Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — October 7, 2025

On October 7, 1826, the Granite Railway began operations. It was the first chartered railway in the United States. It was built to carry granite from a quarry in Quincy, Massachusetts, to a dock on the Neponset River in Milton. From there, boats carried the heavy stone to Charlestown, for construction of the Bunker Hill Monument. The railway ran three miles (4.8 km) from quarries to the Neponset River. Its wagons had wheels 6 ft (1.83 m) in diameter and were pulled by horses. Pictured is the railway’s incline section, photographed in 1934. — On October 7, 1909, the British …


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, news about some CH-47 Chinook firefighting helicopters based in Montana.  (See the Montana and Wyoming sections. The photo above is courtesy of Billings Fyling Service and Lost In The Woods Photography.) Idaho Idaho’s small arms market anticipates more growth. o  o  o Reader C.B.  flagged …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 6, 2025

On October 6, 1889: The first recorded ascent of the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, by German climber Hans Meyer and Austrian Ludwig Purtscheller. — October 6, 1890: The General Conference of the Latter-day Saints belatedly outlawed polygamy. Their foot-dragging delayed Utah’s admission as a state until 1896. — Today is the birthday of science fiction author David Brin (born, 1950.) He wrote The Postman, which was very loosely the foundation of a movie of the same name by Kevin Costner. — Today’s feature is a review by Field Gear Editor Tom Christainson.  


Christensen Arms Ranger in .22LR, by Thomas Christianson

Every gun cabinet should contain at least one rifle chambered in .22LR. The .22LR rimfire ammo is available in a wide variety of loads at reasonable prices. There is minimal recoil, minimal noise, and .22LR is a whole lot of fun to shoot. For training, for pest control, and for an all-around good time, there are few chamberings to match .22LR. Weighing in at just 5.1 pounds, the Christensen Arms Ranger in .22LR is an amazingly light and well-balanced bolt-action tack-driver with an excellent trigger. The threaded, 18-inch, hand-lapped, carbon-fiber-tension-over-stainless-steel-core barrel is well matched with a carbon-fiber stock with a …


Recipe of the Week:

The following brief recipe for End of Season Vegetable Broth is from SurvivalBlog reader Mrs Alaska. She writes:  “I make broth from end-of-season greens that aren’t great for fresh eating. The peas that burst.  The hairy squash and cucumber leaves.  The celery that is great now but will not winter well.   Avoid any leaves that you should NOT eat, like tomatoes, rhubarb, and (flowers: sweet peas). When the temperatures drop to the low 40s, I clean the gardens of vegetable leaves that will not overwinter and plop them in a 5-gallon pot of water, along with garlic and onion. The …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 5, 2025

October 5, 1968: A civil rights march in Derry was stopped by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC ) and the resulting clashes led to two days of serious rioting. This date is often considered the start of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. — October 5, 1703 was the birthday of Jonathan Edwards. He died on March 22, 1758. Edwards was a prolific Calvinist theological writer. Many of his writings were later collected in the multi-volume book The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards, edited by John Gerstner. — Today’s feature piece is a letter from JWR. — We are seeking …


Profound Deafness, and Profound Sadness

This is an open letter to the members of the U.S. House and Senate. I am writing to encourage you to pass the Hearing Protection Act (HPA).  This legislation would remove most of the restrictions on firearms suppressors — devices commonly but erroneously called silencers.  (They do not completely silence guns.) I recently turned 65 years old. Because of my service in the U.S. Army and my many years as a target shooter and hunter, I have developed progressive nerve deafness. My hearing loss is rated at “Profound” by audiologists.  I have spent thousands of dollars on hearing aids in …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Senator Chuck Schumer Says That Because of The Government Shutdown, All National Parks Must Be Closed… No View For You! News Link: What Happens To National Parks When The Federal Government Shuts Down? 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:

“Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 4, 2025

On October 4, 1777: The Battle of Germantown: General George Washington‘s troops attacked but were defeated by the British troops at Germantown, Pennsylvania. — October 4, 1923 was the birthday of the late Charlton Heston, who was born John Charles Carter. He died April 5, 2008. He is often remembered for movies like Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, Soylent Green, The Planet of the Apes, and the survivalist classic The Omega Man. — October 4th is also the anniversary of the Tongo Tongo, Niger Ambush, in 2017. American KIAs: Staff Sgt. Bryan C Black, Sgt. First Class Jeremiah W Johnson, …


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 …