We had five consecutive days of temperatures at -51 below zero to -57 below zero and a wind chill factor that froze the doors shut.

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. Pictured above is an old stereo view of the frosted beards of some Klondike miners.

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Mike in Alaska wrote:

“In the time since December 20th, 2025 and this morning we have had consistent temperatures at or below -35 degrees; in addition we have had 23” of snowfall, and our snow will not melt until mid April or May … Juneau is on the ocean and it is a tragic event for them inland, as it is for all the costal areas. Welcome to the real Alaska. The last winter we had in this State was in 2012 which was as bad as this one is just not as long lived as this one is. Yesterday it was -7 degrees out during the day for about five hours ..then it dropped to -27 again, this morning the skies are clear, the aroura is spectacular, and its -37 below zero again. We had five consecutive days of temperatures at -51 below zero to -57 below zero and a wind chill factor that froze the doors shut. In the 15 years that I’ve lived here this is only the second time I’ve seen this kind of winter, so I guess it was overdue.

I’m ready for a nice balmy Montana winter where one can expect a spring in April, early planting in May, and a great harvest in fall … I miss the seasons. We have four seasons up here …. June, July, August (1/2 of it) and winter. Arggggggh ….. when we lived on Flathead Lake we had a 1 acre garden and grew so much that we ended up giving away some of it … did you know that a bulk pack of zucchini seeds (25 seeds) do not all need to be planted at one time?? I found that out …. Garden City Seeds out of Hamilton was our primary seed source back then … I miss Montana and the real weather. Keep warm and may God richly bless you all.”

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A book excerpt from author Jack Lawson: Lice (and How to Deal with Them). You wil recognize Jack Lawson’s name, as one of our writing contest prize donors.

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From freelance writer Jasper Craven, at Wired: True Patriots Are Cashing In on the Apocalypse. JWR’s Comments: Craven’s approach to the subject was antagonistic. And his selection (or the editors’) selection of photographs to run in the article not-too-subtly attempted to cast the two rival companies in a bad light.

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I noticed that spot silver hit $90.72 per Troy ounce last night — which was the morning of January 14th, in Asian trading. The Asian physical market has supplanted price discovery from the Western paper silver market. The silver bull is not slowing down. Just remember that it is important to recoup your acquisition cost with some incremental selling, as silver rises. Once you’ve done that, then you can just enjoy the ride. If you bought most of your silver at under $30 per ounce, you should now be selling about 20% of your silver stack. You should always have an exit strategy for any commodities investment. Next stop: $100 per ounce. – JWR

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Reader K.R. had this useful advice:

“Considering recent changes, particularly the removal of the $200 tax on suppressors, there are likely many filing their Form 1s with the ATF at the time of this writing. It has been said, but to repeat; complete your Form 1 with the ATF before doing anything. Once you’ve obtained your approved Form 1, and you begin construction of your own cans (see recent articles, including the one by JWR).

I would also encourage you to consider one of the linear compensators in the AIM7 product line. These little tubes have an outside diameter of 1.285, and comparable to the Kaw Valley Mach 3 Linear Compensator which is stated to also have an outside diameter of 1.285. I believe JWR, in his recent article cited an internal diameter for the Mach 3 of just over 1 inch. The ARCHER X-5 that I have here has an internal diameter of 0.94. If you are planning to use cups from Freedom Gear, they cite an external diameter for their “C” size titanium cups of 0.75 (approximate).

Although the ARCHER X-5 here is only one of AIM7’s many linear compensators in their line up, I can confirm the ARCHER X-5 does not have any internal obstructions. It was very clean machined product. What the manufacturer calls the coupler (1”), the spacer (3.5”) and the thread adapter are, according to the manufacturer, made of 6061-T6 billet aluminum. They list the cap as being made of SUS303 billet steel. The entire compensator had a neutral black hard anodizing throughout.

