Category: Reader-Written Contributed Article

Gardening and the Struggles – Part 1, by SaraSue

I am going into my fifth year trying to garden here on my farm.  I have ranching and farming neighbors who have been at it for generations, and their gardens are amazing.  Mine?  Not so much.  There also exists a large Amish and Mennonite presence here in this area.  They have large and productive gardens.  I could just buy from all the neighbors!  But, I wanted to have my own garden, which gives one a sense of security and food system control.  It has been a several year struggle. The 2025 gardening season was a positive change from previous years, …


Simple and Proven Ham Radio Antenna Construction, by Hoofer

As a public service, I’d like to share my ham radio antenna designs with SurvivalBlog readers. We handed out these antenna-building diagrams, free of charge, at Hamfests.  We sell laminated copies of wall charts and pocket band charts. Below, I am including drawings for Fan Dipoles and OMTA Verticals. (The original idea was Robert Wilson, a nice guy, we shared several ideas, but, after improving on his “math-inspired idea”, we designed and built many iterations of a more practical design.)  For the Fan Dipoles we sell a kit without wire, or a complete build.  Please note that the Fan Dipole …


A Tale of Two Appleseeds – Part 2, by N.C.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Understand that applications are on you Appleseed events are threading a needle. They need to say that they are not fomenting rebellion or any illegal use of force. They have to say this because they are pointing to our American heritage of marksmanship…without which our rebellion against the brits would have failed. You don’t need to be a lawyer to see the tension. The only way you can survive that tension is by erring on the side of liability protection. They are not teaching hunting. They are not teaching self defense. They …


A Tale of Two Appleseeds – Part 1, by N.C.

I recently went to two Project Appleseed shooting events. I went to one with friends one by myself. One was in the south in the summer the other in the north in the winter. There was a lot the same at these two events and a decent amount was different. There was a more negative experience for the first one and a more positive in the second, though neither was entirely positive or negative. How were these events different and why? Those are the questions I’m asking and answering here. I want to answer those questions both for the clinics …


Getting Organized, by Big John

As a busy CPA, I was always looking for ways to save time. I would occasionally go to the library and scoop up an armful of time management books. I would take them back to the office and skim through them. They all kinda said the same thing. Make a list, prioritize it and put estimated times to complete by each item. Do the A’s first, then the B’s and then the C’s. It was better than nothing. But it had holes in it. Under the C items was get new tires. But this never happened till a tire failed …


Livestock or “Deadstock”?, by SaraSue

I’m still reeling over what happened on the recent Easter Sunday.  It was early in the day when I trekked down to the barn to check on one of my heifers that was due to calve.  I had been watching her carefully as we got closer to her due date.  She wasn’t over-due.  In fact, she was right on time.  I had purposefully not made any Easter plans so I could be home if there was trouble.  And indeed, there was trouble. Her water broke at about 7:30 a.m. and I waited and waited for those two little hooves to …


Subterfuge: Why I Smile When I’m Told Some Lies, by R.E.D.

In this article, I’ll explain why some subterfuge can be a good thing and some implications for present-day news reporting. Many of my friends and acquaintances are terrible liars. I don’t mean to imply that my friends tell a lot of lies. However, they often tell the same lie consistently, and quite frankly it is not a very good lie. So, they are just not very good at telling that one lie. A couple of reasons why I am lied to so often is because I live in a community with many military retirees and I worked for nearly 30 …


The First Nine Survival Items You Should Buy, by Big John

I’ll make my list of the first nine survival items that you should buy really simple for you. The first two big-dollar items that you should buy are the Self Reliance Outfitters Canteen set and heavy duty space blanker/tarp. These two items are really must-have items. Dave Canterbury of Self Reliance Outfitters had these items custom-made. They are industrial strength and designed just like I would have done so myself. The canteen. It is similar to the old metal army canteen setup. But it is bigger and has a bigger mouth. It is nested in a canteen cup with a …


Making Repairs, by Big John

So you are living in a societal collapse and something breaks. Let’s say that your generator dies. You’ve gotta fix it. The following describes what have I learned about fixing things: I used to go through the repair process in my mind a few hundred times. I would pull the cover by loosening two screws, then unbolt the coil with a socket wrench. Then pull the coil and inspect for a broken winding. But first of all, I must borrow my friend’s socket set. I have learned over the years that the most efficient route is often to just tear …


Stocking Items for Barter, by Big John

Along with all of the other items that a seasoned Prepper has, barter items are critical. You undoubtedly will need items that you forgot to stockpile during the good times. This area of prepping needs to be approached with the same meticulous logical order as all of your other prepping gear. Your trading partner, the one with those critical items that you need to survive must be satisfied. You’ve gotta have stuff that he really needs, not just stuff that fit into the category of general prepping items. He may have no need for ammo but desperately needs antibiotics. So …


Looking Back at My Flight Training Adventures (Circa 1970), by H.L.

Editor’s Introductory Comments:  Most regular SurvivalBlog readers recognize the initials H.L.  She has been one of the blog’s most loyal and prolific volunteers, sending news and information links since around 2010. I am confident that she spritely lives to a three-digit age. But when she does pass away, I hope that her gravestone will be inscribed: “Always a Maverick.” – JWR At age 83 now. I have some very unusual memories of my early life.  I did not lead the conventional life of an American woman born in 1942.  Conventional is fine. However, there was something in my soul that …


My Prepping Journey, by Big John

My Prepping Journey began in 1967 when I moved to San Francisco. Spots on the radio urged us to prepare for an earthquake, The Big One. So one day while I was grocery shopping, I threw a flashlight in my cart and then put it in my trunk. On another trip I threw a cardboard box into my trunk. In the ensuing months, I added some bottles of water, a knife, some Power Bars, and cans of soup. I later learned that the heat of the trunk would destroy the soup, so I replaced it with beef jerky and peanuts. …


Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 123

We’ve announced the winners of Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest, which ended yesterday. Note to the top three prize winners: Please contact me and let me know your UPS and USPS address(es), for your prizes. Thanks. – JWR The top three prize winners will each receive some great prize packages. The winners for Round 123 are… First Prize Winner: First Prize goes to Lodge Pole, for Raising, Hunting, and Harvesting Animals. It was posted Feburary 11-16, 2026. See: (See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.)  He will receive as prizes: A …


How to Source “Real Food” if You Can’t Grow it Yourself, by SaraSue

I’m sure most everyone is familiar now with the seemingly sudden change in the Food Pyramid.  The Food Pyramid has essentially been flipped on its head.  Whereas, grains were considered a “foundational” food, meats (proteins), vegetables, and dairy are now considered to be foundational.  I am very pleased to see this change at the federal government level because it’s going to impact all federal programs for the better, in my opinion, such as feeding children, the less fortunate, healthcare, and nutrition guidelines. Have you ever (unkindly) thought “they could afford to lose some weight” when witnessing someone purchasing groceries with …


Beyond Organic: Biological Systems Gardening for Food Security – Part 5, by Hobbit Farmer

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) Where do I start if I’m new? Okay, this all sounds great but maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed. Where do you start if you are starting from scratch? Or maybe you have a large garden but aren’t sure you want to convert the whole thing over to this approach. I’m going to give you my method for establishing a garden bed on new ground, which I have used successfully in multiple beds on my property including my entire greenhouse.