Prepping & Emergency Preparedness
Practical emergency kits, food and water storage, backup power, first aid and official preparedness guidance.
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This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for Prepping & Emergency Preparedness. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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Preparedness Notes — October 13, 2026
This Week in History: The Battle of Kappel was fought on October 11, 1531. Swiss Roman Catholic cantons defeated the Protestant forces of Zurich. In the battle, reformation leader Huldrych Zwingli leader was killed. October 12, 1773: America’s first asylum opened for ‘Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds’ in Virginia. October 12, 1901: Theodore Roosevelt renamed the “Executive Mansion” as “The White House”. And on October 13, 1773, the Whirlpool Galaxy was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier.
The Newly-Released ATF NFA Guidance: Drill Baby, Drill!
I’ve had several more readers contact me in the past week, asking about the Guidance from the BATF regarding SBRs, SBSes, Suppressors, and AOWs, in light of the August, 2026 Silencer Shop (and related Jensen) decision.
Granberg 16 Inch Clip-N-Trim, by Thomas Christianson
Some SurvivalBlog readers may be familiar with “Grandmother’s Song” by Steve Martin. I heard that song for the very first time back in 1979. It was part of Martin’s album “Let’s Get Small”, played from a vinyl LP on a stereo belonging to one of my college roommates. One of the lines of the song is, “Live in a swamp and be three dimensional.” I never dreamed that one day I would be living that line. But now, almost 50 years later, I find myself living in a home surrounded by wetland. One facet of wetland life is the need
SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week
Today’s graphic: Sunrise lights up the Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range, Wyoming. (A public domain photo by “gmiphone”, at Openverse.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.
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’s graphic shows the relative size of teh U.S. and European economies. The US GDP used to be smaller than Western Europe’s combined, but today it is larger than Europe’s entire economy. The thumbnail below is click-expandable.
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. Today’s column outlines some new cyber threats. Android Malware Stealing PINs and Logins Reader C.B.
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. — Ukraine’s surprise robot offensive exposes a vulnerability in Putin’s war machine. o o o American Lasers Now Destroying Iranian Weapons and Infrastructure.
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. This week a map showing the population percentage increase between 2020 and 2025 in a few Northwestern metropolitan areas, and a few micropolitan areas. The image below, courtesy of Reddit, is click-expandable.
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.
JWR’s Meme Of The Week
Meme Text: If You Cannot See The Irony Of This, Then You Are More Dense Than Osmium: Men, Armed With Guns, Sent To Disarm People Armed With Guns
Editors’ Quote
“During COVID I watched the Democratic Party turn against every one of its essential values, its principles, and all of the policies that define my party. Democrats turned away from gold standard research and blindly defended industry-sponsored, agenda-driven science written by corrupt and captive regulatory agencies. And the Democrats, which were once the champions of the American Constitution, systematically obliterated the Bill of Rights.
Preparedness Notes — October 6, 2026
This Week in History: On October 4, 1535, The Coverdale Bible — the first complete Bible to be published in English — was printed in Antwerp, Belgium, with translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale. Pictured above is a Coverdale Bible on display at the Museum of the Bible, in Washington, D.C.
My Predictions for the End of the Year 2026, by Dr. Rick
I have always had an active interest in survival. I have always tried to look at the big picture without bias. Previously, I prepared for vague, generalized threats. Within the last year, however, the world situation has dramatically changed – threats have become more specific, easily identifiable, significant, and realistic. In other words, the present world situation makes prepping more meaningful, practical, and necessary than ever before.
Recipe of the Week
The following recipe for Crockpot Venison Stew is from SurvivalBlog reader Tony D. Ingredients 3 lb venison stew meat cut into 1-inch or smaller cubes.
SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week
Today’s graphic shows the metropolitan areas in the United States projected to reach 1 million people within the next decade, if current growth rates continue. Also shown are those that recently crossed the 1 million mark. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail image below is click-expandable.
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. This week, a map showing GDP Per Capita of the US and Canada (in US Dollars in the calendar year 2025.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing News Links 10-year Treasury yield slides after hitting highest levels in 24 years. Michael Burry believes the AI bubble ‘may burst’ sooner than he first believed.
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, renewed war drums, in Europe. A NATO-Russia Hot War Could Be Coming?
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. — The night sky is getting 10% brighter every year. We’re forgetting what darkness feels like. JWR’s Comments: It is easy to forget just how blessed I am to live in a place where I have a view of the Milky Way so often.
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 Massive ‘stud’ elk snarls traffic at Yellowstone entrance. Officials euthanize 14 black bears after alleged feeding near Bozeman. Spokane: Fireworks go off during downtown Spokane apartment fire, man taken into custody.
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.
