Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 1, 2026

On February 1st, we recognize the 1942 birthday of the late Dr. Gary North. North was a prolific writer on Christian Reconstruction and economics topics. He passed away on February 24, 2022. His more than 50 published books are a lasting legacy. He also assembled a free online library of books by other godly writers, through his Institute for Christian Economics (ICE). Those free books, totaling 38,000 pages, are all still available online, They are a great resource for homeschoolers and economics students.

We also remember February 1st, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana as it reentered Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven crew members.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 122 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. 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.
  3. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
  4. Harvest Guard is providing a 200-Piece Bulk Mix Pack of their Regular and Wide-Mouth Reusable Canning Jar Lids & Gaskets. This is a $161 + shipping value.

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. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is offering a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  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 $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 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.

 

 

Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 122

We’ve announced the winners of Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.

Note to the top three prize winners: Please contact me and let me know your UPS and USPS address(es), for your prizes. Thanks. – JWR

The top three prize winners will each receive some great prize packages. The winners for Round 122 are…

First Prize Winner:

First Prize goes to A.F., for Introducing Your Community to Emergency Preparedness. It was posted January 8-10, 2026. See:  Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.) He will receive as prizes:

  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 Winner:

Second Prize goes to 3AD Scout for Prelude to World War. It was posted December 19-21, 2025. (See Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.)

He will receive:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Preparedness author Jennifer Rader is providing a $200 purchase credit for any of her eight published food storage and medical preparedness books, including the Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café series, the Armageddon Pharmacy series, and the Medicine Surrounds Us series.
  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 Winner:

Third Prize goes to Joe R., for Caltrops: Making Homemade Tire Spikes.  It was posted January 17, 2026. He will receive:

  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.
Honorable Mention Prizes

The writers of the Round 122 Honorable Mention articles will each receive a transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun, or any knife or bayonet. (Even though Elk Creek Company is on hiatus, you can still use your purchase credits. Just e-mail me and let me know what merchandise you’d like to apply your credit to.) There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns in most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

There were six Honorable Mention prize-winning articles in Round 122. They are:

Get Busy Writing!

Round 123 begins today and runs for two months, so please get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. 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. 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. Thanks, – JWR

Senior Citizen Fitness: Preparing Our Bodies for Hard Times, by P.D.M.

Introduction

My wife and I have been into prepping for over twenty years. We lived in Mississippi when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 and we were without power for ten days. That was our impetus to prepare after struggling with the basics when everything we had taken for granted failed. The suffering was immense, and the lessons keen. We vowed to never be unprepared again when niceties of civilization ceased to provide comfort. We started reading the Survival blog and the excellent articles soon after recovering from our hurricane wakeup call.

The Problem

Fast forward twenty years, and now living in Eastern Idaho we faced another challenge when it came to prepping. We had gathered the food, the medicine, the backup power and some rudimentary gardening skills to prepare for the next disaster. But we failed to recognize the one area that we needed to focus, especially as we entered our senior years.

Our bodies were no longer young. And, more importantly we were physically weaker, unable to do the basic functions in life that we took for granted when we were in our forties. Fitness was now a critical preparation task that needed focus.Continue reading“Senior Citizen Fitness: Preparing Our Bodies for Hard Times, by P.D.M.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Image

Meme Text:

There are Some Differences Between “Homely” Pretti, and “Pretty” Pretti 

News Links:

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:

“Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” – Mark 7:1-16 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — January 31, 2026

On January 31, 1905, the first automobile to exceed 100 mph (161 kph), a Napier six-cylinder racing car named ‘Samson’. It was driven by British daredevil Arthur Macdonald, at Daytona Beach, Florida. A top speed of 104 miles per hour was recorded.

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On January 31, 1934, President FDR devalued the US dollar in relation to gold at $35 per ounce. This came just months after FDR’s administration had confiscated all privately-held gold bullion and non-numismatic gold coins.

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Today, we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader. Because it is partially promotional for a published book, it is not part of the judging 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 123 of the writing contest begins on February 1st, 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.

Are You Emotionally Ready for the Coming Collapse? – Part 5, by Peter Cannon

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.)

In Part 4 of this series, we reviewed the Merchants of the Earth, the Persecution of the Saints, and the Harvests of the Righteous and of the Unrighteous) In this concluding installment, we will study the Bowl Judgments, Earthquakes on the Rise, and the Second Coming of Jesus.

The Bowl Judgments

The Seal and Trumpet Judgments have passed. Now God pours out His wrath on the unbelievers with the Bowl Judgments:

“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” (Revelation 15:1,5-8 KJV)

Previously, we saw how the Saints were harvested or raptured up, where they now play harps in heaven. As they play, they sing this wonderful song of Moses, praising God for all He has done. It must be a truly blessed feeling to arrive in heaven after all the tribulation one has gone through. But now, God sends seven angels with seven bowls of his wrath, containing seven plagues to complete the punishment of the unbelievers, and especially those who accepted the Mark of the Beast and worshipped the Antichrist. This is the wrath just announced by the angel with the sickle and the grapes.Continue reading“Are You Emotionally Ready for the Coming Collapse? – Part 5, by Peter Cannon”

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:

We are yet again helping one of our adult children make a household move. Because they’ve reached that stage of life, we’ve done this with four of our five kids in the past  two years. Our fully-enclosed three-horse gooseneck trailer is often called into service. Helping out our son will keep us on the road a lot, in the next three weeks. Thankfully, his move was close enough that at least one of us will be able to get home each night, to feed and water our livestock.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord‘s release.

Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;

Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” –  Deuteronomy 15:1-11 (KJV) 

Preparedness Notes for Friday — January 30, 2026

On January 30, 1648, Spain and the Netherlands signed the Peace of Munster, ending the Thirty Years’ War.

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The late Actor Eugene “Gene” Allen Hackman was born January 30, 1930.  He and his wife both sadly passed away in February, 2025.

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January 30th is also the birthday of historian Barbara Tuchman (born 1912, died February 6, 1989). She wrote some very engaging history books.

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Jase Medical just updated their affiliate agreement with SurvivalBlog.  All SurvivalBlog readers now get an automatic $10 discount at checkout. Just click on their ad in the SurvivalBlog ad stack, or use this link, to be sure that you get that discount.

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Today, we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader. Because it is partially promotional for a published book, it is not part of the judging for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running the contest.  Round 123 of the writing contest begins on February 1st, 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.

Are You Emotionally Ready for the Coming Collapse? – Part 4, by Peter Cannon

(Continued from Part 3.)

In Part 3 of this series, we reviewed the Antichrist, the False Prophet, the Mark of the Beast, and the One-World Money System. In this installment, we will look at the Merchants of the Earth, the Persecution of the Saints, and the Harvests of the Righteous and the Unrighteous.

The Merchants of the Earth

One of the most overlooked topics from the Book of Revelation is that of the “merchants of the Earth.” (Revelation 18:11) This term appears repeatedly in Revelation, which shows the importance of certain types of commerce, especially during the Tribulation:

“And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:”

“The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.” (Revelation 18:9-13 KJV)Continue reading“Are You Emotionally Ready for the Coming Collapse? – Part 4, by Peter Cannon”

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.

On Monday (January 26, 2026), spot silver touched $116.59 per Troy ounce in Comex trading. That brought the silver-to-gold price ratio down to 43.3-to-1. (It was 102-to-1 in late May of 2025.)  I expect the ratio to drop perhaps to as low as 28-to-1, in 2026.

Friday PM Update: In reaction to news about Trump’s pick to head the Federal Reserve, there was some strong selling this morning in New York that brought silver down to below $77 per ounce (a 34% drop!), but that will do nothing to stop the insatiable demand in Asia. This dip may be your last chance to buy silver at a good price.

I was recently asked by a consulting client if he was too late to get into tangibles investing. I told him that it was indeed too late to jump into gold and nearly too late to buy silver, but he certainly wasn’t too late to buy guns and ammunition. I also mentioned that I’m surprised that we can still stack teller boxes of nickels at face value.

All in all, it is exciting to be holding tangibles at a time when the rest of the world has just awakened to their relative scarcity and their true value. We are now seeing so many individuals and organizations at all levels — everyone from Uber drivers to Central Banks — all now rushing in trying to acquire them, at a frantic pace. It is gratifying to see that our patient stacking of tangibles has now paid off. I’m often quoted as saying that we are living in The Age of Deception and Betrayal.  But a corollary is that we also now live in The Age of The Truth of Tangibles. – JWR

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 Editors’ Quote Of The Day:

“The fundamental source of all your errors, sophisms, and false reasoning, is a total ignorance of the natural rights of mankind. Were you once to become acquainted with these, you could never entertain a thought, that all men are not, by nature, entitled to a parity of privileges. You would be convinced, that natural liberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator, to the whole human race; and that civil liberty is founded in that; and cannot be wrested from any people, without the most manifest violation of justice.” – Alexander Hamilton, “The Farmer Refuted,” 1775

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 29, 2026

On January 29, 1944 USS Missouri (BB-63), the last battleship commissioned by the US Navy, was. launched. It was decommissioned in 1992, and was donated for use as a museum and memorial ship on May 4, 1998. It is now on display near the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

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Today, we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader. Because it is partially promotional for a published book, it is not part of the judging 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 123 of the writing contest begins on February 1st, 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.

Are You Emotionally Ready for the Coming Collapse? – Part 3, by Peter Cannon

(Continued from Part 2.)

In Part 2 of this series, we reviewed the Trumpet Judgments, and how the people on earth will be affected by these catastrophic events. I sincerely hope that the pre-Tribulation rapture believers are correct, and that Christians will be gone to heaven by this point. However, what if Christians end up having to endure part or all of the Tribulation? If so, are you emotionally prepared for this possibility? In this installment, we will look at some of the specific events associated with the False Prophet, the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast and the One-World Money System—and how all of these might affect you.

We begin by taking a close look at what Scripture has to say about the “Beast,” also referred to by most Bible experts as the Antichrist:Continue reading“Are You Emotionally Ready for the Coming Collapse? – Part 3, by Peter Cannon”