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. At the top of today’s column, another dire warning on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

AI and Human Extinction

Tom Christianson sent us this, in the WSJ:  A ‘Godfather of AI’ Remains Concerned as Ever About Human Extinction. JWR’s Comments: I believe that the more immediate and likely threat of AI will come in the form of “convenience” rather than armies of Terminator-esque robots. There will be so many convenient things that AI can handle that people will forget how to do things for themselves. And then when a major crisis drops the power grids, the vast majority of the urbanized population will be overwhelmed. In their system-dependent helplessness, they will simply perish.

The Hole in Earth’s Magnetic Field

Tom Christianson mentioned this: Mysterious ‘dent’ in Earth’s magnetic field explodes in size. The article’s intro:

“Scientists have discovered that a ‘weak spot’ in Earth’s magnetic field is growing at an alarming rate.

Known as the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), the region has expanded by an area nearly twice the size of Texas since 2014, and it is also slowly shifting westward toward Africa, according to a new study released on Monday.

The SAA has increased by up to 25 percent, as it moves about 14 miles west each year.

The expansion and movement are the result of turbulent flows of molten iron in Earth’s outer core, which generate unusual magnetic patterns that weaken the field in this part of the planet.”

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — October 15, 2025

On October 15, 1764, Edward Gibbon observed a group of friars singing in the ruined Temple of Jupiter in Rome. This inspired him to begin work on writing The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

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Herbert W. McBride, the author of A Rifleman Went To War, was born in Waterloo, Indiana October 15, 1873. He died in Indianapolis of a heart attack on March 17, 1933, shortly after finishing writing A Rifleman Went To War.

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On October 15, 1529, Ottoman armies under Suleiman ended their siege of Vienna and turned back to Belgrade.

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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.

Rebuilding an Old Vehicle as a Daily Driver – Part 2, by Lodge Pole

(Continued from Part 1.)

Transmission

The truck has a three-speed automatic transmission with a manual 4×4 transfer case. As much as I love driving a standard, manual transmission, the ease and comfort of an automatic is preferred for the places we go, and how we use the truck. Standard vs. automatic transmission is completely personal preference. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Use what works best for you and your lifestyle. I keep a quart of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) in the truck box at all times.

Dump bed and Greaseable Fittings

All of the hydraulic lines are original from when my grandfather had the dump bed installed. There are a couple of small leaks, so on occassion, I top off the hydraulic fluid reservoir and grease the zerks to help the bed raise as high as possible.

I’ve never had a grease fitting (zerk) break. In case it ever happens, I bought a kit of assorted fittings. The fittings are removed and replaced with a small box end wrench. When it comes to applying grease to fittings, purchase a decent grease gun, and the appropriate grease for your application. There are several different styles of grease guns, straight grip, pistol grip, automatic, etc. It’s not a bad idea to have a couple of different grease guns, each loaded with different grease. For my older vehicles, I use an all-purpose automotive/marine grease. It’s not too thick, and it does not get runny when it gets hot.Continue reading“Rebuilding an Old Vehicle as a Daily Driver – Part 2, by Lodge Pole”

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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Reader N.G. suggested this piece at Recoil: Tom Fuller: How an End-of-Times Mindset Changed the Long-Range Game.

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Reader H.L. sent this, from Popular Mechanics: Archaeologists Accidentally Discovered the Oldest Gun Ever Found in America.

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Canadian Food Inspection Agency Kills Flock Of Rare Healthy Sheep, Destroys Innocent Shepherd’s Life.

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SurvivalBlog staff member Tom Christainson offered this link: Blast at a Tennessee explosives plant leaves 18 missing and feared dead, sheriff says.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“God grant that not only the love of liberty but a thorough knowledge of the rights of man may pervade all the nations of the earth, so that a philosopher may set his foot anywhere on its surface and say: ‘This is my country.'” – Benjamin Franklin

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — October 14, 2025

October 14, 1834: In Philadelphia, Whigs and Democrats staged a gun, stone, and brick battle for control of a Moyamensing Township election, resulting in one death, several injuries, and the burning of a block of buildings.

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On October 14,1899, Morning Post reporter Winston Churchill departed to South Africa, toting a Broomhandle Mauser pistol. His goal was to report on the Second Boer War. He was later taken prisoner of war, but escaped. He recounted his exploits in an autobiography titled My Early Life.

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The Cuban Missile Crisis began on October 14, 1962, bringing the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear conflict. Photographs were taken by a high-altitude U-2 spy plane and offered incontrovertible evidence that Soviet-made medium-range missiles were in Cuba. These missiles were capable of carrying nuclear warheads and were stationed 90 miles off the American coastline.

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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.

Rebuilding an Old Vehicle as a Daily Driver – Part 1, by Lodge Pole

In 1975, for the first time in his life, my grandfather, who was a Great Depression era child, splurged and ordered a brand-new vehicle from the factory. It was a 1976 Chevrolet Silverado K20 4×4. (Aside from the color, it looks a lot like the one pictured above.) This piece of machinery was his pride and joy until the day he passed away. Shortly after he picked it up from the dealership, he had a dump bed installed. He wanted it to look stock, and still have the usefulness and functionality of a standard bed, so he hired a fabricator to design, build and install the hydraulic lift, then re-installed the factory bed. Simply looking at the truck, you would never know it had been altered. One of my grandfather’s favorite past times was going to the gas station to fill up. He would lift the bed up to access the saddle tanks, and within a few seconds, he had an audience observing his truck.

The dump bed feature was extremely handy when hauling lumber, cutting firewood, which he loved to do, or developing his little ranch in the mountains. He built his home in the using this truck, bringing lumber from the yard he owned, and going down to the river and picking out rocks and boulders to build a forty-foot-tall chimney with. The inside of the bed is bowed from all the years of heavy stuff being tossed into it.Continue reading“Rebuilding an Old Vehicle as a Daily Driver – Part 1, by Lodge Pole”

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