SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This 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. — A Second Carrier Group Steaming Toward the Med. JWR’s Comments: If you look at U.S. military history, you can see that we’ve primarily been a naval power.  And many of the key turning points in our major wars have been on naval/maritime incidents, namely: Spanish-American War: The sinking of the Maine. World …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — October 17, 2023

On October 17, 1968, the action film Bullitt was released; it features Steve McQueen in what many consider his definitive role and is also known for its iconic car-chase sequence. — On this day in 1835, Texans approved a resolution to create the Texas Rangers– a corps of armed and mounted lawmen designed to “range and guard the frontier between the Brazos and Trinity Rivers”. After winning their revolutionary war with Mexico the following year, Texans decided to keep the Rangers, both to defend against Indian and Mexican raiders and to serve as the principal law enforcement authority along the …


Some Lessons Learned in Israel’s Kibbutzim

Like most other Americans, I have been closely watching the recent events in Israel.  I traveled there once, as a tourist, for several weeks. On that family trip, we drove up to the northern border with Lebanon, and all the way south to Eilat, on the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba. My wife (Avalanche Lily) has studied Hebrew for many years, and she has traveled to Israel more than a dozen times. In all, she has spent more than three years in Israel. So for us, watching the Israel-Hamas War brings back a lot of our travel memories. Lily lived …


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 of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, a special column with links to articles and videos showing Fall Colors in the American Redoubt region. Idaho Fall Foliage Color update – October 9th 2023. o  o  o Road Map to Idaho’s Fall Foliage. o  o  o No Preliminary Injunction Against Idaho Law Mandating …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 16, 2023

October 16, 1846: William Thomas Green Morton first demonstrated the use of ether as a general anesthetic before a gathering of physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. — After the French Revolution began, Marie-Antoinette, queen consort of Louis XVI, was targeted by agitators who, enraged by her extravagance and attempts to save the monarchy, ultimately guillotined her on this day in 1793. — Today’s feature article is a review written by Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.  


Recipe of the Week: One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken

The following recipe for One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken is from SurvivalBlog reader J.P.V.. Ingredients 4 bone-in chicken thighs 1 Tbsp butter or ghee 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin or minced 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1/4 cup honey 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp oregano 1 lb fresh green beans (or veggie of your choice) Season chicken with S & P, to taste Directions Preheat oven to 400 F. Melt butter in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sear both sides until golden brown. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside saving the drippings. Add garlic, brown sugar, …


Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at bank branch closures. (See the Economy & Finance section.) Precious Metals: Mark Lundeen: Gold’s Price in Foreign Currencies. o  o  o Zimbabwe turns gold-backed digital token into payment method. Economy & Finance: Major Banks Close Over 3,000 Branches Nationwide, With Recent 50+ Closures from Bank of America In Just One Week. o  …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 15, 2023

  On this day in 1959 a final conference on the Antarctic Treaty convened in Washington, D.C., and, after six weeks of negotiations, the treaty was signed by 12 countries, preserving the continent for free scientific study. — Herbert W. McBride, the author of A Rifleman Went To War, was born in Waterloo, Indiana October 15, 1873. He died in Indianapolis of a heart attack on March 17, 1933, shortly after finishing writing A Rifleman Went To War. — On October 15, 1529, Ottoman armies under Suleiman ended their siege of Vienna and turned back to Belgrade. — October 15th, …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: The Sophisticated Sensors in The Gaza Border Fence Have Had False Alerts From Burrowing Rodents So, Why Did it Take Hours For The IDF To Respond, When This Happened? News Links: Hamas’s attack was an Israeli intelligence failure on multiple fronts. How did Israeli intelligence fail to stop major attack from Gaza? How did Israel and the U.S. miss what Hamas was planning? Hamas’ attack is a staggering failure for Israel’s intelligence and security forces. Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again. And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 14, 2023

At the Battle of Hastings, fought this day in 1066, King Harold II of England was defeated by the invading army of William, duke of Normandy, in the Norman Conquest, establishing Normans as rulers of England. — On October 14, 1947, test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first man to break the sound barrier. — The Cuban Missile Crisis began on October 14, 1962, bringing the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear conflict. Photographs were taken by a high-altitude U-2 spy plane and offered incontrovertible evidence that Soviet-made medium-range missiles were in Cuba. These missiles …


Update: Retreat Locale Selection: Seek a Diverse Economy

JWR’s Introductory Note:  This post is an update to a short post that I wrote for SurvivalBlog, back in August, 2005: — A diverse local economy is of great importance when evaluating potential retreat locales. Unless you are retired or about to retire, the opportunity to find steady work pre-TEOTWAWKI is also very important. Of course, if you are self-employed or a “Work From Home” telecommuter, then this is less of an issue. These days, with the advent of Starlink Internet and affordable photovoltaic home off-grid power, you can live just about anywhere. Depending on the scenario you envision, you …