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, Hawaii’s planned dictatorial “Emergency” powers.

Hawaii Plans Expansive Emergency Powers

By way of the Whatfinger news aggregation site: Hawaii Bills Would Allow Gov’t To Quarantine People, Enter Property, Seize Firearms, And Suspend Laws. JWR’s Comment: If this becomes model legislation for other states, then we can kiss our freedoms goodbye when there is another big emergency that has a level of severity comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“I’d read up on the history of our country and I’d become fascinated with the story of the Alamo. To me it represented the fight for freedom, not just in America, but in all countries.” – John Wayne

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 25, 2026

On February 25, 1791, the First Bank of the United States was chartered by the United States Congress for a term of 20 years. JWR’s Comment: Many economists point to this as the first in a chain of events that would lead the United States into perpetual debt and positioning bankers as the nation’s ruling elite, pulling strings  from the shadows.

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February 25, 1855: Bowery Boys gang leader William “Bill the Butcher” Poole was shot in the back by the gang of archrival John Morrissey in New York City. (He died on March 8th of the same year.)

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February 25th is the birthday of bluegrass music legend Ralph Stanley (1927 – 2016). His harmonizing and high tenor solos had an almost haunting sound to them.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 123 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. 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 providing 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 $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 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.

An Update on the Elenco AM/FM Radio Kit, by Mike in Alaska

Recently I wrote about the Elenco AM/FM radio kit and was pulled away from the build before I could do a full alignment of the radio. The kit was finished but my work took me out of town, and I wasn’t able to do a full and complete alignment of the kit per the builders manual. I should add that I am employed full-time as an electronics engineer and have been involved in electronics repair, design, and building for over 50 years. And as an amateur radio hobbiest, my experience goes further back than that timeline. My “shop” is equipped with some expensive gear and my ability to critique the kit, I believe, is valid.

In the final tuning and alignment stage of the FM section of the radio I found that the components supplied are most likely to be for the Asian (Japanese) market as the frequency response for the radio both AM as well as FM is beyond the USA standards for broadcast reception. This is at first thought not right but then I reconsidered that having an AM / FM radio that can tune below and above the normal frequency spectrum isn’t a bad thing at all … when you try to make the builders manual fit into the “properly tuned” arena for the USA and the design is made for the Japanese and Asian market is when things get funny. Once I was able to figure that out and reset the values I used for tuning up the radio, I was happy to know that my radio is able to sort of talk Japanese. Think of it as a poor man’s shortwave set.Continue reading“An Update on the Elenco AM/FM Radio Kit, by Mike in Alaska”

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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This new video shows that the Gear Rack guys still have DRMO surplus stacked to the rafters, and more truckloads arriving regularly: We Bought 20,000 LBS of Military Surplus From the U.S. Military.  If you place an order with Gear Rack, then be sure to mention that you saw them linked at SurvivalBlog.  (They really should be a SurvivalBlog advertiser or a writing contest prize sponsor. Hint, hint.)

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Note that most U.S. military surplus companies are presently grossly overstocked on the dreaded “gray blob” UCP digital camo uniforms and gear. But there is a cure for that: Dyeing Military Surplus 101.  For anyone on a tight budget, this is a viable option.

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The Internet, Reinvented. JWR’s Comments: Mesh radio networks work fine in cities, but they have hardly any utility in lightly-populated regions, or at sea. A mesh depends on having numerous nodes. Without that density, you’ll be better off using HF skywave or point-to-point line of sight, perhaps supplemented by a 2-Meter repeater network, if you can touch one. (Our ranch is too remote for that.)

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“I have so fixed the habit in my own mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without a moment’s asking of God’s blessing. I never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the seal. I never take a letter from the post without a brief sending of my thoughts heavenward. I never change classes in the section room without a minute’s petition on the cadets who go out and those who come in.” – Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 24, 2026

On February 24, 1786, General Charles Cornwallis was appointed governor-general of India.

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February 24, 1807 at least 17 people died and 15 were injured in a crowd crush, witnessing the triple hanging execution of Holloway, Heggerty, and Godfrey, at Newgate Prison, England.  The crowd, in narrow streets, was reportedly destabilized after being disturbed by a collapsing wooden cart. This triggered a chain of events leading to the fatal crowd crush. Many fatalities and severe injuries resulted, with newspapers reporting that at least 27 perished in the accident and one observer counting at least 34 dead.

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And on February 24, 1983, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed above the 1100 mark for the first time.

