By Cam The Cuddler
Cool off Creeker!
Cameron from Survival Bros gives himself a detoxifying clay mud mask to improve his skin. His face was softer, and more clear, with less acne and blackheads. Subscribe on YouTube, share, and add this video to a playlist. Thanks for watching. More soon, and on our preparedness blog #survivalbros
Updated for Survival Bros By Cameron McKirdy
I love meeting new friends at Terwilliger aka Cougar Hot Spring in Oregon. It’s located in the Willamette National Forest, East of Eugene near the McKenzie River. The cost is now $12 per day pass. You’ll take a moderate walk 1/2 a mile in from the small parking lot, before getting to the meditative area. Accommodations include a covered changing area, and updated self-composting outdoor restrooms. Also, keep in mind this is a day use area only. You could face a fat fine if you’re not leaving the parking lot when darkness falls.
Change temperatures in a shallow creek skirting the cascading blue pools. Cool down, and drink the fresh water from Source. Previously, I dug clay out of the Earth here for facials, but we need to leave this space as it is. Clothing is optional, so come as you are and be respectful, or leave. Guests may want to remain clothed. Don’t ask them why they aren’t naked. This popular recreational area can be very busy during the Summer. Go in the morning, or during the week for more seclusion. Pools are cleaned every Thursday in the AM, so expect closure until late afternoon. Smile, and bring your positive energy. We need more natural people on Earth. Forget you phone, bills, and ex-girlfriend, and soak in the healing waters. I hope to see you there. I will continue to update this post with new pictures, and 4K videos.
Subscribe to Survival Bros on YouTube for “Indigenous Nudity” and Naturalism. #beauty #female
Chill out on the North Fork of the McKenzie River with Cam from #SurvivalBros and Papilio Oregonius butterflies. This is the official insect of Oregon State. Filmed near Terwilliger/Cougar Hot Spring, in the Willamette National Forest.
Cameron McKirdy Topless at Spring
Dat view tho…
Cameron McKirdy of Survival Bros gets naked, and films the Terwilliger Hot Springs near Cougar Reservoir in Oregon by Blue River. Check out the four natural pools, and the wooden structures. The top pool is now under construction. The natural cave, which was a sauna, and the source of the hot springs is being remodeled by experts. They want it to remain as natural looking as possible. Word on the street is that the first pool will reopen as soon as it’s safe, and stable.
Here’s additional web links to explore:
Terwilliger Hot Springs – Willamette National Forest Website
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar_Hot_Springs
Cameron McKirdy Nude in a Hot Springs Waterfall
HD video produced by http://www.cameronmckirdy.com
Survival Bros Founder Cameron McKirdy goes inside an old American WW2 bunker near the hiker cabins on Tillamook Head. Using a LED headlamp, watch Cam enter the empty fortress. This building housed a radar installation during World War II. The bunkers and cabins are between Ecola State Park, and Seaside, Oregon. There are trails each way. Before your visit, read up on Lewis and Clark’s trip to this beautiful location. Please like, comment, and SUBSCRIBE! Thanks.
More on http://www.cameronmckirdy.com
Inside the World War II bunker near Ecola State Park on Tillamook head in Oregon
An Ultralight backpacker’s 30 liter bag setup
Cameron McKirdy snaps a selfie on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean
The Tillamook Head Trailhead in Seaside, Oregon
Survival Bros backpacks from Indian Beach to Seaside, Oregon. Cameron McKirdy stops at the cabins to show you his gear, and take a nap before hiking back in the dark. Read our previous blog about the trip HERE.
Produced By Cameron McKirdy
Survival Bros decided to help a previously abandoned shelter pup out, and take him for a walk around Lake Sacajawea in Longview, Washington today. Charlie spends way too much time in his concrete kennel, and was aching for attention, and exercise. The shelter is completely full of dogs right now, and would like to get some adopted out immediately. Stop by or give them a ring if you need a buddy.
