Frequently Asked Questions
If you can't find the answer to your question below
please don't hesitate to contact
us. We really enjoy hearing from our customers and getting
to know you.
Do you have a phone number? I have
looked all over your web site and can't find a way to call you.
Yes, we have a phone number. However, we don't have a large full-time
staff available to answer the phone on a consistent basis. All
of our full-time staff have multiple responsibilities in both
the survival kit and survival school aspects of our business.
Rather than posting a phone number and frustrating our customers
with automated systems and answering machines we ask that you
make your purchases directly via our web site or send us an email
via our online contact
form. We respond to all legitimate customer emails
in a very timely manner. If we still need to make phone contact,
you will then have our number or we can call you.
This solution allows us to keep cost down and pass the
savings on to you.
(We have found that posting phone and email information on our
web site opened us up to a bombardment of SPAM and telemarketing
and distracted us from focusing on our customers.)
Do you have a catalog that you can
mail to me?
No. All of our products and services are on our web site. Printing
catalogs is cost prohibitive unless you print tens of thousands
at a time and mail them out in mass. Since most people just throw
away such items as junk mail we decided to go paperless in an
effort to conserve natural resources and especially the additional
cost of printing and distribution that would be passed on to our
customers as overhead expense.
I tried to make an online purchase
but it didn't go through. What happened?
This could be one of many things. First, make sure you use the
name, card address, card number, expiration date and security
code that are on your card and your billing statement. This is
the number one reason transactions don't go through. You may also
want to make sure that for a large purchase your card doesn't
have a cap. Some card providers place caps on purchase amount
to prevent thieves from using your card to make outrageous purchases.
We have also placed a cap on purchases through our web site to
protect you from fraud. If you have a large purchase you should
contact us first via our online contact
form so that we can help you through the transaction.
Another consideration is to make sure you have enough remaining
credit on your card for the purchase amount. If none of these
suggestions help, please contact
us so that we may assist you.
Why do I have to enable cookies on
my computer when I go into your shopping cart?
We require cookies to track your shopping cart. You do not have
to enable cookies for all sites, you can allow them just for ours
when you enter our catalog page. Let's say you have a few minutes
to look over our site and put something you want in the shopping
cart. Later, another family member closes our web page. When you
sit down to finish your shopping the cart would have been emptied
if cookies were not enabled for our site. The cookie allows you
to open our page up and your cart is still loaded with the items
you have selected. Cookies are machine-based, it lets us know
that the same machine is connected to our server and what business
you have with us. This also helps keep hackers from sneaking into
our store pretending to be you.
Why should I creat a log-in user
ID to shop online if you already use cookies?
This is actually very important to protect both of us. There
are the obvious conveniences of only having to fill in your shipping
data one time (and not on subsequent visits) and being able to
put items in your shopping cart on one computer, perhaps at work,
and finish the shopping later on another computer. This is due
to something called the Session ID. A Session ID is created when
you start putting items in your shopping cart. If you are working
on a single computer and come back later, open our page and continue
shopping, the cookie will keep your cart data. But, if you change
computers or surf via an iPad or other device the Session ID is
what we use to identify you and keep your data intact. The Session
ID is operator-based, it lets us know the the same person is at
the machine that is connected to our server. So using cookies
AND a log-in is both convenient for "browse now, buy later"
shoppers and more secure.
What is the expiration date on my
iodine tablets?
There should be a 5 or 6 digit number on your bottle. The last
two digits are the batch number. The next two working toward the
left are the year of manufacture and the last two working to the
left are the month of manufacture. Your iodine tablets should
be good for four years if unopened and up to one year if opened.
Always check the pills, they should be a steel grey color. If
they are rusty looking they have been exposed to moisture and
should be discarded. If you are already in a survival situation
and your tablets are rusty they are still safe to use but less
effective. Read and follow the directions on the bottle.
I ordered items that weren't part
of a kit and they came loose in the box. Are they used or returned?
No. All of our items are new. We buy most of the components for
our kits in bulk to save you money; it actually costs more to
pay someone to un package components that are retail ready so
that we can pack them in a survival kit for you. In many cases
we can also get items at a lower cost because we don't pay for
the unnecessary packaging. Since our primary product is survival
kits (and we always have saving you money in the back of our mind)
many of the items we offer separately are loose and not packaged
in the blister pack you would find in a retail store but they
are exactly the same and have even been tested for functionality
by us as a free service.
My order included a Strike Force™
fire starter and WetFire™ tinder. There were supposed to be
two tinders why is there only one in the pouch?
Please take a look inside the handle of the Strike Force™
device. There is a compartment built in for storage of tinder.
Your second tinder is already packed there for you. We try to
make the foil of the tinder stick-out of the compartment to help
you find it but sometimes they aren't so obvious.
Do your kits come with a user's
manual? How do I know what is supposed to be in there or how to
use it?
Most of our kits will come with a very simple generic manual
that will show pictures of the components, list their name and
give ideas on how they are used. The manual is the same for all
of the kits so some of the items may not be in your kit and others
(like adhesive bandages) have not been included because most people
know how to use those. We have highlighted the items that should
be in your particular model. However, we recommend that when you
open your kit you also visit our web site and look at the complete
components list for your kit model. We have also included a Wilderness
Survival Guide packed inside one of the pouches in your kit. This
is a picture and text sheet that should help you remember information
that you attained from survival training / reading or to help
give you ideas as you improvise in a survival situation. With
the space available in your kit we can't fit a comprehensive survival
manual. We strongly recommend that you get wilderness first aid
and survival training; you can get both with us at a discount
if you purchased a kit from us.
Note: For those unable to attend training due to
other obligations or who prefer show-and-tell to the basic manual
included with your kit we are currently developing a video user's
manual. This manual will be available for purchase separately or
as an upgrade when you purchase a kit.
Do you offer any training for
families?
Yes! We are happy to work with families with youth and have years
of experience working with young people of all ages. We recommend
that the youth be at least 11 years old or mature for their age
as well as accompanied by an adult. Our curriculum is suitable
for children but there are some skills that are covered that are
necessary to prepare you to stay alive in a wilderness survival
situation that may not be pleasant to some individuals, children
and adults alike. We are very conscious of the different sensibilities
of our students and make every effort to respect each individual's
uniqueness
What do I need to bring
with me to training?
Once you have registered we will send you an email with attachments
that include information on what you should bring with you, driving
directions and local restaraunts and hotels. This information
is generally sent out about a month prior to your course date.
If you need it sooner to reserve a hotel just let us know when
you register.
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