Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — May 1, 2024

On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building in New York City officially opened. For four decades it was the tallest building in the world, and it is considered a U.S. landmark. — On May 1, 2004, The European Union was enlarged to include the new member states of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia — Today we present a product review and field test by Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — We are in need of entries for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.  More than $875,000 worth of prizes …


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. — An American came back from Europe with a $143,000 phone bill after failing to set up international roaming. o  o  o Reader J.R.G. wrote: “I read the recent review by Mr. Christianson. I own the same knife model that was reviewed.  I was attracted to it by its leaf-bladed resemblance to the …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Summing up: Correctly interpreted, the simple economic model specifically predicts that people will be less selfish as voters than as consumers. Indeed, like diners at an all-you-can-eat buffet, we should expect voters to “stuff themselves” with moral rectitude. Once again, analogies between voting and shopping are deeply misleading.” – Bryan Caplan, The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — April 30, 2024

On April 30, 1897, English physicist J.J. Thomson announced that he had discovered the electron, which helped revolutionize the knowledge of atomic structure; he later was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. April 30, 1777 was the birthday of Carl Friedrich Gauss, who is widely is considered the world’s greatest mathematician. Camerone Day is celebrated on April 30th every year — the Foreign Legion’s most important holiday. On the 30 of April 1863 the French Foreign Legion fought for over 10 hours with a vastly-larger Mexican Army contingent. This battle is still celebrated by the Foreign Legion as the Battle …


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 driving tour videos that will give folks an appreciation of just how light the population density is, in most of The American Redoubt. Pictured above is Salmon, Idaho, sometime before 1950. Region-Wide On May 21st, there will be an advisory vote in Crook County, …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 29, 2024

On April 29, 1770, British explorer James Cook made his first landing in Australia, at Botany Bay. — This is the birthday of actor Daniel Day-Lewis (born 1957), often remembered for his starring roles in Last of the Mohicians and in Lincoln. — Today’s feature article is a review written by  SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — Gone!  We are now out of stock of the waterproof 2005-2023 SurvivalBlog Archive USB sticks. There may be just 10 that we held in reserve for replacements that will be offered for sale in a few days, but otherwise there won’t be …


Recipe of the Week:  Simple Mac and Cheese Supreme

The following recipe for Simple Mac & Cheese Supreme is from SurvivalBlog reader G.E.. He recommends this as a recipe for camping and backpacking. This recipe can be doubled or tripled, if you have a large enough pot. Ingredients 1 Box of store-bought Macaroni & Cheese. (Such as Velveeta, Kraft, or Annie’s.) 1/4 to 1/3 cup of Dehydrated Vegetables 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dried beef bits, or real bacon bits, or shredded mild jerky,  or a retort packet of tuna or salmon. A small shaker with a snap closure filled with your favorite seasoning — such as Cajun Spices, …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 28, 2024

On April 28, 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, “Il Duce,” who had become unpopular even among his fellow Fascists, was captured while trying to flee Italy. He was executed, and then his corpse was ignominiously dragged through the streets. Then it was put on public display before a jeering crowd in front of an Esso gas station in Milan’s Piazzale Loreto, hanging head-down. Alongside Mussolini were the bodies of his mistress Claretta Petacci, and several members of his Fascist cabinet — also executed. — April 28th is the birthday of Aimo Johannes Lahti. (Born in 1896.) This inventive Finn designed …


Crisis is Normal, by SwampFox

A few years ago, there was a show on cable television called Doomsday Preppers. I saw a few episodes of it a long time after release, and a basic episode usually focused on one or two families and their retreat setups and the scenarios they were preparing for. As expected, the show was mostly composed of stereotypes and odd or eccentric examples, not to mention the obvious glaring OPSEC issues for anybody who would dare to appear on television. But one aspect seemed true-to-life: Each family the producers interviewed seemed to be preparing for something specific. They would say, “I’m …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Joe Biden Says It Best: Happy Cinco De Baño! Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 27, 2024

On April 27, 1865, the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history occurred when the overloaded steamship SS Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River, killing some 1,800 people, many of whom were former Union POWs returning home from the Civil War. — On this day in 1789, the crew of the British ship Bounty mutinied, setting Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift in a launch in the South Pacific. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at …