Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 23, 2026

On February 23, 1903, the United States and Cuba signed an agreement by which Cuba released Guantanamo and Bahia Hondo to the US for naval stations. Pictured is a US Coast Guard patrol boat, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2003.

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February 23,1958: San Francisco’s last municipal arc light at the corner of Mission and 25th Street was removed. It had been installed in 1913.

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Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson.

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We need 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.

Woodhaven Fire Starters, by Thomas Christianson

The Bottom Line, Up Front

The Woodhaven Fire Starters provide excellent material for igniting a useful blaze. Each disk is four inches in diameter, one inch thick, and weighs 4.2 ounces. They are composed of cedar sawdust bonded together with refined paraffin. One full disk burns for 20 to 30 minutes. It can also be broken into smaller pieces to start multiple fires.

The fire starters are safe to use in fireplaces, firepits, wood stoves, and similar applications.

The disks come in packages of 12, 50, or 100. At the time of this writing, those packages cost respectively $19.99, $65.00, and $110.00 at the LogOx website. The fire starters are made in the U.S.A.

The fire starters function very much like fatwood as an ignition material. They are easier and more versatile to use than fatwood, since they can easily be broken up with your fingers. The disks cost roughly twice as much as fatwood per ounce when purchased in 25-pound boxes. When purchased in smaller quantities, the prices are about the same.Continue reading“Woodhaven Fire Starters, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:  

The following recipe for Pre-Spring Brussels Sprouts is from SurvivalBlog reader C.A.H..

Ingredients
  • Brussels Sprouts – About 2 lbs
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 3 tbsp
  • Fish Sauce – 1 tbsp
  • Balsamic Vinegar – 1 tbsp
  • Black Pepper – to taste
  • Thyme – 2 sprigs
  • Honey – 1 tbsp
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Wash the Brussels Sprouts, and cut them in half.
  3. Toss them with olive oil, fish sauce, and vinegar.
  4. Season with black pepper.
  5. Arrange on a baking sheet so that the cut sides are facing down.
  6. Roast for 20 minutes and then check that they’ve reached golden brown.
  7. Add herbs.
  8. When dark golden brown toss them and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.
  9. With just 3 minutes to go, drizzle with some honey.
  10. Remove from oven, toss, check seasoning, you may need a bit of salt. When they taste right, serve immediately.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Firewood Supply Versus Demand. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit. Map by Casey Peterson, based on 2021 PRISM  OSU climate data.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

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From the Reddit site:

Heating demand is approximated using a Heating Degree Day proxy derived from PRISM 30-year mean annual temperature. The formula max(0, (18.3 - Tmean) * 365) estimates how much heating a location needs annually – 18.3°C (65°F) is the standard base temperature below which buildings require heating. Higher values mean colder climates with greater heating needs. This is a simplified annual approximation; true HDD uses daily temperatures, but the relative ranking between cells holds at this scale.

Firewood supply is a weighted index of forest cover from NLCD 2021 land cover classification. Deciduous forest (NLCD class 41) is weighted at 1.0 since hardwoods like oak and hickory produce significantly more heat per cord than softwoods. Mixed forest (class 43) is weighted at 0.7 and evergreen/conifer forest (class 42) at 0.4. The result is a single value representing the relative firewood resource available in each cell, accounting for both the amount of forest and its quality as fuel.

Each cell is ~250 sq miles

DISCLAIMER: The analysis doesn’t account for number of people at all – it’s a purely landscape-level ratio of “how much forest is here” relative to “how cold is it here.” It’s not calibrated to any specific number of people, cord consumption rates, or sustainable harvest yields. It’s a relative index that says “this cell has more firewood per unit of cold than that cell” – useful for ranking cells against each other, but not for answering “can 50 people actually heat their homes here.”

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Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 22, 2026

On February 22, 1889 US President Grover Cleveland (pictured) signed the bill to admit Dakotas, Montana, and Washington as states of the union.

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February 22, 1857 was the birthday of  Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist who was the first to broadcast and receive radio waves and helped to invent radar technology.  He died in 1894.

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On this day in 1943,  Sophie Scholl was executed by beheading for organizing the White Rose group–a student resistance to the Hitler regime.  She had been convicted of high treason, after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich (LMU) with her brother, Hans. She was 21 years old.

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On this day in 1732, George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia.

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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.

Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 4, by J.M.

(continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.)

Battery Safety

If you’ve ever watched the news you’ve probably heard stories about exploding Lithium batteries in cell phones, electronic cigarettes, USB battery packs, etc. They’re all true – lithium is an extremely hazardous chemical; it’s poisonous, it’s unstable, it burns extremely fast and hot (>3500F) and it produces hazardous gas when it burns. So why is it used in all of the most common forms of battery electrolytes? Because it has the best cost/size to energy density ratio currently available and manufacturers decided it’s worth the risks, and consumers agree with them.

