Month: January 2026

The Elenco Two-IC AM Radio Kit – Part 1, by Mike in Alaska

Introductory Note: I purchased this kit for this article and I do not represent the Elenco Company. They have not paid me or provided any materiel for writing this article. This article is a review on the Elenco Model AM-780K AM radio kit. It was designed for students in an electronics lab class, and when I was working on my associate’s degree in Electronics Engineering the college I was attending issued us both the AM radio kit from this company as well as the AM/FM version of it. The knowledge I want to pass on here is that should you …


SurvivalBlog’s American Redoubt Media of the Week

This weekly column features media 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. Recent Redoubt Links Congrats to gun trainers Clint & Heidi Smith, who are opening a new shooting school at the Cody Shooting complex, near Cody, Wyoming. Video: 15 Wyoming Freedoms That Would Be Illegal Almost Everywhere Else. JWR’s Comment:  Interesting… It appears that they sped up the video by 10% or more, to match the short attention spans of some contemporary viewers. Breakthrough: Idaho Lab Produces World’s First Molten …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 12, 2026

On January 12, 1528, Gustav Vasa, Gustav I of Sweden was crowned King of Sweden. He ruled for 37 years, and became known as the “father of the nation.” His coronation started a succession of 23 monarchs with many of them known as “Gustav/Gustaf”. Their current king, Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus, was born on April 30, 1946. He ascended the throne on September 15, 1973. Carl XVI Gustaf is the seventh king of the House of Bernadotte. He is the longest-reigning king in Swedish history. — And on January 12, 1913, after using other pseudonyms over the years, Josef Dzhugashvili …


Tyrant Design TDC 002 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

The Tyrant Design T.D.C. 002 Folding Knife has a 2.75-inch Tanto blade that is 0.13 inches thick at the broadest part of the spine. It has a black nitride finish and is made of D2 steel. The blade opens smoothly around a ball bearing pivot point using nicely textured thumb studs. It is secured in the open position by a liner lock. Jimping on the spine of the blade gives better control during delicate cuts. The grip of the handles is enhanced by textured EPDM rubber panels with a decorative chevron pattern. Chevrons on the accent spacer on the back …


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Rich Amish Cornbread is from SurvivalBlog reader Tractoguy.  He says: “I love the taste of cornbread, but don’t eat much of it because it is usually so heavy. This is the lightest, fluffiest cornbread that I have ever had, probably because of the sour cream in it.” Ingredients 1/2 cup wheat flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 egg 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick) Directions Combine ingredients, mixing briefly. Pour the batter into a greased 7-inch square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week 

Today’s graphic: A map showing recent U.S. Internal Migration — The Geography of Choice. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Note that majority of the states that are gaining population are conservative “Red” states.  Preppers moving to the American Redoubt, Texas, The Ozarks, and to the Cumberland Plateau undoubtedly were a contributing factor in these population shifts. 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.



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 11, 2026

On January 11, 1571 Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II granted Austrian nobility freedom of religion. — January 11, 1966: 550 people died in landslides in the mountains behind Rio de Janeiro after a huge rainfall. — The 20th Anniversary SurvivalBlog 2005-2025 Waterproof/EMP-Resistant Archive USB sticks are available for Pre-Ordering.  Orders should start to be mailed in the last week of January.  To be sure that you get yours, order soon! — Although it is quite blatantly pro-monarchist, the only fairly complete coverage of the anti-Khameni revolution in Iran seems to be coming from the YouTube channel Tousi TV. – JWR …


Introduction to Suppressors, by Subsonic Scribe

Effective January 1, 2026, the ATF eliminated the $200 tax on firearm suppressors. This change will undoubtedly encourage many shooters to purchase or make a suppressor. In this article, I will share information for those new to suppressors to be able to make an informed decision as to whether to pursue getting one (or several). As a disclaimer, I have no financial involvement with any companies or products mentioned here. What are firearm suppressors? A firearm suppressor is a muzzle device mounted on a shotgun, rifle, or pistol to reduce the sound made when the gun is fired. They are …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Learning Center Leering Center Learing Center King Learing Center News Links: Daycare accused of multimillion-dollar fraud shifts blame for ‘revealing’ mistake above its front door… as kids are suddenly ‘trucked in’. Minnesota’s infamous Quality ‘Learing’ Center is now closed, records show. 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:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — January 10, 2026

On January 10, 1776, the “Common Sense” pamphlet by Thomas Paine was first published, advocating American independence. — January 10, 49 BC: Julius Caesar defied the Roman Senate and crossed the Rubicon, uttering “alea iacta est” (the die is cast), signaling the start of civil war and his appointment as Roman dictator for life. — And January 10th, 1776, was the day that North Carolina Governor Josiah Martin issued a proclamation calling on the king’s loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the “rebels”. This ultimately led to Colonel Donald McLeod leading the men on an assault on …


Introducing Your Community to Emergency Preparedness – Part 3, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) The final aspect of emergency cooking stoves that I cover are biomass units, in particular the Kelly Kettle. I appreciate the ability to configure these units to either “cook” on or quickly boil water with. The small feed openings at the bottom or the chimney opening on top of the kettle do restrict the size of materials used to feed the flames when compared to other small biomass cookers. None the less, the kettle’s speed and efficiency for boiling water as well as its lower weight and ruggedness impress me. The final …


Editors’ Prepping Progress

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 …