Produced By Cameron McKirdy
Starring Tactical Gypsy. A former Marine shares the EDC gear on his person, and in his tactical backpack. Thanks for watching Survival Bros. Please subscribe to us on Youtube for more, and on this blog.
Hunting on the Oregon Coast
Produced By Cameron McKirdy
In this HD video Survival Bros tests the SteriPEN Sidewinder UV Water Purification System. It’s hand powered, meaning it’s battery-free. I think it’s light-weight at 16.6 ounces, and compact enough to fit in a backpack with a height of 8.6 inches. The Sidewinder is perfect for camping, and emergency preparedness. Their moto is “safe drinking water anywhere.” That’s a noble mission, and one we can all appreciate.
Imagine knowing a hurricane is about to devastate your area, and seeing this on your shelf. I can’t picture a prep that would bring more peace of mind than the SteriPEN Sidewinder. This tool disinfects 8,000 liters of water that could be contaminated with bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Those potentially harmful risks are getting eliminated thanks to the powerful UV lamp. Even a kid could operate this purifier. All you have to do is fill it, flip it, crank it, and drink it. In 90 seconds you have water you don’t have to worry about. Survival Bros is also grateful that the bottle is BPA-free, so you won’t be drinking chemicals that way. In the box you get the 1L container, water-tight bottle lid, and Pre-Filter for particulate removal.
The SterPEN Sidewinder is one of those products a prepper really needs. It’s a good backup to have, in case your regular water source is compromised, or you’re just off the grid. I have no complaints with this system. It feels well made, it works, and will continue to keep me safe for many years. They even offer a 3 year warranty. Plus, they are an American company. Check out their full line of gear at http://www.steripen.com There’s an ultraviolet light solution right for you. I’m sure you’ll see us testing more SteriPEN products in the future. We approve 100%!
SteriPEN Sidewinder UV Water Purification System for Emergency Preparedness
Produced By Cameron McKirdy
Survival Bros Founder Cameron McKirdy digs up an emergency preparedness kit, and shows the contents.
Here’s when Survival Bros buried supplies in various waterproof containers all over town at high elevations.
Building small caches in case of a tsunami, or another disaster situation.
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I’ve meet most of the famous people that have influenced my life in a positive way, and it’s not by accident. For the first time ever, I’m divulging my tactics on how to meet celebrities, including artists, athletes, and other inspirational, culturally significant folks. You may say, “hey Cam, what’s this got to do with SURVIVAL?” Well, I believe meeting legends improves you as a person, and at the end of the day, all you can hope for is that you are better than the day before.
I think I got hooked on approaching stars in my childhood, when I stalked Portland Trail Blazer players after games with my dad. They’d be gingerly strolling to their luxury cars, and I’d go in for the kill. I offered them a basketball to sign with my Sharpie. Any good autograph seeker knows to bring their own fresh permanent pen. Nothing is worse that standing in front of your hero trying to bum a pen for a signature. I caught up to Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, Terry Porter, Buck Williams, and the rest of the old school Blazers. I remember weaseling close enough to the locker room entrance too, so that I could high five all the players as they ran out on the court. After that, I didn’t wash my hand for a week. My mom made me in the end.
I learned as a kid how to approach cool people. First I would say something like, “Hey, I’m a big fan. I just wanted to say hi, and ask for you autograph.” They usually obliged, but I’ve had more than my fair share of epic snubs. More on that in a second. Basically, if you see a celebrity, be chill like them. I offer up a compliment, but don’t go overboard. Plus, I tell them something about myself, that they can relate to. I find common ground. For instance, when I went up to UFC star Chael Sonnen at an amateur MMA event, I shook his hand and told him I was also an Oregon Duck. Then I mentioned being a ring announcer for mixed martial arts fights in Seaside, Oregon. I told him maybe I would announce his name one day in the octagon. I had his attention, and he was happy to pose for a picture, and sign an autograph for me. I have more autographs than a memorabilia dealer. Meeting athletes is easy. Catch them before or after the event, and be polite.
I’ve been snubbed by stars too. Jack Nickalus passed me by. Arnold Palmer told me he had signed enough autographs that day. But the biggest snub of all-time comes from the punk Greg Oden. This Blazer washout walked by me on Burnside in Portland, while I was talking on my phone. I hung up, and casually approached him while waiting for a crosswalk light to change. We were the only ones on the block. I said, “hey Greg, I’m a big fan (lie), and I just wanted to say hi and shake your hand.” Greg Oden looked me up and down, and then looked away, not saying a word. I backed up slowly proclaiming, “Greg Oden just snubbed me!” Then I yelled for all of PDX to hear, “Greg Oden is too good for the world!!!” The realest thing I’ve ever said. I told that story on my radio show on the Oregon Coast. I still plan to burn his basketball card on camera. It will never be worth anything.
