Some Extreme Cold Weather Advice, by Hollyberry

We have all seen the media drama these past few weeks regarding the weather. Until about 10 years ago, I never even heard the term “polar vortex”, it was just winter. Living in Maine for the past 20 + years and making through the harsh winters has been a humbling and rewarding experience. Every spring you can hear people sigh in relief.

I feel sorry for the lower portion of the country that has been experiencing the extreme cold, ice and snow. It’s something that takes getting used to and it helps to have the proper clothing and gear to deal with it. Cold is cold but when the wind starts blowing, well that’s a whole different ballgame. If I stand out of the wind on a cold (10 or below) day and it’s sunny, it’s tolerable. I am by no means an expert on this subject but would offer our experiences with what helps and works in extreme cold. The good news is the polar vortex/storms do not just sneak up overnight. You can get a lot accomplished with a few days notice and some basic supplies on your shelf. These extreme cold snaps usually do not last long either (unless you live in Maine, like we do). I have also not received any compensastion for any products recommended.Continue reading“Some Extreme Cold Weather Advice, by Hollyberry”

Editor’s 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 fairly quiet week, other than helping our #1 Son move. That has gone quite smoothly. It is nice that he found a place that is outside of city limits. I wish that his new house was closer to our ranch, but he needs to be within commuting distance to his work. (The classic prepper’s quandary…)

We are readying for lambing season.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editor’s Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them.

Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying,

Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,

And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,

And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,

And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.

And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded;

The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,

The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,

The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,

The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,

And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,

The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,

The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,

The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,

The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.

And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.” – Exodus 35:1-20 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 6, 2026

On February 6, 1891:  The first great train robbery by the Dalton Gang: Southern Pacific #17, near Alila (now Earlimart), California. Pictured are deceased Dalton gang members, following the failed 1892 Coffeyville, Kansas raid. Left to right: Bill Powers; Bob Dalton; Grat Dalton, and Dick Broadwell.

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On this day in 1935, the board game Monopoly went on sale for the first time.

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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.

—

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.

Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 3, by Hoofer

(Continued from Part 2.  This concludes the article.)

In Part 1 and Part 2, we hit a few of the “How it works” or “Why it works” stuff.  Proven by experience, or our family ham antenna business would have failed immediately.  So, what do you have laying around the house, farm, garage – that can be turned into a high performance antenna for just listening?

In the basement / garage, Metallic stuff, old copper pipe that burst from freezing, Telephone wire, cable TV wire, Ethernet cable (4,6,8 strand stuff), Iron pipe… will work, again not as good. Old extension cords! The longer the lengths, the better!  No need to strip wire or separate multi-wire cables, but, a 16awg x 100′ extension cord, whew, that’s a lot of long wire!  Even a 20′ tattered Extension cord can make a very nice 20 meter dipole antenna.  a 10′ extension cord can become a CB Antenna!  Don’t run out and buy one, hit the rummage sales, look around for junk that can be turned into treasure!

On the farm, or barn, aluminum electric fence wire. Stainless woven stuff does work… not as good though, a roll of barbed wire… again, will work, just not as good.  Old Telephone wire that once strung between poles.  There is no such thing as old-useless-pipe, a television antenna mast (the pole), that won’t work as an antenna, even a flag pole!Continue reading“Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 3, by Hoofer”

Economics & Investing Media of the Week

In Economics & Investing Media of the Week we feature photos, charts, graphs, maps, video links, and news items of interest to preppers. Today: A Map Showing the Largest Type of Electric Generating Capacity, By County.

The thumbnail below is click-expandable.

 

 

 

(Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

Economics & Investing Links of Interest
  • H.L. sent this very troubling news: The Great Taking: Global Looting of Humanity Imminent?
  • Reader Tom H. mentioned this essay by Adam Sharp at The Daily Reckoning: Silver’s 27% Drop, in Context.
  • Video from The Economic Ninja: Why I am pivoting from Silver investing into something else. JWR’s Comments: I’m glad to see that he agrees with my advice on recouping your original investment cost, during a rally. Rather than Bitcoin, I recommend pivoting into other tangibles, most notably, paying off your home and retreat property mortgages.  Most of us have already recouped 25% or more of our silver purchase cost.  When silver hits $95 per Troy ounce again, then that woudl be a good opportunity to recoup another 25%. But plan to keep at least one-third of your silver as a long-term (multigenerational) hedge on the purchasing power of the U.S. Dollar. You have fire insurance on your house.  But you also need “fire insurance” on the Dollar. If you don’t already hold some silver, then the recent dip below $70/oz. might be a good opportunity.  I’m confident that $85 will become the new floor for silver within a few weeks. And of course, you can also acquire still U.S. Nickels in bulk, at face value. That is a hedge with no downside risk.
  • A 24-minute Matthew Piepenburg Interview: This Isn’t a Gold Bubble — It’s a Currency Breakdown.

