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
Recently I camped in a Walmart parking lot on West 11th in Eugene, Oregon. In this HD video you’ll get the scoop on what it’s like to do some urban stealth camping in my 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon GL. It was noisy, and the space is well lit, but in general, I got great rest. It feels good to be somewhere, and not have to pay for the experience. This was a fun experiment, and I’d recommend it to any Survival Bros. out there. Staying at Walmart for free beats dropping hundreds for a night in a hotel. Would you try this? Live simple my friends. More videos about my summer road trip coming soon. Thanks for visiting my blog! Peace and love.
Certified yoga instructor Sarah Whisler guides you through an easy warm up, workout, and cool down in this HD video production. We filmed our “flow” in Seaside, Oregon. Our hope is that you use this video, and create more joy and peace in your life daily. Stay tuned to Survival Bros, because we will be creating even better instructional routines soon. Make yoga a part of your practice, and glow in all the benefits. If you like the video, please share this workout with a friend. Positive comments are also welcome. Thanks!http://soulsearchersarahgirl.wordpress.com/
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Sarah shows you how it’s done on her yoga mat near the beach in Seaside, Oregon.
Two Killer Whales, or orcas have been spotted migrating North near Cannon Beach in Oregon State. I was enjoying a wet hike from Short Sands Beach at Oswald West State Park out to Cape Falcon when I shot this HD video. When I climbed to the edge of a dangerous cliff near the water of the Pacific Ocean I saw these 2 beautiful beasts approaching on my left. I had to get my LG G2 smart phone out to film, but I was torn between looking at the creatures, and the camera screen. However, I saw plenty of my friends, and got the shot for all of you.
This was possibly the best experience of my life. Orcas (and dolphins) are magical creatures, and probably smarter than humans. I think they wanted to hang out with me. But one slip, and I would have gone tumbling down the mountain side, and become fresh fish food. I was only posted up at the location where I spotted these mammals for a few minutes. After they left, so did I. I’d seen the best, and it was pouring. All of my clothes got soaked when I made my way back through the damp plants. I didn’t mind being cold. I was amped from seeing my wild buddies do their thing. It gave me energy for the journey. Now I don’t ever want to go to a zoo again. It’s not the same. Stay wild!
Here’s more RAW footage I posted on my other YouTube channel
There’s many freebie sites online that link to forms where you can request free samples from companies. In this video I show you all the stuff I’ve received in the mail, plus items I have taken from stores myself. You can also complain about product you don’t like to a company’s hotline, and they will send you a replacement, or a voucher redeemable at a shop near you.
New video of freebies I received this week including a $10 Starbucks gift card
First, I want to discuss how to get free samples by mail. It’s easiest to find a website like http://www.freebieshark.com which links to the latest promotions around the web. Generally, you just have to fill out a short form with your name and address to get a complementary trial size of whatever. Sometimes, you have to like a company’s Facebook page, Tweet about their business, or something like that before you can request a free sample. It takes a few seconds to complete most forms, especially if you allow your internet browser to auto fill in your information. As you can see in the Survival Bros video above, I’ve scored tons of things by quickly filling out forms online. I think my favorite gift was the four Keurig coffees in a sampler box. It’s not much, but freebies add up, and save you lots of cash in the long run.
In the video I also mention how I complain about items I’m not satisfied with to the company over the phone. These comment lines are always grateful I call, because my input helps make their product better. They apologize for my inconvenience, and send me vouchers good for a replacement item, and valuable coupons for the future. I said Planters sent me $15 to get a new item of my choosing, and here’s what the manufacturer coupons looked like before I spent them at UnSafeway.
The final and simplest way to get free stuff is to take it. Go to a business, such as a convenience store, and get packets of sugar, salt and pepper, honey, sauce, etc. Or if you’re eating at a fast food restaurant, politely ask for extra sauces. You can take home additional ranches, mustard and ketchup, or crackers. They won’t mind, and you rarely have to pay for these, so have fun, and use your imagination. Soon you’ll have a huge stockpile of goodies like me. This is what I had on hand to show today.
