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
It’s me. Cam (The Cuddler). I hope this blog post finds you well. You won’t believe all of the Survival Bros News this month…Here’s stories from my travels, and camping.
First off, I trust you got through the 4th of July with all of your fingers. I lit off a ton of fireworks. All totally legal…I watched Seaside’s show from Gearhart, Oregon. We had limited visibility will all of the smoke. Everybody was lighting things on fire. #USA I couch surfed that night at a friend’s house. I enjoy seeing how others live, and sharing what I have with them.
Next topic – Being a Professional Cuddler. I’ve had much positive interest in my platonic touch service. I provide cuddling sessions across America for donations. I operate on a sliding scale of $25-$80 per hour, plus travel. I’m open to trades as well. My clients are caring, and brave for reaching out to me. You can contact me at camthecuddler@gmail.com, or by adding “professionalcuddler” on Skype. I offer free consultations online, in person, or over the phone. Let’s snuggle. I also read to people, and walk with them for companionship. I love you all, and my work. Thanks for the support.
Here’s the funny “FEE HUGS” t-shirt I made. Send me $20 on PayPal with your size and I will make a version of my choice for you. I’ve been designing handmade clothing for years.
I just gave a stranger a ride home for $5. She was a mysterious, and spiritual being with guidance to give. The woman lead me into brief meditation with this card as a happiness blessing. Say the manta out loud. Practice it. http://www.sgi-usa.org
Ouch!!!! I broke my foot! I found myself tenting on rocks, and while sleeping on my belly, I kicked the ground and broke at least one bone in my toe. It’s been hurting for weeks. It even formed a deep blister, long after the impact. #SurvivalBros opened the infected wound with a sewing needle, and squeezed out the chunky, oozing puss with fingernails. Hand sanitizer was put on it, and the injury is looking and feeling better. Thank God for his weed. Passed, instead of passing out.
Happy thought: I’ve been cooking food several times daily on an open campfire. It’s the best eat’n. I have devoured pounds of potatoes, carrots, onions, turnips, and meats with cheeses while camping in the #PNW
Scavenging —–> I like to trade with people. Ideas, trinkets, nuggets, etc. However, finding treasure on my own is fun too. Today I’m camping, and I enjoy browsing campsites after guests leave. I found free firewood (still burning to start my own flame), and a new hatchet. I had just traded the same people a football I found in a bush for 2 beers…I asked for a small amount of coffee in exchange, but they only spoke French and returned from their tent with cold booze. My other neighbors hooked up free weed for three days. Blueberry Cookies, and Gorilla Glue. We gifted each other items randomly, like tea, a decorative tin, kids game, a glow stick, dry shampoo, water and beyond. Say hi to your fellow tenters. #goodpeople
Excuse me while I list a locked iPhone on eBay for parts. I got it at a charity thrift store, hoping it was unlocked and use able for an extra video camera. No luck, but I did find another camera half off at Goodwill. It’s a Canon , and is worth $100. The battery died so I to have to track down a wall charger online. I will get an extra battery at the same time.
Collecting bottle cans – Survival Bros made a Mission of it recently and hunted down the redeemable limit of 144, a few times. Making $20 with two people working the bottle return robot. These 10 cent recycleables have provided extra gas money for traveling. One can = one mile down the road in my Ford Mustang. This frees me up to drive around more to thrift and resell clothing in town. I made $70 one day this week flipping old clothing, much of which was free to me. Example: My buddy moved and left me a green Pendleton Men’s jacket. I sold it for cash (vs more in trade) to Buffalo Exchange for a third of the price they will ask, being $65.
Somebody took a dump in the hottub at the resort. Thankfully I pay attention to my surroundings. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered poop swirling in a spa. The sauna is out of order too, so I’ve been down by the river hunting crawfish to fry up on the campfire. Look at the BBQ bacon ends I ate.
