Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 120

We’ve announced the winners of Round 120 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 120 are…

First Prize Winner:

First Prize goes to AppComms, for Memoirs of a Disaster Survivor. (See: Part 1 and Part 2.) It was posted August 1-2, 2025. 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.
5. 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.

Second Prize Winner:

Second Prize goes to goes to J.M. for Text Comms in a Post-Disaster World. (See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.)  It was posted September 22-26, 2025.  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. A $269 retail value survival-ready power package from Solar Power Lifestyle. This includes two Solar Power Lifestyle 25W Portable Solar Panels, plus a $150 gift card to use for any purchase at solarpowerlifestyle.com.
3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
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 Iowa Dave, for Maximizing Prepping Storage Space. (See Part 1 and Part 2.)  It was posted September 9-10, 2025. 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 120 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. 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 12 Honorable Mention prize-winning articles in Round 120. They are:

• Improvised Shower Fixtures and Pumps, by A.F.
• Goldilocks Fire-Starting Kits, by C.S.
• Fully Practicing Your Preps, by A.C.
• My Concerns With Artificial Intelligence, by St. Funogas. (See:  Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.)
• An Everyday Pellet Gun, by Lodge Pole
• FNIRSI GC-03 Radiation Detector: An Evaluation, by Mike in Alaska
• Sanitation for Preppers, by A.C.
• My Most Recent Lesson in Logistics, by Reltney McFee
• Secure Local Comms With POTS Equipment, by Tractorguy
• JIT Training for Trusted Friends, Family, and Neighbors, by Dr. Bob
• Soft Cheeses Made Without Rennet, by M.J.E.
• The Art and Science of Tool Making, by Grandpappy

Get Busy Writing!

Round 121 begins today and runs for two months, so please get busy writing and e-mail us your entry soon. More than $970,000 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