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. — An Important Safety Note: As are approaching Spring slash-burning season, I assume that some of your slash piles are still fairly wet. Please don’t be tempted to use anything more flammable than diesel fuel, as “woof” for fire-starting. DO NOT EVER use gasoline! – JWR o  o  o The recent presidential address …



Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — March 11, 2025

On March 11, 1963, US Defense Secretary Robert MacNamara ordered the adoption of the M16 rifle by the US military. It was designed by Eugene Stoner. It was a scaled-down and improved version of Stoner’s AR-10 (pictured, in prototype form) that was already in service in Portugal and Sudan. — Also on this day, the Great Blizzard of ’88 struck the northeastern United States (1888). — 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 …


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 Idaho’s big income tax cut.  (See the Idaho section.) Region-Wide Movement to break off part of Oregon to join with Idaho has legs again. o  o  o Frontier Airlines adds new routes to Spokane and Boise. Idaho Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed the …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — March 10, 2025

Today is the birthday of the artist Willem Roelofs (10 March 1822 – 12 May 1897.)  According to the Infogalactidc Wiki: He was a “…Dutch painter, water-colorist, etcher, lithographer, and draftsman. Roelofs was one of the forerunners of the Dutch Revival art, after the Romantic Classicism of the beginning of the 19th century, which led to the formation of The Hague school. His landscapes, especially the early ones with their dominating cloudy skies, demure bodies of water, and populated with cattle, are typical for the School of Barbizon. He unmistakably provided the spiritual impulse for the painters of nature that …


Recipe of the Week: Ground Beef & Tomato Pasta

The following simple recipe for Ground Beef & Tomato Pasta is from SurvivalBlog reader J.P.V.. Ingredients 3 cups of uncooked dried pasta of your choice 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less, if you are on a low-salt diet) 1/8 teaspoon minced garlic (optional, or less, to taste) 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper (optional, or less, to taste) 1/2 pound ground beef 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs 1-1/2 cups meatless canned or jar spaghetti sauce 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided Directions Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, …


SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Death By Starvation: A simulation estimates the proportion of the population to die from starvation following nuclear war. (A Times of London/Sunday Times graphic, courtesy of Reddit.) JWR’s Comment:  This is a simulation that assumes a worst-case full nuclear exchange, an interruption of most commerce, and the death of most livestock. This underscores the importance of having a deep larder! The thumbnail below is click-expandable.         — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation …



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — March 9, 2025

On March 9, 141 BC, Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumed the throne of the Han Dynasty in China and ruled for 54 years. March 9, 1776: Adam Smith published the influential economics book “The Wealth of Nations”. March 9th was the birthday of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin – the first man to ever travel in space. He was born in 1934 and died in the crash of a MiG-15-UTI fighter on March 27, 1968. — Today we present the last installment of a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader that is not part of the writing …


Preparedness in the New Golden Age or Grimy Age – Part 6, by Single Farmer

Editor’s Introductory Note: This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride, with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details, see this link to his article posted on February 24th, 2025: My Quest For a Wife. — (Continued from Part 5. This concludes the article.) Prepper Fatigue Do you have prepper fatigue? Have …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week: 

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Taylor Swift Says: I’ve Suffered For My Music… …Now It’s Your Turn (With a nod to Neil Innes and Eric Idle.) News Link: 14 Taylor Swift Songs That Reference Depression, According to Mental Health Experts. 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:

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;  I know thy works: behold, I …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — March 8, 2025

Today is the birthday of Colin Campbell Cooper, Jr. (March 8, 1856 – November 6, 1937). He was an American impressionist painter of architectural paintings, especially of skyscrapers in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago. An avid traveler, he was also known for his paintings of European and Asian landmarks, as well as natural landscapes, portraits, florals, and interiors. In addition to being a painter, he was also a teacher and a writer. His painting “Grand Central” (above) was dated 1909. It was auctioned by the Christies auction house for $85,000, in 2015. — Today we present a guest article …


Preparedness in the New Golden Age or Grimy Age – Part 5, by Single Farmer

Editor’s Introductory Note: This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details, see this link to his article posted on February 24th, 2025: My Quest For a Wife. — (Continued from Part 4.) Gold: What one ounce can buy in a grimy world In the …