I’ve been making Survival Bros Emergency Preparedness Caches to store, and sell. I can customize them to fit almost any budget. Want one? A stash of extras can be huge in a pinch. Trust me. New videos coming. Seen this YouTube classic yet? It’s of a basic cache, to give you ideas. Join us on YouTube. We have 6,665 Subscribers to our channel.
Visit Cameron McKirdy again soon! Share this website with buddies.
Cam with Rick McCrank – host of VICELAND’S Abandoned in Astoria, Oregon
Oregonian Cameron McKirdy appears on VICELAND’s “Abandoned.” It’s a new travel documentary type show featuring deserted places. I guided the VICE TV crew around our area, and shared my story. Producers from British Columbia, Canada filmed the host, Professional Skateboarder Rick McCrank and I discussing preparations for a nuclear disaster, and a tsunami. VICE and I took my Volkswagon van for a ride along the ocean in Long Beach, Washington looking for shelter, plus debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Over two days we built emergency preparedness kits with ammo boxes to bury in the ground along escape routes, like I have shown on my YouTube Channel called Survival Bros. We scavenged free health food samples from A Gypsy’s Whimsy, and purchased essential gear items to cache at more stores located in Astoria and Seaside, OR. The #survival kit I helped McCrank build should help him endure a disaster if he keeps it close by. I always have my emergency Go-Bag with me.
ON AIR you should see me (Cam The Cuddler) hugging people and chatting about my life as a certified professional cuddler. Check out his CuddleLife Blog for more information and to read my FAQs. I offer a platonic touch service, and I’m open to trades and donations. Typically I get one dollar per minute to care for people. I believe cuddling is therapeutic, and a fun and safe way to get the positive human touch we all need to survive.
Email CamTheCuddler@gmail.com to book a free cuddling consultation today! #hugs #camthecuddler
Survival Bros talks to and films a wild coyote pup by the Pacific Ocean near Seaside, Oregon! What an amazing and playful creature, huh? Share this video with friends, and please be sure to like, comment, and SUBSCBIBE to our channel for more high-definition video productions. Stay tuned for more blogs on traveling and Mother Nature. Hugs.
I spent the weekend on the Oregon Coast in Seaside, and had spare time to experiment with a new Art project. First, I dug through a recycling bin for cardboard to create a small handmade sign with a permanent pen. Then I rounded up some fun objects I didn’t need anymore, like a Smokey The Bear keychain whistle. These goods would be available to begin the open bartering. I spread out a towel, and placed the trinkets on The Prom’s concrete path.
With little effort, and few resources, a self-serve system was born. A take one, leave one blanket is a place where an item of any kind can freely be exchanged as you see fit. Share this concept with people in your town. You wouldn’t believe the response. Nearly every biker, and pedestrian stopped their forward progress to figure out what was going on. This open trading system seemed to inspire, confuse, and even make some people greedy.
I may have seen people taking without giving, thinking nobody was looking, but I’m not sure. Others had no issue taking nice items, like a Tree of Life necklace pendant, and replacing it with trash. I found the blanket riddled with wrappers, cardboard scraps, and even half of a marijuana cigarette. Take a close look at the pictures, and you’ll see other small stuff, like a paperclip, pocket change, flower, price tag sticker, and a pile of sand from the beach.
I discretely checked back every few hours for a day, and saw some of the action in person. People generously placed beautiful possessions with little hesitation. There were cool things left behind that I didn’t get a picture of, because I didn’t want to interrupt the process. My favorite moment was when a 12-year old girl named Krystin Crawford set down her hand painted sand dollars. She took a braided piece of grasses someone constructed. The girl enjoyed sharing the Art she made, and getting involved. See her craftsmanship below. The found, and re-purposed shells were adorable. Krystin and her mom came back to the free exchange place the following morning with a positive attitude. Everything had changed. This artist endeavour has restored my faith in humanity once and for all, despite some shady, but acceptable transactions by others.
In conclusion, I will try this social experiment again. I was thrilled to see this interactive art piece evolve rapidly. I saw joy on many of the participants faces. This free trading system can be implemented anywhere, at anytime. Let’s spread the concept, and see the random generousity of others displayed in public. And remember, you’ll usually get more than you give. Leave a comment, or question if you like. Thanks for visiting Survival Bros.