Most celebs aren’t goons, so don’t be afraid to go up to them. One of my favorite encounters was when I slept on the street in Los Angeles to have a chance as a contestant on The Price is Right. I went during spring break right after I turned 18. It took 14 hours of waiting in line before I stormed CBS Studios and sat front row, one seat over from Contestant’s Row. I didn’t play any pricing games that day, but I did have a long conversation with Bob Barker himself. He towered over me, high on the stage. During a commercial break I had the courage to raise my hand and ask him a question, but not a stupid one. I’m sure he’d been asked during every damn taping about when he is doing Happy Gilmore 2. I could tell Bob was sick of that comment, so I buttered him up like hot corn on the cob. He read my price tag name tag, “Yes Cameron.” I said, “Bob, after all these years, how do you look so good, and stay so fit?” Perfectly executed. He rambled for 5 minutes about his days in the military, and training, and so on, then went back to the show. However, to my surprise, when he was way across the stage during the next break he said, “anyways Cameron, back to your question.” I still have that yellow price tag sticker with my name on it.
I could go on all day about the well-known people I’ve met. Mainly, you just need to be on the lookout. Get very familiar with the faces of people you appreciate. Be ready to approach, and try to know their schedule. When I worked at the mall running a kiosk, I had mini football helmets stocked, so I could throw up my back in whenever I feel like it sign, and get that autograph. This was in Eugene, and athletes from Oregon and around the country shopped there. I even had one foot by one foot sections of hardwood floor on standby for basketballers to sign. I remember bothering U of O sensation Luke Jackson for an autograph when I finally hunted him down in Macy’s. He said, “what do you just carry pieces of wood around?” I said yes, but he scribbled on one anyway. I met comedian Carlos Mencia in the mall too, and Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin’s family. My picture with Bindi Irwin is classic.
This is getting long, but the point is that you can meet influential people too. Have guts, be ready, and meet them with confidence. Gifts don’t hurt either. I once went to legendary Air Jordan shoe designer Tinker Hatfield’s pad with a house warming gift. I crashed his party, but he invited me in anyways. I gave him the best ceramic vase I’d ever made. He put it on his mantle, and gave me a 45 minute tour. Just goes to show you that if you appreciate others, they will appreciate you. I can’t imagine the person I’d be if I hadn’t met the people that inspire me to go hard. The World is yours. Don’t let anybody bring you down. Meeting famous people is your God given right.
From top left: Cameron McKirdy with Haloti Ngata (NFL), Joey Chestnut (#1 Pro Eater), Aston Eaton (#1 athlete on Earth), Bindi Irwin (Freed Willy), Chael Sonnen (UFC), Badlands Booker (rapper, competitive eating champion), Joey Harrington (Oregon Duck QB), Erick Lindgren (#1 poker player in the world), Terrell Brandon (NBA All-star)
Produced By Cameron McKirdy
Thanks for watching! In addition, the blade steel is 154CM with a titanium nitride coating. Super durable. Don’t get the F.A.S.T. version of this knife. It felt slow to deploy, and cheap. Boker makes fixed blade Applegate designed knives too. Subscribe to Survival Bros on Youtube for more. We’ll have other knife reviews soon. Here’s the Gerber LMF 2 stress test I did breaking car windows. Enjoy.
This film previously classified as restricted security information has been unclassified. For instruction purposes only. It’s called COMBAT FIRING with HAND GUNS. Presented by The Colonel for the US Army.
Colonel Rex Applegate with his Boker fighting knife
At Applegate Homestead in Oregon
Produced By Cameron McKirdy.
I thought it would be fun to suffer, and film the superstorm we just had on the Oregon Coast in Seaside. I was blinded by the fierce pellets of water, and nearly perished smashing into a barricade when the brakes went out on my beach cruiser. All is well, and I think I scored some superb footage for Survival Bros followers. First is an HD video I filmed on September 28, 2013. I biked around Seaside, OR and showed off all the flooding and storm damage. I covered a lot of ground, and used my GoPro Hero 3 Black head camera to shoot the high-definition action.
On the next day, Sunday September 29th 2013 I biked into Seaside on another, much crappier bike because I got a flat the day before. I made it to the sand along the Pacific Ocean, right before the bicycle gave up on me. It fell apart, and had to be ditched in a bush. This video shows me walking on the beach while the storm sand blasted my body. Exfoliating.
Cam is ready to film.
Produced By Cameron McKirdy
The first nasty storm of the season is underway on the Oregon Coast. The wind is bending trees, and flooding is a possibility. I’m surprised the power is still on. Seaside, OR is expected to have gusts up to 80 miles per hour! Have a survival kit together, and an emergency plan for your family. Here’s a checklist of supplies to gather just in case of a disaster.
– Water (A gallon per person per day for a minimum of 3 days.)
