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, a retrospective on the recently-ended Yellowstone television series, and its fictionalized view of Montana. (See the Montana section.) Idaho Reuters: Biden officials issue permit for Perpetua’s Idaho antimony and gold mine. o  o  o Reader Michael D. sent us this: Coeur d’Alene to consider emergency …



Preparedness Notes for Monday — January 6, 2025

On January  6, 1893, the Great Northern Railway connected Seattle with the east coast for the first time.  Passenger service began in June, 1893. Four railroads were merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad Company in March, 1970: Great Northern Railway Northern Pacific Railway Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway — In response to those who have written to ask:  Yes, there will indeed be a new waterproof USB stick archive that includes all of the 2005 to 2024 of SurvivalBlog posts. There will be 11 more bonus books added to the already huge list. We’ll probably …


Recipe of the Week: Chicken À L’Orange

The following recipe for Slow-Cooked Chicken À L’Orange is from SurvivalBlog reader Ellen H.. This recipe requires a slow cooker.  It is typically served on a bed of rice, that is cooked separately. Ingredients Ingredients for the chicken: 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Ingredients for the orange sauce: 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange) 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 2 oranges) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon …




Preparedness Notes for Sunday — January 5, 2025

The Battle of Nancy was fought on January 5, 1477.  The Swiss Confederacy led by René II decisively defeated the Duchy of Burgundy’s army. 7,000 of the Burgundian invaders were killed, including the Duke of Burgundy, Charles The Bold. (Pictured.) — January 5th is the birthday of the late John Pugsley (born 1934, died April 8, 2011), libertarian and economics author. Pugsley was well known in preparedness circles as the author of The Alpha Strategy. (The book is out of print, but a PDF is available for free download.) — This is also the birthday of General Courtney Hodges (1887 …


Fortifying Your Garden Soil, by Hollyberry

Perhaps the biggest boost you can give your garden is great soil. The seed/plant needs all the help it can get to grow and fruit. Soil will over time lose its nutrients and minerals so it is important to keep adding to it all year round. You can spend a lot of money on bags of fertilizer, worm castings and bone meal or you can get resourceful and do it cheaper or for free. The ideal PH for garden soil is 6.0 to 6.5. You can send in soil samples to various labs or the county cooperative extensions and receive …


JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Hey There, My Fellow Preppers: When It Comes to Long-Term Food Storage… Just a Few Purchases Can Shift Your Prepping From Banal To Anal 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 this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — January 4, 2025

On January 4, 1642, King Charles I and 400 of his soldiers stormed the English Parliament, demanding the arrest of five members. — On January 4, 1896, Utah became the 45th state of the Union.  One condition for statehood was that a ban on polygamy had to be written into the state constitution. — And, on January 4, 1847, Samuel Colt signed a contract for sales of his first revolver to the United States government. — Today’s feature article was too short for an entry in the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $935,000 worth of prizes have been awarded …


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 Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount. And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 3, 2025

On January 3rd, 1521, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Leo X for failing to recant parts of his Ninety-five Theses. Luther’s doctrine sparked the Protestant Reformation. — January 3, 1777: General George Washington‘s army defeated British forces at the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey. — January 3, 1868: The Meiji Restoration returned authority to Japan’s emperors. — Today’s feature article is a repost, so it is not eligible for judging in the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. We are in need of articles for Round 116 of the writing contest. More than $935,000 worth of …


2025 Annual Appeal: The Ten Cent Challenge

I hope that you get at least 10 cents worth of knowledge, entertainment, and motivation each day from SurvivalBlog. It has been posted with fresh content daily, since August, 2005. In nearly 20 years I’ve only missed posting on a few days — most notably in the week after my first wife passed away. I do my best to mention the Ten Cent Challenge editorially only once each year — and this post is it, for all of 2025. Unlike PBS, we don’t run agonizingly endless pledge drives. Just this one brief reminder, annually. But we do depend on voluntary …