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
Locating available resources in an Urban Environment
I’m kind of surprised Homeless People haven’t taken all the food already.
Survival Bros pulls over to look at an Outdoor Community Food Panty! Have you seen one of these pantries in your neighborhood? If not, maybe you should make one for less fortunate people. It is the season for giving. So be creative, and generous during the Holidays. Like our video on YouTube for us, comment, and share this blog post with your friends. Thanks for being here.
Check out the contents of a Blessing Bag made by Girl Scouts for Homeless People. Please share this video! Send this to a friend, and add it to your own YouTube Playlist. I hope you consider making kits like this for vandwellers in your area. The less fortunate could use your help as Winter approaches. #vanlife
Thanks for visiting our blog. More on the way from Oregon.
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
Watch Cam’s new #vandwelling #experience for Survival Bros . com
Preparedness Expert Cameron McKirdy from #SurvivalBros lists his gear items for living in a 1994 Chevy 20 van and tent camping. He is on tour in Oregon, and making new videos for viewers. Subscribe to our channel for travel vlogs, and more #vanlife living ideas. Comments are appreciated.
A survivalist and cancer fighter answers my questions about his unique ride. This electric trike gets 240 miles per gallon of gas. Talk about frugality and wellness wrapped in one man’s mission to live! The cyclist is always moving his legs, and getting a workout while going down the road. He had this tricycle loaded with groceries, and clean laundry. It could easily haul over 100 pounds of gear. What do you think of this survival mobile? More on the #survivalbros YouTube Channel. Subscribe today to watch all the HD video adventures for free online. Thanks for the support.
Feel free to leave a comment or word of encouragement for this man
Let me start by saying Happy Holidays! I wish you the best, and hope you give more than you get. Having said that, my fam was in town for Thanksgiving, and Black Friday shopping/trampling. Before my Dad and I set out to hike near Mount St. Helens, they invited me into their hotel for a free deluxe continental breakfast. The feast was on.
The hotel had waffles to make, yogurt, fruit, hash browns, juice, coffee, cereal, eggs, sausage, everything! I can’t say I’ve ever sneaked into a hotel for a free breakfast (before this), but I would if I was hungry. However, when I am a legit guest I do take goodies for the road. Trust me, my pockets get filled with honey packets, peanut butter, whatever. My brother use to creep into fine hotels in Eugene about twice a month to get his fill before class. Andrew blogged about it here on Survival Bros. It’s funny. But I’m not advising you to steal, just sharing a survival tactic for if you’re about to die and need food energy.
You can see in the HD video above I loaded up on the complementary grub, and took it back to their room. I scarfed it, and sipped dank coffee. Then I scoured for other freebies like shampoo, soap, packaged coffee, plus sugars, creamers, straws, napkins, and a new roll of toilet paper. It’s not much, but it will help me get through another day. Being a scavenger is key to survival. Work on that skill just in case. Please visit here regularly. I will be blogging about my 10 mile Mt. St. Helens hike soon. Take care of yourself, and each other. And question authority!
Homeless. That’s what we were. My bro and I stayed on this boat for weeks last summer to avoid paying rent, and getting a regular job. We were free, and so was our lodging. But with that comes less. We had to deal with a lot of crap. It’s noisy in the Skipanon and Warrenton Oregon Marina. Sleeping is challenging. People work on boats at all hours, so there’s usually people clamoring, and trucks hauling.
Skipanon Warrenton Oregon Marina at Night
Once we had to stay on the boat right after our host varnished the interior. We opened the craft up, but the stench was still awful. I got a headache, and while grateful for the place to lay down, I was ready to split and catch the bus into town. In the HD video above we got a solid fire going, but I didn’t film the smoke that filled the cabin, and it was horrible. I got a headache from that too. Again, we lifted the lid on the boat, and opened up the ceiling, but sacrificed warmth. The Survival Bros slept on a wet mattress because the boat had recently sank.
We had a key to the shower and restroom, but that was a hike from the boat. Plus, we didn’t want to get hassled by security, so we kept our creeping to a minimum, and laid low. The smart move was to pee in plastic bottles to avoid detection. However, the other fisherman on the marina were typically very helpful. We had their assistance many times when we had to do work on the boat, or move it to another slip. Speaking of, the rent for a spot there is only $70 per month, and our buddy paid that. You have to pay a little more for electricity, but it’s still the cheapest place to crash in town. In exchange for a bed, Tactical Gypsy worked on the boat, making sure the bilge was pumping out water, or whatever. I kept him company, and learned what I could from the Maritime Scientist. It was an adventure for sure, and I’m happy to share it with you. More homelessness tales soon. Thanks for supporting Survival Bros. Peace and love.
