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
Attention my fellow Survival Bros: Check our my new vehicle for car camping! The old 2.1 Liter Volkswagen Vanagon has been sold to a hippie. This 1994 Chevrolet G-20 van cost $2,000, and has 136,000 miles on it. I’m hopeful that the Chevy will be much more reliable than the 1986 VW bus I lived in for nearly 2.5 years! I must have had AAA tow my last ride 13 times to a mechanic or home.
#SurvivalBros is creating a new video series on vandwelling in this RV. You’re gonna want to see every episode of my travels. I’m bursting with information, and tips to share about living on the road. Share this vlog and blog post with friends into #vandwelling Subscribe today on YouTube HERE!
Hanging out at “Surfer’s Parking Lot” near The Cove in Seaside, Oregon. Checking the wave conditions and people watching along the coast.
The 1986 VW Vanagon runs into a problem on the commute to a Lifeguard training program in #Oregon My car just won’t stop honking due to cold weather. So odd. Please comment if you know how this car trouble issue can be fixed! Thanks for visiting our preparedness blog #survivalbros Follow by entering your email address above on the left side of the page. You’ll get all of the articles sent directly to your inbox, no spam, and we won’t give away your info. Thanks.
Come back often for #vandwelling updates and adventures in the wild.
Screenshot from the video. My RPM gauge is the only instrument that works in the VW Vanagon! I can’t figure out how to reset the clock either. Plus, the odometer and speedometer are broken, so I go the the GPS unit for more information on my drive sometimes. The van needs some love. My heater fan went out last summer, but will require taking off the dash.
Please like, comment, and share this vlog post with your friends. The Survival Bros community is really growing, and taking off – because of your help and support.
Survival Bros Product Testing The Gerber Prodigy Blade By Breaking a Glass Car Window
Using a “survival” knife to break glass for people locked out of their vehicle, Survival Bros helps by smashing a small car window, so the owner can get his keys and go home. The gentleman’s girlfriend locked the keychain in the car by accident before setting off on a day hike. At first, their solution was to simply throw a rock at the shiny, new BMW Sedan! They decided against that method of breaking in. He didn’t care about money it would cost to repair his ride, because he has auto insurance. I guess insurance covers women. The couple would have been stranded on the mountain at night, if they couldn’t get in. There’s NO cellphone service in The Forest. Fortunately, she was able to reach her arm in without getting hurt to pull the door handle open from the inside.
Would you call the Gerber Prodigy a true survival knife? Comment. It’s smaller, and only has versions featuring irritating serrations. Most friends I’ve encountered aren’t fond of this blade profile, because it takes away from the cutting surface area. Total length of 9.75 inches and blade length of 4.75 inches.
On the plus side, the sheath is quality, making it easy to lash, or attach to your backpack. MOLLE compatible, with a leg strap to try as a carrying position. The rubberized grip works well, and fits in hand ergonomically. It’s a bargain entry level survival or combat knife. Whatever you want to call it, or use it for, the price is right on Amazon for under $40 with free shipping. I’m going to beat mine to Hell this summer in the woods, then consider packing the LMF II, or something new. Have any knife recommendations for Survival Bros? You can always email me at thesurvivalbros@gmail.com
Watch Survival Bros breaking car windows with that blade too! It’s considerably bigger, and better.
Don’t try this! But if you do, wear proper eye and hand protection.
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Take a look at my new commuter bike called the Giant Sedona. It’s been way more comfortable to cruise in than my hardtail mountain bike. I like being able to ride up high, and adjust the handlebars so I can sit up straight. In the HD video you can see all of the extras I threw on it. Building a bike, although it not from scratch, is still a blast, I purchased new Defender fenders to keep myself fresh, a tiny black bell so I don’t have to scream at all the tourists to move or die, water bottle holders for hydration 24/7, and a big manly basket to hold my wildflowers in (more like edible mushrooms). Andy at Prom Bike Shop in Seaside, Oregon told me this bicycle would be an excellent candidate for a 49cc motor, so I’m thing about that upgrade. It’s a work in progress. I’m just grateful to have a bike that doesn’t destroy me after riding it short distances. I’ve never owned a Giant before, but I’m sure I will be satisfied. Like the satin black color with gold trim? It’s different. You’ll see more videos and blogs featuring this whip soon. Thanks or supporting Survival Bros. The website has been doing great, and our YouTube audience is growing rapidly. So please subscribe to our channel here if you haven’t, or click the link to discover other related fun videos. Peace.
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.
