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…

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.) — December 8th, 1880: 5,000 armed Boers gathered in Paardekraal, South Africa. — 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. — Today’s feature is by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — We need more…

Watch the full video on YouTube

Preview: Federal BYOB .22LR Ammo Bucket With 1,375 rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammunition, the stackable, reusable Federal BYOB .22 LR Ammo Bucket is sure to keep even the most ardent shooter of rimfire handguns or rifles busy for a while—even if there’s more than one new gun under the tree. Read the full article here

On July 1, 2025, Utah joined Tennessee and Arkansas in requiring their schools to include firearm safety lessons. All three adopted age-appropriate curriculum within the last two years, with a particular focus is on accident prevention.   Each state’s mandatory sessions take place only a few times a year—in some cases, only once—eliminating concerns they compromise academic performance. They are designed by their respective state hunter education departments in concert with school officials, bringing decades of combined experience to bear in delivering a clear message. At the kindergarten and grade-school level, the message is nearly, if not completely, identical to…

Watch full video on YouTube

Watch full video on YouTube

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. — 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…

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 December 7, 1972, American astronaut Eugene Andrew Cernan commanded the last crewed flight to the Moon, effectively ending the Apollo program. — — 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: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can…

Glock’s new product reveals have long been the subject of speculation and amused derision, owing in large measure to their unpredictability and the nuanced innovations of the new products. “A .22 LR-cal. pistol? That’s the new gun?” or “A 10 mm? So what?” Of course, non-Glock enthusiasts also claim each new Glock is essentially just like all the previous Glocks. Granted, Glock sort of set itself up for this when it embraced “Perfection” as its marketing watchword. How do you make wholesale changes to something you’ve previously claimed was perfect? Well, the new GEN 6, “V” series Glocks are about…