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 ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

With a recent storm, we lost most of the golden leaves on our Water Birches, Balsam Poplars, and Quaking Aspens.  Ditto for the few non-native Maples that we planted. But the Tamaracks (Western Larches) are still resplendent. We’ve had enough sunshine in recent days to really show off their color.

Other than one trip down to Lewiston, Idaho, to attend a gun show and a family gathering here at the ranch at Thanksgiving, November will be a quiet month for us. This will give me a chance to some projects and some organizing, out in our shop.

This week, I carved a hide scraper for Lily. I quickly made it out of a scrap piece of KD 1×4 fir, about 20 inches long. I narrowed and oblong-rounded seven inches at one end of the board for a handle, and then I used a jigsaw to make a palm-width grasping groove at about 2/3rds of its length, so that it could be used either one-handed or two-handed. This tool is not exactly symmetrical, but it is quite functional. It looks like it is from the “Crude, But Effective” school of tool-making.

Also this week, I boxed up a Swedish Mauser carbine to mail out in trade for several S&W .32 and .38 top break revolvers. I presently have Elk Creek Company on hiatus, while I’m restocking. Until mid-2026, I will only be buying or trading, but not selling. The only exception to the sales hiatus will be for any SurvivalBlog writing contest prize winners who wish to spend their purchase credits. Those orders are always welcome.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

But Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.” – Genesis 35:1-20 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 7, 2025

On November 7, 1811, the Battle of Tippecanoe: General William Henry Harrison defeated the Native Americans of the Tecumesh Confederation.

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November 7, 1837: In Alton, Illinois, abolitionist printer Elijah P. Lovejoy was shot dead by a pro-slavery mob while attempting to protect his printing shop from being destroyed a third time.

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November 7th is the anniversary of the death of actor Steve McQueen (born March 24, 1930, died November 7, 1980). The many well-publicized exploits in his tempestuous life and his enduring persona are well known. However, the end of his life is actually the most noteworthy part of his legacy, even though it seldom gets much publicity outside of Christian circles: He came to faith in Jesus after he had been diagnosed with mesothelioma. He died with his forefinger pointing to his key verse in his Bible – Titus 1:2.

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Today’s feature article is a cogent essay by economist and commentator Brandon Smith, the editor of Alt-Market.us and The Wild Bunch Dispatch.

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We need more entries for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

Are Democrats Trying To Start A Civil War?, by Brandon Smith

Whenever you delve into the modern history of internal national conflict you’re bound to come across post-crisis accounts from people who said “We never saw it coming…” or “The violence hit us from nowhere…” Generally speaking, these were the people who weren’t paying attention and they just happened to survive by sheer luck.

I think of this dynamic a lot these days. I see a large contingent of American society (perhaps 25% of the population) which has been radicalized or brainwashed beyond all reason or repair. These people (leftists) operate deep within a protective bubble of propaganda and zealotry; they function within a hive mind that does not deviate from the demands of their gatekeepers. They cannot be reasoned with, nor can they be satiated. They lust for power and the suffering of anyone who opposes them.

One can see an immediate difference between the sides. Conservatives are so independent we in-fight constantly. We might agree on basic values (even in this we sometimes argue), but in terms of policy and action we rarely shake hands.

For the political left, any disagreement with the majority leads to immediate ostracism. The hive mind does not tolerate individual rebellion. Only the gatekeepers can change the mindset or the mission of the mob.Continue reading“Are Democrats Trying To Start A Civil War?, by Brandon Smith”

Economics & Investing Media of the Week

A Special Editor’s Note:  This weekly item replaces the Economics & Investing For Preppers news column.  Because so many news outlets have put their content behind paywalls, it became increasingly difficult to assemble that column.

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we will feature photos, charts, graphs, video links, or occasional news items of interest to preppers. Today’s selection is data from the U.S. Treasury Department, showing that the U.S. National Debt now exceeds $38 Trillion Dollars. See: Debt Dashboard.  The image below is click-expandable:

Other Links of Interest

Economics & Investing Media Tips:

Please send your economics and investing media links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Thanks!

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 6, 2025

On November 6th 1528, shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca became the first known European to set foot in Texas.

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On this day in 1977, the Toccoa Falls Dam in Georgia gave way and 39 people died in the resulting flood.

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November 6, is the anniversary of the day that B-24 Liberator co-pilot Al Millspaugh was shot down over Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, in 1944. He ended up in a Luft Stalag, until 1945. I got to know Al at some John Birch Society chapter meetings back in the late 1970s. Hearing his stories was fascinating. He told me that during one part of the war, his squadron flew black-painted B-24s that were used to parachute-drop weapons and Jedburgh-type OSS teams behind enemy lines to organize resistance. I also recall that he mentioned that one of his fellow internees at Stalag Luft I was a USAAF radio operator who soon after arriving at the camp admitted that he had lied about his age to enlist and that he was still just 15 years old. Learning of this, the Germans repatriated him through the International Red Cross. Al retired as a Lt. Colonel in the California Air National Guard. He passed away on November 24, 2014 in Kelseyville, California. My 2014 novel Liberators was in part dedicated to Al Millspaugh.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Evaluation of the Huxwrx Flow 556k Suppressor, by C.S.

