Day: October 20, 2026

Preparedness Notes — October 20, 2026

This Week in History: On October 18, 1892 , the first commercial long-distance phone line went into operation between Chicago and New York.  Many more lines followed, necessitating the advent of long-distance switchboards to supplement local switchboards. — Deeper Discounts: To lighten the load for their upcoming move to Montana, the new owners of Ready Made Resources are offering some deeply-discounted food and gear packages.  I just heard that they have increased the discount to 50% for SurvivalBlog readers, on both their equipment and food packages, but for just the next three packages that are sold. Mention that you are …


Living a Principled Life in an Age of Compromise

I’ve often been quoted as saying that we are living in the age of deception and betrayal. I even turned that it an acronym: WALITAODAB. But I’d like to mention another characterization for life in the early 21st Century. We are living in an age of compromise.  Increasingly, people seem willing to compromise on their principles in order to get what they desire — whether it be money, power, prestige, possessions, or even just brief pleasure. Life is all about making choices, and all too often people make poor choices because they have not overcome their base nature. Our permissive …


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Tuna Fish and Rice Loaf is from Good Housekeeping’s Book of Good Meals.  This 1927-copyrighted  book (now in public domain) is one of the 11 books that will be added to the extensive library of bonus books included with the SurvivalBlog 2027 Edition waterproof archive USB sticks. (Available for ordering in mid-January, 2027.) Ingredients 3 cupfuls boiling water 1 large can tuna fish 5 beef bouillon cubes 1/2 cupful chopped celery 2 tablespoonfuls granulated gelatine. 1-1/2 cupfuls cold cooked rice (cooked in salted water.) Grating of onion 1/2 cupfuls cold water Directions Soak the gelatine in …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week Today’s graphic of the Mississippi River Watershed shows a raindrop’s 2,147-mile trip to the Gulf of Mexico, starting 15 miles from Lake Erie. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail image below is click-expandable. — If any SurvivalBlog readers have personally taken or otherwise hold the copyright to a particularly nice landscape photo or other photo of particular interest to preppers that is in a wide horizontal format (to match our blog template) then please send it in as an e-mail attachment, and I will consider posting it as a Graphic of the Week, or as …


Economics & Investing Media of the Week

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. Economics & Investing Links of Interest Last Call for more than 20 Ruger models! A news headline: Ruger Discontinues many models. “Effective immediately, Ruger is ceasing production of its LCR, SP101, GP100 and Bearcat revolvers. The company plans to complete its final production runs of the following models for 2026: SR1911, LC Carbine, PC Charger, PC Carbine, LC Charger, Redhawk, Super Redhawk, Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk, Single-Series revolvers, Vaquero, No. 1, 77-Series rifles, Hawkeye and Ruger Precision Rifle.” …


The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, mre AI-driven battlefield robots. AI-Powered Robots Could Soon Dominate the Ukraine War National Security Journal: Terminator in 2026: AI-Powered Robots Could Soon Dominate the Ukraine War and Change …


SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

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. — This video illustrates the effect of panic buying: Italy Stripped of Food, Fuel in 4 Days as Diesel Protests Block Deliveries. o  o  o 10 Practical Lessons for Concealed Carriers From the Zimmerman Trial. o  o  o US appeals court invalidates federal $9 billion telecom subsidy fund.


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. REDOUBT NEWS LINKS Moose encounter near McAllister injures woman. In Bend, Oregon: ‘A Hero!’ Man who took out killer was armed, in violation of school rule. Idahoans voting on state gun. Video: The Most Remote Town in the Lower 48 Is in Montana. (Touring Glasgow, Montana.) Frustrated Ranchers Want People To Quit ‘Rescuing’ Their Working Guardian Dogs. Video: Before You Move to Idaho, See More Than One Part …


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 …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Please Help Me Understand: Liberals Tell Me That A Man Can’t Hold An Opinion On Abortion Because He Doesn’t Have a Uterus But They Also Tell Me That That A Biological Man Can Become A “Woman” , Without A Uterus 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.