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
This is my new and improved EDC keychain system. Now I have many practical items handy at all times, with little redundancy. I plan on changing out gear as I acquire smaller, higher quality tools, but this is stuff I had on hand. Everything fits easily in my pocket, since I usually wear athletic shorts, and not tight pants like a hipster. I’ve also hooked my everyday carry survival keychain to the belt loop on my jeans, and to the outside of my tactical Bug Out Bag, for easy access. I’d like to add a telepen, peanut lighter, USB thumb drive, glow in the dark tape, 550 paracord, bit driver, seat-belt cutter/knife sharpener, and maybe something for self defense like a kubaton, or pepper spray.
I will update this blog post as the project develops. Tell us what’s on your keychain, and help out other Survival Bros readers. Below is the EDC Keychain items list. Thanks for visiting.
– Sharpie Mini – CRKT Eat N’ Tool (tactical spork) – 4 In One Tool: whistle, compass, thermometer, magnifying glass – Gerber Shard multitool: pry bar, bottle/can opener, Phillips/Standard screw driver, nail puller – Coast Products TX5 Night Vision Red Keychain light – LED LENSER P3 AFS P focusing LED light with pocket clip, sheath, and carabiner included – Leatherman Style Multitool: knife, tweezers, nail file, and scissors – Kershaw Rainbow Chive with Tip-lock (Ken Onion Design) – Mini Nail Clippers – Waterproof pill container – Lighter Leash for Bic – Belt Loop Clasp
For my prep of the day I waterproofed gear. I rattle canned black panniers for my bug out bicycle, a frame bag, and my bike repair kit with the protectant. Then sprayed my clean Nike LunarGlide 4’s with one thick coat. I let them sit outside on a hot day, and now they are better than new. Broken in. Snug.
I need to swoop another can of protectant. Next I will waterproof my backpacking bags, and other cycling gear.
I may put another coat on these items tomorrow. As long as the shoe (article) is still breathable, and isn’t stained, I’m pouring on this type of protector, as pictured.
Survival Bros Prep Of The Day – Waterproofing Gear
What’s good friends? I had to give you a quick update on my new Specialized Road bike. It’s a work in progress. I just picked it up from Goodwill, and started modifying it. First, I had the back wheel straightened, brakes adjusted, and new black handlebar grips put on. Next I attached a front light, back rack with pannier bags, a seat pack, and a black Specialized brand bottle holder. Plus, I acquired a bicycle repair kit, complete with mini tire pump, a set of tools, and more. I have a cargo net that can lockdown even more survival gear on top of the rack. Now I’m ready for the zombie apocalypse!
Check out the HD video clip I shot, and let me know how you would modify this ride. I plan on adding a handle bar bag, bell, rear LED lights, toe clips on the pedals, a B.O.B. Yak one-wheeled cargo trailer, and a computer for mileage, etc. I’m not spray painting this one. I like the odd color combo. I want to be highly visible on the road, so I will add 3M reflectors and wear them too. This bike is ideal for taking on long trips, and camping. I love every second riding this emergency preparedness vehicle. It’s fast. Enjoy the pictures.
Update: I put new bags on my Allez. Now I can carry more gear. I will shoot another video when the packs are fully loaded, and I feel like this project is complete.
I left my phone in a friends car. I didn’t have their number memorized, so I messaged them on Facebook. No response. Thinking my phone was in the glovebox on silent, I called my number anyway. They picked up, and drove back. That’s why I don’t like wearing shorts without pockets.
If my phone was really lost or damaged, I’d want a list of emergency contacts on me or nearby. Also, if I was ever injured, having these numbers on my person could save my life. So I created a list of people I can trust. Then I copied it.
I rolled up one list, and put it in a small metal geocache bottle. I hung that from my backpack I use everyday. The other contact list is folded up, and tucked behind my black Magpul IPhone 4S case. I will make another list for my wallet, and then a digital copy for my laptop, and backup USB thumb drive. This is just another small preparation that could save the day.
Note: Emergency responders may look in your phone for a contact named I.C.E. (in case of emergency). Store your top contact as ICE.
It’s not easy to set the alarm for 5:30 AM. But the prospect of free food was too alluring. My bro and I geared up, and went down to the beach in Seaside OR, right off of Avenue U. There were swarms of foragers looking for clam shows. The dimples in the sand were everywhere. We got our limit of 15 razor clams in about 30 minutes. Mission successful! We will be back soon. I hope my video entertains, and informs. We had fun shooting it. Maybe next time Survival Bros will show you how we cook the squirmy grub. Thanks for visiting this blog. Comments are always appreciated. Happy hunting. Peace and love.
This is just under the limit for 2 people with licenses.
Today I met up with an old friend interested in trading pocket knifes, for my antique wooden chest. I’ve been packing this cool, big box around for years, but felt like swapping it out for smaller items I can potentially trade or sell later.
I got this ornate chest in Tigard, OR at a St. Vincent De Pauls for $40 or so. I was going to restore it, but liked the rough, vintage look, and couldn’t bring myself to refinish the wood. I never cleaned the tin exterior either. It made a great shoe box for awhile, but I had my eye on a stash of Swiss Army knives my buddy acquired from an estate sale. We are both hustlers, so I felt like meeting to get some deals going.
I picked these 18 multitools out of my friend’s collection. I will end up putting a few in small emergency caches to be buried. Some will be gifts, and others I will use for odd jobs. A couple have lights built in too. It felt good to trade for items that won’t be a burden to move. I’m always traveling, so bulk is bad. I will do more deals with this contact, and the possibilities are endless with online networking. Don’t miss out. Be social.