Economics & Investing Media Tips:

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

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Every man should make his son or daughter learn some useful trade or profession, so that in these days of changing fortunes of being rich today and poor tomorrow they may have something tangible to fall back upon. This provision might save many persons from misery, who by some unexpected turn of fortune have lost all their means.” – P. T. Barnum

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 5, 2026

On February 5, 1736 British Methodist ministers John Wesley (pictured) and Charles Wesley arrived in Savannah, Georgia.

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Today is the birthday of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim (5 February 1840 – 24 November 1916). He was an American-British inventor best known as the creator of the first truly automatic machine gun, the Maxim gun. Maxim also held patents on numerous mechanical devices such as hair-curling irons, a mousetrap, and steam pumps. Maxim claimed to invented the lightbulb. He was the father of Hiram Percy Maxim, who founded the ARRL.

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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.

—

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.

Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 2, by Hoofer

(Continued from  Part 1.)

A typical Trucker’s dual-mount CB antenna has 2 coaxes down to one connection to the radio.  We want the signal from both antennas, unified exactly for a nice strong signal / in phase voltage pulse, into the radio. Because the antennas are on the sides, like mirror mounts, the strongest, best signal (in phase), will come from the front and rear of the truck, while signals from either side, will cancel each other out (a little bit).

The same thing happens with our Vertical antennas, 2-3-4-5-6-7-8 of them.  We want to get rid of the noise and interference to hear cleanly in one direction.  These verticals can be arranged in a circle, straight line, triangle, all kinds of shapes.  While most people *think* the signal is being concentrated (it is), the biggest advantage is Nulling out the unwanted junk.  By combining the antennas, switching in shorter / longer / equal coaxes which tie them together, we can change the shape of our broadcast / receive signal. Continue reading“Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 2, by Hoofer”

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, a report on some odd Russian snow camouflage.

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

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“Government has three primary functions. It should provide for military defense of the nation. It should enforce contracts between individuals. It should protect citizens from crimes against themselves or their property.” – Milton Friedman

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 4, 2026

On February 4, 211, Roman Emperor Septimius Severus died in Eboracum (York) in England, leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons, Caracalla and Geta. From his biography:

“Septimius Severus was the first Roman Emperor from Africa. He ruled from 193 to 211 AD and is known for having expanded the Roman Empire through military campaigns.

Severus began his career in the Roman government, rising through the ranks during a period of political instability. He became emperor in 193 AD, a year known as the Year of the Five Emperors due to its rapid succession of rulers. Severus defeated rival claimants to secure his position.

As emperor, Severus led successful military campaigns. He annexed new territories and strengthened Roman borders. His victories included defeating the Parthian Empire and capturing their capital, Ctesiphon.

Severus implemented significant changes to the Roman military. He increased the number of soldiers and raised their pay. To fund these changes, however, he had to reduce the purity of Roman coins, a debasement of coinage which had long-term economic consequences.”

—

And on February 4, 1789, the first US Electoral College chose George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President.

—

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.

—

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.

Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 1, by Hoofer

As an introduction, I started building Vertical & Yagi Beam antennas in the early 1980s for CB radio.  When the FCC dropped the ‘Morse Code’ requirement in 2007, many ‘tone deaf’ people like myself, transitioned to ham radio. My entire family are either General or Extra Class hams.  Having this license and operating ability is an essential ‘Life Skill’, like the ability to read, write and speak the native language.

No tool is useful, in unskilled hands – unless you’re planning on selling/bartering it away, right?  Our family and I have taught Technician, General, and Extra classes – but, none of us consider ourselves Super Duper hams nor engineers, just dedicated hams.  Show us a radio, and any one of us can get on the air, make contacts, work a Contest, pass mail, and train others to do the same.  That’s what hobbies are about, having fun, bringing in others, sharpening the skills, and in the case of ham radio, or Distance Exchange (DX), like Short Wave Listening (SWL) – you’ll need to train your ears and brain to effectively operate / communicate / carry on a conversation.  CB radio is Grade School, ham radio is High School.Continue reading“Antenna Building: Theory and Practice – Part 1, by Hoofer”

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 H.B. suggested a Facebook reel on how to make your own local topo maps.

o  o  o

At our friend Jack Lawson’s website: Do It Yourself! Building a 3500-Watt Portable Battery Bank Solar Power Unit.

o  o  o

Here is a free short story based rooted in an ancient legend, with a useful introduction. It was co-authored by SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large, Michael Z. Williamson and his wife: Skjaldmóðir.

o  o  o

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”