Today is a play day! Survival Bros challenges you to let go. As author Ram Dass says, “be here now.” Enjoy life now. Anything is possible. Be like a dog; always loving, and ready to play. Fill your day with laughter. Maintaining morale is crucial to survival. Accept everything and just BE. You can do it. Peace.
Mocha The Puggle gets ready to fetch
Funny flag from Valhalla Combat in Gearhart, OR
I hit the road for work. A new friend took me in. This is a couch surfing tale.
That was the scene this morning! We got down. My bro cooked potatoes with bacon fat, and served eggs just how I like them. I added sour cream, a cheese blend, and extra smoky chipotle powder. I’m sure he threw in other secret ingredients, but I didn’t dare ask what. At the table, his 3-year-old daughter lectured us on how friends share.
My host family has been very good to me. I had my pick of the couch, recliner, or air mattress. I went La-Z-Boy, and slept like a baby. That was until my alarm rang 3 hours earlier than I like for work. Then I had trouble when I started changing into my nice work clothes. After putting on my black jeans I realized I actually grabbed my Moms. They were restricting. That’s the first time I’ve had on girl clothes. I had to go casual and borrow a jacket. Smooth. Next time I will be more careful after doing laundry at my family’s house.
It’s awesome having friends I can count on when I need a place to crash. They offered. Why not? When couch surfing, it’s always a good idea to bring something to the table. I brought a small gift of thanks. I also meant to bring my hosts edible chanterelle mushrooms, but I left them at a buddy’s house and told him to keep em.
You can learn a lot from new people. Especially when they are transplants. We just have to find common ground. Happy couch surfing!!!
– Cameron McKirdy
UPDATE: I’ve been doing more couch surfing. I recently traveled for a job, and worked as a tour guide for a cruise ship that came into The Port of Astoria. I took a bus load of tourists down the Oregon Coast to Cannon Beach and Seaside. I showed them the best spots for candy, like elephant ears, carmel apples, and salt water taffy. I had to take them to Norma’s in Seaside for their world famous clam chowder. I told them it goes well with beer from Fort George called Vortex IPA. Anyways, that was one of my odd jobs recently.
Tonight I’m filming Mixed Martial Arts fights at the Astoria Fairgrounds. Many of my friends will be battling in the cage. I love filming events like this. It’s going to be nuts. And it’s a full moon, so anything can happen.
Right now I’m at a friends getting ready to go. He is fueling us up with an epic breakfast spread. Mac is making two types of pancakes! Potato pancakes with green onions to go with chorizo and sour cream, and maple bacon cakes with bits infused into the batter. He also stirred up a maple syrup with butter and peanut butter. I can hear the sizzling now! My belly is so empty. I will post a picture of the complete feast here.
You should see the kitchen. His poor wife.
Silver is still climbing! Take a look at this 60 day chart from Kitco. Do you have any precious metal? Preppers know investing in silver and gold is a good hedge against inflation. It’s something to think about. Talk to your local coin shop dealer about different investment options. We are not financial advisors, but selling your precious metals now may be extremely stupid. Real money will never be worth zero. All fiat currencies, aka paper money units of exchange, have eventually been devalued to nothing. Do your homework. Also, below is a interesting 650 year chart of the price of both gold and silver. Did you know silver was once more valuable than gold? That could happen again. Keep prepping.
Cameron McKirdy from Survival Bros fills up his thermos container with amazing spring water. This stop is along Highway 26 in Oregon’s Coast Range Mountains. You’ll find it located off the road just East of the rest areas coming from Seaside. Check it out on your next visit to the beach! It’s one of our favorite healing spots. There’s not many clean drinking water sources around. People come from all over to fill up on the raw good stuff. It’s alive! Beats city water with toxic Fluoride and nasty chlorine added.
Cam Goes to The Source after Hiking
Dear Survival Journal,
What a week! I’ve been everywhere, and I got there by bike or foot. I often laugh at slobs in cars. If only they could remember how to walk. Vehicles are for lazy people. I’m glad I bike. I have two bicycles operational right now. I get them tuned up every once in awhile, but they are still way cheaper to own than a car.
I was taking my friend’s dog for a walk this morning, when he started eating poop! No dog, you are suppose to go #2, not eat it. Puppies. I was trying to get him to stop, and get back in the house when I stepped in dog crap with my Vibram toe shoes on. The mutt missed a pile. I was dreading this day. I knew I’d step in poo, or crush a giant slug on accident one day. I’m rethinking wearing Vibrams outdoors now. Gross times ten! I will spare you further details, but I was not a happy camper. Luckily I had a change of shoes nearby. Now I’m trying to forget that happened.
