Mountain Ready Launches Initiative to Empower Women with Practical Survival Skills and American-Made Gear

Mountain Ready, a family- and veteran-owned small business founded by U.S. Army veteran Peter Zeppieri, has launched a renewed initiative to make survival skills approachable and achievable for women of all ages. The company operates through MountainReady.online, which blends a curated shop of American-made survival gear with a free online library of how-to articles, step-by-step guides, and videos designed to teach real-world skills rather than simply sell products.

Founder Peter Zeppieri emphasized the program's focus on practical, immediately applicable skills. "Too often women are told to 'be careful'—we want to give them the how," Zeppieri stated. "Preparedness isn't a one-size-fits-all checklist. It's about practical skills you can use right away: changing a tire at the side of the road, identifying an edible plant, treating a wound with an herb you can harvest, or keeping a small cabin lit when the power goes out." The initiative aims to strip away intimidation and give women the confidence to act when it matters most.

The skills-focused resources cover four key areas: roadside emergencies with step-by-step procedures and gear lists to prevent breakdowns from becoming crises; foraging and herbal medicine basics with safety-first guides to common edible and medicinal plants and emergency remedy preparation; self-defense fundamentals featuring practical, scenario-based techniques and mindset training designed for accessibility and safety; and off-grid energy solutions including small-scale strategies from portable solar kits to hand-crank tools for maintaining power during grid failures.

Zeppieri addressed common misconceptions about preparedness, noting that "People sometimes think preparedness is only for a certain type of person. But the best prep is simple, achievable, and focused on preserving life and dignity. I'm always happy to talk about why women might feel intimidated at first—and show how quickly that intimidation can turn into capability." This approach makes survival skills accessible to a broader demographic, potentially increasing overall community resilience.

Mountain Ready is deliberately structured as both a retailer and teaching resource. In addition to the online store carrying trusted brands and American-made items, the site hosts a growing news and education section where in-depth guides and checklists are published, many authored by Zeppieri and other experienced contributors. The educational content available at MountainReady.online/blogs/news ensures that anyone can learn essential skills regardless of their purchasing decisions.

Zeppieri summarized the philosophy behind the initiative: "Self-defense starts with awareness and confidence; gear is only the amplifier of what you already know." This emphasis on knowledge-first preparedness represents a significant shift in how survival education is presented to women, focusing on capability building rather than fear-based marketing. The company's product collections available at MountainReady.online/collections/all complement rather than replace the educational components.