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. — St. Funogas sent this snippet to ponder: “With all the recent hullabaloo about auditing Fort Knox, let me point out why it’s just one more irrelevant tempest in a teapot to decoy the US public from the more important numbers like the deficit, national debt, and the $1 trillion yearly interest on …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I’m an old-school survivalist – being armed is right up there at the top of the list of things to be ready for. But I also have dang near thirty five years of being that old-school survivalist behind me. In all that time, I have needed to eat far more times than I’ve needed to point a gun at someone. Not saying it won’t happen…simply saying that, statistically, you’ll be more likely to be patting yourself on the back over your food stash than your gun and ammo stash. In addition to keeping you from, y’know, dying, food has an …


Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 18, 2025

On March 18, 1314, Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burned at the stake by order of King Philip IV of France. — March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.) — It is also the birthday of Luc Besson, director and producer of films such as Nikita and The Fifth Element. He was born in 1959. — I’ve just made one minor change to our writing contest rules. Here is the revised portion, with the added text highlighted in red: Plagiarism …


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 the pending Idaho immigration bill.  (See the Idaho section.) Idaho Idaho House rejects bids to apply to amend U.S. Constitution through convention of states. JWR’s Comments: A Federal Constitutional Convention (“Con-Con”) could be dangerous, since the delegates would be re-writing all of the …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“In recent years it has been suggested that the Second Amendment protects the ‘collective’ right of states to maintain militias, while it does not protect the right of ‘the people’ to keep and bear arms. If anyone entertained this notion in the period during which the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were debated and ratified, it remains one of the most closely guarded secrets of the eighteenth century, for no known writing surviving from the period between 1787 and 1791 states such a thesis.” – Stephen P. Halbrook, That Every Man Be Armed, 1984


Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 17, 2025

John Pettie (17 March 1839 – 21 February 1893) was a painter from Edinburgh, Scotland. His painting Vigil (above) was completed circa 1884. According to the InfoGalactic Wiki, Pettie:  “…spent most of his career in London. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1866 and a full academician in 1874. As an enthusiastic amateur musician, he helped the career of the young composer Hamish MacCunn by organising concerts for him in his own studio. MacCunn, who would marry Pettie’s daughter Alison in 1889, also served as a model for many of his paintings and sketches in various distinctive …


Recipe of the Week: Alaska Potato Rolls

The following recipe for Alaska Potato Rolls is from SurvivalBlog reader Mike in Alaska.  He says: “Jan at Alaska Flour Company has created a new way to make the potato roll.” The yield of this recipe is 32 rolls. Ingredients 1 Tablespoon yeast 1 1/2 cups warm water 2/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt 2/3 cup melted butter (10 1/2 Tablespoons) 2 eggs, (room temp) 1 cup prepared mashed potatoes (without salt) -I use instant mashed potatoes 2 1/2 cups of barley flour4 cups of all-purpose flour Directions Dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar, about 10 minutes. Then add …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 16, 2025

On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III of Sweden was shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the Opera; he died on March 29th. Pictured is the masquerade costume worn by Gustav III when he was shot in the back. — March 16, 1769: Louis-Antoine de Bougainville’s expedition of two ships completed the first French circumnavigation of the world when they arrived in Saint-Malo, France. — Today is the anniversary of the Battle at Pound Gap Kentucky, in 1862. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Just Another Day Of Work… …Making Egg Deliveries (Photo of Garda Armored Truck) News Link: Egg prices to increase by more than 40% in 2025, according to USDA report. 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:

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 15, 2025

On March 15, 1916, General Pershing and 15,000 troops of the “Punitive Expedition, US Army” began chasing Pancho Villa into Mexico. — Today is also the birthday of General and President Andrew Jackson, in 1767. He was the seventh President of the United States (1829-1837.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate. He that deviseth to do evil …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 14, 2025

Paul Émile Vernon was born on 14 March 1872 in Blois, France and died in the same town on 31 January 1920. Emile Vernon studied painting at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Tours and received the first drawing prize in 1888. He then studied William Bouguereau and Auguste Truphème at the School of the Fine Arts of Paris. In 1898, he participated in the exhibition of fine arts and decorative arts of Tours and began at the Salon des Artistes Français. He exhibited there regularly until 1913, presenting in particular portraits, landscapes and floral painting — On March 14, 1900, …