Year: 2024

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This 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. — Are there any SurvivalBlog readers who live in the Orange Free State, in South Africa?  I have a special relocation opportunity available for an individual or a family. Please contact me either via e-mail or via our Contact form. Thanks, – JWR o  o  o Google’s Gemini AI is woke as heck …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 27, 2024

On February 27th, 1933, the German Reichstag (parliament) building caught fire, a key event in the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship. More recently, the terms “Reichstag Fire” and “False Flag Event” have both come into use to describe triggering events covertly used to shift public opinion and shape government policies. On February 27th, 1900 — Felix Hoffman patented acetylsalicylic acid, better known as aspirin. February 27th, 1902 Harry ‘Breaker’ Harbord Morant was executed in Pretoria. On this day in 2010, a magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck Chile, causing widespread damage and triggering a tsunami that devastated coastal areas; it was the most …


Practical Homestead Irrigation – Part 1, by A.F.

Although neither of our extended families still had full-time farmers in them as my wife and I came of age, our parents, grandparents and most of our aunts and uncles raised gardens or livestock then froze or canned the meats and vegetables grown. Living what I now know was a relatively sheltered childhood, I thought everyone did the same things we did. Raising bottle calves, staining tee shirts while picking blackberries, stringing and breaking beans all summer long, refilling the under-sink potato bin from the storage crib every week, and hearing your elders discuss the need for rain on the …


SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements 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. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on demographic statistics and trends. Region-Wide Snake River dam agreement challenged in court over electric rates, reliability worries. (Our thanks to reader A.K. for the link.) o  o  o Greater Idaho on the Ballot in Crook County. o  o  o Wikipedia: Inland Northwest …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“This may be considered as the true palladium of liberty…. The right of self-defense is the first law of nature: in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever standing armies are kept up, and the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.” – St. George Tucker (A Bermudian-born American lawyer, military officer, and professor who taught law at the College of William & Mary.)


Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 26, 2024

Forced to abdicate as French emperor in 1814, Napoleon escaped from exile on the island of Elba on this day in 1815 and, gathering support en route, retook power on his return to Paris on March 20, ushering in the Hundred Days. — February 26, 1993: A truck bomb built by Islamic extremists explodes in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others. — February 26th is also the birthday of Major-General Orde Charles Wingate (born, 1903, died 24 March 1944), an eccentric British Army officer …


Buck 286 Bantam BHW Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Bottom Line, Up Front The Buck 286 Bantam BHW Folder is a robust, 3.38 inch, drop-point-blade knife. It comes out of the box razor sharp. The thick, nicely-textured, fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) handle is just a little on the chunky side for everyday carry (EDC), but is unusually comfortable under heavy use. It has dual thumb studs for ambidextrous one-handed opening. The stonewashed finish on the 420 HC blade is attractive. The lockback holds the blade securely open. With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $33.99 at the time of this writing, and widely available online for less, the Bantam represents excellent value …


Recipe of the Week: Italian Eggs

The following simple recipe for Italian Eggs is from Good HouseKeeping’s Book of Menus, Recipes, and Household Discoveries (253 pages, copyright 1925, now in public domain). That is one of the 11 new bonus books included in the new 2005-2023 edition of the SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. Ingredients Asparagus tips 2 cupfuls Hollantlaise Sauoe 6 eggs Directions Butter a rather shallow glass dish and cover with hot, canned or freshly-cooked asparagus tips laid flat and evenly, allowing four to six tips for each serving. Meanwhile, poach the eggs in the usual manner and arrange them on the asparagus tips. SERVING …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 25, 2024

February 25th is the birthday of the late bluegrass music legend Ralph Stanley (1927 – 2016). His harmonizing and high tenor solos had an almost haunting sound to them. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2,000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or …


State Defense Forces: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, by S. Actual

On December 13th, 1636, in Salem Massachusetts, the tradition of the American militia was born. Since that time, the brave men and women of the various State militias have continued to serve and protect this great nation throughout the centuries. One of the greatest historical battles of this Republic, known as the Battle of Bennington in 1777, was a pivotal engagement in the revolutionary war that it led to the defeat of the British military forces, including their hired Hessian and Indigenous native tribal factions. It is also the primary basis for the establishment of benefits for veterans of American …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Elmer T. Fudd Says: Just Because I Am Vewwy, Vewwy Opinionated Doesn’t Mean I’m Authoritative Nor Does it Make Me Wrong News Link: Wilson Combat Hackathorn poos the bed & Garand Thumb Responds 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:

“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. …