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
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
Produced by Cameron McKirdy – Survival Bros Founder
As you can see, nobody beats up gear like me. I took the new Kershaw Secret Agent knife to the beach, and put it through a rigorous torture test. I sliced, and stabbed ocean debris washed ashore in Long Beach, Washington.
Flashing the tool with the protective sheath on!
Model Number 4007, the Secret Agent isn’t flashy. It’s functional. The spear point blade has a black-oxide coating for protection against corrosion. Additionally, the surface is non-reflective. So it won’t catch light, or be easy to see. Both sides come sharpened, making it easy to puncture nearly any material. The Secret Agent handled rope, plastic, aluminum, fiberglass, and even a dead jellyfish! After the beating, it was still sharp, and the tip showed little wear. Of course, knives don’t like sand, so I plan to sharpen it for the first time, or I can send it back to the KAI warehouse to get it cleaned up for free. I’ve stopped by Kershaw headquarters in Tualatin, Oregon (South of Portland) before for a hassle free repair, which took less than an hour.
This knife is a favorite in my collection because it’s lightweight at only 3 ounces. The ergonomic handle is glass-filled nylon. It’s well balanced. Fitting securely in my palm, without being too wide. Plus, with a rubberized, textured grip, it’s not going to slip out of my hand. You can wear it on a lanyard, or strapped to your leg. Blade length is perfect, and no joke at 4.4 inches long. The black sheath is quality, with a wide, tight clip. At under $40, the Kershaw Secret Agent knife may be the best value in the industry. Don’t forget Kershaw Knives’ products are backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturing defects. Bottom line: The Secret Agent belongs in your Every Day Carry knife rotation. It’s Survival Bros tested and approved. For more HD videos, SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. Thank you.
By Cameron McKirdySilver Salmon Being Processed at The East Mooring Basin in Astoria, Oregon
Sushi grade Coho Fillets
My buddies needed a lift, and Designated Driver for a fishing trip in Astoria, OR. I dropped them off at the East Mooring Basin. You’re suppose to pay to park there. They we’re on the water for around four hours before they limited out. The guys ended up with pounds and pounds of fresh fillets. One man kept the salmon eggs for future fishing bait. All of the fishermen had plans to either freeze, and smoke the meat shortly. It was interesting to see the Captain of the boat cut up Coho so efficiently, and discard the waste down properly down a slide. All he needed was a large fillet, and butcher’s knife made by Victorinox of Switzerland. I made sure to ask. He was sharpening the knifes every few fish. Also pictured is the rowdy sea lions that live there on the docks. I saw one beast puke on another, and he didn’t flinch. More blogs coming! Peace.
Get me the 8″ Victorinox Butcher’s Knife for Christmas
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
Last week I traded an antique wooden chest for a bunch of used Swiss Army knives. I kept some, and swapped out others for a new Buck folder.
They call this classic the Buck Stockman. I liked it because it has three fatty blades. It’s nothing special, but it will do work. The knife dealer in my town said it was made in China, so it’s not the best quality, compaired to Buck knives made in America. But I will use this folder. The blades on the mini Victorinox tools don’t have much of a surface to work with. They are perfect for the small emergency caches I’ve been burying. All in all, I made a good trade up. The knife dealer pays out half of the retail value of the item. Makes sense. It’s fair to me.
I swooped these old knives from an estate sale today. I paid a little too much. $10. I offered $5, but got rejected. I forked it over because it was for a good cause. I should still be able to make a few bucks on these, or trade up later. I’d like another multitool for them. I’m really digging these older knifes with wood handles, so I may keep the large one. The little folding knife was designed to work with a pocket watch. You can see where it would attached to a chain.
I’m hooked on collecting knives. I can’t wait for next weekend so I can hit up more garage sales. The time to buy is when people have to sell. Buying used is way more fun that paying full retail for something. I like that these objects have a history, and I get to add to it. Peace and love.
Yesterday I checked out the Collector’s West Gun & Knife show in PDX. It was a big event, with tons of vendors, and people trading gear too. I took home a few things, and learned a lot.
The show ends today, but visit www.collectorswest.com to see when it will be in your area. It’s worth the $12 for admission, and $8 for parking. I was able to price out stuff I’m interested in, and get my hands on it too. There were deals galore on new and used guns. Booths had closeouts on every style and brand of knive imaginable. Coast Products was there. My friend got a powerful LED keychain light from them.
I also ran into my buddy Shawn Gregory. He makes quality “Predator Paracord” bracelets, gun slings, lanyards, and more. I got a few samples to test, including the badass band below. It’s comfortable, and stands out. You can never have too much cordage just in case. More on Predator Paracord later, but go to www.predatorparacord.com to see all of his bold designs.
The Girl Scouts were also in the house. I walked quickly by them, because I was saving room for Voodoo doughnuts, but it was great to see kids at a gun show. It was a safe enviroment, and fun for everyone. It’s important to teach kids about preparedness early.
I found another company with a product called 4EverLights, (www.uvpaqlite.com) with epic reusable glow-in-the-dark lights. They have a huge variety of sizes, and styles that really do work. I had to get some to test and review for Survival Bros. Sunlight isn’t required, so you can quickly charge them with a flashlight, or whatever. I like that they don’t affect my night vision either like brighter light sources would. Ya best believe one is going on my bug out bag, and with me camping.
It was a great show. If you missed it, there will be another soon. Just get to one, and get prepared. You never know when you’ll be faced with a crisis. Plus, a gun show is an excellent place to network with other serious preppers.
Hey friends. I had to show you my Swiss Army multitool. This is a super rare traveler’s set. I couldn’t even find a picture of it on the internet. I bought this 10 years ago while traveling through Europe. I saved around 50% by purchasing it in Switzerland, compared to the states. The set cost me 127 Francs. Which today converts to $138.99 US. It’s one of the nicest knives Victorinox makes, and came with a compass, Maglite Solitare keychain flashlight, and leather carrying case. The best part is, I got the side of the knife engraved with my name for free. It’s mint, but I’m going to start using it as part of my EDC, or every day carry.
Unfortunately, I left the batteries in the flashlight, and now I can’t get the end cap off to fix it. So I’m sending it to Maglite for a free repair or replacement. I just have to pay for shipping. That’s the second flashlight I’ve found this week that had the batteries leak. Not cool. Lesson learned. Take the batteries out, or keep them fresh. You can find just the knife for sale online for about $75. It got a 5 star rating on Amazon. It’s no wonder, because they’ve been in business since 1884.
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 