Today I felt like exploring. So I biked to The Mill Ponds in Seaside Oregon. The ground was soggy, so I had to pedal lightly to avoid getting sprayed with mud from my tires. Hearing the blue birds chirp relaxed me instantly. Beats traffic noise.
Right before I got to my favorite spot, I noticed a park bench upside down in the water. I wondered where it went. It’s been a few months since I sat on it from the lookout. Without hesitation I laid my bike down, and tromped through the sticker bushes to get to it. I had seen 2 homeless teens camping there before, and I’m pretty sure they trashed the place.
I yanked that bench out of the pond, and brought it back to its home. Now everyone can rest and enjoy that epic view again. The seat wasn’t in bad shape, or soaked entirely, so I chilled there for a few. Just another reminder that you can either make the world a better place, or screw it up for the rest of us. There aren’t many public spaces left, so treat them with respect.
Times are tough, for many people this isn’t the first time they’ve struggled to make ends meet. I’d like to humbly share a time in my life my frugality took a dark but interesting turn. It was 2008 and I was a student at the University of Oregon. My major was international studies and so, in a way I was honing my skills for a life of financial hardship. I was “in between jobs” as they say, and while I had saved enough money to still afford rent, my savings were diminishing fast. Food was expensive. I had contributed to society, paid my taxes for long enough for me to feel less guilty about what I was scheming. I looked to the homeless for inspiration and I found none. “They are doing it all wrong” I said to myself.
I had long been a fan of free food so I started brainstorming of all the past places food was a plenty. Buffets. Breakfast buffets. Continental breakfasts. The Holiday Inn Express was closest to my house, so that’s where I first walked in as confidently as possible, to a hotel I’ve never been in before. Oatmeal. Apples. Oranges. Muffins. It was a beautiful display of food not meant for me, which made it even more exciting. I had my backpack on me because my Spanish class was in a half an hour. I ate what I could, and opened my bag to shove a bundle of bananas in. I took an extra muffin for my friend because he was broke like me, and as it turns out I’m very generous with other people’s food. This went on for a while. So long that I started to rank the hotels. Phoenix Inn had apple juice and hot chocolate so I gave it a B+. But breakfast was only one meal out of the suggested 3 a day. I had started noticing official University of Oregon food golf carts zipping around campus. I was lucky enough to have experienced this before at catered public events and so I knew they had the goods. One day in between classes I saw a green cart zip right in front of me and if it were possible I would have jumped right on the back and followed it to wherever it was going, but I had to be more inconspicuous. So, I ran. Calmly. Like I was late for a class across campus. Finally the cart stopped in front of the law building. Taking from future lawyers was alright by me. I wasn’t stealing. I was taking something being offered just not to me. Oh was it delicious. The pasta was seasoned and covered in feta cheese and oil. I was in heaven. The breakfasts and occasional catered meal kept me for only so long. I did some grocery shopping rather often to buy my bulk items of hummus, rice, beans and oats. Cheap nutritious foods. I was at Whole Foods when I noticed a bread man checking the dates of each loaf and then collecting the ones that were about to expire. I striked up a conversation and he told me that he could give me some just not in the store. He told me to meet him out back. A couple of minutes later he was noticeably more casual with me. He didn’t care about the bread. So I took all that I could. Six loaves of organic whole wheat bread. It only lasted me a few days.
Turns out he gave the rest to the Eugene food pantry, but they always had plenty of bread from other donations besides his company. I looked into the pantry and I qualified. I rode my bike to the pantry, and again only had my backpack. They told me to go outside and they would bring me my food allowance. They rolled out a two level push cart full of canned foods, cold milk and other dairy products including a very cheap pint of chocolate ice cream. I could only carry about a quarter of what I was alloted. I wouldn’t have eaten most of the other stuff any way because it was full of MSG, salt and I knew it would taste awful.
Eventually I was able to get a job and save up some money so I didn’t have to go to all the trouble, but I had a good run. Without all the ways I found to get free food I am sure I would have started charging groceries on a credit card. I hope I don’t have to do it again, but it is nice to know that sometimes beggars can be choosers if you’re smart enough. I am very thankful for each and every free bite to this day.
Do you know where The Mill Ponds are in Seaside Oregon? Many locals have no idea. Take advantage of the trails, and waterfront views. From Seaside on Highway 101 (aka South Roosevelt Drive), take Ave. S to Alder Mill Road. It’s near the Seaside recycling center.
Watch my bike ride video!
The Mill Ponds are a great walk for the whole family. Chill on a bench and bird watch. It’s one of my favorite spots in town. Please be respectful, and take your trash with you. This is a day use only park. Enjoy the panoramas and photos I took.
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 