Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 21, 2025

Today marks the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the first day of winter. The Winter Solstice is the day of minimum insolation, each year. The painting above, titled Winter, is by Ivan Shishkin, circa 1890.  Because of Seasonal Lag, even though the days will start getting longer tomorrow, the coldest days of the year are typically in January.

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On December 21, 1620, William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims landed on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. 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.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  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 offering 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 $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Prelude to World War – Part 3, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

Timelines Given

As we listen to all the chatter, day in and day out about a widening war in Europe and war with China, we can see some recurring messages in the reporting.  How many times have you heard that NATO needs to be ready for a war with Russian in 3-5 years or that China will likely invade Taiwan by 2030.  There are a few variations of the dates but regardless of the actual dates we need to ask why NATO and our Asia-Pacific Allies need to be ready by those dates.  Is there intelligence that our foes are actually planning for attacks in these years?  If so, why let our adversaries know?  Or perhaps these are dates when NATO and other Allies will take a harder stance against Russian and Chinese Hybrid warfare.  That is, NATO will shoot down Russian drones/jets violating NATO airspace and challenge Chinese naval aggression in and around the South China Sea?  These dates should be a major clue that we will see significant escalation in a few short years UNLESS there is some serious deescalation actions.

Europe Already Knows

With NATO nations renewing civil defense programs in a frenzy and NATO defense spending skyrocketing, the political leaders of NATO maybe signaling the inevitable.  But if renewed civil defense programs and skyrocketing defense spending does not show the clear path to war perhaps the words “We are at war” coming from NATO military leaders such as Admiral Giuseppe Cabo Dragone, maybe convincing enough to where we are headed.  In the end of November 2025, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone stated that NATO was contemplating the idea of “being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive.”  Dragone went on to say retaliatory cyber attacks is an option.  Again, we are not seeing any de-escalation.Continue reading“Prelude to World War – Part 3, by 3AD Scout”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Rep. Jasmine Crockett Chides: Some Fool at The New York Times Wrote That I’m “Pursuing A Seat In The Upper Chamber”

But, I Been There, And I Seen It. And I Can Tell You, The Floor Of The Senate Is On The Same Level As The House

News Links:

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:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” – John 1:1-18 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 20, 2025

On December 20, 1917, the Cheka, the Soviet Union’s first state security force, was formed. The Cheka was initially led by Felix Dzerzhinsky (pictured) after a decree by Vladimir Lenin. The Cheka was successively replaced by the OGPU, NKVD, KGB, SVR, and most recently by the FSB (Federal’naya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti or Federal Security Service) of the Russian Federation. State security agents were commonly called “Chekists” throughout the Soviet era. 

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December 20th, 1669: The first jury trial in Delaware. Marcus Jacobson was condemned for insurrection and sentenced to flogging, branding, and slavery.

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December 20th, 1606, the Virginia Company loaded three ships with settlers and set sail to establish Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. 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.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  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 offering 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 $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Prelude to World War – Part 2, by 3AD Scout

(Continued from Part 1.)

Defense Production Act

The Defense Production Act was passed in 1950.  It is an important piece of legislation that we should all know about.  Why?  Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor part of Congress (GOP) was advocating an isolationist stance regarding the war in Europe.  Since Congress controls the budget, it made providing military aid to our Allies extremely hard.  The Defense Production Act aimed at making it easier for a U.S. president to prepare the U.S. for war without “permission” from Congress.  One key part of the act is the ability of the president to make and guarantee loans to expand manufacturing of defense-related items.  As an example, the president does not need to go to Congress for funding for a new explosives plant, the president could, through the act, authorize a loan and guarantee it, thus by assing Congress.

In the lead-up to World War Two, there was a lot of public debate about getting involved with the war.  Congress passed a series of laws, referred to as the Neutrality Act.  One could argue that by the U.S. blocking/slowing arms shipments to Allied forces (before the U.S. entered the war) we allowed the Axis forces to take more territory since our friends did not have the aid they needed to repel the Axis forces.  Fast forward to Ukraine and Russia today and this is one reason why the U.S. and NATO are providing so much aid to Ukraine.  The thought is, it is better to supply arms and ammunition to Ukraine to counter the Russians in Ukraine, than to allow Russia to roll through Ukraine and onto the Baltic States which are NATO members.Continue reading“Prelude to World War – Part 2, by 3AD Scout”

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 three-day respite from the Pineapple Express series of rainstorms.  But now they have resumed — this time with some high winds — and now The Unnamed River is back out of its banks. It is time to chuck another log in the woodstove.

After making an adjustment to its mount, I now have our pickup’s snowplow blade ready for annual duty.