Now you know three ways to get free stuff. You can find an offer and fill out a form online to request a free sample, call the company directly if you are not satisfied with a product, or take a few extras from restaurants and stores. You have to embrace being a hoarder, and become a scavenger. I believe this is the essence of being a prepper. It’s good to have extra just in case. It’s free, why not take it? If I can get all these items in a few weeks, so can you. You just have to do some urban, and online hunting. Please comment if you have any questions and I will get back to you.
Two of my close friends have shot themselves in the head in separate recent tragedies. Another failed in his suicide attempt. Not good. Not cool. If you need help, get some. Talk to your friends, family, or call prevention experts like The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. People are available 24/7. You can work through your problems. You are LOVED! Please like and share this post if you agree. Thanks.
Horns are hot in PDX right now! That’s what I heard from a friend, so when I saw a pair at a pawn shop in my hood, I snagged them. This post is about trading for goodies, and trying to hustle at clothing resale shops in Portland, OR.
First, let me tell you about these horns. I wanted them, so I tried to find something I didn’t want, of some value, to swap at the pawn shop. I traded a motorcycle jacket, iPod shuffle, and $20 for the pointy pair. Once acquired, I drove to Portlandia to make a deal. My homie had athletic shorts for me, and desperately wanted a set of horns to accent her fashionable pad. She loved them, mounting them on her wall above the couch. I bet they stay there collecting dust until she can find something better to trade for. That’s her business. I was pumped on the gear I got, and am wearing as I blog now. It was a fun, and solid trade for all.
I also mobbed to a few clothing resale shops where you can buy, sell, and trade. The Red Light Clothing Exchange on Hawthorne Blvd was full of wacky, tacky, junk. Apparently my clothing was too good to accept. They want crap, not new threads. I should have brought in my ripped, and stained stuff instead, and thrown it in the mud before. And I’m not one to judge, but their use of a B.O. air freshener wasn’t appreciated. The lady evaluating my clothing was a snob. She looked it all over quickly, and threw it back at me, saying “these aren’t for us.” That was it. No have a nice day. She walked away. I guess kindness isn’t trendy over there. Next.
Finally, I tried my luck with Buffalo Exchange on W Burnside St. I’ve dealt with them in the past, and sold some Nike Oregon Duck gear for a little. They had better looking women, and clothing there. I perused. They offered me $15 in trade, or $10 and some change cash for three shirts. I took the money and ran. I knew I wouldn’t get offered much at these resale places, but I thought it would be interesting to try. A learning experience for sure. I’m better off donating old clothes, or selling it online, so I don’t have to waste time and $. Nothing sucks more than paying $5 for parking every spot you go to in Portland. You should never have to pay to park. But I’m an idealist.
Survival Bros hit up Voodoo Donuts – The Magic is in the Hole!!
Yesterday I saw this amazing buck in Astoria OR. I grabbed the camera, and got right up to him. He walked my way. I thought it was about to go down! I would have won. Still, what a beautiful beast.
– Cameron McKirdy
Survival Bros had another full weekend. Friends and I journeyed to Cannon Beach, and took the snake-like road to Indian Beach to explore.
The park was nearly empty. I’m use to it being packed with surfers and hikers in the summer. We huffed the path down to the sand, and walked south. The rock formations at Indian Beach are incredible. The tide pools are bursting with life. We found creatures small and large such as barnacles, mussels, starfish, sea anemones, and a dungenous and hermit crab.
Plus, higher on the beach Mac and I identified a patch of medicinal Turkey Tail mushrooms growing on driftwood. He bagged them. Later the shrooms will be ground up, and put in vegetable capsules for preservation. Gotta love free meds. In Chinese medicine they are recognized as yun zhi (云芝). They are known to boost the immune system. We scored two sand dollars as well.
After wandering around Indian, we cruised to Haystack Rock. The tide pool there is famous. I remember visiting in grade school on field trips. We found more of the same sea life here. No sign of One-Eyed Willie, or the Goonies! Beach combing was a blast. The Oregon Coast is legendary.
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 
