Month: May 2026


Preparedness Notes — Wednesday, May 27, 2026

On May 27, 1930 Richard G. Drew (pictured) invented cellophane tape. Five years earlier, he had also invented painter’s masking tape. — On May 27, 1941, the British Navy sank the German battleship Bismarck. — Also on this date, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney of Maryland issued Ex parte Merryman, challenging the authority of President Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. military to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in Maryland. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. This is the final round of the contest. There will not be …


A Letter To My Younger Self – Part 1, by N.C.

This is an article hypothetically written to my younger self, as if I were just going to start on my path of preparation. These are lessons I spent a couple decades learning. So, this is for you, young man. Things I’ve learned, what I’d do if I were in your shoes: Social Skills Are the Primary Prepping Skills Not guns. Not gardening. Not bushcraft. Social skills. Social Skills are the single most important skill you need. It will affect your career and therefore your resources and your preps. It will affect your mate options. It will affect your children. It …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

The 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. — Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson mentioned that Karl Bushby (pictured) was last reported in Nuremberg, 500 miles from Calais, on his way back to Hull, England. He has now walked or swam nearly all the way around the world. He might be done by July 1st, 2026. JWR Asks: Will the French and …


The Editors’ Quote

“Pace yourself in your reading. A little bit every day really adds up. If you read during sporadic reading jags, the fits and starts will not get you anywhere close to the amount of reading you will need to do. It is far better to walk a mile a day than to run five miles every other month. Make time for reading, and make a daily habit of it, even if it is a relatively small daily habit.” – Douglas Wilson


Preparedness Notes — Tuesday, May 26, 2026

On May 26, 1908, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Murdock and their children became the first family to travel across the United States by car, driving from Los Angeles to New York City in a Packard Thirty in 32 days, 5 hours, and 25 minutes. — Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams, Jr.) was born May 26, 1949. When not touring, he lives Somewhere in Montana, so he qualifies as a Redoubter. He has a large gun collection that is heavy on Sharps rifles and rifles that have factory letters showing that they were originally shipped to Montana. He also has many …


Prepping on a Dime, by Michael X.

When we started prepping, we did not have the money to buy an old missile silo…or an old mine…or a ready-to-use retreat. We were “stuck” in the city where our jobs were. Then we retired. We could sell our house and move to the middle of nowhere… From a city near the Twin Cities in Minnesota of over 100,000, my loving wife and I have relocated to a lakeside cottage in northern Wisconsin, a few miles outside a village of about 400 people. Wisconsin has its own problems. Mostly Madison and Milwaukee. And to a lesser extent, Eau Claire. Those …


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. Pictured above is Idaho’s Bogus Basin.  (Photo courtesy of the talented photographer Charles Knowles.) Redoubt News Links Boise County search crews find lost hiker, 2 dogs near Bogus Basin after 911 text. Local Cowboys Win Big at the Bannock County PRCA Rodeo Motor Vu Drive-In is back: America’s largest outdoor drive-in screen reopens. In Montana: Proposed AI data center near Broadview could use natural gas as a power …



Preparedness Notes — Monday, May 25, 2026

On May 25, 1842, Christian Doppler presented his concept, now known as the Doppler Effect (through the changing colors of binary stars), to the Royal Bohemian Society, in Prague. — And on May 25, 1878: W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan‘s comic opera “H.M.S. Pinafore” premiered in London. It was their first international success. — Today, Memorial Day, is a day of solemn remembrance in the U.S. of the many who have given their all for our freedoms. We always thank those who are serving in our military and their families who have also made sacrifices, but today most of …


Litt Industries LED Upgrade for Mini Maglite, by Thomas Christianson

The Litt Industries LED Upgrade significantly increases the battery life and brightness of an incandescent Mini Maglite 2 AAA flashlight. With the original xenon bulb, battery life for the flashlight was about 6 hours in my testing. With the LED upgrade, battery life was extended to more than 19 hours. The brightness was also increased from 12 lumens to 61 lumens. The upgrade is designed, developed, and manufactured in-house in Mesa, Arizona. At the time of this writing, the upgrade cost $13.99 at littindustries.com. By way of comparison, a brand new Mini Maglite LED 2 AAA flashlight cost $14.99 at …


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Barbecued Hashbrown Scramble is from long-time SurvivalBlog reader and frequent recipe contributor Ellen H.  She says: “The exact proportions of the listed ingredients are not exact. Pick amounts to suit your taste.  This can be cooked at home on a barbecue or over a campfire in a dutch oven or even just in a heavy foil cooking tray.” Ingredients Ham, diced. (Cooked ham or substitute cooked bacon) Hashbrown potatoes, cubed (fresh or frozen, but thaw them first. 2 or more Eggs Milk –  of any kind. Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or substitute another cheese, to suit your …



The Editors’ Quote

“No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned…A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company.” –  Samuel Johnson, as quoted In James Boswell’s ‘The Life of Samuel Johnson’ (1791) Vol. 1, p. 348.


Preparedness Notes — Sunday, May 24, 2026

On May 24, 1764, Samuel Adams wrote instructions for the Boston Town Meeting opposing the Sugar Act. This laid the groundwork for colonial resistance to taxation without representation. — May 24, 1962: US astronaut Scott Carpenter aboard Aurora 7 (Mercury-Atlas 7) orbits the Earth three times in a flight just under five hours. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. This is the final round of the contest. There will not be a “Round 125”! The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. …