Year: 2026

Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Super Simple Traditional Skillet Asparagus is from SurvivalBlog reader Ellen H. This requires a large cast-iron skillet with lid. Ingredients Asparagus (1 to 6 servings’ worth) Butter Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Directions Warm a large cast Iron skillet over medium heat. Add enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan. When the butter foam subsides, add the asparagus and shake the skillet to coat the asparagus spears. Cover and cook, shaking occasionally, until the spears are bright green but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the asparagus is tender …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Normalized product of inverse of Cost of Living and Human Development Index (HDI) based on 2026 Cost of Living data. JWR’s Comments:  Note that the Human Development Index has been criticized for a Scandi-centric view of health, wealth, and happiness. The HDI’s 0-to-1 ratings essentially assume that present-day Scandinavia is the penultimate in civilizational aspirations. I, for one, can imagine something a lot better than multi-generational welfare dependence. Also note that the current prosperity of Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany has partly been artificially propelled by the cash generated by drilling North Sea oil. The …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 19, 2026

April 19th is the original Patriot Day which marks the multiple anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, known as “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”.  Note that due to corporate bureaucracy, the Patriot Day celebration has generally been moved to the third Monday in April to facilitate a postal/banking holiday. April 19th  also marks the anniversary of the blockade of Confederate Ports in 1861, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis in 1943, the BATF’s costly raid on the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, the gun turret explosion on the USS Iowa in 1989, the capture of the …


The US Separation From Europe And NATO Is Long Overdue, by Brandon Smith

As much as many centrists and libertarians are opposed to Donald Trump’s ongoing strikes against Iran, I have to say, the downstream result might end up becoming one of the most libertarian results I have ever seen. For decades, small government activists like those in the Ron Paul movement have been calling for a comprehensive US divorce from NATO and the shutdown of America’s military bases overseas. Trump has, either deliberately or inadvertently, set this very process in motion. The refusal of most of Europe (and Australia) to provide support in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz might seem …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Sarah Connor Says: “There’s No Feta Cheese, But What We Make For Ourselves.” 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:

“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 18, 2026

On April 18, 1775 Paul Revere (pictured) met with Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn them that British troops were marching from Boston to Lexington. — April 18,1906: San Francisco earthquake and fire killed nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city. — And on April 18, 1949, the Republic of Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth. — Today’s feature article is a guest post from a long-time SurvivalBlog reader. Because it is partly self-promotional, it is not part of the writing contest judging. We need entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. …


Preparing Future Generations for an Uncertain Future – Part Seven, by Single Farmer

(Continued from Part 6. This concludes the article.) Evaluating Families to Find Like-Minded People Daily, I am reminded of how bad it is out there, based on the information that I am analyzing. People often ask me “How long do we have?” If you understand history, economics, threat analysis, and have three generations of preparedness expertise in your wheelhouse, then you know the lateness of the hour. As for my situation, I hope it is long enough to be able to get married and to get the supplies my future spouse and her family need. I have a lot of …


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:

“And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — April 17, 2026

On April 17, 1935:  The first commercial flight from the mainland to Hawaii, as Pan Am’s Pioneer Clipper was flown from San Francisco to Honolulu. — April 17, 1964: The Ford Mustang was formally introduced, with a base price of $2,368. — We are running a two-week-long sale on all of our pre-1899 antique shotguns at Elk Creek Company, with many deep discounts. This sale will end on Monday, April 27th, 2026. Please note that some of these guns have been re-sleeved and re-proofed for modern shotshells! — Today’s feature article is a guest post from a long-time SurvivalBlog reader. …


Preparing Future Generations for an Uncertain Future – Part Six, by Single Farmer

(Continued from Part 5.) Separating the Important from the Trivial Things that usually do not matter much for most men as far as a potential wife: her height, her income, and specific traits such as hair or eye color. I have never heard a man talk about a woman’s height unless she was very tall — which is statistically rare. Men are rarely concerned about a woman’s income unless they are looking for support. I don’t have a “type” and most men do not have a type such as only blondes or redheads. Of course, a bonus is if a …


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. Today, a map showing Federal Spending Versus Federal Tax Revenues. Note that the maps shows far more than just impoverished regions. Spending levels are skewed in states with tribal lands. There is also lesser skewing in states with large National Forests and low population densities versus their miles of Federally-funded highways and freeways. The thumbnail below is click-expandable. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing Links of Interest At Wolf Street: Car & Truck Inflation in America: …