Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 9, 2025

  On January 9, 1855, the clipper ship “Guiding Star” disappeared in the Atlantic, with the loss of 480 lives. — January 6, 1880: It was reported that six feet of snow had fallen in Seattle, in five days. — And on January 6, 1936, the U.S. Army adopted the M1 semiauto rifle, designed by John Garand as its new standard-issue weapon. — Today’s feature article is a guest post by one of my consulting clients. It is not eligible for the writing contest judging. – JWR We are seeking entries for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. …


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, we look at the risk of terrorist sleeper agents and cells in the United States. More Than 1,000 Jihadi Sleepers In The US? Video: Former CIA Officer: There …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 8, 2025

On January 8, 1656, the longest-running commercial newspaper, “Weeckelycke Courante van Europa“, now known as “Haarlems Dagblad“, still in printed circulation first began publication in Haarlem, Netherlands. — January 8,1835: The US national debt was reduced to zero for the first and only time in history. — Today’s feature article is a guest post by one of my consulting clients. It is not eligible for the writing contest judging. – JWR We are seeking entries for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $935,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In …


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. — Mike in Alaska wrote: “The local climate here is our version of a freezer and refrigerator solution. I took the photo above on my way to work this morning … and it is now dropping even further. We are expecting -45 F this coming weekend. In the summer (June, July, and half …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 7, 2025

January 7, 1785: The first balloon flight across the English Channel, by Jean Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries. — January 7,1927: Commercial transatlantic telephone service was inaugurated between New York and London. — Today is the birthday of Senator Rand Paul, born 1963. — This is also the birthday of Cresson Kearny (born 1914, died December 18, 2003.) — Today’s feature article is a guest post by one of my consulting clients. It is not eligible for the writing contest judging. – JWR We are seeking entries for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $935,000 worth …


SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements 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. We also mention companies located in the American Redoubt region that are of interest to preppers and survivalists. Today, a retrospective on the recently-ended Yellowstone television series, and its fictionalized view of Montana. (See the Montana section.) Idaho Reuters: Biden officials issue permit for Perpetua’s Idaho antimony and gold mine. o  o  o Reader Michael D. sent us this: Coeur d’Alene to consider emergency …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 6, 2025

On January  6, 1893, the Great Northern Railway connected Seattle with the east coast for the first time.  Passenger service began in June, 1893. Four railroads were merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad Company in March, 1970: Great Northern Railway Northern Pacific Railway Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway — In response to those who have written to ask:  Yes, there will indeed be a new waterproof USB stick archive that includes all of the 2005 to 2024 of SurvivalBlog posts. There will be 11 more bonus books added to the already huge list. We’ll probably …


Recipe of the Week: Chicken À L’Orange

The following recipe for Slow-Cooked Chicken À L’Orange is from SurvivalBlog reader Ellen H.. This recipe requires a slow cooker.  It is typically served on a bed of rice, that is cooked separately. Ingredients Ingredients for the chicken: 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Ingredients for the orange sauce: 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange) 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 2 oranges) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 5, 2025

The Battle of Nancy was fought on January 5, 1477.  The Swiss Confederacy led by René II decisively defeated the Duchy of Burgundy’s army. 7,000 of the Burgundian invaders were killed, including the Duke of Burgundy, Charles The Bold. (Pictured.) — January 5th is the birthday of the late John Pugsley (born 1934, died April 8, 2011), libertarian and economics author. Pugsley was well known in preparedness circles as the author of The Alpha Strategy. (The book is out of print, but a PDF is available for free download.) — This is also the birthday of General Courtney Hodges (1887 …