Privacy Policy

Effective date: October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information The Prep Verdict (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects when you visit theprepverdict.com (the “Site”), how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. We’re a small, independent publication based in Washington State, and we try to collect as little as we need.

The short version: we don’t sell your personal information, we don’t run display ads, and we only collect contact details you choose to give us through a form or comment.

Information we collect

Information you give us

Email updates. If you sign up for updates, we collect your email address.
Class information requests. If you ask about a first aid, CPR, Stop the Bleed, or Wilderness First Aid class, we collect what you enter in the form: your name, email address, ZIP code, and, if you choose to provide them, your phone number, the classes you’re interested in, group size, preferred dates, and your message. Please don’t include health or medical information in the form. We don’t need it to answer your request.
Go bag list requests. If you ask us to email you your go bag list, we collect your first name, your email address and the items in your bag. We use them to send you that email. If you also tick the box to receive marketing emails, we keep a record of that choice, the wording you agreed to and the date, and we may email you new guides, price drops on gear we recommend, and safety alerts. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any marketing email or the link in your list email. To have your information deleted, use the Contact us section below. We do not sell your information.
Quiz answers. When you take the Find Your Kit quiz, we record which options were chosen as anonymous totals in our analytics. These answers are not linked to your name or email address.
Emails to us. If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message.
Comments. If you leave a comment, we collect the name, email address, and website (if any) you enter in the comment form.

Information collected automatically

Form and comment technical data. When you submit a form or comment, our site records your IP address and basic browser information with the submission. We use this to prevent spam and abuse.
Analytics. We use Google Analytics, through Google’s Site Kit plugin, to understand how the Site is used: for example, which pages are read, roughly where visitors are located (country, region, or city level), what device and browser they use, and how they found the Site. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect this information. If you use the Go Bag Builder, Google Analytics also records anonymous usage events, such as which items are added to a bag and how many days of food are selected. These events are not tied to your name or email address. The bag you build is stored only in the link you choose to copy, not on our servers.
Server and security logs. Like most websites, our hosting provider and security tools automatically log technical information such as IP address, browser type, the pages requested, and the date and time of the request. These logs help keep the Site secure and running.
Affiliate link clicks. We may count clicks on our affiliate links (which link was clicked, on which page, and when) to understand which recommendations readers find useful.

How we use information

To send the email updates you signed up for.
To reply to class requests and emails, and to schedule and coordinate classes you ask about.
To publish and moderate comments.
To understand how the Site is used, so we can improve our content and fix problems.
To protect the Site and our forms from spam, fraud, and abuse.
To comply with legal obligations.

We don’t sell your personal information, and we don’t share it for targeted (cross-context behavioral) advertising. Class request details are used only to reply to you about classes. They aren’t added to our email updates list unless you sign up separately.

Cookies and your choices

We use cookies for analytics. You can review and change your choices at any time on our Opt-out preferences page.

Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. If your browser sends a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal, our cookie tool treats it as a request to opt out of statistics and marketing cookies.

You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings, or install Google’s Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Affiliate links and third-party sites

The Prep Verdict is reader-supported. Some links on the Site are affiliate links, mainly through the AvantLink network. When you click one, you leave our Site. The affiliate network and the retailer may then set their own cookies or use similar technologies to record that the visit came from us, so we can be credited if you make a purchase. Those companies may collect information about your activity over time and across different websites, and their use of that information is governed by their own privacy policies, not this one. See our Affiliate Disclosure for more about how these relationships work.

We also link to other websites, such as government agencies and news sources. We aren’t responsible for the privacy practices of sites we link to.

We share information only with service providers that help us run the Site, and only as needed for them to provide their services:

Hosting, email, and content delivery: Hostinger hosts the Site, our email, and our content delivery network.
Analytics: Google (Google Analytics).
Comment avatars: if you leave a comment, a scrambled version of your email address (called a hash) may be sent to Automattic’s Gravatar service to check whether you have a profile picture there.
Future email service: if we move email updates to an email service provider, your email address will be stored with that provider so it can send our updates.

We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect our rights or the safety of others, or as part of a sale or transfer of the Site. If the Site is ever transferred, this policy, or one at least as protective, will continue to apply to the information we hold.

How long we keep information

Email updates: until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your address.
Class requests and emails: as long as needed to respond and coordinate classes, then deleted when no longer needed or when you ask.
Comments: as long as the comment remains on the Site.
Analytics data: according to our Google Analytics data-retention settings.

Your choices and requests

You can ask us to tell you what personal information we have about you, correct it, or delete it by emailing admin@theprepverdict.com. Every email update includes a way to unsubscribe. You can also unsubscribe at any time by replying to one of our emails or writing to us.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional privacy rights under your state’s law. We honor reasonable requests from all U.S. visitors whether or not a specific law requires it. We’ll respond within 45 days, and we won’t treat you differently for making a request. We may need to verify your request, for example by confirming it comes from the email address involved.

Children’s privacy

The Site is intended for adults and isn’t directed to children under 13. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we’ll delete it.

Security

The Site uses HTTPS encryption, spam protection on its forms, and security software. No website or method of transmission is completely secure, but we work to protect the information we hold.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the Site changes. When we do, we’ll update the effective date at the top of this page. If we make a material change to how we use personal information, we’ll post a notice on the Site before the change takes effect.

Contact us

Questions or requests about this policy: admin@theprepverdict.com.