JWR’s Meme Of The Week
The latest meme created by JWR, adding to a recently-circulated meme: Meme Text: It Isn’t A Cappuccino. It Is A Catpuccino.
Editors’ Quote
“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they
Preparedness Notes — September 29, 2026
This Week in History: On September 27, AD 70, the walls of upper city of Jerusalem were battered down by the Roman army. — September 28, 1066: William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, lands at Pevensey Bay in Sussex. Thus began the Norman Conquest of England. — September 28,1542: Explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was the first European to sail into San Diego Bay, naming it San Miguel and claiming it for Spain. — September 28, 1781: 9,000 American and 7,000 French troops began the Siege of Yorktown.
Endless Expenses: Modern Life in The Subscription Model
Life in the early 21st Century is increasingly characterized by what marketing specialists dubbed The Subscription Model. For many Americans, it is starting to feel like we are “renting” our lives. It is almost like feeding a parking meter, 24/7, and 365 days a year. It is bad enough having taxes, mortgage payments, and insurance costs, but adding umpteen subscriptions is burdensome. It saps us of our livelihood. Consider how our lives have changed in the past two decades: We used to buy a CD or DVD once, and it was ours for a lifetime.
WOOX Leggenda Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson
Reminiscent of the stocks of the classic firearms of the past, the exquisitely-grained American walnut grips of the WOOX Leggenda folding knife confer an aura of timeless beauty that modern synthetic scales cannot match. About the only material that I can think of that might be even more attractive than walnut in this application would be elk antler. The hefty 3.5 inch long and 0.13 inch thick blade of D2 steel conveys a sense of gravitas.
SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week
Today’s graphic is a map that shows all cropland in the 48 contiguous United States. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail image below is click-expandable. — If any SurvivalBlog readers have personally taken or otherwise hold the copyright to a particularly nice landscape photo or other photo of particular interest to preppers that is in a wide horizontal format (to match our blog template) then please send it in as an e-mail attachment, and I will consider posting it as a Graphic of the Week, or as a Top Note photo.
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. Here is an interesting map: In 2025 only four countries had a bigger economy than California. The thumbnail below is click-expandable. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing Links of Interest $1B frozen food giant pulls plug on California manufacturing in shock retreat. California exit tax explained: what to know before you move.
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: Even more revelations of rogue AI behavior. Some OpenAI Agents Meddled With U.S.
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. — Reader S.J. sent this important antibiotics dosing update: “Mr.
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. This week: Lots of recent videos from the great outdoors of The American Redoubt. (The The photo of the Sawtooth Mountainss above was taken by Avalanche Lily.) REDOUBT Video LINKS Another video from James & Siana, this time up in the Sawtooth Mountains: British Couple Had No Idea Idaho Looked Like This!
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.
JWR’s Meme Of The Week
The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Edward Snowden Tried to Warn People: Smartphone (ˈsmärt-ˌfōn) (noun): A sophisticated government-controlled surveillance and tracking device that can also be used to make phone calls. News Links: 2015: Edward Snowden interview: ‘Smartphones can be taken over’. 2017: Edward Snowden: How Your Cell Phone Spies on You JWR’s Comments: Lily and I have never owned smartphones. There are cellphones available with removable batteries. That is what we carry, but only when we travel.
Editors’ Quote
“Government has lied to you. Government is lying to you. Government will lie to you. Live your life accordingly.” - Rep. Thomas Massie
Preparedness Notes — September 22, 2026
This Week in History: On September 21, 1893, Frank Duryea drove the first American-made gasoline-propelled vehicle. September 22, 1499: Switzerland became an independent state. September 22, 1656: An all-female jury heard the case of Judith Catchpole, accused of killing her child, and acquitted her in Patuxent County, Maryland. September 23, 1779: John Paul Jones aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard defeated the British frigate HMS Serepis and soon became the United States’ first well-known naval hero.
40 Trillion Reasons for Economic Collapse – Part 2, by Single Farmer
(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) How did we get here? We are more than 40 trillion dollars in debt. Our streets are not lined with gold and other precious metals, but our nation is decaying around us. We are being invaded. Our military instead of repelling invaders and rounding them up is engaged in foreign adventures around the world contrary to what George Washington said about foreign adventurism and alliances.
Recipe of the Week
The following recipe for Leftovers Automatic Chicken & Rice is from SurvivalBlog reader Angie T. She writes: “My husband travels a lot for his work, and I don’t like to make elaborate meals for myself when he’s on tehe road. This is a recipe I use in my automatic rice cooker, using chicken leftovers. It is a variation on a recipe that found online. You can also use a traditional stovetop pan for cooking this.”
SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week
Today’s graphic is a map showing average annual snowfall across the United States, county by county. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail image below is click-expandable. — If any SurvivalBlog readers have personally taken or otherwise hold the copyright to a particularly nice landscape photo or other photo of particular interest to preppers that is in a wide horizontal format (to match our blog template) then please send it in as an e-mail attachment, and I will consider posting it as a Graphic of the Week, or as a Top Note photo.
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 average land value (in USD) across the Lower 48, by ZIP Code. The thumbnail below is click-expandable. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) Economics & Investing Links of Interest The Fed is Raising interest rates. JWR’s Comments: This was the first rate hike green light in three years. It appears that they prefer the possibility of a recession over the certainty of accelerating inflation.
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 new tick-borne disease with a rapidly-spreading vector. A New Virus in a Tick Invasive to the US.
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. — US House of Representatives votes to require AM radio in all new cars.
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. Pictured above is Lake Pend-Oreille. REDOUBT NEWS LINKS Last week, I mentioned Quest Kodiak STOL cargo/passenger planes, built in Sandpoint, Idaho. Here is a video showing numerous Idaho backcountry landings and takeoffs in a Kodiak 100: “Craziest Take Off of My Life” — The Razor Thin Margins of Backcountry Flying.
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.
JWR’s Meme Of The Week
The latest meme created by JWR, as a variation on an existing meme: Meme Text: Most Lightning Strikes Are Sent Out: “To Whom It May Concern” But Some Seem To Have A Particular Address In Mind An interesting technical piece explains how cloud-to-ground lightning actually has one components that goes UP from the ground to touch a leader coming down that “connects the circuit.”: Does lightning travel upward or downward? Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it.
Editors’ Quote
“Freedom is not defined by safety. Freedom is defined by the ability of citizens to live without government interference. Government cannot create a world without risks, nor would we really wish to live in such a fictional place. Only a totalitarian society would even claim absolute safety as a worthy ideal, because it would require total state control over its citizens’ lives. Liberty has meaning only if we still believe in it when terrible things happen and a false government security blanket beckons.” – Dr. Ron Paul
Preparedness Notes — September 15, 2026
This Week in History: On September 15, 1600, the Battle of Sekigahara, (Sekigahara Kassen Byōbu『関ヶ原合戦屏風』) marked the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan. — September 15, 1774: Cossack pretender to the Russian throne Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev was captured. — On September 16, 1620 the Mayflower departed Plymouth, England, with 102 Pilgrims and about 30 crew for the New World. — September 17,1776: The fortress Presidio of San Francisco was founded in New Spain to gain a foothold in Alta California and secure the San Francisco Bay for Spain.
40 trillion dollars in national public debt on August 18, 2026
We finally did it. We crossed 40 trillion dollars ($40,000,000,000,000) in national public debt on August 18, 2026. Congratulations to all the people who said we could get there if our politicians were just a little more irresponsible, foolish, short-sighted, careless, feckless, and every other way to describe our national march toward the cliff. We did it at even a faster pace than anticipated. Now, we can get to 80 trillion even faster. Forward, March over the Cliff into the Economic Collapse, Fellow Americans!
Mingo Firewood Marker, by Thomas Christianson
The Mingo Ultimate Firewood Marker enables someone who is processing firewood to buck logs into rounds of remarkably uniform length. It does this by placing a spot of inverting marking spray at precise intervals onto a log that is being prepared for bucking. This precision is especially helpful for those who heat with smaller wood stoves. The fireboxes of smaller stoves have less margin for error than the fireboxes of larger stoves.
SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week
Today’s graphic is a map that shows relatively what US states would look like at New Jersey’s population density. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail image below is click-expandable.
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. This week: A map showing Vacation Homes in the Contiguous United States. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable. Economics & Investing Links of Interest The next financial crash: a scenario AI debt could spark a chain reaction. Copper Hits All-Time-High As Physical Economy Reprices Scarcity.
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, the horrendous driver’s license data breach.
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. — Space Force picks Texas as US home for trinational DARC space radar network. (The photo above shows a DARC reflector being assembled in Australia. DARC is a US/UK/Australia trilateral partnership.
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 Yet another great Gravity Knight flying video, with some awesome scenery: Landing at Flying B Ranch Idaho – Badlands Traveler. Now, that is a truly remote ranch — with micro-hydro power! Oh, and at the four-minute mark, take note of the Quest Kodiak STOL plane parked alongside the river side of the grass strip.
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.
JWR’s Meme Of The Week
A libertarian meme by James Wesley, Rawles of SurvivalBlog.com: Taxation is Theft Even When Thieves Wear Stinking Badges.
Editors’ Quote
“When I speak of home, I speak of the place where—in default of a better—those I love are gathered together; and if that place were a...” - Charles Dickens
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