My #EDC or #EveryDayCarry – Mini Bic Lighter, small Swiss Army knife, P-38 Can Opener and an LED Flashlight. What’s in your pocket? You could throw together a simple survival kit like this one for around $10. So take the time, and get prepared for the future now.
Send Survival Bros a picture of your #EDC tools, and we’ll share it on the blog site here! thesurvivalbros@gmail.com
Learn which individual servings or samples of condiments, and sauce you can find for free. Do some urban scavenging like me. Stockpile packets of ketchup, salsa, candy, and more items for storage. My favorite package seen in the video is the lemon juice. I forgot to mention it. You can find just about any free food packet out there. I have a secret sauce floating around my van somewhere from Burger King. I think I eat out more for condiments than the fast food itself.
Having these sauces, and sugars, etc. on hand saves money. Take food packets like the ones shown on your next camping trip for extra spice, or flavor in your meal. Get free condiments as seen on Survival Bros at restaurants, and convenience stores. If something isn’t priced, it must be available to take.
Do you stockpile packets like I do? I feel like such a rebel when my pockets are full, and I’ve made a clean getaway with the loot.
I was gifted tree resin fit for a King today. Pictured is a fat handful of Frankincense and Myrrh gum bled from a plant. My buddy Gypsy Hugh got the aromatic harvest burning on a hot hookah charcoal. Next, we place the purifying fragrance in my 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon. The pleasant odor filled my bus with smoke, and the scent should linger for days. It smells like incense, only more pure, and natural to me. It was a kind gesture to hot box my vehicle like that, and very appropriate on Christmas Day. Enjoy the pictures below. I’d never seen these hardened resins in person, called tears.
Everybody loves a quality photograph. Here’s some of the images I’ve snapped, or uploaded recently, and put on my Instagram account online. Enjoy a sample of the image gallery here on Survival Bros. My favorite new shot is the one of the older vintage Volkswagen bus parked next to mine, or the double rainbow captured on The Prom in Seaside, Oregon.
I’m all about my freebies. Maybe you remember all of the product samples I’ve scored, and blogged about in the past. You can get free stuff easily by requesting trials online, and they will be delivered to you by mail. When I’m not filling out forms like that, I’m in shops trying to get hook ups. In Starbucks this week they were sampling out pasteries. They weren’t on display yet. The stash was sitting off into the corner on the counter, with a Manager’s note saying “Sample these.” I politely asked an employee if I could have one of the items. There was all sorts of muffins, bars, and scones to pick from. On day one I took the pink cake filled lolly pops with sprinkles. I didn’t eat them in public.
I went back to the coffee shop for more samples the next day, just in case they were still available. Really, I just needed the WiFi to upload my previous video. I scored the squishy coffee cake that day, but didn’t stop there. I requested 3 honey packets too, since they don’t put those out at all Starbucks locations. I swiped a few raw sugar packets as well. Plus, I saw another sign saying I can request a free sample beverage using their coffee pods if I asked. When I mentioned it, the worker said they haven’t used that set up to brew complimentary cups of fresh java lately, even though the machine, and sample pods where still on the front counter. I didn’t have time for them to pretend to look for an extension cord, so I took samples for later consumption.
I like to visit the health food store weekly, and my last trip was really worth it. They always have free tablets of Vitamin C to help yourself to, but there was more. I found packets of food-grade Diatomaceous Earth, Natural Calm magnesium mixes in three flavors, Barlean’s Greens, one DHA pill, and a bag of tea. These individually wrapped servings are perfect for my backpacking trips, and the small emergency caches I like to build to prepare for tsunamis. If I can swoop up all of these freebies, than so can you. Ask for a nibble when you’re in the food court, or browsing the deli counter at the grocery store. It’s fun to see what you can get for asking. Happy hunting Survival Bros.
These cake pops were amazing!
Free coffee cake went well with peanut butter and strawberry jelly
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 