Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 18, 2026

On My 18, 1804, Napoléon Bonaparte was proclaimed Emperor of France by the French Senate.

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May 18th, 1825 was the birthday of Daniel Baird Wesson (of Smith and Wesson fame).

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On May 18th, 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted, causing a massive avalanche and killing 57 people. Ash from the volcanic eruption fell as far away as Minnesota.

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Take note that we will be switching to weekly postings, on June 2nd. Thenceforth, you can look for SurvivalBlog “Fresh Every Tuesday.”

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The last day! We have been running a two-week-long sale in all of our percussion revolvers at Elk Creek Company, with deep discounts. This sale will end at midnight Pacific Time tonight — Monday, May 18th, 2026. Please note that there are cartridge conversion cylinders available for many of these guns — particularly the Ruger Old Army revolvers and the Pietta and Uberti brand clones of the Remington Model 1858. This provides a great opportunity to acquire un-papered handguns in many otherwise restrictive “Blue” states.  (Be sure to consult your state and local laws before ordering.)  If you want to pay in pre-1965 silver coinage, we are now accepting it at 60 times face value!

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We are pleased to welcome our newest advertiser, SignalNomad.net. Their very long range Wi-Fi HaLow Field Unit extenders are perfect for rural retreats and ranches that are served with Starlink; particularly places that are outside of cellular coverage, or with just a weak signal.   Their system can be powered by a standard USB-C power bank, or hard-wired into a 12-volt DC or 120 volt AC power system. This system was developed for preppers, by a prepper.

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Today’s feature article is a product review by our Field Gear Editor, Tom Christianson.

Saiga 223, by Thomas Christianson

The Saiga 223 is a sporterized AK pattern rifle chambered in 5.56 NATO. The advantage of an AK pattern rifle chambered in 5.56 NATO is that it combines the rugged reliability of the AK platform with the wide availability and selection of ammunition in 5.56mm NATO.

It was called the Saiga 223 rather than the Saiga 556 in order to try to help it slip past the 1994 “Assault Weapons” ban. Although it was chambered in 5.56 NATO, it was thought that an association with the civilian .223 Remington rather than military 5.56 NATO chambering would make it sound more sporting and less scary. For the same reason, the rifle came with a 10 round rather than a 30 round magazine and lacked a pistol grip and flash hider.Continue reading“Saiga 223, by Thomas Christianson”

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic is a map that shows the white population distribution by percentage throughout the American states and Canadian provinces. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The lower detail map shows the small northeastern states.

The thumbnail images below are click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

 

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Please send your graphic ideas to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.

Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Bakeless Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies is from SurvivalBlog reader E.J..  This recipe requires no baking — just heating a mixture in saucepan.

Ingredients
  • 3 TBSP cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 c milk
  • 2 c sugar
  • 1/2 c butter
  • 3 cups of dry rolled oats
  • 1/2 c peanut butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Stir constantly and bring this mixture to a rolling boil and let it cook for just over one minute.
  3. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract and peanut butter.
  4. Stir until smooth.
  5. Add the oats and stir them in briefly.
  6. Drop portions onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with a large spoon, to make cookie shapes of the desired size.
  7. Let the cookies cool and set for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote:

“Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an
unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit. It cannot, like adultery or gluttony, be
practised at spare moments; it is a whole-time job.” – W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), from ‘Cakes and Ale’ (1930)

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 17, 2026

On May 17, 1792, twenty-four merchants formed the New York Stock Exchange at 70 Wall Street.

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May 17, 1877: Edwin T. Holmes installed the first telephone switchboard burglar alarm.

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And on May 17, 1920: First flight by Dutch airline KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij), a joint venture with British Aerial Transport. A de Havilland double-decker plane from London landed at Schiphol in Amsterdam.

