Love and kindness are the very basis of society. If we lose these feelings, society will face tremendous difficulties; the survival of humanity will be endangered. - Dalai Lama
I get a kick out of being an outsider constantly. It allows me to be creative. - Bill Hicks
The status quo sucks. - George Carlin
“If the fool would persist in his folly, he would become wise.” – William Blake
Showing you gear I used to endure a cold night in Oregon. I forgot my sleeping bag at a friend’s house, so I had to get by with only an emergency, and wool blanket. It was close to 40 degrees outside in the morning when I started the van. I got up by 5 AM, to get my vehicle ready for the road again. You don’t want all of your boxes and tubs dumping over on corners. The struggle is real on Survival Bros.
Cam’s Preparedness Advice: Make sure you have a barrier or two between you and the ground (or metal auto floor). Then wrap up in layers, with an emergency mylar blanket around yourself! Thanks for the invention Astronauts. Also, huddle up with a friend if you can overnight, and keep moving if you get really cold. Well, I survived to fight more today…Next stop, free coffee in town! #urban #scavenging
Bug Out Bag and Bicycle – Winter Camping Gear Setup
Dear Survival Journal,
I got a way late start. Was also considering busing to the warming center in Astoria, OR. That’s smart.
Hiking 7 miles ain’t. But I was determined to bog through the uphill swamp: half in the dark. I got turned around at one point where trees fell over the path. I also slipped once, but rehearsed in my head what to do. I threw my 1 gallon water jug, and braced myself. Yup, I carried a heavy water container from Ave. U to The Hiker Cabins on Tillamook Head. My shoulders and arms are torn up. My 110 liter Kelty backpack had to be 70 pounds.
Plus, I was running on a bum sprained ankle…wore a too tight brace…My left shoulder hurt the most. It was so tight. But I had an indica BHO cartridge in my vape pen to finish off. It was charging in my bag on the hike with a portable power bank charger. I brought too much stuff. Like 6 pairs of socks, an umbrella, a dud smoke grenade, and a giant tarp. It’s 11am – dark at 4:25pm. So cold. My hands are numb.
Email Cam The Cuddler and Survival Bros Founder: thesurvivalbros@gmail.com
Survival Bros shows you exactly how to get FREE CLOTHING IN LIFE! Click on the HD YouTube video above for the exact mission details. All you have to do is visit your local painting supply company store, and request a complimentary painter’s shirt or even a hoodie. Every painter needs a shirt, preferably one with sleeves to protect themselves from paint over spray, and drips. Trust me, I’ve painted houses and after pulling globs of latex out of my chest hair, a barrier of soft, breathable protection is a must.
It’s simple: Request swag (politely), get gear. Try this method of acquiring, and comment on the blog post here if you have any luck. It’s worked every time for me when I need fresh clothes to wear, and there’s more than one paint shop to pick from.
I got another free shirt, this time from Rodda Paint in McMinnville, Oregon by asking…
More proof you can do this too.
Send me (Cam) and email at thesurvivalbros@gmail.com if you have a photo you’d like to share, or want to suggest a topic for me to write an article about here on SB. Thanks.
The 1986 VW Vanagon runs into a problem on the commute to a Lifeguard training program in #Oregon My car just won’t stop honking due to cold weather. So odd. Please comment if you know how this car trouble issue can be fixed! Thanks for visiting our preparedness blog #survivalbros Follow by entering your email address above on the left side of the page. You’ll get all of the articles sent directly to your inbox, no spam, and we won’t give away your info. Thanks.
Come back often for #vandwelling updates and adventures in the wild.
Screenshot from the video. My RPM gauge is the only instrument that works in the VW Vanagon! I can’t figure out how to reset the clock either. Plus, the odometer and speedometer are broken, so I go the the GPS unit for more information on my drive sometimes. The van needs some love. My heater fan went out last summer, but will require taking off the dash.
Please like, comment, and share this vlog post with your friends. The Survival Bros community is really growing, and taking off – because of your help and support.
Cameron McKirdy drives his vehicle, a 1986 Volkswagen Vangon in gross, extremely dangerous Winter weather conditions near the beach in Seaside, Oregon.
Survival Bros Tips for driving in rain:
Turn your lights on
Obey traffic laws
Allow extra time and distance between yourself and other cars
Have good windshield wiper blades and/or Rain-X the front
Take your time (go slower), plus let people in (merge), and people to cross the road
Avoid distractions like filming, texting while driving, and singing to music in your car
Please try NOT to soaking pedestrians with enormous puddles near sidewalks!
Two Killer Whales, or orcas have been spotted migrating North near Cannon Beach in Oregon State. I was enjoying a wet hike from Short Sands Beach at Oswald West State Park out to Cape Falcon when I shot this HD video. When I climbed to the edge of a dangerous cliff near the water of the Pacific Ocean I saw these 2 beautiful beasts approaching on my left. I had to get my LG G2 smart phone out to film, but I was torn between looking at the creatures, and the camera screen. However, I saw plenty of my friends, and got the shot for all of you.
