Standards
Test Before Publishing
If I haven't personally tested something or spoken with someone who has, it doesn't go on the site. No recycled content from other blogs.
Cite Real Sources
FEMA guidelines, USDA food storage data, Red Cross standards. When we reference a fact, we link to the primary source.
Disclose Everything
Affiliate relationships are labeled on every page that has them. They never change what I recommend — I only link to products I'd actually use.
Update When Facts Change
Gear changes. Regulations change. When a product is discontinued or guidance is updated, the article gets updated too. No evergreen staleness.
Your Privacy
We never sell your data
Your email address and any information you submit through this site stays here. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. Ever.
Email is opt-in only
If you subscribe to our newsletter, you can unsubscribe at any time with one click. We only send preparedness content — no spam, no selling your address to anyone.
Analytics without surveillance
We use basic analytics to understand which guides are most helpful so we can make more of them. We do not build personal profiles or track you across other websites.
Affiliate links are always labeled
Some articles contain affiliate links — we earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. These are always disclosed and never influence what we recommend.
For full details, see our Privacy Policy and Affiliate Disclosure.
Get in Touch
Have a question about a guide? Spotted an error? Have a prep topic you'd love to see covered? I want to hear it.
Fair warning on response times: between the day job, two kids who apparently need shuttling to approximately forty-seven activities a week, and the fact that I'm usually writing these guides at 10pm while the house is finally quiet — I'm not exactly sitting by the inbox. But I do read everything, and I'll get back to you when I surface for air. Usually within a few days. Occasionally longer if someone has a soccer tournament.