Year: 2025

Preparedness in the New Golden Age or Grimy Age – 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 February 24th, 2025: My Quest For a Wife. — We find ourselves in a unique time which will be of great change. We can either …


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’s column has an emphasis on proposed and recently enacted legislation in the Redoubt states. The image above shows the interior of the Idaho state capitol building. Idaho Idaho Governor Signs School Choice Tax Credit Bill. o  o  o Idaho legislation, by bill number. o  o  …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 3, 2025

On May 3, 1849, the Gold Coinage Act authorized $20 Double Eagle gold coin and the $1 Gold Liberty coin in the United States. — Today is the birthday of bluegrass musician Doc Watson. (He was born in 1923 and passed away in 2012.) His guitar work was phenomenal. — This is also the birthday of both Alexander Graham Bell and actor James Doohan, in 1920. He played Montgomery Scott in the Star Trek television series and films. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He passed away on July 20, 2005. — A Newsletter Update: The March, 2025 edition …


Lightning Strike Fire Starter, by Thomas Christianson

The ability to start fires is foundational to survival. Fire provides warmth, light, hot food, the ability to signal, and a host of other practical and psychological benefits in the field. As a result, I recommend that an individual carry at least three fire-starting tools in their bugout bag, survival kit, or on their person while out in the field. These fire-starting tools may consist of things like matches in a waterproof case, a lighter (butane, liquid fuel, or plasma), a permanent metal match, a magnifying glass, or a ferrocerium rod. Because of its durability, stability under storage, and reliability …


Recipe of the Week: Potato, Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Soup

The following recipe for Potato, Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Soup is from SurvivalBlog reader D.G.. Ingredients 1/4 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips 1 large onion, chopped 3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 4 1/2 cups water 1 teaspoon kosher salt 6 ounces of block cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/4 cup chopped chives or scallion tops, for serving Directions In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. P Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: The “Stickiest” States: Showing the share of people born in each state who were still living there, as of 2021. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit. Based on Dallas Federal Reserve Bank statistics, via the U.S. Census Bureau.  Map created by Kavya Beheraj/Axios.) JWR’s Comment: The low numbers in Wyoming, Alaska, and Hawaii say a lot about differences in both climate and job opportunities. The thumbnail below is click-expandable.       — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is …


Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 2, 2025

On March 2, 1458, the Hussite revolution leader George of Poděbrady was chosen as the 16th King of Bohemia. On March 2nd, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Today is coincidentally also the birthday of Sam Houston. Today is also the birthday of Moe Berg, American baseball player and clandestine agent. (He died in 1972). His biography The Catcher Was a Spy is fascinating reading. And this is the birthday of libertarian economist Murray Rothbard (born 1926, died 1995.) His book For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto is highly recommended. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another …


The Savvy Barterer: References, Skills, and Tools for TEOTWAWKI Barter

JWR’s Introductory Note:  This is an update and substantial expansion to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog back in 2008. — One of my long-standing Precepts is that every prepared individual should be ready for both barter and dispensing charity. Today, I’ll be briefly discussing barter. Being ready to barter is not just a matter of having a pile of “stuff” to barter. While barter and charity logistics are important, what is even more important is what is between your ears. A Bazaar Experience Bartering takes practice. Dickering is an acquired skill. Short of buying yourself a plane ticket …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Donald Trump Is Such A Fascist! How Dare He Do So Many Fascist Things? Reducing The Size Of Government, Firing Career Federal Employees, Reducing Regulations, Privatizing Education, and Promoting Nationwide Permitless Concealed Carry For Private Citizens. Straight Out Of The Fascist Playbook. 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:

“The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 1, 2025

On March 1, 1516, printing was completed of “Novum Instrumentum Omne”, the first published New Testament in Greek. The preparation for publishing was done by Erasmus. Here is a description from the InfoGalactic Wiki: “Novum Instrumentum Omne, later titled Novum Testamentum Omne, was a series of bilingual Latin-Greek New Testaments with substantial scholarly annotations, and the first printed New Testament of the Greek to be published. They were prepared by Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) in consultation with leading scholars, and printed by Johann Froben (1460–1527) of Basel.” — On March 1, 1869, US Postage stamps showing scenes were issued for the …


WW3 Is Still On The Table: Europe Wants Boots On The Ground In Ukraine, by Brandon Smith

In the lead up to the 2024 presidential elections in the US the Biden Administration in collusion with UK, European and Ukrainian partners devised a plan to “Trump Proof” the war in Ukraine. In other words, they openly admitted that they wanted to prevent Trump from taking any actions that might force an end to the war and render a serious peace agreement. Part of that plan included the expanded use of long-range guided missiles supplied by western governments. These missiles require flight data from NATO assets along with NATO personnel to launch – Meaning, any strikes involving these weapons …


February, 2025 in Precious Metals, by Everett Millman

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance and silver’s performance and examine the factors that affected the metal prices. WHAT DID GOLD AND SILVER DO IN FEBRUARY? Even during the shortest month of the year, the precious metals markets packed in quite a lot of action. Prices ended basically back where they started, but there was a good deal of volatility in between. Both silver and gold rose on each of the first three trading days of February. The gold …