When we got to The Humane Society of Cowlitz County they asked if we would release a wild, rescued duck too. I’m a University of Oregon Duck, so of course I helped out. We put the female in a crate, and drove to it’s home on the water. She followed us for a ways down the path, but eventually settled in, and got regrouped. All in a good days work.
Ready or not, my chubby puggle Mocha was going hiking with me. I took the pug/beagle combo to the top. She made the summit by herself, but it was a struggle. It was a sweltering 80 plus degrees out. My poor dog hasn’t been training hard lately. Her exercise routine consists of going from the couch to food and back. But Mocha and I have hiked, so I knew the 5-year-old mutt still had it. I remember the first time I let her off the leash on a trail. She was running back and forth, up and down it. The puggle was so excited to be out of the apartment. I couldn’t contain her. Once she even fell off a cliff as the bank eroded and I had to quickly swing her up by the leash and collar to save her. Mocha is much fatter now, but we are working on it.
When we got to Saddle Mountain State Natural Area her nose was working overtime. There were lots of people hitting the trail, and camping. I brought water, and gave the puggle breaks. I made her sit, and she would lay in the shade when she could. The hike is 5 miles round trip, but the elevation change is brutal. It’s 1603 feet to be exact, with the top at 3283 feet. Mainly I was concerned about her paws bleeding. There is lots of metal fencing on the ground to contain the loose rocks, and I didn’t know if that would bother her. On the way up I kept Moc on the leash, 1 because there’s cliffs, and 2 because lots of people were coming down the trail with dogs. I wanted to protect her. However, on the way down I decided it would be better to let her follow me off leash. She didn’t want to walk on the trail because the gravel was hurting her. So she waddled along side the main path, and didn’t hurt anything. Plus, it was getting late, and we were basically the last down.
On the way we checked out a geocache hidden on a side trail. I’ve found it before, but I wanted to see all the new stuff inside, and sign the log book again. Not many people locate it each year. I traded in a emergency paracord bracelet for a CD with clues to another cache. I’m getting into geocaching because it’s something fun to do while hiking, or when you’re just out and about. There’s more than 2 million geocaches planted around the world. This hobby also forces me to analyze and use maps too. I filmed Mocha and I checking out what was inside the ammo box this time.
After a few solid hours of hiking, Mocha, my cameraman, and I reached the peak. We all sat down and took in the majestic views of the North Coast. You can see the whole coastline, from Seaside well into Washington State. Poor Mocha was beat. She was gasping for air, and I was a little worried about her. We had just enough water left to quench her thirst, but more would have been nice. Usually there is a spring about halfway up that I feel is safe to drink from. My dog did lap up the puddle there, but I wasn’t getting on all fours. In the end, Mocha killed it. I was so proud of her. I kept her motivated with words of encouragement, smacking her butt, and tossing turkey jerky in her mouth. On the way back I told Moc we were going back to the car and home for ice cubes (her fav). My legs were jello, and Mocha was walking funny, but we accomplished the mission. Next time we will be even stronger, and smarter about it.
Mocha knew we were going to the top. If you want to rock a paracord bracelet for emergency preparedness made by Survival Bros, send $8 to cameronmckirdy@hotmail.com via PayPal. Thanks and best wishes from us both.
By Cameron Consumption McKirdy
My dad and I have been planning this one for awhile. We hiked half of the Ramona Loop and lots more on Mount Hood in Oregon. It was brutal. The hike was almost 18 grueling miles. We crossed the Sandy River several times, and were on the epic Pacific Crest Trail.
First I will list the gear in my day pack. I rocked a black Kelty day bag with a new U.S.M.C approved 3 liter Camelbak hydration system. I recently got that at a Navy Exchange. Here was my checklist: compass with whistle, emergency poncho, Mylar blanket, Bear Grylls Gerber Ultimate Survival kit, Moleskin plus padding, Coleman biodegradable eipes, caffeine pills, lighter, various fruit and nut bars, GoPro Hero 3 Black on my head, Panasonic TS4 digital camera, Vibrams, Coast LED flashlight with with white and red light, extra socks, Chapstick with SPF, cash, mace pen, Coast Rapid Response 3.0 knife, 12 hour glow stick, Tillamook County turkey jerky, natural bug spray, and hand warmers. My backpack was on the heavy side with all the extra stuff. It weighed maybe 25 pounds.
