Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 17, 2025

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.

A Goldilocks Tale of Three Lake Docks, by Mrs. Alaska

When we bought our undeveloped land on a lake in Alaska, the first thing built was a little dock on the lake, so that boats and float planes could deliver workers and supplies.

What type of dock is best in a cold climate where lakes and rivers freeze and thaw? In general, I found that Americans writing from states like Minnesota favored light metal docks that you could pull out of the water at the end of the season.  We saw that approach frequently used in Wisconsin.  From friends there, we have heard that it is something of a seasonal ordeal.  Surprisingly, Canadian writers more often described floating docks, without the need to remove them at all. We opted for the latter – a simple, floating dock.

The following are descriptions of three different docks that are in the same weather conditions here. Rather like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, one dock is small and simple, one is large and heavy, and the third is in between.Continue reading“A Goldilocks Tale of Three Lake Docks, by Mrs. Alaska”

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, .

Processed Meats Study: Not Healthy

Reader D.S.V. sent this warning on processed meats:  Just one hotdog per day could harm your health, study finds.

Trump Threatens Russia with Tariffs and Re-Arms Ukraine

From the Associated Press: Trump threatens Russia with tariffs and boosts US weapons for Ukraine.

In Canada: Traditional Values = Possible Extremism

SurvivalBlog reader C.B. forwarded the link to this report from the far-left/statist MSN: People with traditional values could be extremists, Canadian police warn.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Even the striving for equality by means of a directed economy can result only in an officially enforced inequality – an authoritarian determination of the status of each individual in the new hierarchical order.” – Friedrich August von Hayek

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 16, 2025

On July 16, 1936, the first automatic parking meter in the United States was installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

o  o  o

July 16th is the anniversary of the first successful atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1945.

o o o

And July 16th is the anniversary of the death of Hugh John McCall, in Rhodesia, in 1979.

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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.

A 21st Century Threat: Battery Fire Cyber Attacks

I will keep this essay brief, and to the point. Readers of my novel Expatriates and Liberators will recall how I fictionally described the use of both time-delayed and remotely-controlled incendiaries and explosives. I have recently been considering the potential threat posed by the inclusion of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in consumer products that have Internet connections. As the Internet of Things (IoT) proliferates, I believe that the possibility of malicious, remotely-controlled battery fires is a growing threat.

It has already been well-documented that thermal runaway battery fires are an increasingly common occurrence. These fires happen often, even in devices that are American-designed with safety in mind. Recently, a thermal runaway battery fire was blamed for the sinking of a ship loaded with 3.000 newly-manuactured electric cars, from China. But what if terrorists exploited the threat of battery fires via malware, in a coordinated terror campaign?

It is reasonable to assume that a clever group of hackers could create malware that could induce a thermal runaway fire in almost any battery-powered (or battery backup) device or vehicle that is connected to a software-controlled charger.  I am not the first to mention this possibility.  In February, 2024, this was suggested as a threat to smartphone batteries. And in October, 2024, the same was mentioned about Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries.  If a large-scale terror campaign employed simultaneity, it could have devastating consequences that would overwhelm the ability of fire departments to respond effectively.

Timing Is Everything

To modern-day international terrorists, timing is everything. Simultaneous event coordination was the key to Osama Bin Laden’s 9/11/2001 attacks. And look at how simultaneity maximized the effectiveness of the Israeli Mossad’s notorious Exploding Pagers coup. Just put on a Bad Guy thinking cap for a moment: Consider that a global terror cyber attack could be timed for “the worst possible moment” — to coincide with a larger world event. Say, for example, a Mainland China invasion of Taiwan or a Russian invasion of Poland.

A battery fire viral hack could also be timed to coincide with a widespread cyber warfare campaign against a wide variety of infrastructures, orchestrating a full-scale “Fire Sale” series of timed attacks. (In a Fire Sale, “Everything Must Go.”)

Just some food for thought and grounds for further research. – JWR

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 John P. wrote this query:

“What is your opinion on the new service T-Moble is offering? I know that at this time it is only text, but the future? No Sat phones? No need for ham radio? When the towers are down? My Dad trained me that there is always a weak link, what could it be? My thought is that it could be the Starlink system, but?”

JWR Replies: The T-Mobile system that will become available on July 23rd will have limited capability. I suggest waiting about a year, until Starlink/Tesla releases their planned satellite phone/Internet handheld “Pi Phone”.  This will make all other satellite phone offerings obsolete.  And in the present-day huge “no cell coverage” swaths of the western U.S., it will make most cellular phones obsolete. It is rumored that the mid-2026 version of the Starlink Pi Phone will have a port (or Bluetooth?) to allow your laptop (with browser and e-mail) low-latency satellite Internet connectivity at very high speed. That will be a true game-changer.

o  o  o

Guilty: Republican Election Observer Convicted of Felony After Refusing to Wear a Mask. JWR’s Comments:  Our society has become so over-regulated that some absurd mala prohibita crimes have been reclassified as felonies. This trend needs to be reversed!  Keep in mind that in most cases, a felony conviction means forfeiture of the right to vote and the right to own any post-1898 firearms for life.

