Preparedness Notes for Thursday — April 2, 2026

On April 2, 1792 The Coinage Act passed, establishing the United States Mint and authorizing the $10 Eagle, $5 Half-Eagle, $2.50 Quarter-Eagle gold coins, as well as the silver dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, and half-dime. Although gold was removed from circulation by President Franklin Roosevelt, our silver coinage remained undebased until 1964.

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April 2, 1968, Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.; it became a classic, setting the benchmark for modern sci-fi films. The film also gave one of the first cinematic warnings about artificial intelligence.

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The staff of SurvivalBlog wish the crew of NASA’s Artemis II godspeed and a safe flight to the Moon and back. – JWR

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Today is the birthday of Sergei Ivanovich Mosin (April 2, 1849 – February 8, 1902. He was a Russian military officer, engineer, and a co-designer of the Mosin–Nagant rifle.

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We now need entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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. 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.

Converting Diesel Vehicles to Run on Waste Vegetable Oil, by Polar Bear

Editor’s Introductory Note:  This article was posted in SurvivalBlog in September, 2007. Given the recent spike in fuel prices, I thought that it would be apropos to re-post it. – JWR

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When Rudolph Diesel invented his internal combustion engine, he used refined peanut oil as fuel. The reasoning behind it was that farmers could essentially grow their own fuel for their tractors. Diesel cars have been widely manufactured and used all over Europe, but never really caught on in the United States. Diesel pickup trucks and Big Rigs are common in the US, and are renowned for their torque and towing abilities. These rigs run on “Dinodiesel”-typical diesel fuel refined from petroleum. You may have heard of the term “Biodiesel.” Biodiesel is a type of diesel fuel made by taking vegetable oil and adding Lye and Methanol to remove the glycerines and convert the “esters” in to “methyl-esters.” Dinodiesel has a lower gel point in cold weather than biodiesel. Fuel stations around the country have only recently began carrying biodiesel.

Enough history and chemistry, this article is going to give you the basics of converting a standard pickup truck or car so it will run on Dinodiesel, Biodiesel, or Straight Vegetable Oil! As a motor fuel in a survival situation, or for daily use, Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) or Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO) is hard to beat. It can be stored for years if a biocide stabilizer [such as Pri-D] is used, there is a potential fuel cache behind almost any restaurant, and while other folks are waiting in gas lines, you could easily check out at Costco and have them load a pallet of soybean oil in your truck!Continue reading“Converting Diesel Vehicles to Run on Waste Vegetable Oil, by Polar Bear”

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.

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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 Oracle Corporation employee for three years at the turn of the century. Even back then, I witnessed some horribly cutthroat hiring, firing, and offshoring practices by Oracle’s management. This was when the H-1B Visa rush was just starting in the Silicon Valley, and up The S.F. Peninsula. One of my fellow technical writers was sent on a trip to India to train his replacements. The senior manager tried to make his trip sound like some sort of reward junket trip, or a perk. But he was laid off three weeks after his return to the Redwood Shores headquarters. At that time, Oracle could hire three employees in India for the cost of one employee in California.  Fast-forward 25 years: In the ultimate turn of ignominious fate, many of those “low-cost” Indian employees are now being replaced by even lower-cost generative AI.

Announced Corporate Job Cuts in 2026

And over at NewsNation: Major employers that have announced job cuts in 2026.

Anthropic Accidentally Released Their Source Code

I found this X post linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site:  Anthropic accidentally leaked their entire source code yesterday. What happened next is one of the most insane stories in tech history.

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

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Quite often, I’ll be sent a script for a movie. And I find that I like it, so I say I’ll do it. But then they rewrite it for me. They make it quirky. Odd. I find that rather annoying. I call it Walkenising.” – Christopher Walken

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.

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April 1, 1863: US Congress passed the first wartime conscription law, calling for the registration of all 20 to 45-year-old males.

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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.

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Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog Editor “Avalanche Lily”, the wife of JWR.

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A new Writing Contest prize! Heaven’s Harvest is now kindly providing one of their Original Heirloom Seed Kits (a $139 value) as part of the First Prize package, starting with Round 124. This Georgia-based company offers a full line of long-term storage foods  (freeze-dried and dehydrated) as well as heirloom (non-hybrid, open-pollinated) seeds. Use the coupon code “SURVIVALBLOG” at checkout for a 10% discount on any order!  They offer free shipping for any  $99+ order sent to the U.S..  About their heirloom seed kits:

  • 39 Garden Staple Varieties
  • All seeds are Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, Non-Hybrid, and Non-GMO.
  • Packed in UV-Resistant Mylar bags for the highest germination rates when stored for multiple years.

Take a look at the Heaven’s Harvest website!

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We are now seeking entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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. 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.

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:

  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.
Second Prize Winner:

Second Prize goes to Hobbit Farmer for Beyond Organic: Biological Systems Gardening. It was posted March 19-23, 2026. (See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.)

He will receive:

  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 Winner:

Third Prize goes to J.M., for Mobile Device Battery Management.  It was posted February 19-22, 2026. (See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.) He will receive:

  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.
Honorable Mention Prizes

The writers of the Round 123 Honorable Mention articles will each receive a transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun, or any knife or bayonet.  There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns in most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

There were six Honorable Mention prize-winning articles in Round 123. They are:

Get Busy Writing!

Round 124 begins today and runs for two months, so please get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. 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. 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. Thanks, – JWR

Keeping God’s Appointed Times, by Avalanche Lily

Today is Passover (“Pasach”). So this is an appropriate day to discuss The Appointed Times.

The Bible teaches that God has specific Appointed Times (מועדים — transliterated Moedim), which are to be kept in perpetuity (“throughout your generations“), by His People.  Failure to observe the Appointed Times offends God.Continue reading“Keeping God’s Appointed Times, by Avalanche Lily”

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.

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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.

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#2 Son suggested this very practical piece: Do-It-Yourself Air Cleaners: Making Cleaner Air More Accessible.

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SurvivalBlog Editor-At-Large Mike Williamson posted some cogent observations on Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS), over at Facebook.

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Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“When a man says he is building a house for himself and his posterity, he does not mean to be understood as saying that he has any thought of binding them, nor is it to be inferred that he is so foolish as to imagine that he has any right or power to bind them, to live in it.” – Lysander Spooner

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.

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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.

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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 today, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry for Round 124. 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.

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 world. Almost any airplane that can fly above 10,000 feet or with a set number of miles of class A, B, or C airspace will have a transponder providing their position and identification. I’m not a pilot (although it is on my bucket list to get a pilot’s license) so I don’t know the exact rules on transponders but I wanted to point out the ability of the public to monitor planes in the sky. Think of this as Open Source Intelligence (OSINT.)Continue reading“Monitoring Ship and Aircraft Traffic, by Ohio Galt”

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:

Send Your Media Links

Please send your links to media from the American Redoubt region to JWR. Any photos that are posted or re-posted must be uncopyrighted. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.

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.)

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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.

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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 as steel.

In my testing, Ballistol did not protect against corrosion as well as Breakfree CLP. As a result, I would recommend using Ballistol in conjunction with hot water for cleaning the bores of firearms utilizing black powder or corrosive primers. But I would recommend following that cleaning by using Breakfree CLP on those firearms as a lubricant and protectorant. (Note: with black powder firearms, the CLP should be used extremely sparingly inside of chambers and barrels. Oils can contaminate black powder, thus rendering it less effective. Often it is helpful to fire a non-corrosive percussion cap into a chamber prior to loading it in order to burn away any oil that might otherwise contaminate the powder).Continue reading“Ballistol Multi-Purpose Lubricant, by Thomas Christianson”