Year: 2026

Woodhaven Fire Starters, by Thomas Christianson

The Bottom Line, Up Front The Woodhaven Fire Starters provide excellent material for igniting a useful blaze. Each disk is four inches in diameter, one inch thick, and weighs 4.2 ounces. They are composed of cedar sawdust bonded together with refined paraffin. One full disk burns for 20 to 30 minutes. It can also be broken into smaller pieces to start multiple fires. The fire starters are safe to use in fireplaces, firepits, wood stoves, and similar applications. The disks come in packages of 12, 50, or 100. At the time of this writing, those packages cost respectively $19.99, $65.00, …


Recipe of the Week:  

The following recipe for Pre-Spring Brussels Sprouts is from SurvivalBlog reader C.A.H.. Ingredients Brussels Sprouts – About 2 lbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 3 tbsp Fish Sauce – 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar – 1 tbsp Black Pepper – to taste Thyme – 2 sprigs Honey – 1 tbsp Directions Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Wash the Brussels Sprouts, and cut them in half. Toss them with olive oil, fish sauce, and vinegar. Season with black pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet so that the cut sides are facing down. Roast for 20 minutes and then check that …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Firewood Supply Versus Demand. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit. Map by Casey Peterson, based on 2021 PRISM  OSU climate data.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.         — From the Reddit site: Heating demand is approximated using a Heating Degree Day proxy derived from PRISM 30-year mean annual temperature. The formula max(0, (18.3 – Tmean) * 365) estimates how much heating a location needs annually – 18.3°C (65°F) is the standard base temperature below which buildings require heating. Higher values mean colder climates with greater heating needs. This is a simplified annual approximation; true HDD uses daily …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 22, 2026

On February 22, 1889 US President Grover Cleveland (pictured) signed the bill to admit Dakotas, Montana, and Washington as states of the union. — February 22, 1857 was the birthday of  Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist who was the first to broadcast and receive radio waves and helped to invent radar technology.  He died in 1894. — On this day in 1943,  Sophie Scholl was executed by beheading for organizing the White Rose group–a student resistance to the Hitler regime.  She had been convicted of high treason, after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich (LMU) …


Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 4, by J.M.

(continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) Battery Safety If you’ve ever watched the news you’ve probably heard stories about exploding Lithium batteries in cell phones, electronic cigarettes, USB battery packs, etc. They’re all true – lithium is an extremely hazardous chemical; it’s poisonous, it’s unstable, it burns extremely fast and hot (>3500F) and it produces hazardous gas when it burns. So why is it used in all of the most common forms of battery electrolytes? Because it has the best cost/size to energy density ratio currently available and manufacturers decided it’s worth the risks, and consumers agree with …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: AOC Arrived So Proudly But She Left in Shame When She Brought Her Prized Collection of Bugs To The Etymology Conference 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:

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 21, 2026

On February 21, 1568, the treacherous Treaty of Adrianople: Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II (pictured) and Ottoman Sultan Selim II signed a peace agreement between the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire; the Ottomans received cash and the territories of Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia. — And on February 21, 1808, Russia invaded Finland (then part of the Swedish Kingdom), with 24,000 troops. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any …


Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 3, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 2.) Battery Drain While I briefly mentioned battery drain earlier it’s worth going into a bit more detail. Drain rate describes how fast a device uses power when a device is in operation. Examples of high-drain devices include things like digital cameras, GPS devices, portable gaming consoles, high-lumen LED flashlights, radios (when transmitting) and motorized devices like power tools. Some low-drain devices include television remote controls, wall clocks, smoke detectors, and red dot sights. Rapidly draining a battery’s charge can significantly shorten its life, so choosing the right type of battery for each type of device is …


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 Of The Day:

“Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 20, 2026

On February 20, 1472, the Orkney and Shetland Islands were ceded by Norway to Scotland as part of a dowry payment. (Pictured are some of the Shetland Islands.) — February 20, 1824: The first description of a dinosaur: ‘Megalosaurus or Great Fossil Lizard of Stonesfield’ was pesented to the Geological Society of London by William Buckland, beginning dinosaur mania — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, …


Mobile Device Battery Management – Part 2, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 1.) Rechargables Rechargeable batteries come in a much wider variety of chemistries than primary ones, including nickel–cadmium (NiCd), nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) and various lithium-ion (Li-ion) and Lithium Polymer (LiPo) chemistries. It’s important to understand the ‘Li-ion’ and ‘LiPo’ aren’t specific chemistries, they’re categories of chemistries that use Lithium as one of the components of the electrolyte. Li-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte, are usually cylindrical, and common chemistries include: Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LiCoO2, LCO): Known for high energy density and used in portable electronics like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. It has a nominal voltage of 3.60V with …


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. This week, another look at the penny shortage. The thumbnail below is click-expandable.   Economics & Investing Links of Interest More retailers impacted by penny shortage: How they’re responding. Reader H.L. sent this: Copper Prices Hit a Record $13,000 per Ton in January 2026. During the annual Lunar New Year/Spring Festival, the Shanghai metals markets will be closed from February 15, 2026 (Sunday) to February 23, 2026 (Monday). They will open as usual on February 24, 2026.  …