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 Qatar flag over Idaho?  (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

From Newsweek: Qatar is Getting an Air Force Facility in Idaho: What to Know. An article excerpt:

“The Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho is a prominent one for interoperational aspirations between the United States and various international allies: Most prominently, the Singaporean Air Force will train personnel at the base, hosting the Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG aircraft, according to the base’s website.

The base hosts three fighter squadrons: The 389th Fighter Squadron Thunderbolts; The 391st Fighter Squadron Tigers; and The Republic of Singapore 428th Fighter Squadron Buccaneers. However, the Singaporean force only uses existing U.S. facilities—it does not have separate facilities of its own.”

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Representative Heather Scott warns: Idaho Water Alert! (Thanks to Brian M. for the link.)

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Kootenai County deputy dies in UTV accident.

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Retired school administrator facing felony battery and assault charges.

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Teen sentenced to 25 years to life for Jerome man’s murder.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day: 

“The powers of the legislature are defined and limited; and that those limits may not be mistaken, or forgotten, the constitution is written. To what purpose are powers limited, and to what purpose is that limitation committed to writing, if these limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained? The distinction between a government with limited and unlimited powers is abolished, if those limits do not confine the persons on whom they are imposed, and if acts prohibited and acts allowed, are of equal obligation. It is a proposition too plain to be contested, that the constitution controls any legislative act repugnant to it; or, that the legislature may alter the constitution by an ordinary act.

Between these alternatives there is no middle ground. The constitution is either a superior, paramount law, unchangeable by ordinary means, or it is on a level with ordinary legislative acts, and, like other acts, is alterable when the legislature shall please to alter it.

If the former part of the alternative be true, then a legislative act contrary to the constitution is not law: if the latter part be true, then written constitutions are absurd attempts, on the part of the people, to limit a power in its own nature illimitable.

Certainly all those who have framed written constitutions contemplate them as forming the fundamental and paramount law of the nation, and consequently, the theory of every such government must be, that an act of the legislature, repugnant to the constitution, is void.” – Chief Justice John Marshall, in Marbury v. Madison. (1803)

Preparedness Notes for Monday — October 13, 2025

On October 13, 1775, the Whirlpool Galaxy was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier.

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Margaret Thatcher was born on October 13, 1925. She was the UK’s first female Prime Minister. She died in 2013.

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On October 13, 1972, A flight chartered by a Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, and the wreckage was not located for more than two months; the incident garnered international attention, especially after it was revealed that the survivors had resorted to cannibalism.

 

LifeStraw Go 22 Ounce Water Bottle, by Thomas Christianson

By combining water purification and storage, the LifeStraw 22 Ounce Water Bottle provides a simple, convenient and practical solution for providing potable water in the field. With the LifeStraw Go, safe, pleasant-tasting drinking water is close at hand.

The specific model that I tested is no longer available at LifeStraw.com. A slightly different but similar model cost $32.71 at the time of this writing. Or, if you are fast enough, you might be able to still get the discontinued model at rei.com for $25.73. Replacement filters cost $24.95 at LifeStraw.com.

Lifestraw products are manufactured in South Korea, the United States, and Mexico using imported parts.Continue reading“LifeStraw Go 22 Ounce Water Bottle, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:

Reader K.N. sent us her recipes for Black Bean Brownies and White Bean Blond Brownies. She writes:

“I use:

1 box dark chocolate brownie mix, 1 can low-sodium black beans, rinsed, drained, pureed/creamed til smooth.

Add 1 small egg, 1/3 cup of any oil, 1/3 cup water, dash of vanilla. Pour mix into greased baking pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 Degrees. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
If adventurous, substitute a spoonful of peanut butter for the oil, or add some crushed peppermint candy cane.

You can use a variation of this recipe to also make Blond Brownies or “Blondies”:

1 box carrot cake mix, 1 can low sodium small white beans, rinsed, drained, pureed.
Follow same recipe as above, but substitute almond flavoring for vanilla.
If adventurous, substitute grated carrot, raisins, chopped walnuts instead of oil/water.
The nice thing about the brownies is you won’t bloat up or have gas.”

