“I love long-range rifle shooting. I like anything that deals with precision. I also find that with archery. On my ranch, I have my own range with 3-D targets of animals and hay bales from different distances.” – The Late Paul Walker
On January 19, 1937, Howard Hughes set a transcontinental flight record of 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds. — January 19, 1810: On “Cold Friday”, the temperature at Portsmouth, New Hampshire dropped from 54°F to minus 12°F in one day, and many people were reported frozen to death. — This is also the birthday of the late Carla Emery (born 1939, died October 11, 2005). She is well known in self-sufficiency circles as the author of The Encyclopedia of Country Living. — There were two large solar flares yesterday (Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.) One of them was a category …
The EZARC ARC-Edge Reciprocating Pruning Blade is designed to make a Sawzall or similar reciprocating-blade-saw into a pruning tool. The 15-inch, chrome-vanadium-steel blade has an aggressive tooth design optimized for pruning with five teeth per inch. A shorter 12-inch version is also available. I tested the 15-inch version. Based on my testing, I would suspect that the shorter 12-inch version would work better than the 15-inch version. The extra length of blade that extends beyond the object being cut tends to whip violently to the left and right as the blade moves backward and forward. This creates extra friction, vibration, …
The following delicious recipe for Smothered Chicken is from The New Butterick Cook Book, copyright 1924, now in the public domain. That is just one of the dozens of bonus books included in the 2005-2025 20th Anniversary Edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick that is now available to order. Ingredients 2 small chickens or 1 large one 2 or more tablespoons butter Salt and Pepper Flour Directions Take off the neck and split the chicken down the back, wiping it with a damp towel. Season inside and out with salt and pepper, and dredge on all sides with …
Today’s graphic: Countries from which the U.S. resident visa applications will be paused, starting January 21, 2026. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) News Link: Visa processing from 75 countries will be paused, citing the Donald Trump administration’s desire to “end the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people.” 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 creation or uncopyrighted.
“In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm… in the real world all rests on perseverance.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
On January 18th, 1591, during the Burmese-Siamese War (pictured) King Naresuan of Siam killed Crown Prince Minchit Sra of Burma in single combat. The date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed Forces day. — January 18th, 1813, was the birthday Joseph Glidden, who invented barbed wire. — Kevin Costner, who starred in Open Range, was born on this day in 1955. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 122 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 …
I have been on my farm for about five years, give or take. I live outside a small town in rural Tennessee. I didn’t know anyone when I moved here. The closest neighbor is about half a mile away, and the rest are many miles down the road. If you are planning on moving from the suburbs or cities to the countryside, you might glean something from my experiences. I hope this helps. The first neighbor I met was an older widow, and the circumstances weren’t great. My big dogs (German Shepherds) had a habit of escaping the property and …
The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Ryan Gosling And Ryan Duckling 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.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater …
January 17, 1746: In the Battle of Falkirk Muir, the Jacobites under Charles Stuart defeated Hanoverian forces. — And on January 17, 1950: The Great Brinks Robbery. 11 men robbed $1.2 Million in cash and $1.5 Million in securities from armored car company Brink’s offices in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1956, eight of the robbers were convicted and handed life sentences in prison. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 122 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 …
Editor’s Introductory Warning: The devices described in this article can cause great bodily injury. We live in a highly litigious society. Employing caltrops in any situation other than a “Without Rule of Law” societal collapse would invite a lawsuit that could potentially cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or perhaps even more than a million dollars in assessed damages, attorney fees, and court costs. There is also the potential for these to be stepped on inadvertently by family members, friends, pets, or livestock. So, ONLY use them in absolute extremis, and only in a fenced-off area that will prevent the …
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 …
“I Am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Also when …
On January 16, 1605, the first edition of “El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha” (Book One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes was published in Madrid. — January 16, 1668: The Infamous sword duel between George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham and Francis Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury. They fought over Anna, Duchess of Shrewsbury and mistress of Buckingham. The Earl was mortally wounded. — The 20th Anniversary (2005-2025) SurvivalBlog archive waterproof USB sticks have arrived from the manufacturer! Orders will be mailed out starting next week, in the order that they were received. We expect to sell out …
