Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 13, 2025

On December 13, 1774, Paul Revere and Wentworth Cheswell made their famous ride to warn Portsmouth of the approach of British warships. — December 13th was the birthday of Sergeant Alvin York. — After spending nine months on the run, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was captured on December 13, 2003. — Today’s feature article is by JWR. — We need more entries Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. …




Opportunity Knocks: Building and Registering Tax-Free Suppressors – Part 1

Introductory Legal Proviso:  What I’m presenting in this article is solely for informational purposes. Consult local, state, and Federal law before buying or constructing a suppressor.  Stay legal!  Take note that the following applies only to folks who live in free states. There are many states like California and Illinois that have bans on suppressors. – JWR — As of January 1, 2026, the National Firearms Act (NFA) Tax on suppressors (called “silencers” in the legal world), short-barreled rifles (SBRs), and short-barreled shotguns (SBSes) will drop from $200 per transfer to ZERO. So now, although the NFA transfer application no …




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:

“And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it. And he said, Let us take our journey, and let …