Another day, another hustle. I picked up this vintage Univega mountain bike at a garage sale I found on Craigslist. I wasn’t planning on going to any sales that day, because I was having my own. But the post said there were 100 bicycles for sale, so I had to peep it. This one caught my eye. It’s black, my fav, and had nice big tires on it. Plus, I was pleased that the rear rack came with. I’ve been wanting a hardtail bike, so I can put side bags full of survival gear on it, and possibly a motor. I think this whip is an excellent candidate for a motorized conversion. Now I’m hunting for the right kit on eBay to make it happen.
The lady at the garage sale had this gem priced at $80. Not happening. I pointed out the busted up seat, and said I’d have to replace it. She didn’t want to budge, but I explained it would help me out, because I don’t have a car. So she caved, and took my two crispy 20’s. I was pumped, and felt fortunate for the come up. I thanked her, checked out the rest of her crap, and bounced back to my sale. A hustlers work is never done.
It’s cool finding old stuff at Goodwill, pawn shops, and estate sales. It gives you the chance to learn about products you didn’t know about. Turns out, this brand was one of the first to develop mountain bikes. Very cool. If you know more about Univega, or have other ideas to improve this, please share. Thanks for visiting Survival Bros.
I was on a mission today. It was too sunny not to train hard. I got a good sweat going.
It’s Spring Break! My hometown Seaside Oregon was full of life. The bumper cars, and mini golf course were finally open. The smell of freshly dipped corn dogs in the air. But I biked by, and checked out the action on the beach. I didn’t stay long. I was going for speed and distance today.
I did stop for a raw Synergy kombucha, and found a new green one with chunky chia seeds. It was dank. Slightly sweet. It’s full of healthy bacteria and blue-green algae. It’s an energizer. The convenience store also offered free reverse osmosis filtered water. I filled 2 big bottles, and packed them up to the gravel logging roads.
It was a great day, bursting with sun. I rocked out, and flew down the mountain. I had it to myself. I used the Nike+ GPS iPhone app to track my route and progress. I check Google maps a few times to make sure I didn’t take a dead end. A few of the hills were monstrous, and needed to be walked up, but I like mixing up riding with hiking.
With a few water breaks, and stops for a picture, I went 10.7 miles in 1 hour 50 minutes. I figured the loop would take 3 hours. It was a solid training session. I only laid the bike down once trying to muscle over a down tree. I slammed some protein when I rolled out of the woods and got home, just before darkness fell. I wish you were there, but you may have slowed me up. ;^].
If you follow Survival Bros, then you know I just got back from St. Louis. I had too much fun there. Now, it’s back to the grind, and making videos. The short video above is what it’s like to be inside the beautiful Gateway Arch. The ticket to the observation deck is $7. The pods that took us to the top are tiny. They uncomfortably sit five. It took 4 minutes to float up via elevator. From the peak of the arch I had a spectacular view of all St. Louis. It’s a fascinating, and lively town, especially if you enjoy baseball, beer, and BBQ. But the arch was the highlight of my trip.
This was a wild trip. My Dad and I had been scouting the river, and planning the ride down the Nehalem river for months. He read all he could find on the dangers, and decided to try floating from a higher point at Spruce Run. After pumping the 14 foot cataraft up, we got it loaded on the trailer, and headed south past Cannon Beach on Highway 101. Our friend Steve tagged along. He knows the Nehalem well, and has been fishing for Steelhead on it for years. We used his rig to shuttle us back to the trailer, and drag the raft up a steep bank at Beaver Slide after traveling 13.3 miles.
This journey didn’t go exactly as planned. We unhooked the raft too soon, and it fell off the trailer when we were backing it up to the water. After that mishap, we picked it up by hand, and got her wet. It was a smooth ride at first, but early into the excursion we lost an oar lock. Thankfully, Pops was wise enough to have an extra on hand. Without the oar lock, we would have lost an oar and been screwed. I had a great time chatting with the boys, and relaxing. We were also trying to locate a lost dog, that had a $2500 reward for information resulting in his rescue. No luck on that. We did however see a coyote, fish, and a bald eagle.
Hauling the massive raft on the custom trailer
The Nehalem got rougher, and more dangerous as we got lower on the river. The water was freezing, and we were wet. I had a wetsuit, booties, and gloves to stay warm. On a quick stop I used the spring water I collected to make Mountain House spaghetti with my Jetboil Zip camping stove. Steve and I warmed our hands on the hot bag as the food cooked. Near the end of our unexpected journey we ran into more trouble. We got hung up on a boulder, and spun around. Then at Salmonberry Drop we got blasted by a 7 foot wave, and my camera went out. You gotta watch the video in 720p HD. It was a hell of an adventure. We got out alive, but not without a little suffering. We won’t be rafting the Nehalem again soon.
Here’s a fun video I made of the first time my Dad and I rafted the lower part of the Nehalem River.
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 