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Just one day left! We are running a two-week-long sale in all of our percussion revolvers at Elk Creek Company, with deep discounts. This sale will end at midnight on Monday, May 18th, 2026. Please note that there are cartridge conversion cylinders available for many of these guns — particularly the Ruger Old Army revolvers and the Pietta and Uberti brand clones of the Remington Model 1858. This provides a great opportunity to acquire un-papered handguns in many otherwise restrictive “Blue” states.  (Be sure to consult your state and local laws before ordering.)

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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:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value).
  2. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  3. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  4. Heaven’s Harvest is providing one of their Original Heirloom Seed Kits (a $139 value.)
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is providing a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 124 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Take Note: Any article received after our editorial calendar is filled for May will be considered guest articles are not eligible as contest entries. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Using Commercial Ammunition in Military Rifles, by Tunnel Rabbit

Author’s Introductory Disclaimer:  While I am a long-time reloading enthusiast, my advice and  insights are not substitutes for the information found in reloading manuals. So do confirm any information herein and draw your own conclusions.

Introduction

I have discovered over the years that many shooters are planning to use incorrect ammunition in their military rifles that with repeated use over time would ruin the rifle’s mechanism, or if the rifle should be used in battlefield conditions, the rifle for many reasons could fail them just when they needed to defend themselves.

Few are acquainted with using their rifles in actual battlefield conditions where the rifle experiences excessive heat and dirty conditions.  Sadly the industry fails to adequately educate civilian riflemen. The difference and the problems that can occur however, do mostly apply to other rifles chambered in military cartridges that also have a commercial variant.While I am not an expert in any field, this opinion is not unsubstantiated.  There is more than adequate technical information available on the internet that can be discovered. As this article is written in haste, it is not possible to reference this material as I have only a few hours to complete this article and no internet access at home that would allow me to provide links to substantiate my opinion.  I am however an enthusiastic reloader of many decades who has an eye for technical details and information that is not often if ever discussed by the general public.Continue reading“Using Commercial Ammunition in Military Rifles, by Tunnel Rabbit”

JWR’s Meme of the Week:

The latest meme created by JWR. (This was based on an idea suggested by my brother, Bruce. He is the inveterate punster of our family.)


Meme Text:

To Simplify Things, I’ve Changed All of My Account Passwords to “Kenny”

So All of My Logins Are Now Kenny Logins

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:

“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”  – Mark 7:16-23 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 16, 2026

On May 16th, 1903, George Adams Wyman began the first transcontinental motorcycle ride, in San Francisco. Riding a 1.25-horsespower (90 cc) “California” motorcycle designed by Roy Marks, he arrived in New York on July 6th.

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May 16, 1943: No. 617 Squadron of the British RAF began the famous Dambusters Raid, (Operation “Chastise”), bombing the Möhne and Eder dams in the Ruhr Valley with bouncing bombs.

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May 16, 1997: Zaire’s president, Mobutu Sese Seko, ended 32 years of dictatorial rule, giving control of the country to rebel forces.

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Just two days left! We are running a two-week-long sale in all of our percussion revolvers at Elk Creek Company, with deep discounts. This sale will end on Monday, May 18th, 2026. Please note that there are cartridge conversion cylinders available for many of these guns — particularly the Ruger Old Army revolvers and the Pietta and Uberti brand clones of the Remington Model 1858. This provides a great opportunity to acquire un-papered handguns in many otherwise restrictive “Blue” states.  (Be sure to consult your state and local laws before ordering.)

Small Farm Dairy Cattle – Part 5, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.)

Medical needs

I don’t often have to call a vet, but establishing a relationship with a large animal vet is crucial.  If you don’t have a relationship, you will have a terrible time getting help when you need it.  It’s worth it to spend money with the Veterinarian.  I use them for my cats and dogs, as well as my cows.  We are on a first name basis now.  I needed them when my first cow went down hard with milk fever.  I know how to prevent that now.  I needed them when one of my cows got hoof rot, and when I needed horns removed, or needed blood testing done, or a general health check or pregnancy testing.  Most recently I needed them for when my cow couldn’t deliver a calf.  Because I use their services fairly often, I can call them any time and they will provide me with whatever supplies I need.  I called them a lot when I first started, but I can troubleshoot most things by myself now, and have been able to stockpile some medical supplies.

