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On July 20, 1793, Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie completed the first European east-to-west crossing of America north of Mexico. Here is a quote from his biography:

“Emigrating at a young age from his native Scotland, Mackenzie began working for a trading company aligned with the North West Company, the big rival to the Hudson Bay Company.

In 1788 Mackenzie travelled to and later took charge of a trading port at Lake Athabasca (in modern Alberta). Tasked with discovering a river route to the Pacific Ocean, Mackenzie set out in 1789 and became the first to traverse what is now called the Mackenzie River, at 1,025 miles long (1,650 km), which led him not to the Pacific, as had been predicted, but to the Arctic Ocean.

In 1792 he set out on his second major expedition west to the Pacific travelling by bark canoe and overland to the Pacific, careful to take the advice of local Indians along the way. There he inscribed his name on a rock on the Pacific shore in July of 1793, becoming the first to journey across North America, north of Mexico. Within a few months he and his companions had returned safely.

Back in London he published an account of his travels in “Voyages from Montreal … to the Frozen and Pacific oceans” in December 1801 to acclaim. He then became an MP for Lower Canada briefly before moving back to the United Kingdom and retiring in Scotland. He was knighted in 1802.”

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I just heard of the death of famed theologian Christian orator John MacArthur, at age 86.  His expository preaching was excellent, and through his broadcast sermons he undoubtedly helped countless thousands come to saving faith. Doctrinally, he was a quasi-Calvinist, and he believed in a pre-Tribulation rapture. To his credit, he was never swayed by popular opinion, the mass media, or faddishness. He first published the MacArthur Study Bible in 1997.  The various editions include more than 20,000 interpretative notes.

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In honor of the birthday week of Samuel Colt, we are running a special sale at Elk Creek Company. Many antique and percussion replica gun prices have been reduced — including all of our Colts — and I’ll include the bonus of an autographed hardback copy of my novel Expatriates with the first 10 orders. The sale will end on Saturday, July 26th, 2025.

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Today’s guest article was written by A.C. of the Stakeholder Prepping Podcast. Because he is a SurvivalBlog advertiser, he is not eligible to write for our writing contest.

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We still need some entries for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 119 ends on July 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.

On July 19, 1881, Lakota Sloux Indian Chief Sitting Bull surrendered to US federal troops at Fort Buford in the Montana Territory.

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July 19th is coincidentally the birthday of handgun designers Samuel Colt (born 1814) and Gaston Glock. (Glock was born in 1929 and passed away in December, 2023.)

In honor of the birthday week of Samuel Colt, we just started a one-week sale at Elk Creek Company. Many antique and percussion replica gun prices have been reduced — including all of our Colts — and I’ll include the bonus of an autographed hardback copy of my novel Expatriates with the first 10 orders. The sale begins today (Saturday, July 19th, 2025 and will end at 9 PM Pacific Time, on Saturday, July 26th, 2025.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 119 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. A $269 retail value survival-ready power package from Solar Power Lifestyle. This includes two Solar Power Lifestyle 25W Portable Solar Panels, plus a $150 gift card to use for any purchase at solarpowerlifestyle.com.
3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
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 $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 119 ends on July 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.

On July 18th, 1914 the US Army Air Service was established, as part of the Signal Corps. Pictured are four U.S. Army Vought VE-7 test planes undergoing NACA tests, in 1921.

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July 18th, 1954 was the birthdate of Ricky Skaggs, an American country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, mandocaster, and banjo.

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Today, we present a guest piece by our friend Patrice Lewis. It first appeared in her excellent Rural Revolution blog. Patrice is also the author of The Simplicity Primer.

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We are in need of entries for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 119 ends on July 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.

On July 17, 1930, construction began on the Empire State Building. It was the world’s first skyscraper of 100+ stories. It was built on 5th Avenue in New York City.

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July 17, 1938: The Italian Air Force, in support of Francisco Franco, bombed Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War.

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Today’s feature article is a guest piece that was written by Mrs. Alaska.  Because it will eventually be re-posted in her blog, it is not part of the writing contest judging.

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We are seeking entries for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 119 ends on July 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.