Year: 2025

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 23, 2025

July 23, 1764, James Otis (pictured) published The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved, in which he argued against taxation without representation. — On July 23, 1777 Polish military leader Casimir Pulaski arrived in Marblehead, Massachusetts, to volunteer in the Continental Army cavalry. — On July 23, 1944 Battle of Kursk (Koersk) ended. This was the largest tank battle in history. It was a defeat for the Nazis, with thousands of German tanks and self-propelled anti-tank guns destroyed. — In honor of the birthday week of Samuel Colt, we are running a special sale at Elk Creek Company. …


Preparedness Primer for an Uncertain Future – Part 2, by Single Farmer

(Continued from Part 1.) Sometimes, when you are lost, often the best course of action if you can is to go back to a known starting point. Trying to figure out where we are on a historical timeline if we could be going into a Third World War, you first need to know how we became embroiled in the First and Second World Wars. Without the First, you would not have the Second. Nation-states need to have certain preconditions to have a world war. The First World War — known back then as the “Great War” — was a conflict …


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. — When the Whitaker family members aren’t bluewater sailing around the world, they’re in Montana, prepping for societal disruption:  Sailing Zatara: Prepping —  Learning how to survive off grid!  JWR’s Comments:  Please remember that when running a chainsaw, always wear eye and ear protection as well as Kevlar saw safety chaps. Remember one …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 22, 2025

On July 22, 1916, a timebomb was exploded by radicals at a Preparedness Day parade in San Francisco, killing 10 people and injuring 40 others. — July 22, 1298: The English defeated the Scots at the Battle of Falkirk. — And on July 22, 1489, the Treaty of Frankfurt was signed between Maximilian of Austria and King Charles VIII of France. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 119 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 …


Preparedness Primer for an Uncertain Future – Part 1, by Single Farmer

Editor’s Introductory Note: This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details, see this link to his article posted on July 13th, 2025: My Quest for a Wife: I’m Willing to Move. — During the height of the most recent tensions in the Middle East, …


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, news about Montana’s cattle population.  (See the Montana section.) Idaho This 42-inch lake trout just broke a state record. o  o  o Inside Idaho’s only maximum security prison where Bryan Kohberger may spend the rest of his life. o  o  o Rexburg man convicted for …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — July 21, 2025

July 21, 1404:  The Battle of Shrewsbury: The Army led by the Lancastrian King of England, Henry IV defeated a rebel army led by Henry “Harry Hotspur” Percy of Northumberland. This ended Percy’s challenge to the throne. This was the first battle in which English archers fought each other on English soil. — July 21,1904: After 13 years of construction, the 4,607-mile Trans-Siberian railway was completed. — In honor of the birthday week of Samuel Colt, we are running a special sale at Elk Creek Company. Many antique and percussion replica gun prices have been reduced — including all of …


Armasight Thermal Optics, by Thomas Christianson

I stepped out my door with the dog on a leash, ready to go for a walk. A glance toward the woods on the other side of the driveway did not reveal any signs of life. I was carrying an Armasight Thermal Monocular in my right hand. I turned it on, put it to my right eye, and glanced at the same patch of woods across the driveway just to make sure that the monocular was on. Much to my surprise, I saw a herd of a half dozen or so deer looking back at me. What was easy to …


Recipe of the Week:  Baked Hamburger Zucchini

The following recipe for Baked Hamburger Zucchini is from SurvivalBlog reader Ellen H. Ellen’s Preparation Notes A.) Be sure that the zucchini is well-drained. I press mine through a sieve, to remove moisture. Skipping this step will probably make it soggy. B.) The required baking time may vary. If you have a wide and shallow baking time, then the baking time may be less. C.) This is a main course that recipe serves six adults. Ingredients ½ lb. lean ground beef ½ of a 2″ diameter onion, finely diced 3 ½ c. shredded zucchini, drained 1 c. Bisquick (or homemade …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Map of Lead Service Lines per Public Water System. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.         Reader Robert W. had these comments: “Pretty good fit, eh? This needs a real scientific study. The correlation is just too strong to be coincidence. It’s been long asserted that Romes decline was due in part to its lead pipes, so there’s considerable precedent. Could lead poisoning/brain damage lead to half the voters being disqualified for medical cause? Maybe the real reason cities lean democrat is because of lead poisoning.” Also see this map: The Real Reason …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — July 20, 2025

On July 20, 1793, Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie completed the first European east-to-west crossing of America north of Mexico. Here is a quote from his biography: “Emigrating at a young age from his native Scotland, Mackenzie began working for a trading company aligned with the North West Company, the big rival to the Hudson Bay Company. In 1788 Mackenzie travelled to and later took charge of a trading port at Lake Athabasca (in modern Alberta). Tasked with discovering a river route to the Pacific Ocean, Mackenzie set out in 1789 and became the first to traverse what is now called …


Some Hidden Threats to Critical Infrastructure, by A.C.

In an increasingly interconnected world, the security of critical infrastructure, particularly power grids, is paramount. While geopolitical tensions often dominate headlines, there are some extremely concerning threats that aren’t getting as much play as they should: the potential for foreign actors to exploit vulnerabilities in seemingly innocuous imported components. In the essay, we’re going to chat about some recently uncovered instances of undisclosed communication devices embedded in critical infrastructure components, such as solar inverters and port cranes, highlighting the severe risks these “backdoors” pose to national security and even you as a private citizen (prepper or not). We’re also going …