The tubes (couplers and adapters) had ID/OD Thread: 1-1/8 x 28 TPI, which corresponds to the thread machining of many adapters and caps out there. Also, the AIM7 lineup has a thorough selection of direct threading options, I found the 13/16×16 adapter particularly interesting as this can be used with the ASR mounts [muzzle devices]. AIM7 offers a nice selection of these as well. Although there are benefits to either choice, using a device that allows me to interchange between different weapons seems prudent. REMEMBER if you using one can for more than one weapon, of different calibers the holes in the cup and end caps must allow the projectile to pass freely.

CHECK and DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING! Even then, baffle strikes or end cap strikes can still occur, resulting in damage to the suppressor, or injury.”

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Reader Richard T. writes:

“I knew we were penny-pinchers but I was still pleasantly surprised when I read those links to frugality that on one of them we were doing every single item that was applicable. Often it is suggested to forego processed foods but not followed with the suggestion to make your own fermented foods (yogurt, kimchi, kraut, kefir) and breads, pizza, and mayo without sugar. And there is more reason than frugality to stay away from restaurants as in the restaurant brawl article.

One tip that I don’t recall ever hearing has to do with saving paper, particularly that for your nose. Why not use laundered handkerchiefs? Paper towels can be had a lot more inexpensively by getting brown paper towels used by farmers. And here’s a new one I’ve experienced; due to the scarcity of pennies when using cash, they ask if you would round it up from 54 cents, and if you don’t have a nickel then you will have to give a dime. Carry nickels when using cash!

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Drivers divided on wild ‘American Autobahn’ plan to pull speed limits of highways.

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H.L. wrote the following, in response to reading at the Quoth The Raven substack: The Dollar’s Death In 2026 Is Now A Mainstream Talking Point:

“If one can, might be a good idea to stock up a bit on essentials such as: canned food including meat if you do eat it, freeze-dried vegetables, powdered egg,

And even MREs. Our Military has had to eat MREs during all our past wars going back to even WW One. Stockpile canned cat and dog food if needed.

Have extra laundry and bar soap, candles, matches, tiny sterno stove and the cans of sterno AND MATCHES and some candles. Light candles and set in Kitchen sink. We have four seasons, so in winter, if the power goes out, lots of blankets, and if possible a small wood stove.

Make certain that the chimney has been inspected from the fireplace to the top by a professional and there are no cracks in the chimney, that could set your house on fire in the winter. In warm weather, cook outside on a grill, and if you run out of charcoal, gets some twigs or you can even clump up dried grass, tie with string and burn that. \Store water in large rubbermaid covered plastic trash cans and add 6 drops per gallon of bleach for every gallon at least once a month. Try and store the water in the shade. to get water when it rains, cut off a downspot and put in a diverter. Divert the water to a 22 or 30 gallon Rubbermaid barrel. cover when full and add the 6 drops of bleach to each gallon and add the bleach every few weeks. rain coming off the roof shingles where there is bird droppings needs to have bleach so you do not pick up some disease.

If you are wondering where I got this information, this is how I lived in West Virginia. The expensive well had too much salt (due to West Virginia having oil and gas underground), so I had a 2,000 gallon concrete cistern buried in the ground to collect rainwater, then added bleach at the water in the kitchen. When I took a shower, I tried not to drink the water. I was never ill. Power would at times go out, even in the winter. Winter was no fun, the house had no basement, but was resting on large stones, with a very skinny crawl space. I stored water near the kitchen, and some in the kitchen and bathroom.

So, I lived in two worlds, the more modern one and yet like a pioneer. Of course, the large dog and the 8 to 12 cats had the best of care. A couple of propane wall stoves, vented to the outside kept the cat room warm (cats comes first) and the living room / master bedroom. Lots of blankets, and yes I bought thermal underwear (not wool, as I am allergic to wool). I had a little grill on the covered front porch to cook or warm up food, especially in winter.

