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 Richard T. recommended this article about a millionaire survivalist: Trailblazer: Vernon Pick’s Apocalypse Now. For some context,  Richard also sent these two links:

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And, speaking of Canada, there is this report, in the country’s most popular magazine, Maclean’s: Alberta’s New Separatists. A key quote:

“Today, talk of sovereignty is rising again. It would be easy for Canadians to dismiss it as a resurgence of age-old grievances—after all, despite a century of western alienation, Alberta is still here. The difference is that this time there may actually be a referendum on separation, and soon. Albertans can propose “citizen initiatives” to put forth referendum topics. Previously, proponents needed to collect 600,000 supporting signatures in 90 days to do so. This May, Premier Danielle Smith lowered that to 177,000 signatures in 120 days. A group called the Alberta Prosperity Project is already planning to collect enough signatures to force a secession referendum by 2026.”

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Jerome mentioned this news: Trump DOJ Adding ‘Second Amendment Rights Section’ to Civil Rights Division.

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Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The notion that Congress can change the meaning given a constitutional provision by the Court is subversive of the function of judicial review; and it is not the less so because the Court promises to allow it only when the Constitution is moved to the left.” – Robert Bork

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 9, 2025

On December 9th, 1315, the Swiss Woudsteden renewed their Eternal Covenant. (Eidgenossenschaft or Oath Commonwealth). According to Wikipedia: “[Eidgenossenschaft] means “oath commonwealth” or “oath alliance”, in reference to the “eternal pacts” formed between the Eight Cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy of the late medieval period. In Swiss historiography, this relates most notably to the Rütlischwur (Rütli Oath) between the three founding cantons Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, which traditionally dates to 1307. In modern usage, Eidgenossenschaft is the German term used as an equivalent to “Confederation” in the official name of Switzerland, Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (rendered, respectively, as Confédération suisse and Confederazione svizzera in French and Italian).

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December 9, 1854: Alfred Tennyson‘s poem “Charge of the Light Brigade”, written at Farringford, was published in The Examiner.

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December 9th, 1914 was the birthday of Maximo Guillermo “Max” Manus. He passed away in 1996. His exploits are fairly accurately shown in the 2008 movie Max Manus: Man of War.

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Today’s feature article was written by JWR.

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We need more entries for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 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.

Planning Your Silver Bull Market Exit Strategy

The recent physical silver shortage and the run-up in the spot and futures prices of silver (around $59 USD per Troy ounce the last time that I checked) has prompted me to issue some supplementary advice about how and when to SELL some of your silver.  We should all be ready to start slowly SELLING or trading a large part of our silver once the spot price passes $125 per ounce.  There will almost certainly be a peak and then a crash in silver. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’ll go out on a limb and predict that the peak could be at just under $200 USD per Troy ounce.Continue reading“Planning Your Silver Bull Market Exit Strategy”

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.

Redoubt News Links
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 — December 8, 2025

On December 8th, 1864, James Clerk Maxwell‘s paper “A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field” was first read by the Royal Society in London. (It was published by the Royal Society in 1865.)

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December 8th, 1880: 5,000 armed Boers gathered in Paardekraal, South Africa.

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Today also marks the birthday of Eli Whitney, (1765–1825) the inventor of the labor-saving cotton gin, several firearms, and dozens of other mechanical devices. He was the first to demonstrate the advantages of fully interchangeable parts in firearms manufacture.

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Today’s feature is by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We need more entries for the nonfiction writing contest.  Send ’em in!

Diamond “Strike-A-Fire” Fire Starters, by Thomas Christianson

Each Diamond “Strike-A-Fire” Fire Starter (SAF stick) is kind of like a giant match which is 5.75 inches long, 1.13 inches wide, and 0.25 inches thick. The shaft of a SAF stick seems to be made out of some sort of pressed wood that is impregnated with a waxy substance. When the match-like head of a SAF stick is struck on the striking strip on the box, it ignites the SAF stick which then burns for approximately 12 minutes. In the process, the SAF stick creates enough heat to effectively ignite most types of kindling.

[JWR Adds: The SAF sticks are somewhat similar in size to the famous locofoco matches of the 1800s.]

The only significant drawback of SAF sticks that I discovered during my testing is that they are easily blown out when first struck in windy conditions.