Finding really good neighbors and establishing relationships, are critical too.  Last year when I was hospitalized, I was overwhelmed with kindness.  Two different neighbors milked my cows for me until I was well enough to do it myself.  Priceless.  I learned that I need backups for myself, being that I am the only milkmaid on my small farm.Continue reading“Small Farm Dairy Cattle – Part 5, by SaraSue”

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 ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

We had a prodigious week here at the ranch. Despite a few chainsaw frustrations, I was able to cut up a used 35-foot power pole and haul it for use as fence corner posts here at the Rawles Ranch. That pole came to us courtesy of our local power co-op.

Lily and I finished constructing the interiors of our pair of Layen’s Horizontal Hive insulated bee boxes. That included mounting plastic hex-grid foundations in the frames, and power-screwing a plywood divider into the middle of each box. I also used screws to mount protective steel corner reinforcements on the bee box exteriors.  I had already mounted four carrying handles on each box, after Lily laboriously painted them.  Our bee swarms are due to arrive today!

We did a lot of manure shoveling and hauling this week. Just as in politics, it tends to pile up, so it must be dealt with, regularly.  I suppose that we ought to call our manure pitchforking days “election days”.

I packed and mailed out some Elk Creek Company orders. Many folks are taking advantage of the recent jump in the spot price of silver to pay for their order with pre-1965 U.S. silver coinage.  We are now taking “junk” silver at 54.5 times face value, in trade. (The FRN-to-silver divisor changes frequently, as the spot silver price fluctuates.)

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, Avalanche Lily and I did a high country driving tour in the Selkirk Mountains. We saw some peaks including Chimney Rock (pictured) and a some beautiful cascading snowmelt waterfalls. (The Zumi Creek crossing was one of them.) This was supposed to be a hiking trip, but we kept running into snow. Lily will fill you in on the details.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote:

“Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,

A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!

Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.

Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.

Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.” – Deuteronomy 9:1-7 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 15, 2026

On May 15, 1896 a tornado — now estimated as a F5 — killed 78 people in and near Sherman, Texas.  This was part of a multi-week tornado outbreak in the South and Midwest.  Pictured above is the first-ever photograph of a tornado, taken in 1884.

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May 15, 1911: The U.S. Supreme Court dissolved Standard Oil and upheld the Sherman Antitrust Act.

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And on May 15th, 1942, gasoline rationing began in 17 Eastern states as an attempt to help the American war effort during World War II. The main concern behind the rationing scheme was conserving scarce imported rubber, rather than fuel. By the end of the year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had ensured that mandatory gasoline rationing was in effect in all 48 states.

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”! So this is your “last call.”  The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value).
  2. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  3. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  4. Heaven’s Harvest is providing one of their Original Heirloom Seed Kits (a $139 value.)
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is providing a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.
  5. More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 124 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Take Note: Any article received after our editorial calendar is filled for May will be considered guest articles are not eligible as contest entries. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Small Farm Dairy Cattle – Part 4, by SaraSue

(Continued from Part 3.)

Calving

I have been very fortunate that all my cows have calved without assistance until this last one.  I’m praying that disaster does not happen again.  I could not have saved that calf by myself, and there was only one available Veterinarian on call at the time.  She also could not have done it by herself.  I am thankful for good friends who would drop everything to come over and assist.  While we saved the heifer, we lost the calf.  The heifer has recovered beautifully due to our intervention, and she’s doing well.  I have three more calves coming this year, and only one of them will be a first time heifer.

Generally speaking, it’s only the first time heifers you have to watch closely.  If the cows are in proper condition and well maintained, calving time should go well.  I try to time calving around good weather.  Basically, any time except for winter.Continue reading“Small Farm Dairy Cattle – Part 4, by SaraSue”