The underlying cause of lithium batteries catching fire and exploding is thermal runaway, which is an uncontrollable, self-sustaining chain reaction triggered when heat generation within a battery cell exceeds its ability to dissipate heat. For most lithium batteries that starts at an internal temperature of around 175F, but it can be accelerated by mechanical damage, overcharging, external heat, shorting or manufacturing defects. Shorting out a lithium battery is a sure-fire way to get it to catch on fire, and puncturing the casing can cause it to explode.Continue reading“Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 4, by J.M.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

AOC Arrived So Proudly But She Left in Shame When She Brought Her Prized Collection of Bugs

To The Etymology Conference

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.” – Matthew 24: 1-18 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 21, 2026

On February 21, 1568, the treacherous Treaty of Adrianople: Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II (pictured) and Ottoman Sultan Selim II signed a peace agreement between the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire; the Ottomans received cash and the territories of Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia.

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And on February 21, 1808, Russia invaded Finland (then part of the Swedish Kingdom), with 24,000 troops.

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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.

Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 3, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 2.)

Battery Drain

While I briefly mentioned battery drain earlier it’s worth going into a bit more detail. Drain rate describes how fast a device uses power when a device is in operation. Examples of high-drain devices include things like digital cameras, GPS devices, portable gaming consoles, high-lumen LED flashlights, radios (when transmitting) and motorized devices like power tools. Some low-drain devices include television remote controls, wall clocks, smoke detectors, and red dot sights. Rapidly draining a battery’s charge can significantly shorten its life, so choosing the right type of battery for each type of device is critical.

How fast a battery can provide power to a device is called its Continuous Discharge Rating (CDR) and is measured in amps (A). A related measurement is a ‘C-rate’, which is calculated as discharge current (CDR in amps) divided by the battery’s rated capacity (in amp-hours). C-rate consists of a number followed by a ‘C’ – ‘1C’ means the battery can discharge it’s entire capacity in one hour, .5C means it can fully discharge in two hours, 2C means it can fully discharge in 30 minutes, etc. The higher the C-rate the faster the battery can provide power.Continue reading“Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 3, by J.M.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I was down with a head cold that developed into acute bronchitis, for most of this week. That was no fun, and sadly I accomplished very little around the ranch. My darling wife (“Avalanche Lily”) showed great patience with her coughing patient. She is such a blessing!

I’ve started writing the upcoming issue of the SurvivaBlog Old School (SOS) newsletter. This issue’s emphasis will be on cough, cough construction tips and tricks. This is our third issue.  It should be mailed to subscribers sometime in March.  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, you might get SOS issues as often as once a month.  Subscriptions are simple: $200 for a Lifetime Subscription. (My lifetime, not yours.)  I’d prefer that you send your subscription payments via USPS Postal Money Orders payable to “Jim” or well-concealed cash, for your privacy. Please use this address, and also put the same address in the upper left-hand corner of your envelope. (Again, for your privacy.):

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

Lambing season has begun at the Rawles Ranch. Lily will give you all the details, in her part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” – Psalm 3 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 20, 2026

On February 20, 1472, the Orkney and Shetland Islands were ceded by Norway to Scotland as part of a dowry payment. (Pictured are some of the Shetland Islands.)

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February 20, 1824: The first description of a dinosaur: ‘Megalosaurus or Great Fossil Lizard of Stonesfield’ was pesented to the Geological Society of London by William Buckland, beginning dinosaur mania

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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.

—

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.

 

Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 2, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 1.)

Rechargables

Rechargeable batteries come in a much wider variety of chemistries than primary ones, including nickel–cadmium (NiCd), nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) and various lithium-ion (Li-ion) and Lithium Polymer (LiPo) chemistries. It’s important to understand the ‘Li-ion’ and ‘LiPo’ aren’t specific chemistries, they’re categories of chemistries that use Lithium as one of the components of the electrolyte. Li-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte, are usually cylindrical, and common chemistries include:

  • Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LiCoO2, LCO): Known for high energy density and used in portable electronics like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. It has a nominal voltage of 3.60V with a moderate number of recharges (500–1000 cycles), and a thermal runaway temperature of 150°C.
  • Lithium Manganese Oxide (LiMn2O4, LMO): Offers high power and improved safety compared to LCO, often used in power tools and medical devices. It has a nominal voltage of 3.70V (3.80V), and a recharge cycle life of 300–700 cycles. These are frequently referred to as ‘IMR’ batteries.
  • Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2, NMC): Balances high capacity and power, with a nominal voltage of 3.70V. It is widely used in electric vehicles (EVs), e-bikes, and industrial applications, with a recharge cycle life of 1000–2000 cycles.
  • Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4, LFP): Known for safety, long recharge cycle life (1000–2000 cycles), and a flat discharge voltage, and a nominal voltage (3.20–3.30V). It is used in stationary energy storage and high-current applications.
  • Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (LiNiCoAlO2, NCA): Used in high-performance EVs, with a nominal voltage of 3.60V and a recharge cycle life of 500 cycles.
  • Lithium Titanate Oxide (Li2TiO3, LTO): Features exceptional recharge cycle life (3,000–7,000 cycles), fast charging (up to 5C), and wide temperature range, but it’s currently the most expensive. It is used in UPS systems, EVs, and solar street lighting

Continue reading“Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 2, by J.M.”