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 themselves and for the subjective experiences. The quick answer for why there was minimal benefit for the first is down to experience and expectation. Although there were also issues with their liability insurance, growing pains in the organization, and some confusion about equipment requirements. I want to unpack that a bit and separate personal issues from organizational ones.Continue reading“A Tale of Two Appleseeds – Part 1, by N.C.”

SurvivalBlog’s American Redoubt Media of the Week

This weekly column features media 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. Today’s feature photo is a public domain image of Trout Lake at Yellowstone National Park, taken by “Always Shooting”. It was taken in 2014. The thumbnail image below is click-expandable:

 

 

 

Send Your Media Links

Please send your links to media from the American Redoubt region to JWR. Any photos that are posted or re-posted must be uncopyrighted. You can do so either via e-mail or via our Contact form.

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“There are 1011 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it’s only a hundred billion. It’s less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.” – Dr. Richard Feynman

Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 20, 2026

On April 20th, 1653 Oliver Cromwell and 40 musketeers forcibly dissolved the English Rump Parliament, after it failed to establish a caretaker government. In Cromwell’s words “You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately … In the name of God, go!”

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April 20, 2010: An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, leased by BP, killed 11 workers and began spewing an estimated 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months, creating the worst known offshore oil spill.

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April 20th is also the day that we remember the victims of the Columbine High School tragedy. Sadly, since then only a few school districts have authorized teachers and administrators to keep guns close at hand, to prevent similar incidents. – JWR

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We are running a two-week-long sale on all of our pre-1899 antique shotguns at Elk Creek Company, with deep discounts. This sale will end on Monday, April 27th, 2026. Please note that some of these guns have been re-sleeved and re-proofed for modern shotshells!

Also note: I recently raised my silver divisor to 56.  If paying in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver coinage, you may divide the total for your order by 56.  For example, for a $440 order, you’d pay just $7.85 face value in any combination of silver dimes, quarters, or half-dollars.

Husqvarna 26 Inch Clearing Axe, by Thomas Christianson

Dateline: The Swamp. I am writing this in the depths of winter, but I cannot rest from my labors. I must press forward with the ongoing campaign. The objective is to push back the tangled undergrowth threatening to swallow up our property. Only ceaseless effort can prevent the undergrowth from reclaiming our land for The Swamp.

Without the protecting cover of leaves, my enemy is more vulnerable to my counter-attacks. I can better see to cut the various tendrils, stems, and saplings. The newest weapon in my arsenal is the Husqvarna 26 Inch Clearing Axe.

The clearing axe consists of a 5.75-inch blade held firmly by a heavy spring-steel bow. The bow, in turn, is fixed securely to the end of a 19.7-inch hickory shaft. The blade is about 0.13 inches thick and about 1.5 inches wide. When applied with appropriate force to the proper place, the blade smoothly severs tendrils, stems, and saplings up to 0.5 inches in diameter.Continue reading“Husqvarna 26 Inch Clearing Axe, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Super Simple Traditional Skillet Asparagus is from SurvivalBlog reader Ellen H. This requires a large cast-iron skillet with lid.

Ingredients
  • Asparagus (1 to 6 servings’ worth)
  • Butter
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)
Directions
  1. Warm a large cast Iron skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan.
  3. When the butter foam subsides, add the asparagus and shake the skillet to coat the asparagus spears.
  4. Cover and cook, shaking occasionally, until the spears are bright green but still crisp, about 3 minutes.
  5. Uncover and continue cooking until the asparagus is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 5–10 minutes more (the thicker the spears, the longer the cooking time).
  6. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Normalized product of inverse of Cost of Living and Human Development Index (HDI) based on 2026 Cost of Living data.

JWR’s Comments:  Note that the Human Development Index has been criticized for a Scandi-centric view of health, wealth, and happiness. The HDI’s 0-to-1 ratings essentially assume that present-day Scandinavia is the penultimate in civilizational aspirations. I, for one, can imagine something a lot better than multi-generational welfare dependence. Also note that the current prosperity of Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany has partly been artificially propelled by the cash generated by drilling North Sea oil.

The graphic courtesy of Reddit.

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

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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 or uncopyrighted.

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The hour is fast approaching on which the honour and success of this army, and the safety of our bleeding country depend. Remember, officers and soldiers, that you are free men, fighting for the blessings of liberty… that slavery will be your portion… …if you do not acquit yourselves like men.” – George Washington, 1776

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 19, 2026

April 19th is the original Patriot Day which marks the multiple anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, known as “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”.  Note that due to corporate bureaucracy, the Patriot Day celebration has generally been moved to the third Monday in April to facilitate a postal/banking holiday.

April 19th  also marks the anniversary of the blockade of Confederate Ports in 1861, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis in 1943, the BATF’s costly raid on the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, the gun turret explosion on the USS Iowa in 1989, the capture of the Boston Marathon bomber in 2013, and very sadly also the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

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Today’s feature article is a guest post from our friend Brandon Smith. It first appeared in his Alt-Market.us blog, which we highly recommend bookmarking. – JWR

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We need entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 124 ends on May 31st, 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.

The US Separation From Europe And NATO Is Long Overdue, by Brandon Smith

As much as many centrists and libertarians are opposed to Donald Trump’s ongoing strikes against Iran, I have to say, the downstream result might end up becoming one of the most libertarian results I have ever seen. For decades, small government activists like those in the Ron Paul movement have been calling for a comprehensive US divorce from NATO and the shutdown of America’s military bases overseas. Trump has, either deliberately or inadvertently, set this very process in motion.

The refusal of most of Europe (and Australia) to provide support in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz might seem like geopolitical orbiting – In other words, getting involved could hurt them more than it would help them. Of course, these nations are far more exposed to the Hormuz closure and the slowdown in energy exports than the US. You would think their interests would demand a securing of the strait.Continue reading“The US Separation From Europe And NATO Is Long Overdue, by Brandon Smith”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Sarah Connor Says:

“There’s No Feta Cheese, But What We Make For Ourselves.”

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:

“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.

For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” – Romans 14:1-12

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 18, 2026

On April 18, 1775 Paul Revere (pictured) met with Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn them that British troops were marching from Boston to Lexington.

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April 18,1906: San Francisco earthquake and fire killed nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city.

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And on April 18, 1949, the Republic of Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth.

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Today’s feature article is a guest post from a long-time SurvivalBlog reader. Because it is partly self-promotional, it is not part of the writing contest judging.

We need entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $984,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 124 ends on May 31st, 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.

Preparing Future Generations for an Uncertain Future – Part Seven, by Single Farmer

(Continued from Part 6. This concludes the article.)

Evaluating Families to Find Like-Minded People

Daily, I am reminded of how bad it is out there, based on the information that I am analyzing. People often ask me “How long do we have?” If you understand history, economics, threat analysis, and have three generations of preparedness expertise in your wheelhouse, then you know the lateness of the hour. As for my situation, I hope it is long enough to be able to get married and to get the supplies my future spouse and her family need. I have a lot of supplies set aside for my future spouse and her family. The future will be difficult no matter your level of preparation, but it will be even more difficult if you do not wisely choose who will be under your roof.

Benjamin Franklin’s thoughts on marriage are very relevant over 250 years later: “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half shut afterward.” Now, it is the time to evaluate people both if you wish to add people through marriage to your family or to your preparedness group.Continue reading“Preparing Future Generations for an Uncertain Future – Part Seven, by Single Farmer”

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:

We had a busy week. I did some firewood hauling slash hauling, and slash burning.  I touched off the burn pile burning just as it began to rain, for safety.

I also helped a relative with a camper trailer conversion project.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”