– Fuel AKA gas for cooking, and dry wood for fire
– Food (Stores could close for days without electricity. Don’t buy perishable goods that need to be refrigerated. Think fruit.)
– Candles
– Flashlights and headlamps with fresh batteries
– Blankets
– Shelter (It’s probably a good idea to stay inside, so you don’t get wet and sick.)
– Emergency Weather Radio
– Toys for kids, and treats for pets, because they will be scared in a super storm
– First Aid
– Gas (Fill up your vehicle in case there’s a rush for fuel, and you can’t get some later.)
– Books (Maybe ones on emergency planning. We don’t want you to lose your mind without TV.)
– Whistle to signal for help
– Multi-tool and Wrench to turn off water, etc.
– Moist wipes, and garbage bags for sanitation and personal hygiene
– Local maps
– Manual Can Opener
– Generator and/or solar charger for electrical devices
– Cash/Silver/Barter Items
– Rain Gear/Warm clothes
– Prescription Medications
– Lighter and waterproof matches
– Paper and Pen for notes, and more checklists
– Communications: Cell Phones with chargers, and two-way radios
With all or most of these things you should be good to go, and ready for a super storm bringing flooding. If you can think of any other handy items, please leave your suggestions in the comment section. Thanks, and wish us Oregonians good luck this weekend. It’s
going to be a wild one. Peace and love from Survival Bros.
Here’s a link to the live webcam in Seaside, OR on The Lanai at The Cove so you can checkout the current conditions.
There’s no flooding on Highway 101 right now, but high tide isn’t until this evening.
It looks like Highway 101 is starting to flood! Be careful out there.
Ready or not, my chubby puggle Mocha was going hiking with me. I took the pug/beagle combo to the top. She made the summit by herself, but it was a struggle. It was a sweltering 80 plus degrees out. My poor dog hasn’t been training hard lately. Her exercise routine consists of going from the couch to food and back. But Mocha and I have hiked, so I knew the 5-year-old mutt still had it. I remember the first time I let her off the leash on a trail. She was running back and forth, up and down it. The puggle was so excited to be out of the apartment. I couldn’t contain her. Once she even fell off a cliff as the bank eroded and I had to quickly swing her up by the leash and collar to save her. Mocha is much fatter now, but we are working on it.
When we got to Saddle Mountain State Natural Area her nose was working overtime. There were lots of people hitting the trail, and camping. I brought water, and gave the puggle breaks. I made her sit, and she would lay in the shade when she could. The hike is 5 miles round trip, but the elevation change is brutal. It’s 1603 feet to be exact, with the top at 3283 feet. Mainly I was concerned about her paws bleeding. There is lots of metal fencing on the ground to contain the loose rocks, and I didn’t know if that would bother her. On the way up I kept Moc on the leash, 1 because there’s cliffs, and 2 because lots of people were coming down the trail with dogs. I wanted to protect her. However, on the way down I decided it would be better to let her follow me off leash. She didn’t want to walk on the trail because the gravel was hurting her. So she waddled along side the main path, and didn’t hurt anything. Plus, it was getting late, and we were basically the last down.
On the way we checked out a geocache hidden on a side trail. I’ve found it before, but I wanted to see all the new stuff inside, and sign the log book again. Not many people locate it each year. I traded in a emergency paracord bracelet for a CD with clues to another cache. I’m getting into geocaching because it’s something fun to do while hiking, or when you’re just out and about. There’s more than 2 million geocaches planted around the world. This hobby also forces me to analyze and use maps too. I filmed Mocha and I checking out what was inside the ammo box this time.
After a few solid hours of hiking, Mocha, my cameraman, and I reached the peak. We all sat down and took in the majestic views of the North Coast. You can see the whole coastline, from Seaside well into Washington State. Poor Mocha was beat. She was gasping for air, and I was a little worried about her. We had just enough water left to quench her thirst, but more would have been nice. Usually there is a spring about halfway up that I feel is safe to drink from. My dog did lap up the puddle there, but I wasn’t getting on all fours. In the end, Mocha killed it. I was so proud of her. I kept her motivated with words of encouragement, smacking her butt, and tossing turkey jerky in her mouth. On the way back I told Moc we were going back to the car and home for ice cubes (her fav). My legs were jello, and Mocha was walking funny, but we accomplished the mission. Next time we will be even stronger, and smarter about it.
Mocha knew we were going to the top. If you want to rock a paracord bracelet for emergency preparedness made by Survival Bros, send $8 to cameronmckirdy@hotmail.com via PayPal. Thanks and best wishes from us both.
Survival Bros recently had the opportunity to tour The Fruit Loop near Mt. Hood. This abundant area is less than 1 hour from Portland. We checked out farms, orchards, vineyards, lavender fields, and even an alpaca ranch. It was a scrumptious trip. I stocked up on all sorts of goodies, and tried every free sample imaginable.
