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, the threat to satellites posed by a major solar storm. A Solar Superstorm Could Wipe Out ‘All Our Satellites’ SurvivalBlog reader Steve A. sent us this, from LiveScience: …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 5, 2025

November 5th, 1572: Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe observed a bright new object with the naked eye in the Cassiopeia constellation, which he believed to be a new star but is now known as a supernova, a massive explosion of a dying star. — November 5th, 1605: King James learned about the Gunpowder Plot. Hence we have Guy Fawkes Day. — On November 5th, 2009, Army Major Nidal Hassan killed 13 people at Fort Hood. He shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he opened fire.  But predictably, the mainstream media cited “no known motive” for the terror attack. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today …


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. — SurvivaBlog’s Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this note on a body armor destructive range test: “A friend brought some armor plates to our shoot for testing. They were advertised as “US-made” and Level IV.  Turns out they were imported [from China and there was no evidence of an NIJ test]. Both torso …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 4, 2025

November 4, 1841: The first emigrant wagon train arrived in California after a five-and-a-half-month, 1,730-mile journey over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Missouri. This was the Bartleson–Bidwell Party. John Bidwell’s mansion property (pictured above, before the destructive December, 2024 fire) is now a state park. — November 4th is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone. He was born in 1916 in Buffalo, New York. The 2025 Basilone Parade was held in Raritan, New Jersey, Sunday, September 21st. Locals should try to attend in 2026, to honor his 110th birthday. — I just heard that Jase Medical (one …


SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

A Special Editor’s Note:  This will be the last regular News From The American Redoubt column.  Because so many news outlets have put their content behind paywalls, it has become increasingly difficult to assemble this column.  It will be replaced by a new weekly item: American Redoubt Media of the Week.  That will typically be photos, video links, or the occasional news item. — 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. …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 3, 2025

On November 3, 1917, the price of U.S. postage stamps was raised to 3 cents per ounce. — November 3, 1917: Flooding from a tropical storm killed 84 people in the Winooski River Valley, Vermont. Several flood control dams were eventually constructed, to prevent a similar disaster. — And November 3, 1987, Gordon Gould was issued US patent US4704583 for the laser, ending his 30-year battle to be credited as the inventor of the laser. — Today’s feature piece is by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.


Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Scrambled Eggs With Green Peppers is from The New Butterick Cook Book, copyright 1924, now in the public domain. That is one of the many bonus books included in the 2005-2025 20th Anniversary edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick that will be available in February of 2026. Ingredients 8 eggs 3 tablespoons cream Salt and pepper 2 sweet peppers\ 3 tablespoons butter or butter substitute Directions Beat the eggs slightly, adding the cream, salt and pepper. Heat the butter or butter substitute, and when hot add the eggs. As the eggs begin to cook, …



The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“Anyone who thinks hunters are just ‘bloodthirsty morons’ hasn’t looked into hunting. If you wait through long, cold hours in the November woods with a bow in your hands hoping a buck will show, or if you spend days walking in the African bush trailing Cape buffalo while listening to lions roar, you’re sure to learn hunting isn’t about killing.” – Donald Trump, Jr. (Photo by Gage Skidmore.)


Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 2, 2025

November 2, 1907: US banker J. P. Morgan locked more than 40 bankers in his library to force them to find ways to avert a New York banking crisis. (The Panic of 1907.) — November 2, 1948: Holland ended its rationing programs started during WWII for the distribution of textiles, meat, and cheese. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Some Interesting Anagrams for the name Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Hired Kwanzaa Mammon Harm: Amaze Womankind I Khazar: Women, Men Mad Warn: Mohammed AK Nazi Mom Harmed in Kwanzaa Khazar Imam: Ad Men Now Newark Mohammad Nazi Wham! Armani Zak Demon Hazard: I Waken Mammon Harmz, in a Woke Madman News Links: Zohran Mamdani: Hypocrisy, Socialism and the Danger of Elitist Politics. Trump cautions that NY will ‘never be the same’ if ‘communist’ Mamdani is elected. A democratic socialist is poised to become New York mayor. Democrats are nervous. Notes From JWR: Do …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who …