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A SurvivalBlog reader in Belgium sent this: “Otroverts” and why nonconformists often see what others can’t.

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Over at the Rural Revolution blog: Buried in blueberries.

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Texas death toll rises to 129 with at least 150 still missing.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 15, 2025

July 15, 1410: The Battle of Grunwald (a.k.a. First Battle of Tannenburg and Battle of Žalgiris) was fought. It was one of Medieval Europe’s largest battles during Poland-Lithuanian Teutonic War. Polish King Władysław Jagiełło and Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas defeated Teutonic Ulrich von Junginge.

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On July 15th, 1888, the Bandai Volcano erupted on the Japanese island of Honshu killing hundreds and burying many nearby villages in ash.

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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.

How Do You Define an “Emergency Situation”?, by A.Y.

An emergency, as Webster’s Dictionary defines it, is: “…an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action, or an urgent need for assistance or relief.”  Throughout our lifetimes we may see many types of emergencies not just the Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF) types of emergencies such as nuclear war or economic collapse that we should be prepared for.

I have found that in my life choosing the prepper lifestyle has aided me in many such emergencies.  Once, for instance, I found when I was laid off from work that my preparedness and stringently frugal rationing kept my family fed.Continue reading“How Do You Define an “Emergency Situation”?, by A.Y.”

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, news of a partial rock tower collapse in the Grand Tetons (See the Wyoming section.)

Region-Wide

From the left-leaning Newsweek: Idaho group calls federal intervention “necessary” to redraw state border. (Thanks to SurvivalBlog reader C.B. for the link.)

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Inland Northwest faces above-normal wildfire risk this summer.

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Trump administration pulls US out of agreement to help restore salmon in the Columbia River.

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Hundreds gather for memorial ride from Coeur d’Alene to Spokane to honor fallen firefighters.

Idaho

Lake Pend Oreille walleye fishing has no limits this summer.

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Ancient Artifacts Uncovered In Idaho May Be Evidence Of North America’s First Human Settlement.

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Search for Travis Decker called off in Sawtooth National Forest after mistaken identity, U.S. Marshals say.

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Suspended Idaho attorney ruled ‘Vexatious litigant’ in ongoing battle over mother’s estate.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“It is curious to look back and realize upon what trivial and apparently coincidental circumstances great events frequently turn as easily and naturally as a door on its hinges.” – H. Rider Haggard

Preparedness Notes for Monday — July 14, 2025

July 14 1962:  The borehole for the 7.2-mile long Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy was finished.  The tunnel was opened to traffic in July, 1965. Pictured is the French side of the tunnel.

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July 14, 1850: The first public demonstration of ice made via refrigeration was made by Florida physician John Gorrie.

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July 14, 1864: Gold was discovered in Helena, Montana.

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A silver bull breakout! Spot silver jumped 3.67% in one day, to close at $38.67 per Troy ounce on Friday. (July 11, 2025.) It was up again this morning (after Asian trading) to $38.90 per Troy ounce. That is a 14-year high for silver, in U.S. Dollar terms. The short sellers may give it one last try, but I expect them to soon capitulate.  $1,000 face value bag of pre-1965 circulated (“junk”) silver now sells for around $28,830. So I’ve correspondingly raised my pre-1965 divisor to an unprecedented 28.8 times face value at Elk Creek Company.  If you want to parlay a portion of your silver holdings into antique guns, then this is a very advantageous time to do so.

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Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

Stihl MS261C Chainsaw, by Thomas Christianson

With a magnesium-alloy crankcase, captive bar-nuts, a decompression valve, and a host of other premium features, the Stihl MS261 is its various forms represents a well-designed and well-constructed professional chainsaw. But it is the light weight and the outstanding power-to-weight-ratio of the saw that secures its place as one of the most popular chainsaws in the world.

With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $709.99 at the time of this writing for the C-M version with a 16 inch bar, the saw represents a great value for high-volume wood cutting. If you only cut a few cord or less of firewood each year, a less expensive consumer or farm-and-ranch level saw will probably be sufficient. But if you regularly process ten or more cord of firewood a year, fatigue is reduced and time is saved by using a lighter and more powerful saw will likely be worth the extra investment.Continue reading“Stihl MS261C Chainsaw, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Applesauce-Glazed Barbequed Chicken

The following recipe for Applesauce-Glazed Barbequed Chicken is from SurvivalBlog reader V.F..

Ingredients
  • 4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves (weighing about 6 ounces each)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or less, to suit your taste)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2/3 cup of applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder (or less, to suit your taste)
Directions
  1. Sprinkle the chicken breast pieces with pepper.
  2. In a large oiled skillet, brown chicken on both sides.
  3. In a small bowl, combine and thoroughly mix the other ingredients.
  4. Pour the mixture over the top and sides of the chicken breast pieces, as a heavy glaze.
  5. Cover and cook on a hot stove until cooked through (a thermometer reads 165°)  — about 7-10 minutes. Do not turn the pieces while cooking.
SERVING

“Serve hot, with your choice of a side dish. I usually serve this with corn on the cob.”

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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!