Cameron whipped up a video of his favorite moments from 2012. It’s been a crazy, and productive year. Best wishes to you and your friends. Thanks so much for supporting this blog. We have big things planned for the new year. Peace.
Archive for December, 2012
Survival Bros 2012 Highlights – Happy New Year!
Posted: December 31, 2012 in Adventures, Comedy and ArtTags: 2012, artist, blog, bros, Cameron, clips, collection, friends, hd, highlights, McKirdy, new, news, peace, people, pictures, production, review, survival, video, year, YouTube
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Survival Bros Rafting The Nehalem River 2012 – An Unexpected Journey
Posted: December 31, 2012 in Adventures, Comedy and Art, Parks, SB Tips, SportsTags: adventure, bros, Cameron, cold, drop, extreme, hd, journey, McKirdy, nehalem, oregon, parks, raft, ride, river, run, salmonberry, Sports, spruce, survival, trip, video, wave
This was a wild trip. My Dad and I had been scouting the river, and planning the ride down the Nehalem river for months. He read all he could find on the dangers, and decided to try floating from a higher point at Spruce Run. After pumping the 14 foot cataraft up, we got it loaded on the trailer, and headed south past Cannon Beach on Highway 101. Our friend Steve tagged along. He knows the Nehalem well, and has been fishing for Steelhead on it for years. We used his rig to shuttle us back to the trailer, and drag the raft up a steep bank at Beaver Slide after traveling 13.3 miles.
This journey didn’t go exactly as planned. We unhooked the raft too soon, and it fell off the trailer when we were backing it up to the water. After that mishap, we picked it up by hand, and got her wet. It was a smooth ride at first, but early into the excursion we lost an oar lock. Thankfully, Pops was wise enough to have an extra on hand. Without the oar lock, we would have lost an oar and been screwed. I had a great time chatting with the boys, and relaxing. We were also trying to locate a lost dog, that had a $2500 reward for information resulting in his rescue. No luck on that. We did however see a coyote, fish, and a bald eagle.
The Nehalem got rougher, and more dangerous as we got lower on the river. The water was freezing, and we were wet. I had a wetsuit, booties, and gloves to stay warm. On a quick stop I used the spring water I collected to make Mountain House spaghetti with my Jetboil Zip camping stove. Steve and I warmed our hands on the hot bag as the food cooked. Near the end of our unexpected journey we ran into more trouble. We got hung up on a boulder, and spun around. Then at Salmonberry Drop we got blasted by a 7 foot wave, and my camera went out. You gotta watch the video in 720p HD. It was a hell of an adventure. We got out alive, but not without a little suffering. We won’t be rafting the Nehalem again soon.
Here’s a fun video I made of the first time my Dad and I rafted the lower part of the Nehalem River.
Save Money – Don’t Pay Full Retail Prices
Posted: December 28, 2012 in Frugality, Health & Nutrition, SB TipsTags: blog, cheap, clearance, Deals, discontinued, frugal, goods, items, tips
By Cameron McKirdy
Retail is for suckers. Don’t pay full price for anything, ever again. Store owners get everything wholesale, and you can too.
I often start my shopping trip by going to the back of the supermarket. That’s where you can always find items 50% off, because they are discontinued, damaged, or close to their expiration date. You’d think these products are no good, but I’ve found the sale goods are usually organic, and simply not well known, so they go unsold. Don’t be too good to save money. People pass on these deals because they are too proud, and must feel like the product is inferior to what’s on the regular shelves. It’s silly.
Think about getting a membership at a wholesaler like Costco. It will save you cash, and probably pay for the card on the first trip. Be on he lookout for an asterisk on the price sign at Costco. An * means the item is being discontinued, and it’s not coming back, so the price is usually reduced. Buy more then if needed. Not that I support big box stores, but it’s worth going just for the free food samples. I will have to produce a video on that. And my friends that work there seem to be happy.
You can also compare prices online. Additionally, I like to practice patience, and use eBay auctions to save money. Plus, check out smart phone apps like ShopSavvy that get you the best deal possible. The only time I pay jacked up full retail prices is when I’m buying local. Even then I will haggle. Prices are made up. Things are worth what you pay for them.
