Month: February 2025

Fuels for Cooking, Warmth and Comfort – Part 3, by Lodge Pole

(Continued from Part 2.) When the 2024/2025 woodstove season started, I had roughly seven cords of stacked, seasoned wood in the shipping container. We use about two cords of wood each winter. My goal is to always have at least two years of firewood on hand. To me, three years is an insurance policy. If I am unable to gather firewood one summer, I do not need to worry. I will simply gather more the following summer. I also store everything I need to gather, cut, carry, and split wood to prep it for storage. Our log splitter, chainsaws, axes, …


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: Dismantling the Deep State. Team Trump’s Substantive Swamp Draining Some fascinating reading, over at the EKO substack: OVERRIDE — INSIDE THE REVOLUTION REWIRING AMERICAN POWER.  A key quote: …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 12, 2025

On February 12, 1818, Chile gained independence from Spain. — February 12, 1870: An official proclamation set April 15 1870 as the last day of grace for US silver coins to circulate in Canada. — Ready Made Resources (our longest-running advertiser) has announced a special overstock sale on military contract canned freeze-dried foods. These include some premium meats and are available in individual #10 cans, or in six-can case lots. Stock up! — I’m scheduled for cataract surgery on my right eye, today. Even though this surgery is now considered a “routine” outpatient procedure, I’m still feeling a bit anxious.  …


Fuels for Cooking, Warmth and Comfort – Part 2, by Lodge Pole

(Continued from Part 1.) Tools for Cutting Wood at Home Wheelbarrow or manure cart- I use these to haul wood and cutting equipment. Occasionally, someone will offer me free firewood they cut some time previously. Sometimes, if it is seasoned and not split, the wood can be heavy. In these circumstances, I will use a furniture dolly, but I try to never cut and/or haul anything that large/heavy. Hunting/Boy’s Axe – I prefer using a two-pound “boy’s axe” because it is extremely light, and easily maneuverable. This is strictly used for delimbing. Splitting maul – I use these not only …


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. — Will North Carolina Be The 30th Constitutional Carry State? o  o  o A recent purchaser of one of our waterproof 2005-2024 blog archive USB sticks wrote to ask about what appeared to be inconsistent access to the “Index” page and to the library of bonus books.  I sent him this explanation: The …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 11, 2025

On February 11, 1851, gold was discovered in east-central New South Wales, sparking Australia’s first gold rush.  Pictured is Bernard Otto Holtermann with the world’s largest monolithic gold specimen, in North Sydney.  It reportedly weighed 630 pounds. — On February 11, 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in Iran. Just a few days after Khomeini’s triumphant return from French exile, the Iranian army stepped aside, making way for the creation of an Islamic theocracy. — Because I have the first of two eye surgeries scheduled for tomorrow, I have put a pause on the automated ordering system for Elk Creek Company. I’m …


Fuels for Cooking, Warmth and Comfort – Part 1, by Lodge Pole

Before buying our home, we rented it. The first winter living there, I had forgotten to call and get a propane fill-up. When I checked the tank level, it showed 1%. I called the propane company, explained that I needed a fill-up, and was told they could not service me for another week or more. The only exception was if I agreed to be placed “on route”, which meant they would fill my tank when they were in our area, every two weeks. We needed propane to stay warm since our only heat was an HVAC system, so I agreed …


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 located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, an emphasis on some backcountry adventures in the American Redoubt. Idaho This video gives you some glimpses of our “back yard”: Almost Canada —  Outdoor Idaho. o  o  o And farther south, in the Bitterroot range: IN THE SHADOW OF THE BITTERROOTS, PART 1 — …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 10, 2025

On February 10, 1906, the British battleship HMS Dreadnought was launched after only 100 days. It rendered all other capital ships obsolete with its revolutionary design. — February 10, 1918: In Finland, General Carl Gustaf Emil Von Mannerheim gathered an army known as the ‘White Guard’ to mount a counter-revolution against the Bolshevik ‘Red Guard’. — February 10,  1951:  “John and Marsha” by Stan Freberg, a parody of daytime soap operas which had only two voices repeating each other’s names, peaked at #21 in the USA. — Today’s feature article is a review written by our own Tom Christianson.  


Right Rope 3/8 Inch Polyester Double Braid Rope, by Thomas Christianson

One of my heroes is the late American humorist and outdoorsman Patrick F. McManus. Among Mr. McManus’ vast treasury of reflections about the human condition is a comment about rope. He wrote, “Give a man enough rope and it still will come out 6 inches too short. That is the nature of rope, if not the nature of man.” (“At Loose Ends”, in The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw.) I am happy to report that in one instance at least, the great Mr. McManus is not entirely correct. I recently tested a 3/8 inch polyester double braid rope from Right …


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Grandma’s Dutch Oven Corn Dodgers is from SurvivalBlog reader Joanna E.  She says: “Corn Dodgers are just round or oblong balls of cornbread. They are usually served with chili or with stew. But you can eat them separately, as a trail food. These store fairly well, but you may have to soften them with either broth or milk if they’ve been stored more than a day or two.” Ingredients 2 cups of cornmeal 1 tablespoon of white sugar 2 tablespoons of butter ½ teaspoon of salt 2 cups of milk 1 teaspoon of baking powder Directions …