Frequently Asked Questions
What you get, where the data comes from, and what happens if it is not right for you.
- What exactly do I get?
- A printable PDF guide built for one specific zip code, delivered immediately after purchase. Depending on which guide you choose it runs roughly 50–80 pages: the natural hazards that actually apply to your address with a before/during/after plan for each, your nearest water sources and emergency services with distances, climate and growing-season data, local edible and medicinal plants, and fill-in binder templates for emergency contacts, a family communication plan, a medical log, and a document checklist.
- Is this a subscription?
- No. It is a one-time purchase of $14.99 and the file is yours permanently. Additional zip codes are $4.99 each after your first purchase. There is no account to cancel and no recurring charge.
- Do I have to be a prepper for this to be useful?
- No, and most people who buy it are not. The most common use is a household that wants one printed document covering what to do in a power outage, a storm, or an evacuation — the kind of thing that sits in a kitchen drawer. The guide is organised in three horizons, and the first one is simply being able to handle two weeks without outside help. You can ignore the rest.
- Where does the data come from?
- Federal and scientific sources, not generated text. Hazard scores come from the FEMA National Risk Index, climate and frost dates from Open-Meteo's 10-year archive, soil from SoilGrids, water sources from USGS and OpenStreetMap, solar and wind from NASA POWER, and species observations from iNaturalist combined with regional flora and fauna databases. Every figure in your guide traces back to one of these.
- How is this different from a free survival guide?
- Generic guides tell you how to garden. This one tells you your frost dates, your soil pH, which of the 18 FEMA hazard types actually score as risks at your address, and which specific plants grow near you. The advice is the same advice everyone gives — what makes it useful is that it has been filtered down to what applies where you live.
- Can I print it? Does it work without power or internet?
- That is the point of it. The guide is laid out for letter-size paper and a three-ring binder, with the three horizons as three tabs. Once printed it needs no device, no signal, and no battery — which is the situation it is designed for.
- What if there is not much data for my area?
- Some rural zip codes have sparse coverage for certain sources — fewer mapped water features, or fewer species observations. The free dashboard shows you exactly what we have for your location before you pay anything, so you can judge whether the guide is worth it for your address. If you buy and it falls short, the refund below applies.
- What is the refund policy?
- 30 days, no questions asked. Email us and we will refund you. You keep the file — asking someone to return a PDF would be theatre.
- Is the free dashboard really free?
- Yes, and it needs no account or email address. Enter a zip code and you get the autonomy score, top hazards, climate summary, and species counts. It exists so you can see the data quality for your own area before deciding whether to buy.
- Do I get updates?
- Yes, and they are free for existing owners. Climate averages, hazard scores, and species observations change year to year. When the underlying data improves, you can download a refreshed copy of your guide at no cost.
- I have a question that is not answered here.
- Email hello@knowyourground.com or use the contact form. A real person reads it.
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