Preps Starter Kits for Reluctant Families – Part 1, by A.F.

For years, my father and father-in-law would tell us that they had everything under control to handle the natural disasters common to their areas. Healthy pantries, stored gasoline and propane, plenty of firewood, tractors to clear debris or snow, four-wheel drive vehicles for movement and most importantly generators for their wells and freezers. Yet, after each big weather event both of them would tell of what they didn’t quite have ready or of supplies that they should have had.

I got into the practice of calling them before inclement weather to ask if they had water and fuel ready or to see what we could do to help them get ready in case the storm impacted their area. Most times, our subtle reminders or outright offers to help prepare were rebuffed. Over and over at a surface level each side of our family “seemed” to be prepared to pull through short-term disruptions to their lives. Yet, after event each would tell me about their circumstances during, while I silently groused over how much harder they made the time on themselves and our mothers by not planning. This has been the status quo for a couple of decades in the ongoing effort to have my father and father-in-law ramp up their preparedness games.Continue reading“Preps Starter Kits for Reluctant Families – Part 1, by A.F.”

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 about some Rainbow Trout stocking. (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

IDFG to stock nearly 150,000 rainbow trout throughout Idaho in July.

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Mudslide closes US Highway 95 north of Riggins.

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One dead, multiple people hospitalized after crash south of Island Park.

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Boaters warned to watch out for debris on Lake Pend Oreille due to break.

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Fallen Idaho firemen remembered in hometown of Neenah, Wisconsin.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — July 7, 2025

On July 7, 1908, the U.S Navy’s Great White Fleet departed San Francisco Bay.  The U.S. Atlantic Fleet then visited Honolulu, Hawaii; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney, Melbourne, and Albany, Australia; Manila, Philippine Islands; Yokohama, Japan; Colombo, Ceylon. The ships arrived at Suez, Egypt, on January 3, 1909.

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July 7, 1905: A high temperature of 127°F (53°C) was recorded in Parker, Arizona. This was a state record that held until 1994.

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July 7th, 1907 was the birthday of science fiction novelist Robert A. Heinlein. He passed away on May 8, 1988, at age 80.

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Please keep praying for the folks in the Texas Hill Country affected by the floods. (Note the house coming downriver at the video’s 11:10 mark.) The death toll is now more than 100. I was most recently in that area in March of 2022, visiting a consulting client, picking up a vehicle, and attending the Kerrville gun show. By the way, for context, you may have seen some of the Abandoned Resort series of videos produced by Dr. Matt Carriker.  That resort and shooting range property is on the Guadalupe River. Thankfully, most of that property is on high ground.)

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Today’s feature article is a review penned by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We need more 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.

Gerber US1 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

Designed for watch pocket carry, the Gerber US1 Folding Knife offers a 2.5 inch locking blade made of 420HC steel and a handle made of glass-filled nylon (gfn) with rubber over-mold. Since it lacks a pocket clip or provision for one-handed opening, it does not qualify as a modern everyday carry (EDC) knife. But with the addition of an aftermarket deep carry pocket clip, I found the knife to be quite useful as a daily companion.

The US1 is made in the USA as its name suggests, and it cost just $23.95 at www.bladehq.com at the time of this writing.

Although it is reasonably priced and American-made, the US1 would not be my first choice in a folding knife. But even though I don’t believe that the US1 is the best possible knife choice, it is by no means a bad choice, especially for those who do not particularly value one-handed opening.Continue reading“Gerber US1 Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Whole Wheat Flour Sugar Cookies 

The following recipe for Whole Wheat Flour Sugar Cookies is from SurvivalBlog reader E.J..

Ingredients
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp. water
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 oz. white chocolate, melted (optional)
  • Buttercream frosting (optional)
Directions
  1. Cream together the butter, oil, and sugars until combined.
  2. Add the water and eggs, soda, cream of tartar, extract, salt and flour and mix until just combined. Note: Don’t overmix the dough.
  3. Using a large cookie scoop (at least 1/4 cup sized) place a scoop of dough on your cookie sheet, spaced 2″ apart.
  4. With a glass or flat measuring cup, press down the rounded dough to flatten your cookie. The sides will spread out and open up some.
  5.  Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  6. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the cookies.
  7. Bake in your preheated 400° oven for 8-to-9 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and cool 1 minute on the hot pan. Then transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack.
  9. Optionally, make the buttercream frosting, and frost the cookies. Drizzle with melted white chocolate.

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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:  The silent spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), caused by prions, among Deer and Elk populations in North America. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit, using USGS data.)

