It's our affiliation with Amazon.com that enables us to offer you the very best prices, service and security — and the backing of the number one online retailer. Because Amazon.com fulfills our orders (delivers the goods), we are able to source hundreds of emergency preparedness items — from manual can openers to generators — unavailable to other online and catalog retailers.

ReadyPrepared.com is not about "fear". It's not about terrorists. It's not about surviving a nuclear disaster (you will find no gas masks or radiation protection on this web site). It's about attainable, common sense preparations we can all make in order to feel secure in the knowledge that we've done everything reasonable — without going overboard — to ready ourselves and our families for just about anything mother nature throws our way, so we can rest easy and enjoy our lives.

True, many of the tips and supplies you'll find here on the web site could come in handy for all sorts of events, whether for traveling or camping, every-day "emergencies" — or perhaps even life-and-death situations.

As New Orleans residents, Hurricane Katrina changed our lives dramatically. Before she came knocking, our idea of "preparedness" was to stock up on flashlight batteries, water, Vienna sausages, Pop-Tarts and hurricane party supplies. Not anymore.

Like many of our fellow residents, we had made no real preparations — and we certainly had not planned to evacuate. Well, we all know how that turned out. Now, as hurricane season approaches each June, we check our supplies to make sure everything's in order; often adding to our survial kit and grab-and-go gear a little each year. And with each subsequent hurricane and evacauation (Gustav), we learn new lessons.

Our web site is not intended to be a substitute for professional disaster preparedness, response, recovery or planning advice. We're just real people who have been in the trenches — stuck without power, communications or transportation too many times now. Apologies to Lt. Gen. Russel Honore here for the paraphrase, "The preparations are what they are. We're here. The storm is coming." And as God is our witness, we'll never be "stuck on stupid" again.

So go out there and get "Ready" prepared!

Every best wish,

Scott Wyatt & Bruce Lane

ReadyPrepared.com
New Orleans, Louisiana