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Today’s feature article is partially promotional, so it is not part of the writing contest.

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We need more entries for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 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 21st Century Rural Migration, by Single Farmer

The idea that our country is thought of in terms of conservative versus liberal areas caused me to think about how so many people today and in the recent past have either moved, will be moving, or even thinking about moving for better opportunities. I wanted to write more about how this has occurred historically and more about how my conservative region is part of this trend including how it is impacting farms. Technological change and government interventions are often two factors that cause the settlement and population redistribution throughout the country.  Urbanization following the Second World War was just one wave of migration.  The latest wave is from urban areas back to rural areas.

Continue reading“The 21st Century Rural Migration, by Single Farmer”

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.

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.

Preparedness Notes for Monday — February 23, 2026

On February 23, 1903, the United States and Cuba signed an agreement by which Cuba released Guantanamo and Bahia Hondo to the US for naval stations. Pictured is a US Coast Guard patrol boat, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2003.

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February 23,1958: San Francisco’s last municipal arc light at the corner of Mission and 25th Street was removed. It had been installed in 1913.

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Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson.

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We need more entries for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 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.

Woodhaven Fire Starters, by Thomas Christianson

The Bottom Line, Up Front

The Woodhaven Fire Starters provide excellent material for igniting a useful blaze. Each disk is four inches in diameter, one inch thick, and weighs 4.2 ounces. They are composed of cedar sawdust bonded together with refined paraffin. One full disk burns for 20 to 30 minutes. It can also be broken into smaller pieces to start multiple fires.

The fire starters are safe to use in fireplaces, firepits, wood stoves, and similar applications.

The disks come in packages of 12, 50, or 100. At the time of this writing, those packages cost respectively $19.99, $65.00, and $110.00 at the LogOx website. The fire starters are made in the U.S.A.

The fire starters function very much like fatwood as an ignition material. They are easier and more versatile to use than fatwood, since they can easily be broken up with your fingers. The disks cost roughly twice as much as fatwood per ounce when purchased in 25-pound boxes. When purchased in smaller quantities, the prices are about the same.Continue reading“Woodhaven Fire Starters, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:  

The following recipe for Pre-Spring Brussels Sprouts is from SurvivalBlog reader C.A.H..

Ingredients
  • Brussels Sprouts – About 2 lbs
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 3 tbsp
  • Fish Sauce – 1 tbsp
  • Balsamic Vinegar – 1 tbsp
  • Black Pepper – to taste
  • Thyme – 2 sprigs
  • Honey – 1 tbsp
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Wash the Brussels Sprouts, and cut them in half.
  3. Toss them with olive oil, fish sauce, and vinegar.
  4. Season with black pepper.
  5. Arrange on a baking sheet so that the cut sides are facing down.
  6. Roast for 20 minutes and then check that they’ve reached golden brown.
  7. Add herbs.
  8. When dark golden brown toss them and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.
  9. With just 3 minutes to go, drizzle with some honey.
  10. Remove from oven, toss, check seasoning, you may need a bit of salt. When they taste right, serve immediately.

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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: Firewood Supply Versus Demand. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit. Map by Casey Peterson, based on 2021 PRISM  OSU climate data.)

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

 

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From the Reddit site:

Heating demand is approximated using a Heating Degree Day proxy derived from PRISM 30-year mean annual temperature. The formula max(0, (18.3 - Tmean) * 365) estimates how much heating a location needs annually – 18.3°C (65°F) is the standard base temperature below which buildings require heating. Higher values mean colder climates with greater heating needs. This is a simplified annual approximation; true HDD uses daily temperatures, but the relative ranking between cells holds at this scale.

Firewood supply is a weighted index of forest cover from NLCD 2021 land cover classification. Deciduous forest (NLCD class 41) is weighted at 1.0 since hardwoods like oak and hickory produce significantly more heat per cord than softwoods. Mixed forest (class 43) is weighted at 0.7 and evergreen/conifer forest (class 42) at 0.4. The result is a single value representing the relative firewood resource available in each cell, accounting for both the amount of forest and its quality as fuel.

Each cell is ~250 sq miles

DISCLAIMER: The analysis doesn’t account for number of people at all – it’s a purely landscape-level ratio of “how much forest is here” relative to “how cold is it here.” It’s not calibrated to any specific number of people, cord consumption rates, or sustainable harvest yields. It’s a relative index that says “this cell has more firewood per unit of cold than that cell” – useful for ranking cells against each other, but not for answering “can 50 people actually heat their homes here.”

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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.