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: The Most and Least Expensive Land in America. (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: 

“You can take all the guns in America and put them in a pile on the Mall in Washington DC, and those guns will stay there and will eventually rust and decay. Not one gun will crawl out of that pile and shoot or harm anyone. It takes a human being, and a human heart bent on evil, to pick up a gun, load it, and pull the trigger. The problem we have in this country is sin. We have a government that has taken God out of society.” – Franklin Graham

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — October 12, 2025

On October 12, 1823, Charles Macintosh of Scotland began selling his trademark raincoats. (Still called “Macintoshes” or “Macs”).

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Today, in 1492, after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sighted a Bahamian island, believing he had reached East Asia. His expedition went ashore the same day and claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored his attempt to find a western ocean route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia.

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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.

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.

Parkerizing at Home – Part 2, by S.A.

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

Most of the time the barreled receiver is treated as one part. Normally, a rifle barrel is not removed from the receiver during parkerizing since it is difficult to remove and reinstall without damaging the new finish. In these cases it is not uncommon for issues caused by trapped solution to show up sometime in the future where the barrel shoulder meets the receiver face.

One way to mitigate issues caused by trapped solution is to use compressed air after the part comes out of the parkerizing solution but before the final rinse to try to force out any remaining solution. This of course will result in a potentially dangerous spray of the solution into the air. After the water displacing oil step again use compressed air to further force oil into any crevices and hopefully displace any remaining solution.Continue reading“Parkerizing at Home – Part 2, by S.A.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

A Qatari Air Force Training Base In Idaho?

What Is Next? A Chinese Infantry Training Base In California?

News Links:

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:

“And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.” –

Acts 16: 13-35 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — October 11, 2025

On October 11, 1923, the hyperinflated German Mark issued by the Weimar regime fell to 10 billion per British Pound and\ 4 billion per U.S. Dollar.

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October 11, 1138: A massive earthquake in Aleppo, Syria, killed an estimated 230,000 people.

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Today is the 75th birthday of novelist William R. Forstchen. He is best known for his survivalist novel One Second After.

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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.

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.

Parkerizing at Home – Part 1, by S.A.

Parkerizing is the trade name of a chemical reaction process that uses a mild acid solution to deliver manganese or zinc to a steel part and thereby coat that part with either manganese or zinc. The generic name for this process is “Phosphate Coating”, but most folks use the familiar name, Parkerizing, and often use a lower-case “p” when writing about it. The purpose of parkerizing is to provide a protective finish on steel parts. The resultant phosphate coating will hold lubricants and rust preventatives. One common use is to coat and protect steel firearms. Compared to bluing, it has a rougher and more porous finish, which helps hold oil on the metal and prevent rust. The finish is a matte finish and non-reflective.

The final finish is not as elegant as bluing can be. Parkerizing, however, has much better resistance to the elements and things like salt spray. It is a very durable finish as well, typically much tougher and better able to resist normal wear and tear than bluing. It is also less expensive and easier to apply than bluing. For these reasons, it is very widely used for military firearms finishing.Continue reading“Parkerizing at Home – Part 1, by S.A.”

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:

I did some more prepping for winter. I hauled and drained nearly all of our garden hoses, and stowed them in one of the storage lofts in our shop.

We did some hiking and broadcast-planted more than 1,000 plum pits. These went on damp spots on our property and some on our nearby neighbors’ properties (with permission.)  We also broadcasted a couple of hundred huckleberries in some favorable-looking patches in the contiguous National Forest. We trust in God’s providence, and plan ahead!

I installed a new accordion door between our front hall and our laundry room. Previously, we had just tacked up a blanket in that doorway, in some winters. The accordion door will allow us to close off the hall when we don’t want to heat it. It will also allow us to isolate our house cats near their litter box, food bowls, and water bowl.  They had been causing mischief at night, in our Great Room.

Now, Lily’s part of the report, where she will describe the harvest from her gardens and orchard.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.” – Psalm 64 (KJV)