A box of 48 SAF sticks cost $14.73 at walmart.com at the time of this writing. That comes out to just under $0.31 each. SAF sticks are “Assembled in USA”.Continue reading“Diamond “Strike-A-Fire” Fire Starters, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week:

The following simple recipe for Sago, Rice, or Barley Soup is from The New Butterick Cook Book, copyright 1924, now in the public domain. That is just one of the dozens of bonus books included in the 2005-2025 20th Anniversary Edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick that will be available to order in January of 2026.

Ingredients
  • 1 quart brown or white stock, cleared or not cleared
  • 2 tablespoons sago, rice, or barley
  • Salt and pepper
Directions
  1. Soak sago one-half hour in enough stock or water to cover it.
  2. After that, bring the remainder of the stock to a simmering-point.
  3. Add soaked sago and simmer in a closed saucepan for one-half hour, or until sago is soft. Season and serve.
NOTES

Rice may be substituted for sago. If barley is used it should be soaked overnight.

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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:  An Aurora Borealis display photographed on December 5, 2025 by Vince Medina of North Pole, Alaska. (Posted with permission.)

The thumbnails below are 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:

“I think part of preparedness is always being quite cognizant of just how tenuous our lives can be. We know that there is a future where we’re huddled around a campfire of burning 2×4s where the tornado took the house, where we look in the fridge and theres nothing but a box of baking soda and ketchup, where we spend hours a day looking for a job as we watch our bank accounts dwindle, where we feel unsafe, insecure, and hopeless. That’s why we prepare…to mitigate those events, to reduce our fragility, to increase our resilience. And when you’re aware of what the bad side of life could look like, it tends to make you more aware and grateful for the good side that you’re experiencing.” – Commander Zero, from his Notes From The Bunker blog

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 7, 2025

On this day in 1941 — also a Sunday — Japanese bombers launched a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, precipitating the entry of the United States into World War II.

On the same day, Adolf Hitler issued his Night and Fog (“Nacht und Nebel”) Decree, a secret order for the arrest and execution of “persons endangering German security.”

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On December 7, 1972, American astronaut Eugene Andrew Cernan commanded the last crewed flight to the Moon, effectively ending the Apollo program.

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On Dec. 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

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Today’s feature article is by JWR.

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We need entries for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 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.

Update: Budget Preparedness–Survival Isn’t About Stuff, It is About Skills

JWR’s Introductory Note: This is an update to an article that I wrote for SurvivalBlog back in June, 2008. It includes an adenda from my first wife Linda (“The Memsahib”), who passed away in 2009. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years.

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I often stress that a key to survival is not what you have, but rather what you know. (See my Precepts of Rawlesian Survivalist Philosophy web page.) In part, I wrote:

Skills Beat Gadgets and Practicality Beats Style. The modern world is full of pundits, poseurs, and Mall Ninjas. Preparedness is not just about accumulating a pile of stuff. You need practical skills, and those only come with study, training, and practice. Any armchair survivalist can buy a set of stylish camouflage fatigues and an M4gery Carbine encrusted with umpteen accessories. Style points should not be mistaken for genuine skills and practicality.

To expand on those precepts, consider the following:

Balanced logistics are important for everyone, but absolutely crucial for someone that is on a tight budget. If you have a three-year food supply, then a quantity miscalculation for one particular food item will likely be just an inconvenience. But if you only have a three-month supply, then a miscalculation can be a serious hazard. Be logical, systematic, and dispassionate in your preparations. You need to develop some detailed lists, starting with my “List of Lists” spreadsheet. Be realistic and scale your retreat logistics purchasing program to your budget. Avoid going into debt to “get prepared.” A friend of mine who was a Physician’s Assistant went way overboard in 1998 and 1999, stocking up for Y2K. The massive credit card debt that he racked up eventually contributed to a prolonged mental depression and his eventual suicide. May he rest in peace.Continue reading“Update: Budget Preparedness–Survival Isn’t About Stuff, It is About Skills”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

The Good News: Venezuelan President Maduro Now Has An American Advisor on Controlling Inflation.

The Bad News: The Advisor is Joe Biden

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:

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

For every man shall bear his own burden.

Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” – Galatians 6:1-10 (KJV)