Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — August 15, 2025

80 years ago today, August 15th, 1945 was Victory In Japan (“V-J”) Day. — On August 15, 1620 the Mayflower set sail from Southampton, England, with 102 Pilgrims aboard. — August 15, 1914:  The Panama Canal opened to traffic with the SS Ancon making the first official steamship passage through the canal.  The canal was completed under budget, and ahead of schedule. The canal was extended in 1916. — Today is the birthday of British folk-rock singer Maddy Prior, the lead singer of Steeleye Span. She was born August 14th, 1947. — The last day to order! As part of …


The Price of Home Security: You Can Pay a Little Now, or Pay Much More, Later

JWR’s Introductory  Note:  This is an update to a SurvIvalBlog article that I posted in March, 2007.  Many home security technologies have advanced, especially with the advent of inexpensive webcams and trail cameras. So this is a fairly important article update.  I have also added mention of an alternative modular gun safe manufacturer. — I’m often amazed to hear some of my relatively wealthy consulting clients tell me that they don’t own a home gun vault or safe room. I ask why not, and they make excuses like: “I’ve been too busy at my job to shop for one” or, …


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 some threatened tariffs on gold, and a quick reversal. (See the Precious Metals section.) Precious Metals: Trump says gold will not be tariffed. o  o  o I noticed that spot silver bounced back to $38.82 USD per Troy ounce in after-hours trading on Wednesday. (Thursday morning trading, in Asia.) Let’s see if …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — Aug 14, 2025

90 years ago today, on August 14, 1935, in the depths of the Great Depression, the poorly-conceived and undeniably socialistic Social Security Act was signed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). The first Social Security numbers were issued in 1936, and the first Social Security taxes were collected in January, 1937. The first benefits were doled out in 1940. The following is from the SSA website: “On January 31, 1940, the first monthly retirement check was issued to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont, in the amount of $22.54. Miss Fuller, a Legal Secretary, had retired in November 1939. She …


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 end of traditional dial-up internet service. AOL Discontinuing Its Dial-Up Internet Service Several SurvivalBlog readers wrote to mention this news: End of an era: …



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 13, 2025

On August 13, 1642, Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens discovered that Mars had a southern polar cap. — This is the birthday of screenwriter, director, and producer, Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980). His many films spanned five decades. — Today is also the birthday of sharpshooter, entertainer, and folk heroine Annie Oakley (1860–1926.) — Please pray for everyone at risk of the floods in Wisconsin. — As part of the 20th Anniversary celebration for SurvivalBlog, we are running our biggest sale ever on all of our percussion gun inventory at Elk Creek Company.  (Elk Creek Company is a spin-off venture that helps pay …


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. — SurvivalBlog reader Tim J. suggested this video: The Insane Number of Humvees in US Inventory. JWR’s Comments:  Once all those thousands of HMMWVs (“Humvees”) are inexpensively released as surplus over the next decade, for preppers, it will seem like manna falling from heaven. The key question is: Will any of the up-armored …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Reason, in a strict sense, as meaning the judgment of truth and falsehood, can never, of itself, be any motive to the will, and can have no influence but so far as it touches some passion or affection. Abstract relations of ideas are the object of curiosity, not of volition. And matters of fact, where they are neither good nor evil, where they neither excite desire nor aversion, are totally indifferent, and whether known or unknown, whether mistaken or rightly apprehended, cannot be regarded as any motive to action.” – David Hume


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 12, 2025

On August 12, 1865, British surgeon Joseph Lister (pictured) performed the first antiseptic surgery using a carbolic acid (aka phenolic acid) solution spray on his instruments and bandages. — On August 12, 1867, US President Andrew Johnson defied Congress when he suspended Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. — And on August 12, 1908, Henry Ford’s company built the first Model T car. — Today’s feature article is an essay by our friend Brandon Smith, the Editor of the highly-recommended free site Alt-Market.us. He is also the Editor of the by-subscription e-newsletter, The Wild Bunch Dispatch. — We need more entries …


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, some data on gun ownership rates in the American Redoubt region.  (See the Region-Wide section.) Region-Wide Video: US States by Gun Ownership Rate — Comparison. JWR’s Comment:  If Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington were separate states, they’d both very likely be in the Top 10. o  …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“No tears in Heaven, no sorrows given, All will be glory in that land; There’ll be no sadness, all will be gladness, When we shall join that happy band. Glory is waiting, waiting up yonder, Where we shall spend an endless day; There with our Savior, we’ll be forever, Where no more sorrow can dismay. Some morning yonder, we’ll cease to ponder Over things this life has brought to view; All will be clearer, loved ones be dearer, In heaven where all will be made new. Chorus: No tears, in heaven fair, No tears up there, Sorrow and pain will …