Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 19, 2026

On March 19, 1882, the first stone was laid for the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Antoni Gaudí.  A 55-foot cap piece cross was finally set in place on February, 20, 2026.  The light through the cathedral’s stained glass windows can be dramatic on sunny afternoons.

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And on March 19, 1918, the US adopted the Standard Time Act of 1918, also known as the Calder Act, a federal law that implemented standard time (and daylight saving time). It defined five time zones for the United States.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  3. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  4. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is providing a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

Beyond Organic: Biological Systems Gardening for Food Security – Part 1, by Hobbit Farmer

Many articles in SurvivalBlog discuss reaching the point of a new normal after TEOTWAWKI when society starts to rebuild and little communities pull together. However, the majority of articles focus on getting through the event itself and not how you are going to live beyond the event. To be successful in the post-TEOTWAWKI economy you will need to have the means to produce. Without petroleum-powered combines, chemical fertilizers, centralized distribution systems, and confined animal feeding operations the food system will fall apart. It’s all powered by (relatively) cheap fuel and transport. Your food sources will be mostly reduced to whatever can be grown, collected, or hunted within a 5-to-10 mile radius. Gardening/farming is the original means of production, and it is probably the most accessible means of production in terms of entry requirements. All you need is some dirt and some seeds and now you are a gardener. However, as you all know there is a lot more involved in being a successful gardener than just that.

In this article, I’m going to share the gardening principles I’ve learned over the past 11 years that have led to my gardening success. Early on in my gardening journey I stumbled on some of these principles by accident and found some successes. I just didn’t know why it was working. Now that I’ve rounded out my knowledge of these principles, I can better understand why a particular planting succeeded or failed (yes, I still have failures). But now the crucial question, why should you listen to me? It’s important that we answer this question now so I can potentially save you a lot of reading.Continue reading“Beyond Organic: Biological Systems Gardening for Food Security – Part 1, by Hobbit Farmer”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, venomous Blue Dragon Sea Slugs.

Do Not Touch: Blue Dragon Sea Slugs

Venomous ‘blue dragons’ washing up on South Texas beaches during spring break.

Granny Jailed for 6 Months After A.I. Error

Reader H.L. sent this troubling news:  The Dark Side of AI: Innocent Grandmother Wrongfully Jailed for 6 Months After Facial Recognition Error.

Hackers Join in on Iran War

Posted one week ago, at Axios: Hackers join U.S. and Israel’s fight with Iran.Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 18, 2026

On March 18, 1850, Henry Wells & William Fargo formed American Express, in Buffalo, New York.

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March 18, 1911: North Dakota enacted a hail insurance law.

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And on March 18,1925: The Great Tri-State Tornado, a monstrous F5 (over 300 MPH) tornado roared 219 miles across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwest Indiana. It killed 695, injured over 2000, and destroyed 15,000 homes.

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Today’s feature article is a timely piece from the SurvivalBlog archives.

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We need of entries for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Fuel Storage for Survival Retreats, by Flighter

Editor’s Introductory Note: The following is a re-post of a 2007 SurvivalBlog article. Given the recent spike in gasoline and diesel fuel prices, I thought that is was apropos to re-post a few articles related to fuel from SurvivalBlog’s early days.

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The world runs on petroleum. Imagine a post-apocalyptic period when the local gas station is closed, and has been for two years. How will you carry out your daily activities? Generate electricity? Pump water? Plow your garden, or fields? All of these can be done by hand, and have been for thousands of years. Modern life has given us tools to help with these chores, and we can store the tools, and the food for them, for quite awhile. Gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, Coleman® fuel, and other petroleum products – all can be stored.

For long term survival purposes, only one vehicle fuel is worth talking about: Diesel.Continue reading“Fuel Storage for Survival Retreats, by Flighter”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

Our weekly Snippets column is a collection of short items: responses to posted articles, practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. Note that we may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

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U.S. Army Reveals New Chevy Silverado-Based Infantry Squad Vehicle – Heavy Next-Gen Hybrid. JWR’s Comments:  They say that history doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes.  This reminds me of the U.S. Army’s Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle (CUCV) procurement in the 1980s. That was basically a diesel-engine Chevy K5 Blazer with CARC camouflage paint, blackout lights, towing shackles, military trailer hitch, brush guard, and a slave cable receptacle. They looked tough and somewhat mil-spec, but they were NOT combat vehicles!

o  o  o

El Niño coming this summer, says NOAA in update; what does that mean for summer temperatures and hurricane season?

o  o  o

Brave ROTC students credited with stopping deadly classroom shooting at Old Dominion. JWR’s Comments:  It was interesting to hear how the FBI spokesman euphemistically said: “…rendered him no longer alive” with a pocketknife. And I must mention that the regulations of most eastern colleges and universities including Old Dominion do not allow students to carry knives.  Thank goodness that at least one cadet flouted that rule!

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 17, 2026

On March 17, 1959, the US nuclear submarine USS Skate became the first submarine to surface at the North Pole.

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After a multi-month restocking hiatus, we are again taking orders at Elk Creek Company. Here are our updated inventory counts:

  • Pre-1899 Antique Rifles:  22 (We have deeply restocked 7×57 and 6.5×55 Mauser rifles.)
  • Pre-1899 Antique Shotguns: 9 (Most are 12 gauge and most of them have fluid steel barrels!)
  • Pre-1899 Antique Pistols and Revolvers: 21  (Mostly S&W top break revolvers.)
  • Blackpowder Revolvers: 23 (Most are .44 caliber, with modern cartridge conversion cylinders available. We have deeply restocked the much-in-demand Ruger Old Army revolvers.)
  • Blackpowder Rifles: 7 (Most of them are .50 Caliber deer/elk hunting rifles.)
  • Knives and Bayonets:  24 (Edged weapons and tools from the 1870s to the 2010s.)
  • Magazines and Other Accessories:  7 types (These include some scarce original Rhodesian camouflage-painted FAL magazines!)