The clearance rack at Safeway in the back
Tillamook Head Hiker’s Cabins – Backpacking From Cannon Beach To Seaside
Posted: December 27, 2012 in Adventures, Comedy and Art, Product Reviews, SB Tips, Sports, Survival Bros ChallengesTags: adventure, beach, blog, bros, bunker, Cameron, camping, coast, ecola, fire, hd, head, history, McKirdy, mice, ocean, oregon, pacific, parks, producer, state, survival, tillamook, trail, trees, video, viewpoint, walking, ww2
By Cameron McKirdy
Season’s greetings! On Christmas Eve my Dad and I hiked from Indian Beach in Ecola State Park to the Hiker’s Camp on Tillamook Head. We checked out the abandoned World War 2 bunkers, and the viewpoints too. Pops split, leaving me to spend the night by myself. In this HD video I show you the trail, my gear, and my fire. I also cooked up some Goulash thanks to my new flameless cookwear system by Trekmates. Enjoy the video. After a two hour nap, I decided to back to Seaside in the dark night. It was crazy. I used a glow stick, and my Coast HP14 flashlight to luminate the path. A recent storm kicked tons of massive trees down. I had to climb over many, with my 40 pound pack on. I booked it from the cabins, and got back to Seaside in just over 2 hours, covering 4 gnarly miles of ground. It was an intense op. I lost the trail briefly once, slightly rolled an ankle, and nearly slipped down a steep bank. It was one of the most rewarding, and challenging adventures of my life. Next, I plan to raft the Nehalem river this weekend. Thanks for visiting Survival Bros. I’d appreciate your comments, and likes. %^).
Rare Victorinox SwissChamp Swiss Army Knife Traveler’s Set
Posted: December 22, 2012 in Adventures, Frugality, Product Reviews, SB TipsTags: 1884, army, batteries, carry, compass, day, EDC, every, exploded, flashlight, francs, items, knives, leather, list, maglite, multi, pen, precision, ruler, set, swiss, Tools
Hey friends. I had to show you my Swiss Army multitool. This is a super rare traveler’s set. I couldn’t even find a picture of it on the internet. I bought this 10 years ago while traveling through Europe. I saved around 50% by purchasing it in Switzerland, compared to the states. The set cost me 127 Francs. Which today converts to $138.99 US. It’s one of the nicest knives Victorinox makes, and came with a compass, Maglite Solitare keychain flashlight, and leather carrying case. The best part is, I got the side of the knife engraved with my name for free. It’s mint, but I’m going to start using it as part of my EDC, or every day carry.
Unfortunately, I left the batteries in the flashlight, and now I can’t get the end cap off to fix it. So I’m sending it to Maglite for a free repair or replacement. I just have to pay for shipping. That’s the second flashlight I’ve found this week that had the batteries leak. Not cool. Lesson learned. Take the batteries out, or keep them fresh. You can find just the knife for sale online for about $75. It got a 5 star rating on Amazon. It’s no wonder, because they’ve been in business since 1884.
Produced by Cameron McKirdy
Storm Floods Seaside – Landslides In Astoria Oregon
Posted: December 20, 2012 in NewsTags: 101, camp, circle, clatsop, conditions, County, creek, damage, emergency, ground, highway, ODOT, rain, road, trolley, trucks, vehicles
Another storm devastated the Oregon Coast this week. There was massive flooding on Highway 101 South of Seaside, OR. The road is still closed to vehicles. Only trucks are permitted to cross the high waters. Here’s the latest picture from the ODOT camera.
For current road conditions visit http://www.tripcheck.com
The heavy rains also caused a small landslide in Astoria, Oregon. Three homes on the hill were evacuated. Plus, the trolley service has been suspended because part of the train tracks washed out along the Columbia river. It will be fixed soon, but I’ve never heard of that happening.
There’s finally a calm in Clatsop County. We’ve had hail, snow, and high winds. Brutal. Be safe out there. This is a reminder to always be prepared. Have a bug out bag in your house and car. Disaster can strike anytime, especially along the Oregon Coast.
Produced by Cameron McKirdy
Getting Free Product Coupons For Commenting And Complaining
Posted: December 17, 2012 in Frugality, Health & Nutrition, Product Reviews, SB TipsTags: angry, calling, canned, companies, Coupon, customer, deodorant, food, free, hotline, product, reviews, samples, toothpaste, voucher
Sometimes products suck. When things aren’t as good as I expect, or fail, I call the company up, and hold them accountable. When I comment and complain, I get free product coupons to replace the goods with another version. Today I called three businesses, and spoke up.