I was prepared for a couple weeks no power in winter, but it if went on for a long time, I would have had more trouble. I could not just drive away and leave a huge dog and my 8 to 12 cats. I would never do that. Fortunately, West Virginia is used to snow and cold, and they had a lot of state plow trucks and just about every guy had a pickup truck with a plow. Connecticut is to modern and many people do not know how to form a plan b. the state tells them to go to heating centers, but what if there is 2 to 3 feet of snow in their 200 ft. driveway, and they are elderly? cold kills. So one needs to plan for the worse and hope for the best. that know how to do.

There are still some of us Old Connecticut Yankees who know how to survive – hopefully. Of course, the 2^nd Amendment is very important because even nice people, when hungry or cold, may try and take from those who have. Good strong locks on doors and windows, and a couple firearms loaded and placed in good hiding places, and not locked up if the children are at least 7 or 8 years old and of normal intelligence. Five of us grew up in a farm house with a large closet at the bottom of the stairs into the kitchen. There were handguns, 22s, shotguns, pellet gun, BB gun, and it was not locked. Ma was usually in the kitchen and Dad, too. The one phone in the house was there, the huge kitchen table and extra comfy chairs, and Rover our dog. There were good locks

On all the exterior doors and even the four upstairs bedrooms, and two bedrooms had roofs one could crawl onto and get down to the ground. Dad had a pistol in the nightstand between the two double beds he and Ma had, and the first floor porch roof was outside their windows.

If anyone broke into the kitchen, Rover would have attacked. Both my older brothers slept over the kitchen and could get to the gun closet.

Well, today America has too many troubled people: young people without manners who are now adults and think the World owes them a living. Well there Are still adults and places in America where they really should not go if they cannot behave. There are a few of us left in Connecticut!

Anyway, our Dollar is in trouble, and certain other currencies. America has spawned too many teens and young people who seem to be feral, lacking manners and spoiled. Plus America is the envy of other nations, and some of them are dangerous: Iran, certain parts of the Middle East, CHINA, MEXICO, a few more in South America, and many of the NATO countries are weak and have little will. They think America is going to save them. They should first save themselves. Certainly, Germany under Hitler (a real SOB) had plenty of soldiers, men and women. One would think they would be strong. There are many German-ancestry people here in America, i.e. West Virginia – really tough people. West Virginia has a hunting season every day of the year. Lots of hills and hollows and tough people – men and women. Let the other 49 states laugh at them, they do not care. To bad it is close to Washington, DC because if a Nuke was dropped anywhere, I believe it would start with D.C. Sadly, the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia was a secret for decades and where Congress and Senate and President would go. A few years ago they were outed, so now that Resort is useless, though they have underground bunkers with air filtration, bunk beds and a lot of long dated food. There was a TV program showing all that a few years ago. Too bad.

When times get hard, and our MONEY becomes even more worthless, then there will be more crime. Not just taking $$$, but food, clothes, and firearms they find. Secure locks on windows, doors, including 2^nd floor because some crooks have ladders, and even battery-operated alarms which will startle the crook on a ladder under your bedroom window. Again, the 2^nd Amendment can really help. By the time you use your cell phone to call the Cops, it could be a few hours until they get there. This is especially true in small and very rural towns. PROTECTION AT HOME IS NO. 1 THING TO DO. Exterior doors, need to be thick, solid core, and have a deep throw deadbolt locking mechanism. You can look it up. You can also purchase a battery-operated barking dog noise simulator that hangs on the inside door knob. A loud, deep bark will scare most crooks away, even if they are armed. No one in their right mind would want to try and get into a house in the

Middle of night if they hear a large dog barking like crazy. I used to have one, so I know they exist.”

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U-Haul report: 9 of top 10 destination states are pro-Trump. (A hat tip to D.S.V. for the link.)

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And lastly, over at Birds & Blooms: Should You Add Rusty Nails to Your Garden Soil?