I have been configuring a newly-acquired Starlink Mini, as a backup and mobile option to our original post-mounted Starlink, that is still in service.  That is one of the old First Generation round Starlink dishes, but it is still working quite reliably. But, since  “…one is none”, it was high time to have a good working spare. WalMart seems to have the best price on the Starlink Mini system. The new Mini draws less current and it is easier to operate from mobile power or a DC off-grid power system.  (I also bought a clever “3-in-1” 16.4-foot long DC power cord from WalMart.) After bolting it on a four-magnet vehicle roof mount and testing it twice, I tucked the Mini away in a spare waterproof Pelican 1500 case. After my 7-Day trial of the  50GB  Roam plan, I visited the Starlink website and switched the Mini to the $5-per-month “Standby” plan.  Henceforth, I can quickly bump it up to full bandwidth in case our main dish ever fails, or when we make any extensive road trips.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.” – Psalm 28 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 19, 2025

On December 19th,1776, Thomas Paine published his first “American Crisis” essay that famously began: “These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”.

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Some sad news: Gil Gerard dead: Buck Rogers star leaves heartfelt posthumous message.

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The big 50%-off sale at SurvivalRealty.com on all of their course materials and e-books ends tomorrow (Saturday, December 20, 2025.)  Don’t miss out on this pricing!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. 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.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  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 offering 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 $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Prelude to World War – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

If you ask most Americans when World War Two started and you’ll probably get December 7, 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, as an answer.  Another response might be September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland.  These dates are significant, in that these are when open and sustained military operations commenced, but they definitely were not the start of the war.   It would be ignorant to think that Germany just up and decided to invade Poland, or Japan bomb Pearl Harbor, out of the blue on these dates.  There were prolonged periods of tension that led up to the open hostilities.

As Preppers, we need to look at the past and current events to extrapolate what our future may hold.   As Mark Twain wrote, “…history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes”.  Therefore, understanding history can serve as one of the best alarm bells, Preppers have to properly prepare for the future.Continue reading“Prelude to World War – Part 1, by 3AD Scout”

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, a chart showing the growth of global silver demand, and its components.  It was published 11 months ago. Demand is now even higher. The annual production deficit also keeps growing.

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

 

(Graphic courtesy of Visual Capitalist and Vizsla Silver Corp.)

Economics & Investing Links of Interest
  • At The Burning Platform:  Samsung Just Dropped A “Silver Bomb” . . . Their New “Solid State” Battery Tech Breaks Global Silver Supply
  • I’ve noticed that the price of slabbed Morgan U.S. silver dollars has not kept up with the rapidly rising spot price of silver. So, at present, you can find PCGS and NGC common-date slabbed Morgans in the range of AU 50 to MS 60 grade for just a hair over spot! (A U.S. silver dollar has 0.7734 Troy ounce of silver. At a spot silver price of $67.11 per ounce, that equates to a melt (bullion) value of $51.90.)  And with so many Chinese fake Morgans now flooding the market, it is worthwhile to pay a bit more than melt to buy slabbed coins, as proof of authenticity. So, if you can find PCGS or NGC slabbed AU50 to MS60 grade non-1921 and non-cleaned Morgans for under $53 each, then jump on them! – JWR
  • An APMEX podcast: America Took Everyone’s Gold Once. Could it Happen Again?
  • $40B FED Buying Spree Kicks Off QE’s Return.

Economics & Investing Media Tips:

Please send your economics and investing links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Thanks!

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 18, 2025

On December 18, 1888 Richard Wetherill and his brother in-law discovered the ancient Anasazi ruins of Mesa Verde, Colorado.

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December 18th is the birthday of Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788). He wrote more than 1,700 hymns.

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Today is also the birthday of Jørgen Haagen Schmith (born December 18, 1910, died October 15, 1944). He was better known under the codename “Citron” and was a famous Danish resistance fighter in occupied Denmark.

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Today’s feature piece is a review written by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson.

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We need more entries for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest! More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Benelli M4 Tactical Shotgun, by Thomas Christianson

The Benelli M4 is the civilian version of the M1014 semi-automatic combat shotgun that was developed for the United States military in 1998 and taken into service in 1999. The M4 or the M1014 is now used by military or law enforcement agencies in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Georgia, Ireland, Libya, Malaysia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others.

Its unique “auto-regulating gas operated” (ARGO) system uses an elegantly simple arrangement of two pistons that push directly against the bolt. The system allows the shotgun to be used with intermixed rounds of different lengths and various power levels without the need for any operator adjustment.

The civilian version that I tested has a capacity of 5+1 in its tubular magazine, in contrast to the 7+1 capacity of the military version. The civilian version is also equipped with a standard buttstock rather than the collapsible buttstock of the military version.Continue reading“Benelli M4 Tactical Shotgun, by Thomas Christianson”

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, a new twist on FPV drone warfare.

U.S. Army Practices Building Drones “In-Theater”

This was linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: U.S. Army Changes Tools and Tactics to Prepare for the Next Pacific War.

Increasing Federal Over-Reach

John & Nisha Whitehead published this frank assessment: Government Unchained: The Year the Constitution Lost Its Guardrails. JWR’s Comments: We cannot allow this sort of overreach.  As the political pendulum continues to swing in upcoming years, politically-selected targets  — from both the left and the right — will get snatched up in this hyper-enforcement.

An Electric School Bus Bursts Into Flames

Reader D.S.V. found this, over at The Liberty Daily: Electric School Bus Bursts Into Flames in L.A..

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”