Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — December 24, 2025

On December 24, 1651, Jan van Riebeeck departed for the Cape of Good Hope to˜found the first permanent European settlement in southern Africa.

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And on December 24, 1818, the Christmas carol “Silent Night” composed by Franz Xaver Gruber was first sung at St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria.

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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.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by St. Funogas

In case the Powers That Be ask our opinions about how the world as we know it should end, I’m going to recommend the slow-motion kind that takes a few weeks, rather than an instantaneous welcome-to-Teotwawkiville atomic explosion or EMP. That will give die-hard preppers time to top off their supplies and buy that extra pallet of Thin Mints, but more importantly, give those with a bug-out retreat time to get there before the final SHTF events usher us into TEOTWAWKI.

For those who find themselves up Schumer Creek with no reliable means of travel to their bug-out location; for those college kids who don’t own a vehicle and need to get home as the Schumer is beginning to fly; for those who are standing in the driveway cussing the old jalopy because the starter just couldn’t handle one more start; for those broken down on the side of the road because microchip #27 of the 166 chips in your vehicle gave up the ghost; for those who find the battery in your EV ran out of power during the most critical voyage of its life; and for all the rest whose transportation for a million other reasons won’t be taking them to their retreat, hitchhiking can a viable means of travel.Continue reading“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

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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Reader F.J. suggested this food for thought, over at Big Think: America’s post-apocalyptic maps reveal eerily familiar fault lines.  (Image Credit: ThaDrummer at DeviantArt.)

o  o  o

Reader J.L.S. wrote:

“Good evening Mr. Rawles I want to make a recommendation for you to add to your list of books on your Bookshelf page:  Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien.”

o  o  o

Reader C.B. suggested this piece at Bayou Renaissance Man that references SurvivalBlog’s Editor-At-Large, Mike Williamson: Need meat for long-term storage? Here’s a very useful option.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”  – H.G. Wells

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 23, 2025

On December 23, 1913,  US President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law, creating the central banking Federal Reserve System. This law granted extraordinary monetary and economic power to a private banking cartel. The destruction of the purchasing power of the U.S. Dollar was a key result. (It has declined 98%, since 1913.)  I recommend the book The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve. – JWR

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December 23rd is the birthday of Founding Father and Supreme Court Justice John Jay. (Born 1745, died May 17, 1829.)

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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.

—

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.

Using GSSF Matches to Prep, by Iowa Dave

Author’s Note: I am not affiliated with Glock or the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation other than volunteering as a range officer at their matches and shooting their matches.

JWR likes to say that owning a gun doesn’t make you a shooter any more than owning a surfboard makes you a surfer. You need to learn, train, and practice. Practical pistol disciplines such as International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) and International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) are outstanding ways to practice, but they can be intimidating to the novice. That’s where the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation, or GSSF fits in. Glock started GSSF in 1991 to promote safe and proficient use of their product. GSSF matches are structured to be beginner-friendly. Unlike disciplines such as IDPA and IPSC, there is no movement, no drawing from a holster, no reloading on the clock, and no complicated rules such as use of cover, etc.

I first encountered GSSF nearly 20 years ago when my club where I lived in Kentucky at the time asked for volunteers to assist at a match. I volunteered and was put to work as a target paster, putting stickers over the holes on targets in between shooters. The next year, I volunteered again and also signed up to shoot the match. Soon, I was recording scores and times, then running the timer and ensuring the safety of the shooters. I’ve now volunteered at about 50 matches, in Kentucky (two locations), Wisconsin, Missouri, South Dakota, and Nebraska (two locations). As a volunteer, I have encountered a broad spectrum of shooters, from people who have never shot a firearm before and just came from the gun store with their first gun new in the box, to master shooters who shoot a stage in 3 seconds with perfect accuracy. I have served as a range officer for shooters from age 9 to 90, and people with various disabilities including people in wheelchairs or on scooters. I’ve seen many families participating in GSSF matches together.Continue reading“Using GSSF Matches to Prep, by Iowa Dave”

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. Today, a Creative Commons photo by Justin Fincher of Glacier National Park, Montana.  The “Weeping Wall” can be seen alongside the Going To The Sun Road at the far right side of the photo. The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

American Redoubt Links of Interest

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 — December 22, 2025

December 22nd 1849: The planned execution of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky by firing squad was called off, at the last second. JWR’s Comment: Novelists tend to thrive on drama, but that was a bit too intense.

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December 22nd is also the anniversary of the death of SP4 James T. Davis, the first uniformed American combat casualty of the Vietnam War, in 1961. This ASA soldier (of the 3rd Radio Research Unit) was killed in a Viet Cong ambush on a road outside Saigon.

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For those who have been waiting, the special 20th Anniversary SurvivalBlog 2005-2025 Waterproof/EMP-Resistant Archive USB sticks will be available for Pre-Ordering on Monday, December 29th.  (Please mark your calendar.) Orders should start shipping in the third week of January.  These sold out quickly last year, so don’t delay.

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.

—

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.

The Go-Kot, by Thomas Cristianson

Handmade in the USA, the Go-Kot was designed by scoutmasters in 1978 in order to provide better cots for their scouts.

The Go-Kot is compact. When packed in its 28 x 8 x 3 inch carrying bag, the Go-Kot takes up less room in a trunk or cargo compartment than the typical camping cot.

The Go-Kot is rugged. It is constructed of heavy-duty nylon fabric, an aircraft-grade aluminum frame, and spring-steel legs.

The Go-Kot is easy to assemble and disassemble. It takes about a minute to take it out of the carrying bag and set up. It takes about another minute to take it down and stow it back in the bag.

Best of all, the Go-Kot is comfortable. I was able to sleep in it without any of the joint pain that so often accompanies sleeping on cots, air mattresses, or foam pads, not to mention sleeping on the ground.Continue reading“The Go-Kot, by Thomas Cristianson”

Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Balkan Stew (aka Survival Stew) is from SurvivalBlog reader Greg M.

Greg’s Note: “The ingredients can include any substitutes you have on hand if fresh items are missing.”
Ingredients
  • Thick pork chops (or meat of your choice)
  • Olive oil
  • Greek seasoning
  • Hungarian paprika
  • Black pepper
  • Garlic salt
  • Ham bullion soup base
  • Turnips, onions, potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms
  • Whole tomatoes
  • Fresh garlic
  • Parsley
Directions
  1. Sear pork chops (or chosen meat) in olive oil; season with Greek seasoning, paprika, pepper, and garlic salt.
  2. Place the meat in a slow cooker with ham bullion base.
  3. Add chopped turnips, onions, potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, and whole tomatoes.
  4. Stir in minced garlic.
  5. Cook on low for 6–8 hours until meat is tender and vegetables meld.
  6. Finish with fresh parsley before serving.
SERVING

Serve with bread, preferably freshly-baked.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly 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!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: The geographic population center for the United States has been in Missouri since 1980. As of 2020, it is near Interstate 44 in Missouri as it approaches Springfield. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

 

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

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“It cannot be repeated too often that nothing is more fertile in prodigies than the art of being free; but there is nothing more arduous than the apprenticeship of liberty.” – Alexis de Tocqueville

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.

—

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”