No paperwork is required for buyers in most states!  (Consult your state and local laws before ordering.)

We accept payment by USPS PMO, check, or pre-1965 U.S; silver coinage at a divisor than changes often.  That divisor is presently 58-to one!  (Just take the total for your order and divide by 58.  For example, say that you are orderingan antique rifle priced at  $750 plus $45 postage.  (A total of $795.)  You would pay just $13.70 face value in U.S. silver in any mixture of dimes, quarters, and half dollars.

Take a look at our inventory!

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Today’s feature article is by Field Gear Editor Tom Christainson.

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We need a few more entries for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

WeatherWool Selvedge Poncho, by Thomas Christianson

I recently re-read The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O’Brian. It is book 16 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. One episode in the novel describes Dr. Stephen Maturin riding a mule into the Andes to meet with conspirators who are plotting the overthrow of the Spanish government in Peru. As Maturin rides higher into the Andes, the temperature falls, and he pauses in his journey to put on a poncho.

I suspect that the poncho that O’Brian had in mind as he penned his novel looked something like the one worn by Clint Eastwood in all three films of the Dollars Trilogy.

The WeatherWool poncho that I recently tested was shaped more like the ones worn by the soldiers portrayed in the statues of the Korean War Veterans Memorial. It was made of heavyweight Merino wool rather than the coated nylon twill of the Korean War era.Continue reading“WeatherWool Selvedge Poncho, by Thomas Christianson”

SurvivalBlog’s American Redoubt Media of the Week

This weekly column features media from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest.

Redoubt News links

Send Your Media Links

Please send your links to media from the American Redoubt region to JWR. Any photos that are posted or re-posted must be uncopyrighted. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.

 

Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 16, 2026

March 16, 1802: The first US Military Academy at West Point was established through a Congressional act. It opened July 4, 1802.

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Today’s feature article is the third and last installment of a guest post by our friend Mrs. Alaska. We highly recommend her blog and books.

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We need entries for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Update: Now Mailing the March, 2026 S.O.S. Newsletter

I’ve completed the new issue of the SurvivaBlog Old School (SOS) newsletter.  The March, 2026 issue will be mailed starting today, over the next several days. This issue’s emphasis is on suppressor construction with detailed specifications, tips, and tricks. This is our third issue, and it is six pages long.

SOS is a traditional hardcopy mailed newsletter intended as a backup to Internet delivery, in the event of any sort of disruption — whether natural or man-made. Normally, you’ll receive just one issue each year, with some practical information that is not published in the online edition of SurvivalBlog. But if a crisis develops that limits Internet access, you might get SOS issues as often as once per month.

Subscriptions are simple: $50 for a three-year subscription or $200 for a Lifetime Subscription. (My lifetime, not yours.)

Any new subscribers will also receive the two previous issues. And I will continue to mail out all three extant issues of the newsletters to anyone who signs up in the next four months.

I’d prefer that you send your subscription payments via USPS Postal Money Orders, payable to just “Jim” or well-concealed cash, for your privacy. Alternatively, you can send just $3.25 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver coinage to cover a Lifetime Subscription.  Please use the address below, and also please put the same address in the upper left-hand corner of your envelope. Similarly, you’ll receive each S.O.S. issue in an envelope with your own address duplicated as the return address. (Again, for your privacy.):

SOS Newsletter
P.O. Box 303
Moyie Springs, Idaho 83845

I also take subscription payments via PayPal (to james@rawles.to), but that of course leaves a digital record.

Note: If for some reason you redundantly receive TWO envelopes each containing the March, 2026 issue, then please let me know, so that I can take the redundant address off the list. Thanks! – JWR

Construction and Design of a Remote, Off-Grid Residence – Part 3, by Mrs. Alaska

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Storage

A big challenge when living in small homes is storage space. In a climate with dramatic temperature swings like ours, we have, for example, different mittens, boots, parkas and hats for +30, 0, and -30 degrees. All of these are bulky. We also have special clothing for hunting, fishing, and rain, and various accoutrements for outdoor activities. So, we built lots of storage shelves in various outbuildings to hold labeled totes of out-of-season clothes. In our cabin, I store things under, over, behind, and beside furniture. For example, my husband built long, plank bookcases under the windows and at the top of the pony walls (3.5 feet) below the steep roofline. I curtained the space beneath the bookcase to store medical and office supplies. Fermenting beer and wine are stored between a loveseat and cabinet. Long cooking utensils hang on cup cooks inside cabinet doors. Potatoes are stored behind a corner chair. Since I have only two drawers in the kitchen, I hang wicker creels from the spiral staircase to corral small items.

I consider outside “rooms” very important, too, even in a cold weather climate, but surely more so in hot and rainy regions. Outside, we enjoy two 10 x 16 decks upstairs and down, and a 6 x 16, unheated arctic entry (combination mud room and food pantry) that leads to a 10x 10 deck with the cedar soaking tub. We move among our three decks and living room based on sun, shade, rain, and wind.Continue reading“Construction and Design of a Remote, Off-Grid Residence – Part 3, by Mrs. Alaska”