Preparedness Notes — August 25, 2026

This Week in History:

On August 25, 1537, The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, was formed. Pictured is the Honourable Artillery Company Band at Balboa Park, while on a visit to San Diego, California.

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August 25, 1898: 700 Greeks and 15 Englishmen were massacred by the Turks in Heraklion, Crete.

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August 26, 1789: The National Constituent Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen at the beginning of the French Revolution.

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August 26,1859: A geomagnetic storm caused the Aurora Borealis to shine so brightly that it is seen clearly over parts of the USA, Europe, and even as far afield as Japan.

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A belated obituary note on Jerry Wigutow: “Wiggy”, who passed away in early March. He left his business to his longtime partner, Kok Bou, and for now it will continue operating as Wiggy’s Manufacturing.  But given Kok Bou’s advancing years, I suspect that they may be looking for a new owner for the company. I suppose that this is a chance for someone to become the owner of one of the last truly American sleeping bag manufacturers. – JWR

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Sale Ends Tonight!  The sale on selected investment grade guns at Elk Creek Company ends at midnight, Eastern Time tonight. Take a close look for some great prices on guns that you will be proud to pass on to your children and grandchildren. Get you order in, soon! – JWR

Preparing to Serve in Disasters, by JMS

This my recollection about preparing for a natural disaster in the summer of 2017. I had just arrived on a Caribbean island with a single checked bag and a temporary rental. Within weeks of arriving Hurricane Irma, a category five hurricane, passed a few miles north of the island. It took only hours for the island to lose electricity and communication with the outside world. Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria hit the island and knocked us back to the 18th century.

I was unable to access my money in a bank on the US mainland, due to infrastructure damage on the island, and befriended only a few people in the short time I had been there. My ability to adequately prepare was also inhibited as the island had gone more than a month without resupply.

This is how I prepared. Though it may appear to have little value to those who believe they are prepared, with water purification and food and, likely, munitions, I learned that service is a preparation that requires little more than empathy and understanding.Continue reading“Preparing to Serve in Disasters, by JMS”

Recipe of the Week: RUTF

Reader Becky B. in California wrote to ask about a do-it-yourself recipe for the shelf-stable peanut-butter based ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) that was developed in Africa in the 1990s. It has saved many thousands of lives in starvation zones. It is sold commercially packaged in sachets under the brand name Plumpy’Nut.  Note: For the best nutrition its is best to buy the commercially-made product.

I found a Public Domain practical home-style recipe. It is approximate and for household use only.  It is is as follows:Continue reading“Recipe of the Week: RUTF”

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic is a map that shows America’s abandoned and out-of-service railroad lines. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) It was posted by “vladgrinch” with this note:

“The [American rail] system peaked in 1916 at 254,037 miles of track, at a moment when the railways carried virtually all interstate traffic in the United States, and roughly 138,477 miles remain in use today. Cars, lorries and aircraft pulled the traffic away over the decades that followed, and the branch lines serving small towns were lifted or simply left to the weeds.”

The thumbnail image below is click-expandable.

Abandoned and out-of-service railroad lines

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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. I can of course credit you by name — or pen name —  if you’d like. Many Thanks! –  JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation, under your copyright or uncopyrighted in the public domain. Thanks! – JWR

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.

Economics & Investing Links of Interest

Economics & Investing Media Tips:

Please send your economics and investing links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Thanks!

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, America’s three fragile power grids.

Warning That a Nationwide Blackout Could Last 18 Months

Reported in the UK Daily Mail: Warning that mammoth nationwide blackout could last 18 MONTHS as power grid’s appalling weak spots exposed. The article begins:

“The United States is at risk of a nationwide blackout that could last 18 months, according to the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Jon Wellinghoff became aware of the alleged vulnerability after a shooting at a Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s San Jose substation, according to the The New York Times Magazine.

He conducted a power flow analysis that modeled the large-scale effects of knocking out the most critical substation in each of America’s three power grids: the Western, Eastern and Texas interconnections. He said this led him to discover just how easy it would be to cripple America’s power supply.

‘We came up with some very astounding numbers,’ Wellinghoff said. ‘If you knock out nine total substations among these three grids, you can black out the entire United States.'”

Has Your Vehicle Been Searched By Flock Cameras?

Has your vehicle been searched by Flock cameras? Here’s how to check.

And speaking of Flock…  Report: Government Monitors Anti-Flock Social Media Critics.

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

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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From our friend Anthony (“Armed Scholar”): Huge Decision Finds ATF Frames/Receivers Rule Unconstitutional & Permanently Blocks Restrictions!

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Over at Bearing Arms: New Jersey’s War on 3D Printed Guns Heads to SCOTUS. (A hat tip to D.S.V. for the link.)

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A reminder on two upcoming gun shows:  I will have four tables at both of the following Idaho gun shows. I’ll be bringing most of the Elk Creek Company inventory with me. Feel free to bring any of the books that I’ve authored, for me to autograph for you. Thanks, – JWR

  • Coeur d’Alene, Idaho October 3-4, 2026 (Kootenai County Fairgrounds)
  • Lewiston, Idaho, November 21-22 2026, (Nez Perce County Fairgrounds Pavilion)

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Mike in Alaska mentioned a recent AMRRON video: Washington Wildfires – A Quick SITREP on Comms in Wildfire Season.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

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.