The first spot we rolled up on was Mt. View Orchards Inc. My parents have been there before, and already knew they had some of the best prices on fresh fruit. We were in the market for a variety of apples, blueberries, and peaches specifically, since they are in season now and being celebrated. This fruit stand is located in Parkdale, with a spectacular view of Mt. Hood. The fruit looked even better, and I took the opportunity to use a fruit picker to snag the choicest peaches growing on huge, abundant trees. There were several types to try, including excellent tiny donut-shaped peaches. After picking a box full, we headed to the store there to pay and try all the samples. There was apple cider, dried pears with cinnamon-sugar, raw honey, fudge, and every kind of jam and peppered jelly you could imagine. Calorie restriction didn’t cross my mind. Before we bounced to the next farm, I examined and swooped up six ears of sweet corn for a buck.
Next stop was Draper Girls Country Farm. They offer U-pick and We-pick varieties of cherries, nectarines, pears, prunes, etc. However, Survival Bros and Co. were more interested in the goats and pigs. They are USDA approved, and so damn cute. We said hi to them, snapped pictures, tried their fruit samples, and rolled on. We got most of our fruit at the first stop. Draper Girls were pretty proud of their bounty, but it’s still cheaper than the grocery store. Fun place, and beautiful. They made me crave some fresh goat milk for sure. If you’re looking for a vacation, Draper Girls rents out the farm house year round.
A short drive down the road was Cascade Alpacas and Foothills Yarn & Fiber. Can’t say I’d seen an alpaca before. These goofy creatures have a purpose though. They produce soft yarn for knitting, crocheting, weaving, and spinning. The yarn shop had a huge selection of equipment, and gifts. I liked the beanies and socks, but spent my money on feeding the alpacas instead. They were hungrier than me! So I fattened them up with alfalfa pellets. I did try to eat an alpaca, but the owner said no. That would be like eating a horse. Which way to the BBQ? The alpaca farm was worth the trip. We even got to see some babies. They sheer the young ones for yarn after just a few weeks.
After nearly biting into an alpaca, I needed to relax. The Hood River Lavender Farms were next. It features epic views of Mt. Adams, Hood, and the Hood River Valley. The small gift shop had Lavender Oil, lotions, and other products derived from the 70+ types of certified organic lavender grown there. We didn’t stay long, or even pick a bouquet, but it was interesting. They were also growing hops on the shop, which was cool.
About this time we got hungry and ate lunch in town at an authentic Mexican joint. Then Survival Bros went to the Apple Valley Country Store and Bakery. I regret not getting their BBQ. How about some cherry-wood smoked ribs? Instead I opted for marionberry pie with Tillamook vanilla ice cream. Here they had tons of free samples. Below is a photo of us putting apple butter on a cracker. I’d go back to this country store.
We made a quick stop at the Mt. Hood Winery. They had live music, and a big tasting room that wasn’t too crowded. I didn’t feel like spending $7 on a glass of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, or anything else. I had a taste, but I think it was just too hot out, and my belly had had enough. I was most impressed with the vintage James Bond movie posters in the men’s restroom. I almost busted the camera out for those, but decided against the bathroom photography. It’s a nice place. Finally we traveled to The Gorge White House, where they serve Mt. Hood wines, and some 25 other local bottles. This historic home sits on a century old working farm. My crew sipped their hard ciders. I enjoyed the mixed berry variety. In The Gorge White House we drank a “Heritage Pear Wine.” It was tasty, so I took a bottle home for $19. There was lots going on here, between a bridal shower, the store, a food cart, tasting rooms, and a massive flower garden to explore. You’ll want to visit this farm. All said and done, nothing beats the splendor of Oregon’s Hood River County Fruit Loop. It’s 35 miles of vast orchards, farms, fruit stands and kind people. I did all this in a day, but you could easily spend two full days leisurely strolling along this community. Visit www.hoodriverfruitloop.com for more info. Thanks for stopping by the Survival Bros blog.
Produced By Cam McKirdy
In this HD video clip I relieve pressure on my foot. These big blisters were the result of an 18 mile hike on The Ramona Falls Loop and The Pacific Crest Trail. I should have busted out the Moleskin as soon as it started hurting, but I didn’t think they would develop so quickly, and puff up like this. If your blisters are huge, there’s nothing wrong with poking into them with a sterile knife or needle. You can sterilize your tools by cleaning them with alcohol, a lighter, or boiling them in hot water. It’s also a good idea to soak the wound in Epsom salts for up to 30 minutes. Plus, apply an antibacterial cream like Neosporin before covering with a bandage. Clean the area twice daily if possible too. Prevention is key. Wear thick socks, and break in your hiking boots long before you hit the trail.
Disclaimer: Information provided on the Survival Bros blog is for entertainment purposes. Do what’s right for you.
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 