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:

“America’s contemporary police officers now almost reflexively say: ‘Show me your I.D.’  I see hardly any difference from the familiar old German Gestapo demand: ‘Deine Papiere, bitte.’  (‘Your papers, please.’) Or, less politely: ‘Zeig mir deine Papiere.’  (‘Show me your papers.’) If you are stopped by police but not placed under formal arrest, then you are not obliged to give your name or produce identity documents unless an officer can state a reasonable articulable suspicion of an actual crime that has been committed or that is about to be committed.  Without that reasonable articulable suspicion (under the Terry v. Ohio doctrine), you are free to stand mute. Only with a properly articulated suspicion of a specific crime, as supported by evidence (and the “reasonable man” doctrine) are you obliged to give your name and produce identity documents. (The only exceptions are for formal arrests with Miranda warnings, or traffic stops for specific infractions worthy of a citation, where by law you must display your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and in most cases, proof of insurance.) An officer’s vague suspicion is insufficient cause to demand identification. The Fourth Amendment protects the rights of all American Citizens ‘…to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.’  So stand firm, folks!” – James Wesley, Rawles

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — July 6, 2025

On July 6, 1415, following his trial (pictured), Bohemian proto-reformer Jan Hus was burned at the stake in Constance, Germany.  The later Hussite revolution, led by Jan Ziska, used Hus’s name as a rallying cry.

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On July 6, 1699, pirate Captain William Kidd was captured in Boston.

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On July 6, 1917, Arab forces led T. E. Lawrence captured the port of Aqaba from the Turks. This was later dramatized in the movie Lawrence of Arabia.

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And July 6th is also the anniversary of the 1994 Storm King Mountain wildfire that took the lives of 14 firefighters.

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Today’s feature article is a review penned by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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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.

Heritage 92 in .44 Magnum, by Thomas Christianson

Inspired by John Moses Browning’s iconic Winchester Model 1892, the Heritage 92 comes in a number of different models with various barrel lengths, finishes, and chamberings. The version that I tested has a 20 inch barrel, is chambered in .44 Magnum, holds 10 rounds in the tubular magazine, has semi-buckhorn sights, and walnut-colored tropical hardwood furniture.

The Heritage 92 is light, attractive, and well-machined, operates reliably, and puts the shooter in touch with his inner movie cowboy. The .44 Magnum chambering has enough energy and a flat enough trajectory from a rifle length barrel to make the Heritage 92 useful for medium-sized game out beyond 100 yards. By about 150 yards or so, bullet drop begins to become a significant enough factor to make accuracy more difficult.Continue reading“Heritage 92 in .44 Magnum, by Thomas Christianson”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:


Meme Text:

A Zero-Dollar Tax on SBRs, SBSes, and Suppressors?

So, Can I Please Also Have a Zero-Dollar Income Tax?

News Link:

Big Beautiful Bill Passes Senate, Back to House with Zeroed Out NFA Tax Intact.

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-17 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — July 5, 2025

On July 5, 1601, the siege of Ostend began when a Spanish force under Archduke Albert VII of Austria, with 12,000 men and 50 siege guns, laid siege to a small garrison of fewer than 2,000 Dutch at the strategically important fortress of Ostend, Flanders.

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And on July 5, 1891, an intense hailstorm killed 16 horses near Rapid City, South Dakota.

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Please pray for all of those affected by the floods in Texas!

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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.

Prepare For The Consequences, Not The Disaster, by 3AD Scout

Many Preppers are often asked “what are you preparing for?” The responses are anything from a simple weather event to an extinction-level event. Having been in the field of disaster planning and response for 24 years, I cannot tell you the number of times someone from the public would call looking for our tornado plan, or flood plan, chemical spill plan and on and on. The reality is, many entities do not have disaster specific plans but rather general emergency operations plan that address the similar consequences of several different disasters.

With that said, there are exceptions such as entities that are at high risk for specific disaster such as flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes or nuclear power plant emergencies. Many entities have a general Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and then have an appendix for specific disasters. For example, a county in Florida would have a general EOP with an appendix for hurricanes, whereas a county in Minnesota would have an EOP and an appendix for blizzards. Looking at the consequences of a disaster, versus just specific disasters, will improve your level of preparedness.Continue reading“Prepare For The Consequences, Not The Disaster, by 3AD Scout”

Editors’ 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:

All is well at the Rawles ranch.  We had a busy week, with one half-day trip to pick up a replacement ram for one of our two sheep flocks.  The old saying is: “The herd (or flock) sire is half of your operation”, so we try to be very choosy. He is a four-month-old weaned ram lamb that came from Idaho’s Paradise Valley — southwest of the town of Bonner’s Ferry. That whole region (anywhere north of Cocalalla) is one of my preferred retreat locales.

I had several consulting calls. I also kept quite busy packing and mailing Elk Creek Company antique gun orders. One gent ordered four rifles. I’m presently having trouble finding affordable inventory, so our stock of guns is diminishing.  Be sure to order yours, while we still have a good selection.

Lily and I did some Serviceberry picking at a friend’s ranch, and also in the National Forest within a mile of our ranch.

I helped an ailing neighbor with some more firewood cutting, splitting, and stacking, to get him back to a two-year supply of firewood.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”