Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 29, 2025

December 29, 1812: The USS Constitution, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captured the HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three-hour battle. — This is also the birthday of inventor Charles Goodyear (1800–1860.) — The 20th Anniversary SurvivalBlog 2005-2025 Waterproof/EMP-Resistant Archive USB sticks are now available for Pre-Ordering!  This year, we are also offering a limited number of them in steel keepsake tins, with keychains.  Orders should start to be mailed in the third week of January.  To be sure that you get yours, order soon! — With the exceptionally large moves in the silver market, …




The 20th Anniversary SurvivalBlog Archive USB Sticks

I have some great news: The new batch of 32-gigabyte waterproof SurvivalBlog archive USB sticks is now available for pre-ordering. To order, see the 2005-2025 SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick ordering pages: Standard Edition Keepsake Edition in a custom steel tin, packaged with a keychain Many folks have asked about what is included in the new 20th Anniversary  2005-2025 SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. There certainly is a lot! Of course, these sticks will have everything that has ever been posted in SurvivalBlog, dating back to its launch in August, 2005, and up to December 31, 2025. In my humble opinion, the …




How Long Will The Silver Bull’s Rampage Continue?

Spot silver jumped 10.35% to $79.59 per troy ounce in just one day, on Friday, December 26, 2025. On that day, there were new all-time highs set for silver, platinum, and gold. Spot silver has gained a phenomenal 166% in value in 2025. And now, amazingly, a $1,000 face value bag of pre-1965 non-numismatic “junk” 90% U.S. silver coins now sells for $56,840. Though prices vary, that effectively means that the melt value of one U.S. pre-1965 silver dime (10-cent piece) is now $5.68. And today? In Monday morning trading in China, (that was early Sunday evening, in the United …




Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Senator Dan Sullivan’s Alaska Seafood Newburg comes to us by way of SurvivalBlog reader Mike in Alaska. Mike writes: “I got this in an e-mail from my friend U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska. He has given permission for publication. We used some Copper River Silver Salmon we caught fresh from the river, one very large fillet in our recipe. It was absolutely wonderful. My wife made the sauce, baked the salmon in the oven and then poured the sauce over the salmon. Fresh caught salmon has a taste that is impossible to beat.” Ingredients 2/3 …







The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“For all being Kings as much as he, every Man his Equal and the greater Part no strict Observers of Equity and Justice, the enjoyment of the Property he has in this State, is very unsafe, very unsecure. This makes him willing to quit this Condition, which however free, is full of Fears and continual Dangers: And ’tis not without Reason, that he seeks out, and is willing to join in Society with others, who are already united, or have a Mind to unite, for the mutual Preservation of their Lives, Liberties, and Estates, which I call by the general …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 28, 2025

On December 28, 1867, the United States claimed Midway Island, the first territory annexed outside continental limits. — December 28, 1793 was the day that Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason. The charges against him were never fully detailed, but he was tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Best known as the author of Common Sense, he moved to Paris to be part of the French revolution. Initially welcomed, the tide soon turned against him, because he was opposed to the death penalty and the French revolutionaries were sending hundreds to the Guillotine. — SurvivalBlog Writing …




The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 5, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) Truckers. Contrary to popular belief, the depiction in the movies of truck drivers being a prime source of hitchhiking rides, just isn’t true. Maybe I’ve been doing something wrong all these years but in all my hitchhiking miles I’ve only been picked up by a trucker once. He explained that between company policies and insurance regulations, they’re not allowed to pick up hitchhikers. So, even though it won’t hurt to try, don’t expect to get many rides from truckers. Comedy. Humor can also help get a ride sometimes. On a cold day …




JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: The Artist, Formerly Known As Prince The Commoner, Formerly Known As Prince News Links: Andrew stripped of ‘prince’ title and will move out of Royal Lodge. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor faces ‘real blow’ as ex-prince has ‘gun licence revoked’. 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:

“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts …




Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 27, 2025

A special update on the silver market, from JWR: Spot silver jumped 10.35% in just ONE DAY, on Friday. (December 26, 2025.) So, today set new all-time highs for silver, platinum, and gold. Amazingly, the melt value of one U.S. pre-1965 silver dime is now $5.76.  Today’s silver rally dropped the silver-to-gold price ratio to near 57-to-1. Seeing this happen on a Friday was particularly surprising, since Fridays are the usual “Mischief Days” for the Comex short-selling co-conspirators. Clearly, the Shorts have lost control. You may be asking: What will happen next week?  Look for insanely high new margin requirements, …




The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 4, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 3.) WEAPON It’s important to always maintain situational awareness wherever we are, and even more so when hitchhiking. There was only one time in all my hitchhiking travels where I had a negative experience during a ride. It got to the point where I thought it might be necessary to calmly let the driver know I was armed. A well-dressed guy in a Lincoln Continental gave me a ride. He looked like he was on his way to an important business meeting. We chitchatted for a while and then he made a homosexual proposition. It was out …




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 …




The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with …




Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 26, 2025

On December 26th, 1776, after crossing the Delaware River, Washington led his men against Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans, significantly boosting their flagging morale. — December 26, 2004: The Indian Ocean region Tsunami took more than 250,000 lives. — And on December 26, 1848, the first gold seekers arrived in Panama en route to San Francisco. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A …