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.
—
I found this great documentary linked over at my buddy Commander Zero’s Notes From The Bunker blog: Exploring the Paranoid Country with 374,142 Bunkers to Hide Everyone (how is this possible?) Pictured above is a fortified Swiss artillery emplacement, camouflaged to look like a house.
o o o
Reader C.B. sent this news from across the pond: UK Police Arrest Gardener in His Own Garden For Carrying Trowel, Sickle.
o o o
U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors. The NRA-ILA article begins:
“On July 4th, President Donald Trump signed into law his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included a provision that eliminated the tax stamp fee of $200, but did not deregulate suppressors under the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). The fee elimination will not take effect until January 1, 2026, and suppressors will still have to be registered under the NFA, with the standard government overreach of forms, fingerprinting and government approval. In the meantime, the NRA and other gun rights advocates have announced plans to file “a new strategic lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the NFA in Federal Court.”
Gun control groups like Everytown and Giffords, however, maintain that the “NFA has kept silencers out of criminal hands for over eighty years,” and that suppressors “are inherently dangerous devices” that “present a serious public safety concern” and “should not be widely available to civilians.” Suppressors, they allege, do not protect a shooter’s hearing, and the “real reason the gun lobby wants to deregulate silencers is so that the industry can profit off their sale.”
Such claims would lead one to expect that the United Kingdom, as rabidly weapon-adverse and anti-gun as Giffords and Everytown and their supporters could ever wish, would likewise maintain draconian legislative controls on these “inherently dangerous devices that criminals may use to suppress the sound of gunfire and mask muzzle flash.”
Yet, in fact, the opposite appears to be happening.
In 2024, the U.K. government published a public consultation paper seeking input regarding its proposal to remove “sound moderators” from firearm licensing laws. Sound moderators, a.k.a. suppressors or silencers, are controlled under section 57(1)(d) of the Firearms Act 1968, which (much like the U.S. Gun Control Act and NFA) defines “firearm” to include “an accessory to a lethal barrelled weapon or a prohibited weapon where the accessory is designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by firing the weapon.”
The consultation document explained the background.”
o o o
Sam Altman’s doomsday ‘bunker’ confession as OpenAI CEO fears ‘bombs dropping’.
o o o
You Might Be Storing Your Batteries Wrong—Here’s How to Store Them the Right Way. Here is an excerpt:
“If there’s one way to kill a battery fast, it’s extreme temperatures. Intense heat can cause ruptures and leaks. Conversely, too low a temperature can lead to internal condensation and corrosion. Either case will shorten the expected battery life.
So, despite what many people believe, storing batteries in the fridge/freezer won’t do them any favors—in fact, all major battery brands advise against doing so.1
The solution? Keep your batteries in a cool, dry, room-temperature place. This could be in a closet, cupboard, or drawer—as long as it’s away from direct sunlight and heat sources such as ovens, radiators, and boilers.”
o o o
From the SurvivalRealty newsletter this week: A real estate auction for a retreat property near Estancia, NM. Two off-grid properties totalling 52 acres with 2 homes and multiple cabins.
o o o
Tim J. forwarded a recent trainspotter video: Nuclear Waste Train with Security on the NS! – July 20, 2025.
o o o
Reader H.L. recommended this article: Cowboy Ethics: A Timeless Code for Modern Times. Here is a pericope:
“The principles of cowboy ethics, as outlined by Owen and others, include:
-
- Live each day with courage.
- Take pride in your work.
- Always finish what you start.
- Do what has to be done.
- Be tough, but fair.
- When you make a promise, keep it.
- Ride for the brand.
- Talk less and say more.
- Remember that some things aren’t for sale.
- Know where to draw the line.
These principles emphasize the importance of personal integrity, commitment, and respect for oneself and others.”
—
Please Send Us Your Snippets!
Please send your snippet items for potential posting to JWR. or AVL. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.