From Andrew N: Regarding safe room construction… why should the door swing outward and not inward?

Answer: The problem with inward swinging doors is that they aren’t as strong as an outward swinging door. For example, when criminals kick in a door the majority of the time it will be an inward swinging door, since most homes are built with these types of doors. An inward swinging door is only as strong as the bolts or nails holding the hinge in place, while most outward swinging doors will have full contact with the door to the frame making them stronger. Now, since most homes have inward swinging doors I recommend a product called Night Lock, which is basically a brace you can place behind your door to hopefully prevent it from being kicked in.

From Lou G: I just received my 14-in-1 survival bracelet. Where can I find instructions on its features and how to use them?

Answer: You should have received instructions that describe the firestarter, compass, etc. etc. Someone from our customer service team will reach you to you.

From Ron V: What about the room safes? Can room safes in hotel rooms be trusted? Or should you carry your passport/backup cash at all times (maybe use a money belt?)?

Answer: You should absolutely keep all important documents on you at all times when traveling. The fact is, hotel room safes cannot be trusted because so many different people use the safe. What I mean is, consider the number of people who probably used the safe and locked themselves out of it. Well, the hotel would need to have a way to access the safe and several hotel employees could access these safes, which is why I would never use one.

From Sarah F: How can you tell if you’ve been hacked? How would you know if someone (cyberterrorists, the government, an ex-lover) has been reading your emails?

Answer: There are a number of different ways to tell if your computer has been hacked or if someone is spying on you. One of the most common ways to tell is if you are constantly getting fake anti-virus pop-ups on your computer. This is one of the most common ways hackers will steal more information from you by getting you to click on the fake anti-virus notification. Another common sign that your computer has been compromised is constant internet website redirects sending you to websites that you didn’t intend to visit. If your computer starts doing weird things like the ones mentioned above there is a good chance someone has hacked it. Remember to always use a reputable anti-virus program as well as a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to stay safe.