About the video: To film this trip I used the Panasonic Lumix TS4. It’s waterproof, and takes quality high definition video. In the past I’ve used GoPro Hero cameras to film sports, but the audio was poor. This Panasonic sounds better, and is rugged. The TS4 is even high visibility, with a safety orange color. I took nearly an hour of footage. This is the best 15 minutes. I still need to get a better wrist strap so my camera floats. I handled it well, but with all the passengers falling into me, it could have slipped into the blue. Speaking of, the water was remarkably blue. I haven’t altered this footage in any way. It’s beautiful country near Tillamook. It’s fun to film out there, and on water.
Yesterday, a group of 30 people including myself, rafted the powerful Wilson River. I took these photos, and lots of HD video.
My Dad and I went on a paddle boat with three others from the Oregon Whitewater Association. I don’t have the gear the other boaters have. I’m more of a mountain man. They had dry suits, but I didn’t even use my wetsuit and booties. I wore hiking boots with waterproof socks, sweatpants with rain gear, and three layers for my upper body, plus a life vest, and a HooRag bandana. Going in, I knew I’d be cold. It’s rafting during the winter in Oregon. In the end, every rafter was freezing, and glad to be off the water. It was a long day. 14 river miles in 6 hours.
Our greatest challenge was getting people through a tiny 4.5 foot gap. My craft got stuck in between the two massive boulders pictured above, so we let air out of the sides and floor. Then we wiggled through. I filmed everyone making it. The group used ropes to pull one man’s cataraft over the rocks here on the upper Wilson. We all worked together, prepared for the worst, and got in position to help if needed. People were climbing mossy river rocks to signal, and help. They were ready. Also, everyone wore a helmet, and gloves, but me. I couldn’t film and wear gloves. The feeling in my toes and fingers did come back. I’m surprised.
It’s a real challenge to raft this time of the year. Everyone had to follow the plan. Safety was the name of the game. We had two people go into the drink. One guy wanted to swim, but our guide, the raft owner, got bumped out as we hit a rock wall. I look back, he’s floating there. Should I film this? Or pull him in before he gets crushed on some rocks? I put down the camera, and yanked him in with two others. We experienced Class 2, and 3 rapids. Whitewater for sure. I was soaked. We also cruised by a guy that snagged a huge steelhead. It must have weighed 9 pounds or more. When we finally got to land, I got a ride to snag our car back up river. Then it got dark. The group and I left my dad behind at the boat ramp. Problem is, I couldn’t find the damn thing. Dad’s soaked, it’s pouring. I was driving around, feeling like I left him for dead. I figured he’d wave me down on his walk back into Tillamook. There was no way to reach him. But suddenly, he text me from inside a fisherman’s truck. He was safe, and not angry that I made him wait. Then we got mexican food. Lots of it. In the end, the trip was hardcore, but worth it, and an amazing workout. It was another learning experience.
If you’re looking for the perfect gift this Christmas for the prepper on your list, take a look at our Amazon Wish List. It’s also a Survival Bros Donation page. Your gifts to us help keep this blog going, and make us more prepared. All content on this site is provided for free. Please help. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Click here for emergency preparedness gift ideas, from superfoods, to signal mirrors.
Happy holidays from your friends at Survival Bros. This community is really taking off. The members of our Facebook Group has doubled this month. Like us, and we’ll like you back. http://www.facebook.com/SurvivalBros
Pets love trails. We run, jump, and play in the mud, and our puppy does the same. Here at Survival Bros, we care about our animals, so we take good care of them, and prepare for their survival needs. This is a short list of items to have in a pet first aid kit. Some of these things you may already have on hand. All items can fit in a large Ziploc bag, which we like so everything is easy to see. Any portable waterproof container would be wise. Or you can even make a tactical dog vest, so they can carry their own gear. The point is, make one that works for you and your furry friend too.
Blunt tipped scissors to cut away clumped hair, or tangled sticks without poking your pet.
Bottle of eye wash solution is a great sterile way to flush any debris from your pets eye.
Hydrogen Peroxide works well for cleaning small wounds.
Triple antibiotic ointment for dressing wounds after they have been properly cleaned.
Sterile nonstick pads are best as adhesive strips don’t really stick to puppy fur (Vet Wrap).
Nail trimmers, tweezers, and comb.
A leash in case it’s not your animal your treating, you still need to be able to control them if they are able to walk.
A big clean towel to dry them off, warm them up, or if needed, stop bleeding by applying pressure.
A muzzle that fits your animal is good to have in your kit in case they are scared, or hurt bad enough. You love them, they love you, but in a fear moment while you’re trying to help them, they might bite you. Also consider putting a plastic cone around their head to prevent further injury.
Rain coat or poncho with hood.
Harnesses are helpful.
Also, make sure to have your animal’s tags on them in case they get lost. You can also have a microchip implanted in your pet for security reasons, and tracking. It’s a little 1984, but it could come in handy if a collar breaks.
Instant Cold Pack for swelling.
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) for insect bites and bee stings.
Rectal thermometer.
Gloves.
Extra pet food and water.
Basic first aid is applicable to animals and humans. Knowing how to properly clean and dress a wound is survival basics. Being able to do it on yourself, someone else, or a pet means you can potentially safe the life of a loved one. In an emergency, remember to keep calm, think rationally, and address one issue at a time. Be extreme out there people, and take your pets outside with you! And please visit Survival Bros again soon. Peace.
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 