With January 1st, 2026 and free-of-charge Federal transfer tax stamps for suppressors, SBRs, and SBSes approaching, I believe that many SurvivalBlog readers will soon be looking to purchase NFA items, be it their first or tenth such item. So, I’m writing this short article on my experiences with the Huxwrx 556k suppressor. I hope to help fellow readers make an informed purchase when or before January 1st comes around.

As a disclaimer, I have no affiliation with Huxwrx. This suppressor was purchased with my own money over a year ago, and I have since put around 2,000 rounds of 5.56 and .223 through it on the range while mounted on a single rifle.

Selecting the 556k

When I purchased this suppressor, it was not a rash decision. I spent several weeks researching a handful of different models from various manufacturers, as I intended this to be my “Forever” suppressor for my go-to AR-15 rifle. I read articles, watched videos, and compared specifications, including materials, sound suppression, weight, and length. No matter what competitor suppressors I looked at, I kept coming back to the 556k and eventually decided that it was the one for me. Continue reading“Evaluation of the Huxwrx Flow 556k Suppressor, by C.S.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, the threat to satellites posed by a major solar storm.

A Solar Superstorm Could Wipe Out ‘All Our Satellites’

SurvivalBlog reader Steve A. sent us this, from LiveScience: The next Carrington-level solar superstorm could wipe out ‘all our satellites,’ new simulations reveal.

Banks and Retailers are Running Out of Pennies

From the statist MSN outlet: Banks and retailers are running out of pennies. JWR’s Comments: I predict that most retailers will stop giving change in pennies by 2027, starting first in urban areas. With the relentless onslaught of inflation, nickels will be next.  So we should stockpile nickels, as a hedge. I suggest that you do so before Congress mandates that the U.S. Mint debases the nickel’s composition. (Thankfully, their composition hasn’t changed since 1946.) Also, stack all-copper pre-1981 pennies, but only if you can find sorted ones at face value. (Without a sorting machine, it is not worth the time to hand-sort pennies.)

Avoiding the TPM Chip Mandate for Windows 11

Charlie G. sent this: Why Windows 11 requires a TPM – and how you can get around it. JWR’s Comment:  It is now best to avoid the Windows OS altogether! Alternatives?  See this article at TechRadar: Best alternative to Windows of 2025.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The 4th Amendment and the personal rights it secures have a long history. At the very core stands the right of a man to retreat into his own home and there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion.” – Justice Potter Stewart

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — November 5, 2025

November 5th, 1572: Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe observed a bright new object with the naked eye in the Cassiopeia constellation, which he believed to be a new star but is now known as a supernova, a massive explosion of a dying star.

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November 5th, 1605: King James learned about the Gunpowder Plot. Hence we have Guy Fawkes Day.

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On November 5th, 2009, Army Major Nidal Hassan killed 13 people at Fort Hood. He shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he opened fire.  But predictably, the mainstream media cited “no known motive” for the terror attack.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  2. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  3. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  4. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  5. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

From Unprepared to Prepped – A Beginner’s Guide – Part 2, by Mr. Wobbet

(Continued from part 1. This concludes the article.)

As I wandered through my house trying to find the best place to create a second pantry I realized “I have way too much stuff.”

I have been astounded at how much my life has improved by starting to declutter my house. I still have a way to go to get to where I want to be, but even the first step of acknowledging “Yes, there is such a thing as too many spare computers and spare monitors and spare cables” lifts a burden off of me. Opening up space in my home office by ditching stuff that I have a near zero likelihood of ever using again and not filling it up with any other stuff is such a relief.

And decluttering other rooms gave me space to rearrange some things and now I have my emergency pantry where it is not difficult to get to (can’t be hard to get to or that violates the rule of making it part of a holistic routine) and also doesn’t cause stress on my wife.Continue reading“From Unprepared to Prepped – A Beginner’s Guide – Part 2, by Mr. Wobbet”

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.

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SurvivaBlog’s Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson sent this note on a body armor destructive range test:

“A friend brought some armor plates to our shoot for testing. They were advertised as “US-made” and Level IV.  Turns out they were imported [from China and there was no evidence of an NIJ test].

Both torso plates took double taps of green tip and survived with minimal deformation–maybe 1/8″.  Good. (See photo, above.) But the side plate (not pictured) shattered from a single 9mm.

Also, the plate material is very gypsum-like. Might be chalk with epoxy binder versus actual ceramic.
We could call this Chinese Roulette. Probably you have a Level IV plate, but maybe you don’t.”

o  o  o

Some cogent observations from our friend Tamara K.: THE MOD SQUAD.

o  o  o

There were some very clever ideas in this video: Four Years of Stealth Van Life — This Build Blew My Mind! (CheapRVliving Classic).

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“There is in every true woman’s heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.” – Washington Irving

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 4, 2025

November 4, 1841: The first emigrant wagon train arrived in California after a five-and-a-half-month, 1,730-mile journey over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Missouri. This was the Bartleson–Bidwell Party. John Bidwell’s mansion property (pictured above, before the destructive December, 2024 fire) is now a state park.

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November 4th is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone. He was born in 1916 in Buffalo, New York. The 2025 Basilone Parade was held in Raritan, New Jersey, Sunday, September 21st. Locals should try to attend in 2026, to honor his 110th birthday.

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I just heard that Jase Medical (one of our affiliate advertisers) just added topical Ivermectin to their product line.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

    1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  1. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  2. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  3. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  4. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.