I ate so good yesterday. I wasn’t feeling myself, so I made sure to take all my vitamins, and refuel with superfoods. I made two power smoothies with raw whey, raw rice protein, maca, raw chocolate, spinach, blueberries, and vanilla hemp milk. I also trekked to the store for spring water, which I promptly pounded. I had a buzz off all the different superfoods, and vitamins. I would have felt even better if I juiced. Maybe today.
I’ve been hustling so hard, they are about to name a street after me. I’m not rich, but I get money. I’m starting to think rich people are the lower class. They look down on the poor, and use them. I’m so happy to be blue collar, and not some spoiled, weakling that has never earned his kill. I’m on the streets, and in the woods, working on my skills, and my body. Rich people don’t work. They shop. Shop for things that make them smell good, or look better, when they are actually scum. My DNA thanks me for not being pampered. Poor people are much stronger than the rich. If I ever made it big, I’d give my wealth away.
It’s getting so cold out at night! I’m still in a tent. I really don’t care where I sleep anymore. The other night I had to wear clothes, and my jacket, while in my sleeping bag, just to make it through the night. However, it’s kind of fun, and challenging to find a new place to crash every night. When I’m couch surfing, I feel like it’s too easy. Like I’m royalty or something. I don’t know when I will get an apartment again. I could survive an Oregon winter in the wilderness. My home is the Wild Wild West.
More soon. Time to make paper, and turn it into food and silver. It’s a great day to get outside, in the wild, where I belong. Forget technology.
By Cameron McKirdy
My friend Ira Evansen owns an MMA and CrossFit style school in Gearhart, OR called Valhalla Combat. Like me, Ira is simplifying, and trying minimalist, zero drop shoes for working out. This is our review of several kicks we’ve used for cross training, running, Olympic weightlifting and more.
When Ira first opened his mixed martial arts and cross fitness gym he was exercising in plain old Converse Chuck Taylor’s and Vans. He liked doing CrossFit in these throwbacks because they are minimalistic. Ira even tore out the insoles for a better feel. Ultimately, the toe box of the Chuck T’s felt too narrow for lifting weights. Ira said they were clunky, and heavy. Both pairs worked in the beginning as a transition shoe.
Next coach Ira invested $110 into toe shoes called the Vibram Komodosport. He loves these Paleolithic, minimal training shoes, and they are still in good shape after over 6 months of abuse. In Vibrams he has more feel, and isn’t cramming into narrower shoes. These kicks are made for strength and conditioning. They are machine washable too. Air dry. Ira says they help space his toes out, and are better than normal shoes for his back, hips, and knees.
Another shoe Ira has used during CrossFit workouts is the Reebok Flex Nano. He loves these ones, and wears them most. They were designed by CrossFit athletes for the sport. Ira says they are durable, flexible, and supportive. They’ve even survived countless rope climbs, which would destroy lighter shoes. Ira uses them for everything, from running, to Olympic Weightlifting. His favorite feature is the comfortable, wide toe box, so he can spread his toes out for stability. If you’re serious about CrossFit, check these babies out. 
Then there’s the Inov-8 F-Lite 195. These bad boys are super light, yet supportive, with a thin sole. You can feel pebbles and the ground, but not enough to make it uncomfortable. The Inov-8’s are ideal for running. They are very flexible, and they look really cool. Ira told me these shoes are unreal, in a good way. They are the white pair pictured below.
Finally, let’s review the newest Vibram running shoes, called Seeya. They are the flashy, yellow and black ones pictured in the bottom right. These are the lightest you can get! They have a convenient strap, so you can easily loosen them for more comfort. The Seeya’s are great for sprinters, plus they are heavy duty, so they aren’t going to rip. So sick! They retail for $100.
In summary, there are many quality shoes out there now for CrossFit. Most are minimalistic, low top, and zero drop. All around, we like the Reeboks most for strength training, but the Vibrams for running. It all depends on how you workout. Try a few types on, just get into minimalistic shoes. They are the future of footwear. Now go workout.
By Cameron McKirdy
Entrepreneurs make money. They create $ out of nothing. They add value. They produce. This is the Survival Bros guide to hustling. It’s all about having multiple streams of income. Like a boss.