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:

I completed my fall pasture discing project.  We’ve had a Plotmaster for nearly 20 years, and it has proven to be very reliable. I’ve pulled it with both a gas engine straddle quad and our electric side-by-side quad. It really turns the sod quite well. After a few passes with the Plotmaster, I then squared up the field corners with our rototiller. After discing each field, I pick up any rocks and then spread Dolomite lime prills with a Scott’s fertilizer spreader. Then Lily broadcasts the cover crop seeds, and I follow up with a good soak with the sprinklers. The whole process is not too laborious, but it is quite time-consuming.

On several mornings. I helped Lily dose both of our sheep flocks with drench anti-parasite meds and subcutaneous antibiotic injections.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week: 

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

“Sure, Mister, you can live out a
perverted fantasy, and say that
you ‘Identify’ as a nine year old girl
named Susie…
…But don’t try to force me to
play along and call you that.”

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.

Editors’ Quote:

“It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad.” – James Madison

Preparedness Notes — August 18, 2026

This Week in History:

On August 18, 1877, the Martian Moon Phobos was discovered. One of the two natural satellites of Mars, Phobos, was discovered by American astronomer Asaph Hall. Hall also discovered Deimos, the other Martian Moon. Named after the Greek God of fear, Phobos orbits only 3,700 miles from the surface of Mars. This makes it the Moon to orbit closest to its planet in the Solar System. Because of this odd orbit, Phobos completes each orbit around Mars in just 7 hours and 39 minutes.

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August 19, 1895: American frontier murderer and outlaw John Wesley Hardin was shot and killed by John Selman, Sr. in a saloon in El Paso, Texas.

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August 19, 1915: The British liner SS Arabic was sunk by a German submarine without warning while leaving Liverpool for New York. The deaths of 33 people aboard created a diplomatic incident.

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We are now halfway through our two-week sale on all of our investment grade guns at Elk Creek Company. Take a close look for some great prices on guns that you will be proud to pass on to your children and grandchildren. The sale will end on Tuesday, August 25th. By the way, we also accept payment in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver coinage, presently at a very generous ratio of 48.5 to one.  (Our silver changes frequently, depending on the spot price of silver.) For example, with a 48.5 divisor: If your order total (with postage) is $955, then you’d pay just $19.70 face value in any combination of circulated pre-1965 90% silver U.S. dimes, quarters, or half-dollars. You may use our automated ordering system for check-out, but instead of paying by USPS money order or check, you’d e-mail us and let us know that your payment will be in silver, and just mail those coins in a well-padded sturdy box to our P.O. box address. It is that simple. Your order will then be shipped ASAP after the silver coin payment arrives. Thanks! – JWR

AI: The Machinist Will Become The Workpiece

When I have conversations with friends and neighbors about Artificial Intelligence (AI), some of them  conclude that I’m an alarmist. I believe that this is because their experience has been limited to simplistic generative AI tools that crank out artwork in seconds, or that can create convincing term papers when given just a simple outline phrase. What they haven’t seen are agentic AIs that scheme, manipulate, and cheat to reach their programmed goals, and often go beyond those programmed goals. If a stated goal is open-ended, then these AIs often improvise in unexpected ways. Recently, for example, a test AI from an Alibaba-affiliated research team escaped its “sandbox” and was caught mining cryptocurrencies — something never requested and far beyond its assigned tasks. Another AI independently went looking for a job.

State-of-the-art AI is very rapidly approaching the level of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This is the level of development where the AI fully surpasses human intelligence. There are already AIs that are subject matter experts that exceed Ph.D. level in one or two particular subjects. But we will soon see AIs that have mastery of multiple scientific disciplines, make practical application of that knowledge, and that can also articulate the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) at a level that is indistinguishable from a college-educated living, breathing person.  And with recent advances in voice generation and video deep fakes, these AIs could pass themselves off as almost any adult human, in video conferences.Continue reading“AI: The Machinist Will Become The Workpiece”

JaseAid Trauma Kit, by Thomas Christianson

Author’s Introductory Note: I am not a medical professional. This article does not constitute medical advice. It merely represents the observations and opinions of an average layperson. Please consult a medical professional about the best training, equipment, and supplies that you should obtain in order to be better prepared for possible emergencies. SurvivalBlog readers who are also medical professionals are strongly encouraged to contribute articles within their areas of expertise to SurvivalBlog. You may provide the vital public service of rescuing SurvivalBlog readers from the simplistic ideas of people like me).

Many first-aid kits are really boo-boo kits. They are designed for the minor cuts, slivers, and scrapes of life.

Other first-aid kits are designed to treat truly life-threatening injuries. These kits are designed for accidents involving things like chainsaws, firearms, or heavy equipment. These accidents can lead to major hemorrhage and death. The JaseAid Trauma Kit from Jase Medical is intended for these types of serious accidents. It contains items that are made to address serious injuries: things like a tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, a chest seal, or a nasopharyngeal airway.

The kit also includes helpful field education cards to explain the use of the various components of the kit. I highly recommend thoroughly studying the cards prior to using the kit in any actual emergency. If you try to read the cards for the first time during an emergency situation, it will already be too late.Continue reading“JaseAid Trauma Kit, by Thomas Christianson”

SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic is a map that depicts the most valuable resource in each state. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.)

The thumbnail image below is click-expandable.

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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. I can of course credit you by name — or pen name —  if you’d like. Many Thanks! –  JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation, under your copyright or uncopyrighted in the public domain. Thanks! – JWR