Year: 2025

Camel City Mill Ironside Merino Wool Work Socks, by Thomas Christianson

I recommend Merino wool socks rather than cotton or synthetic socks for field use. Merino wool provides better moisture control, better insulation when wet, and better odor-resistance than cotton or synthetics. I recently had the opportunity to test four pair of Camel City Mill Ironside Merino Wool Work Socks. They proved to be excellent. The socks were comfortable, durable, warm, they breathed-well, and were order-resistant. Camel City Mill is one of a half dozen or so American companies that sell outstanding Merino wool socks that are made in the U.S.A. When so much manufacturing has been moved overseas, it is …


Recipe of the Week: Carol’s Zuke Bread

The following recipe for Carol’s Zuke Bread is from SurvivalBlog reader Carol in Delaware. This uses a regular 9×5 loaf pan. The recipe can easily be doubled. Ingredients 3 large eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 lightly packed cups shredded zucchini (shred it just before adding) 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a standard 9×5 loaf pan and line …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — August 10, 2025

On August 10th, 1897, German chemist Felix Hoffmann (pictured) synthesized acetylsalicylic acid. This would later be patented by his company Bayer under the name “Aspirin”. — August 10th, 1984: Red Dawn, the first PG-13 rated movie, starring Patrick Swayze was released. — A noteworthy obituary: Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell dead at 97. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a …


Scrabble and Prepping – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) Our prepping will be easier, and we’ll be more comfortable if the S ever hits the F, if we use all the resources available to us. When stocking up on necessities, we’ll refer to books, articles, YouTubes, and prepping and self-reliance groups. Visiting places like Jamestown, Old Plymouth Colony, and Sturbridge Village, or attending festivals where things are done as they were in pre-technology days, can be fun activities and educational, as well. They not only teach us things and open our minds to the possibilities, but can also inspire some to …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: For Firefly/Serenity Fans: The Mystery Cause of the Deaths on Miranda Has Been Solved: They Were Doomscrolling Funny Cat Videos Video Link:  Serenity: This Whole World’s Dead For No Reason! News Link: The guilty pleasure of funny cat videos. 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 they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — August 9, 2025

On August 9, 1666, Rear Admiral Robert Holmes led a raid on the Dutch island of Terschelling, destroying 150 merchant ships in the Vlie estuary, and pillaged the town of West-Terschelling. This raid was later known as “Holmes’s Bonfire”. The event is shown in the painting ‘Holmes’s Bonfire’ by Willem van de Velde the Elder. — August 9th, 1831 was the birthday of James Paris Lee (August 9, 1831 – February 24, 1904). He was a Scottish-Canadian and later American inventor and arms designer, best known for inventing the bolt action that led to the Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield series of …


Scrabble and Prepping – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.) SCRABBLE IS A MATH GAME Just as Scrabble involves math, have we applied enough math to our prepping? Do we know how long a bar of soap lasts or how many calories we need per year per person in our group? Are we just guessing or have we actually marked a tube of toothpaste with a Sharpie when we begin using it and note the date when it’s finished? Have we at least looked it up somewhere to get a rough idea on how long it will last? Do we know how long it takes for …


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:

“But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it. And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — August 8, 2025

On August 8, 1786, Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard became the first men to climb to the top of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe. — On August 8, 1911, Public Law 62-5 set the number of representatives in the United States House of Representatives at 435. The law came into effect in 1913. — August 8th is the birthday of Terry Nation (August 8th, 1930 – March 9th, 1997), who was a Welsh television writer and novelist. Nation wrote two television series, Survivors and Blake’s 7, in the 1970s. Survivors was re-made in 2008 and 2010. — SurvivalBlog …


Scrabble and Prepping – Part 1, by St. Funogas

A few years back I was at an auction where a prepper had passed away. He had everything under the sun and appeared to be well stocked in the food department as well as many other areas. While looking over everything before the auction started, I noticed a Scrabble board game. I thought to myself, “Now here’s a guy who was really prepared for TEOTWAWKI.” It wasn’t the cheapie set with the board that folds in half and no bag to draw your tiles from. It was one of the deluxe editions with a swivel base which allows each player …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the volatile global silver market. (See the Precious Metals section.) Precious Metals: In modern times, silver has been known for more volatile price swings than gold. This week was no exception. From Friday, August 1st to Thursday, August 7, spot silver climbed from $36.63 to $38.53 per Troy ounce. In my estimation, as …