Even if you have a job, you can create rivers of cash that flow into your arms. You just have to be creative. True players have lots of ways of making money. One trick is making money off your hobbies. For example, if you like dogs, breed them. Put an ad in the paper, and get the word out about what you are offering the world.
When you’re not pimping pups, work on another way to make money easily, such as online. Set up an eBay store, or account on Etsy. Get your credibility up, and people will trust you enough to buy from you. Online is where it’s at. You don’t need a physical store, and you can sell to people across the globe 24 hours a day.
Another way to make money is through investments. Look at buying previous metals like silver, stocks, or something else interesting. Understand trends, research the markets, and soon you will be stacking dough. Start small at first. Buy that one thing that will pay you tomorrow. I learned about trends selling baseball cards as a kid. I invested in athletes that were young, and full of potential. Then I protected their sports cards, and held on long term to make a profit.
There’s infinite ways to make money. Most importantly, build your brand. Don’t waste your life being an employee, when you were meant to be the boss. Trust yourself, and get after it. Get money, and make it work for you. Be a hustler.
By Cameron McKirdy
It’s Superbowl Sunday. Go nuts. Forget all your worries, sit back with a cold one, and watch TV. Soak up all the bread and circuses. This is what people are passionate about. Men playing with their balls.
Watching 3 plus hours of sports has to have some benefit right? I’m trying really hard to figure out what though. It seems all this energy is wasted. Why watch people compete anyways? Is it entertaining? Maybe we want to know who the loser is. I think it’s the viewers.
I’ve boughten into sports hype before. It’s something to do. And if you go to a game, you feel cool because you are a part it. But isn’t it all just a giant, intentional distraction? What should we be focused on instead? Community? Country? Family? Spending time doing almost anything other than watching sports on TV seems wise.
The viewers are on the bottom of the sports pyramid scheme. You pay to watch. Then there’s the athletes and sports reporters. They get paid OK for acting out a role. At the top of the sports pyramid is the Owner. He constructed the team, and gets paid to stage the show. The few control the many.
All anyone is talking about on Facebook, and twitter is college, and pro football. And if it’s not that, then there’s another league to follow. There’s always something completely manufactured to buy into, and consume. I say there isn’t a point to sports. There’s a point to being healthy, and fit, but watching sports games all the time is stupid. And if you have a fantasy football team, you may be special.
America, World, the time has come to put down the remote, and stop rooting for your favorite team. Instead, work together on real issues. Sports are ALL hype. See it, and don’t buy in. You deserve better. Your brain needs real knowledge. You can’t learn a damn thing watching college football or any other sport, besides maybe mixed martial arts. That’s badass, and MMA training could save your life. Team sports are lame. I want to see who is the best individual athlete. That’s why boxing, golf, track, cycling, and even chess are more interesting to me.
In conclusion, sports are used against you, to distract you from real issues. We’ve turned into a Nation of bandwagon fanatics, drunk on cheap food and savage entertainment. Walk away. Save yourself from becoming a look-alike, cookie-cutter, die-hard supporter. It’s all manufactured entertainment. You can enrich your mind with more. Dream bigger.
If you live near the ocean, you should be prepared for a tsunami. NO EXCUSES. Put together a backpack with all the essentials, and have it on hand. Here’s Survival Bros example of a Go Bag, or emergency Bug-Out-Bag. You could survive at least 72 precious hours with these must-have items.
By Cameron McKirdy
My buddy stopped by today with pockets full of raw mushrooms from the forest in our backyard. He shared his amazing, fresh chanterelles, and chicken of the woods mushrooms. You gotta try these flavorful fungi.
First we cleaned the chanterelles, then dried them. After dicing them up, they went into a pan on low heat. We sautéed them in butter, and a little organic sunflower oil. Next we added minced, fresh garlic. The shrooms were amazing like that.
This was my first taste of chantrelle mushrooms. I was surprised by the rich, spicy flavor. It lingered on the tounge. Very yummy. They are orangish, funnel-shaped, with wavy caps. Chanterelles are known for being rich in vitamin C, D, and potassium too.
Chanterelles are hard to find in the Pacific Northwest. My hommie found a pound of them on his elk bow hunting trip. I’m hooked now. I’m going to find some, and dry them for future meals. I could even sell them to local restaurants. These edible mushrooms are truly a delicacy.
After we lightly cooked the chantrelles we mixed them in turkey chili, with black pepper. It was so good. I savored every bite. It was a five star feast. Thankfully I have friends that share. %^].
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 