First I dialed a canned fruit company. They misrepresented their product. On the label there’s tons of cherries. However, when we pulled the lid and scarfed, we uncovered just half of one cherry. Ripoff. I was told they try to squeeze 9 cherries into each can. I gave them my shipping address, and I’m expecting a voucher for a free can of mixed fruit, in light syrup.
I was also disappointed with a Tom’s of Maine deodorant. It was a stick scented like Maine Woodspice. I told customer service I love their stuff, but this batch felt slimy, and didn’t seem to offer any odor protection. The unscented type worked better. Not that it works for the 24 hours it claims. Tom’s actually told me I was spot on, because they have one less ingredient in that type compaired to their other scents. Strange. I’m getting a stick of Lemon Grass sent to my house this week. It’s a great product.
Lastly, I dialed Nature’s Gate. They make a fluoride free toothpaste. I don’t use paste with fluoride. Look into fluoride exposure. I will not be forcibly medicated. Anyways, I recently purchased a tube of anise flavored natural toothpaste. Little did I know anise, (pronounced anus?), tastes like it sounds to me. It’s the worst flavor ever. Anise tastes like licorice, fennel, or dirty boots. I can’t stand it. I guess I should have known what anise tastes like, but if I knew it was like black licorice I wouldn’t have bought it, I would have burned it. At the end if the day, I still look forward to trying another variety of Nature’s Gate toothpaste.
The moral of the story is comment and complain about products you don’t like. You’ll get a replacement for free. Also, educate yourself before buying. I’m not trying to be negative about these quality products, but I wasn’t satisfied. My feedback makes their product and practices better, so why not share? It’s a win win.
Produced by Cameron McKirdy
FRUGAL LIVING – THE PATH TO FREEDOM
Posted: December 16, 2012 in Frugality, SB TipsTags: advice, alex, blogs, CA, expenses, freedom, frugal, g4t, george4title, house, jones, liberty, living, mini, reporter, rt, tents, video, YouTube
A few years ago, I found a blogger on Youtube that I instantly related to. He was out on the streets, reporting the news according to him and his friends. I’ve seen his ups and downs, as he raises a family, travels, and starts a business. I want to feature George Hemminger here now. George has become more free, because he often lives outside in a tent, and has even built a miniature house to save money. The point he makes is to limit your expenses. Stop consuming so much, and you will broaden your horizons. He also advises to use cash only, so you don’t over extend yourself. With all the extra time you have, you can pick the jobs you want, and find your true self. Seek Liberty. Forget debt. Ditch crappy jobs. Peace out. More on George and frugal living soon.
http://www.surviveandthrive.tv
2012 Holiday Gift Guide For Prepared People
Posted: December 15, 2012 in Giving Back, Product Reviews, SB TipsTags: 2012, amazon, blog, buying, christmas, community, donations, emergency, facebook, gifts, giving, group, guide, holiday, items, list, love, preparedness, preppers, shopping, spirit, survivalists, wishlist
If you’re looking for the perfect gift this Christmas for the prepper on your list, take a look at our Amazon Wish List. It’s also a Survival Bros Donation page. Your gifts to us help keep this blog going, and make us more prepared. All content on this site is provided for free. Please help. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Click here for emergency preparedness gift ideas, from superfoods, to signal mirrors.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1MLVC8ALHXBH5/ref=topnav_lists_1
Happy holidays from your friends at Survival Bros. This community is really taking off. The members of our Facebook Group has doubled this month. Like us, and we’ll like you back. http://www.facebook.com/SurvivalBros
Buck Spotted in Astoria Oregon – Close Pictures
Posted: December 15, 2012 in Adventures, Comedy and Art, Pets/AnimalsTags: animal, Art, Cameron, collage, Deer, dinner, elk, food, forest, fur, gatherer, hunter, life, male, McKirdy, Photos, stag
Yesterday I saw this amazing buck in Astoria OR. I grabbed the camera, and got right up to him. He walked my way. I thought it was about to go down! I would have won. Still, what a beautiful beast.
- Cameron McKirdy
