Year: 2025

The Baofeng DM32-UV DMR Radio: A Review, by Mike in Alaska

This review is from my own personal experience with this radio. I bought and paid for this radio from a website that I subscribe to and in no way do I represent that individual(s) or the Baofeng company. Baofeng has been building and selling inexpensive radios for quite a while now. I have, in the past, bought at least 20+ of the Baofeng UV-5 radios and some of the variants of that basic radio. All of them have been proven to be reliable for their limited use. They were very inexpensive, and to some extent, they still are. For a …


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 currencies and precious metals in times of war. (See the Precious Metals section and the Forex & Cryptos section.) Precious Metals: Gold spiked versus paper currencies early this week. On Monday, there was an intraday high of $3,417.60 per Troy ounce. But on Tuesday, after an announced (but fragile) ceasefire, spot gold …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — June 26, 2025

On June 26, 1794 the Battle of Fleurus was a major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coalition Army (Great Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, and Habsburgs). It marked the first use of a military reconnaissance balloon. — June 26th is the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what I call the Even Greater Generation. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for …


Another Look at Your BOB and INCH Preps, by Dr. Rick

In my most recent article which was posted on June 23, 2025, we looked at and evaluated your EDC and GHB equipment in the framework of survival priorities. Hopefully, you found that information useful. In the preceding article, the focus was on individual preparedness for drastic situations. Now we are going to look at two very different situations. In the two situations presented here, the focus is on family or group preparedness. Both involve evacuation. In this article, we will be looking at your BOB (Bug Out Bag) and your INCH (I’m Never Coming Home) kit using the same survival …


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, we look at a possible asteroid strike on Earth’s Moon. A Possible Asteroid Strike on Earth’s Moon in 2032? SurvivalBlog reader C.B. sent this: Earth’s satellites at risk if …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 25, 2025

On June 25th, 1530, German Protestant princes forced Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (pictured) to hear their Confession of Faith — a statement of Lutheran theology, now known as The Augsburg Confession. — On June 25th, 1798, the US Congress passed the Alien Act, allowing the president to deport dangerous aliens. — June 25th, 1876: Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn–also called Custer’s Last Stand – marked the most …


A Lesson in Price Versus Real Value, by Nurse Michele

I have a story to tell that I believe your readers will enjoy. And it serves as a perfect object lesson for any person that doesn’t understand the difference between money and currency and/or an excellent example of how the dollar (and all currencies) lose value. I’m including two pictures that I have taken and you are welcome to share on your blog along with the following short tale about a gift that has been passed down to me. My mother, recently gave me a gift that was originally given to her for her 25th wedding anniversary. Well, let me …


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. — A news link posted at our friend Commander Zero’s Notes From The Bunker blog: Shooter killed by staffers at Michigan church, police say; at least 1 person wounded. And here is some follow-up from the anti-gun PBS: Gunman killed after shooting into Michigan church, where his mother is a member. JWR’s Comments: …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — June 24, 2025

On June 24, 1374, a sudden outbreak of St. John’s Dance caused people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapsed from exhaustion. There is now conjecture that this strange outbreak was caused by rye bread contaminated with ergot fungus — a mycotoxin. — June 24th is the birthday of rifle-toting abolitionist pastor Henry Ward Beecher. (Born 1813, died March 8, 1887.) He and his adherents from his church smuggled so many Sharps rifles to Bleeding Kansas that the Sharps rifles picked up the nickname Beecher’s Bibles. The Infogalactic …


Another Look at Your EDC Gear and Your GHB, by Dr. Rick

There are two essential survival kits that deserve another look — both because of their importance and the confusion and misunderstandings that so often surround them. These kts are similar, but they are not the same. What sets them apart is their individuality and their applications. One size does not fit all. There’s no established list to bide by. To be successful, both bags/kits must be customized to meet each user’s individual needs. EDC stands for “every day carry.” In other words, with you all the time, always ready. The idea has been in the survival community for many years. …


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 update on a 2024 Sandpoint, Idaho arson attack. Idaho Idaho Arsonist Gets 15 Years for Torching Lawmaker’s Business. Here is an excerpt: “On July 4, 2024, the Army Surplus store in Sandpoint, owned by State Rep. Cornel Rasor (R – Westmond), was burned to …