Year: 2026

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, Oracle’s big layoff. — Oracle Has Fired 30,000 Employees Oracle fired up to 30,000 people with a 6 a.m. email signed “Oracle Leadership”. JWR’s Comments: I was an …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — April 1, 2026

On April 1, 1515, the Portuguese fleet under Afonso de Albuquerque recaptured the Persian fortress of Hormuz and renamed it the Fort of Our Lady of the Conception. — April 1, 1863: US Congress passed the first wartime conscription law, calling for the registration of all 20 to 45-year-old males. — And on April 1, 1873, the British White Star steamship SS Atlantic sank off Nova Scotia, Canada, killing at least 535 people.  The same shipping company later owned the ill-fated RMS Titanic and RMS Britannic. — Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog Editor “Avalanche Lily”, the wife of JWR. …


Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 123

We’ve announced the winners of Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, which ended yesterday. Note to the top three prize winners: Please contact me and let me know your UPS and USPS address(es), for your prizes. Thanks. – JWR The top three prize winners will each receive some great prize packages. The winners for Round 123 are… First Prize Winner: First Prize goes to Lodge Pole, for Raising, Hunting, and Harvesting Animals. It was posted Feburary 11-16, 2026. See: (See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.)  He will receive as prizes: A …



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. — It is time to contact your U.S. House and Senate members again, to encourage them to get both the Hearing Protection Act (HPA — de-regulating suppressors) and the SHORT Act (de-regulating SBRs and SBSes) into the pending budget reconciliation bill, and pass them! Please phone their offices several times. o  o  o …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 31, 2026

On March 31, 1917, the Danish West Indies were officially ceded to the US for $25 million and renamed the Virgin Islands. Pictured is St. Thomas Island. — March 31 is the birthday of the late economist Dr. Walter E. Williams, PhD., who was born in 1936. He passed away in 2020. His book American Contempt for Liberty is highly recommended. — Today we present an article that was too short to qualify as an entry for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends …


Monitoring Ship and Aircraft Traffic, by Ohio Galt

I have always been interested monitoring ships and air traffic around the world, especially since 9/11. On that day I was fishing for salmon out of the middle of Lake Michigan, a very clear day and I noticed every jet in the sky was turning into a different direction heading somewhere else. Turning on the Marine radio and started to hear the chatter of what was going on around the country, I finished my sandwich and headed the boat for the harbor. Since then I have learned of several websites that show real-time movement of ships and airplane around the …


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. The high-resolution thumbnail below is click-expandable. Redoubt News Links: From the hard-left-biased PBS: A Rural Montana Town is Eyed for a 5,000-acre Data Center Campus. Thousands of Californians move to Idaho every year. Who are they? Historic Antlers Ranch In Meeteetse Sells After 131 Years With Same Family. Send Your Media Links Please send your links to media from the American Redoubt region to JWR. Any photos that are …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 30, 2026

On March 30, 240 BC, Halley’s Comet made its first recorded perihelion passage. (Photo courtesy of NASA, from the 1987 comet passage, photographed from Easter Island.) — March 30, 1856: The Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia signed the Treaty of Paris. This ended the Crimean War. — Today’s feature article is by our Field Gear Editor, Tom Christianson.


Ballistol Multi-Purpose Lubricant, by Thomas Christianson

Ballistol is a gun cleaning oil. If my sources are correct, it is composed of white mineral oil, potassium oleate, ammonium oleate, benzyl alcohol, amyl alcohol, isobytyl alcohol, benzyl acetate, and anethole. One key characteristic of Ballistol is that it emulsifies with water. This makes it an excellent cleaner for firearms that use black powder or corrosive primers. The best solvent for black powder and the salts left by corrosive primers is hot (almost boiling) water. Ballistol works well in conjunction with that hot water. Ballistol is also non-toxic, and can also be used on wood and leather as well …


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Granny’s Spring Greens Salad is from SurvivalBlog reader Granny M.. Ingredients 8 to 10 cups (around about 1 pound) of mixed greens (mixture of any available lettuces, sprouts, watercress, mesclun, mache, baby arugula, dandelion greens, and/or pea shoots) 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste) 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 lemon, juiced Directions Wash and blot dry your greens with a clean dish towel, and place them in a large bowl. Add the chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Drizzle over …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: A map showing the United States and Canada, with comparable latitude locales in Europe overlaid. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) 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.