To begin we hiked from our spot at Lost Creek campground. It was an easy climb along the Sandy river. We crossed it on a temporary wood bridge to get to Ramona Falls. I’d never been there. It was spectacular, and massive.
Along the way I spotted several types of mushrooms popping up. Unfortunately, king boletes are a few months away from harvest. I did find out at the Ranger Station that they only give out 20 mushroom collecting permits per day, and commercial hunting is not permitted. Amanita Muscarias are in season. But of course those are hallucinogenic and poisonous. I found a few russulas too. In addition, I identified and tried huckleberries. They aren’t my fav, but were better than nothing when I ran out of aqua.
We met lots of people on the trail. Most were on day hikes like us. The route from Timberline Lodge to Ramona Falls was popular. I wish we did that, because our hike sucked. We were mobbing hardcore for 10 hours straight. We only had a few brief breaks, just long enough to catch our breath, check the map, and grab a snack.
I wore new waterproof Columbia boots. They held up, and had lots of cushioning. My tall Nike Dri-Fit training socks helped too. They were dry at the end of the day, and shielded my legs as we bushwhacked the unpopular, overgrown trail. We almost didn’t make it back before nightfall! It was getting dark quickly in the forest. So we had to book it all day. I was dumping buckets of sweat. I went through my entire 3L hydration pack, plus 1.5 coconut waters.
The pain of hiking that much basically nonstop was draining. My feet hurt, knees ached, and balls were sore. Women complain about childbirth, but try hiking with a big pair. I stretched along the way, but my hamstrings were tight. If you plan on doing a trek like this, bring pain killers just in case. I will be sore tomorrow, but didn’t cramp up or anything. I managed.
It will be a day or so before I get back to civilization, and can upload pictures and HD video. I got great shots of the canyon, mountain, and river. The highlight of the day was when pops and I used sticks and hiking poles to cross the rapid Sandy river. It had a path of loose rocks and wet logs. We made it across fine, but my dad realized he left his boots across the river. I got a good laugh in and filmed him tip toeing to safety. So he had to cross 3 times then. He changed into sandals, and me the Vibrams, so we didn’t get our boots wet. More soon. Thanks for visiting the Survival Bros blog.
Dad crossing the Sandy River for the 4th time. He won’t leave his boots behind in the future.
Produced By Cameron McKirdy
On my way to the park for some exercise, I noticed a roadside table bursting with bright dahlias. Next to them was a sign painted “FREE FLOWERS.” What a concept! They could have just left a cash box out there with a price. But nope. It wasn’t too good to be true. It was just someone doing a good deed.
I got to talk to the retired man tending his garden. He said it’s easier to give them away. Then he doesn’t have to stay out there, or be mad when someone steals the cash. What can you give away today?
Produced by Cameron McKirdy
My dad and I just got back to the Oregon Coast, after a 4 day trip playing on the McKenzie River and the trail. First we geared up, and hit the rapids with the Oregon Whitewater Association. A group of 70 extreme outdoor enthusiasts floated 14 miles down the river. The water was brutally cold, at only 47 degrees. I fell off our cataraft for the first time after we smashed into a log along the bank. I didn’t have time to be fearful. I was just trying to catch my breath from the shock of the water, and keep my legs up as I floated down. Of course, I had a class 3 life jacket on. I swam to the back of the boat, but didn’t like being where I couldn’t see the rocks ahead of me. Plus, I didn’t want to get trapped under the massive military grade raft. So I separated from the craft, and tried to swim to shore, but the water was moving too fast, and nobody there could help me. I swam to the side of the raft, and was barely able to climb back on. I had to quickly jump off the river bottom to boost myself up. I was fatigued, and just wanted to sit down and assess my injuries. I hit my knee on a rock, and bloodied by shin up. I was only in the river for a few minutes, but it wouldn’t have been long before my body started shutting down, and hypothermia set in. It was intense.
