Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 23, 2026

On May 23, 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was created out of the American, British and French occupation zones. Pictured above is East German steam locomotive 03 2155-4 in the West Germany city of Cologne. (A public domain photo by wwwuppertal, taken in 2013.) — May 23 is the birthday of George Lars Kellgren (born 1943 in Borås, Sweden), the founder and chief engineer of Kel-Tec. He designed many firearms earlier for Husqvarna and Swedish Interdynamics AB in Sweden. He moved to the US in 1979 and his original US designs were for Intratec and Grendel brand …




Post-SHTF Lighting: Testing My Preps – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) Location Uses and Upgrades I Made Kitchen Table – The table is under the beams which support the loft. With the table mostly being used as a work space and for playing games, a light hanging from above was needed. The lantern lights hanging upside down were enough for eating but more light would be preferable for other activities. As mentioned, the A-19 was the perfect solution. The shadowless light was as bright as the 120-volt lights they were replacing. For the test, the small riding-mower core battery was used to power …




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 …




The Editors’ Quote

“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them. And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you? Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and …