This was possibly the best experience of my life. Orcas (and dolphins) are magical creatures, and probably smarter than humans. I think they wanted to hang out with me. But one slip, and I would have gone tumbling down the mountain side, and become fresh fish food. I was only posted up at the location where I spotted these mammals for a few minutes. After they left, so did I. I’d seen the best, and it was pouring. All of my clothes got soaked when I made my way back through the damp plants. I didn’t mind being cold. I was amped from seeing my wild buddies do their thing. It gave me energy for the journey. Now I don’t ever want to go to a zoo again. It’s not the same. Stay wild!
Here’s more RAW footage I posted on my other YouTube channel
Survival Bros drives in dangerous road conditions through Champaign, Illinois. It was 29 degrees. First came an inch of snow, then freezing rain, followed by a hail storm. The worthless rental car, a Kia Soul, was covered in an inch of ice, and struggled to stay on the slippery road! There were accidents all over the place, but it looks like the worst winter weather is behind us now. Stay tuned for additional HD videos. Please enter your email on the top left side of the blog to follow all of our posts. More intense stuff soon. Thanks for visiting! Get prepared.
Would you use an icicle in a survival situation to protect yourself from an attacker? Survival Bros considers packing ice as an EDC item while outside just in case of an emergency. More silly videos shortly. Please like, comment, and subscribe to us on YouTube. Best wishes.
John McClane’s quick thinking saves his life yet again in the movie Die Hard 2
Survival Bros is in Champaign, Illinois with the news. Cameron McKirdy films an HD video in the middle of a huge winter snow storm they are calling Nika. Roads are covered in dangerous ice, with packed snow on top making for bad driving conditions. Don’t try to commute unless you have a 4×4 truck, or something with excellent traction, and considerable weight. This weather is brutal on your skin, so use as much protection as possible, such as ChapStick and hand lotion. Cam is wearing a Hoo-Rag bandana on his face to stay warm, and has epic GOR-TEX gloves from Trekmates out of the UK. Check those brands out, and get prepared. Unfortunately, the worst Winter weather is yet to come. Tomorrow Survival Bros will be enduring temperatures near zero degrees. Cam will have another cold weather update for you soon. Thanks for watching. Please subscribe to us on Youtube, and follow this emergency preparedness blog via email. Be safe. Peace.
How’d you like to drive on this? Road conditions keep getting worse. To be continued…
A delivery bike quipped for an arctic blast in Champaign, IL.
The roads are clear here now, but it got down to -25 last night.
Mother Nature had no mercy this morning. I wore shorts to suffer for fun. I got lots of looks and almost caused a few accidents. Ladies like my calves. It would be a shame not to show them. Seriously though, it was so cold my teeth hurt from breathing. Back in Oregon my friends and family are dealing with tons of unexpected snow. Hopefully they are safe, and have food and supplies stockpiled for events like this. More soon!
By Cameron McKirdyI sling a day pack on my back nearly every day. I’ve mentioned the types of things I have in it before, like gear, food, and a warm change of clothes. So when I discovered the Ribz Front Pack, I was stoked. This innovative, steroid injected version of a fanny pack solves many of the challenges I face when backpacking. Here I am with it on the Hummocks Trailhead near Mount St. Helens in Washington State.One issue I have with a regular backpack is I’m constantly taking it off to grab water, my cell phone, or something else that isn’t handy. With Ribz Wear, it’s all right in front of me, so I can continue trail blazing. I also mention in the video how backpacks catch on trees when I have to duck under them. It usually happens a few times each hike, and I practically have to crawl under the obstacle. With my gear in front, navigating through heavy brush is considerably easier. The best part of this system is the pack is easy to adjust. My Dad’s chest and waist are smaller than mine, so after he used it, a quick tug on the straps in back and in front made it comfortable again for me. Plus, Ribz have long, padded shoulder straps, so it feels like a natural extension of your body. Check out the map of different Mount St. Helens Adventures. Back to the Ribz Front Pack review, I must mention the Large version I tested can hold absurd amounts, with an 11 liter capacity. Even with it packed full, I was able to swing my arms freely. My dad wore it, and noted that you could still use hiking poles with it on. Ribz makes smaller Front Packs with 8 liters of room too. Internally, there are separate pouches to keep smaller items organized. These elastic lined compartments will hold all your tools close to your ribs, and prevent them from rattling around. We both ran with it, and the pack remained snug, not bouncing around, or swaying side to side.In conclusion, the Ribz Front Pack is an excellent tool itself. The quality is unbelievable, and far superior to what I expected. It’s lightweight, at only 11 ounces, so it beats a backpack there too. However, I think it would be best suited for use with a rear pack, so the weight of your supplies can be evenly distributed forward and back, thus giving you better posture than wearing one or the other. But if you’re into ultralight backpacking, Ribz might be a dream come true. You can’t machine wash Ribz, but it cleans up nicely with a wet rag. I love the Cordura brand water resistant, ripstop material it’s fabricated with. I will be sporting my Ribz for a long time. I like it so much I want the smaller 8 liter pack too for shorter trips, and cross country running. I just don’t know which color to get next. Check out http://www.ribzwear.com to grab yours.
Cam makes instant coffee with an emergency water packet at Loowit Lookout near Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. Subscribe to Survival Bros on Youtube for more! Thanks for watching! Feel free to comment.
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 