I had my iPhone 4S in my pocket with a LifeProof case on when I went overboard. It worked. No water got in thankfully. In my other pocket I was carrying the new Coast DX335 rescue knife. It stayed clipped on, but luckily I didn’t have to use it. You’d be surprised how many people die on the river getting tangled in ropes. Below is a funny clip I took with the LifeProof case on my cell. It took great video, and you can hear my dad yelling at me to put it away. He thought it was going to get splashed, or fall in as we hit the drop in the rapids. Also below is an HD video review of the Coast Products knife. I will update this blog as I get media online. I used my GoPro Hero 3 Black camera to record my treacherous mountain bike ride down the McKenzie River Trail. That will be up soon. Thanks for visiting Survival Bros. Follow us on Twitter, Youtube, and join the community on Facebook. Peace.
By Cameron McKirdy
I’m so sore. I hiked from Seaside to the Hiker’s Cabins on Tillamook Head. It’s just under four miles, but it took nearly two hours. Then the next morning I hiked back, and walked a few more for good measure.
My 55L backpack weighed at least 40 pounds. And I almost wore 5lb ankle weights too. My Dad tagged along. He had hiking poles, which I tried. They took some of the strain off my legs, and gave me a good arm workout. The trail was nasty. So muddy. Dad said it was the worst time of the year to climb there, which made it the best for me. I wanted a challenge.
We had to climb over a few downed trees, but besides mud, the trail was well kept. It was never ending though. My Dad kept asking if we were there yet, like me on our road trips growing up. He said, “if I was on a treadmill, we would be there already.” Yeah. Working out in a gym is nothing like real life.
There were a couple lookouts over the Pacific Ocean, but it was foggy, and rainy. The canopy from the trees sheltered us some, but I was still soaked. I didn’t take any pictures going there, I knew it was going to be sunny the following day. Once we got to the log cabins, I was on my own. I changed clothes, and got my bed ready.
I used a new sleeping system. I just bought a gortex camo bivy, so that was my outer layer. I also brought my Coleman mummy style sleeping bag rated down to 25 degrees. Then I had a mummy shaped inflatable insulated sleeping pad. It was 2.5 inches thick! Comfortable, but next time I want to use one that’s lower profile, so my face has more clearance. It was a tight fit. I’m a big dude, so sleeping in a bivy bag was a little claustrophobic at first.
I passed out super early. 6PM. I was tired, and just trying to stay warm in my bag. I woke up once, just to say hi to the mice in the bunk above me. They checked out my stuff, left their mark, and bounced. I was stoked in the morning when I popped my head out and saw daylight. I couldn’t wait to hike back to Seaside. The sun was shining, and I could see the end of the ocean.
On the trek back I snapped the pictures you see below. It’s a magical place, eager to be explored. I buried an emergency cache up there, full of food, water purification tablets, matches and more. Maybe someday I will have to flee the city, and retrieve it. On hikes like this you are forced to make decisions. Take the long route around the mud pit, or charge it. I went right through the mess usually. Foolishly I tried to take a shortcut down a slick, rocky hill once. I slipped, and tried to plant my heels in the bank, but couldn’t stop. I slid on my butt, until I snatched a root. No blood. I didn’t take a picture of the slide either, I kept charging.
Four miles later, I made it from the cabins to The Cove in Seaside, OR. I walked through the city, and got some strange looks with my backpack on. That and my backside was covered in mud. I made it home, showered, and passed out. I loved every second of the adventure. It was brutal, but I enjoy training hard. Hike Tillamook Head if you can, it’s part of the majestic Oregon Coast Trail. Now where’s the ice?
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 