Produced by Cameron McKirdy
See how I score a free haircut from a #SportClips store in #Oregon Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to Survival Bros on YouTube, and FOLLOW us on Instagram.
Here’s a picture BEFORE I got my complementary trim. I was happy to find a coupon in a grocery store! What an improvement, huh? Man my hair grows fast. I need a cut every 2 weeks.
Thanks for visiting my #preparedness #blog Hugs to you! For more fun with me (Cam) click: CuddleLife.com
By Cameron McKirdy
A survivalist and cancer fighter answers my questions about his unique ride. This electric trike gets 240 miles per gallon of gas. Talk about frugality and wellness wrapped in one man’s mission to live! The cyclist is always moving his legs, and getting a workout while going down the road. He had this tricycle loaded with groceries, and clean laundry. It could easily haul over 100 pounds of gear. What do you think of this survival mobile? More on the #survivalbros YouTube Channel. Subscribe today to watch all the HD video adventures for free online. Thanks for the support.
Feel free to leave a comment or word of encouragement for this man
By Survival Bros President Cameron McKirdy
Play ball with the Survival Bros mascot Mocha The Puggle. She is a pug and beagle combo, and contributes often to the blog. This is HD video of her catching and throwing the mini tennis ball back to me. She is the best. Having a pet like a dog around sure boosts moral during tough times. Doesn’t she look fly in the Seattle Seahawks jersey? It’s big, but she likes her gear baggy. More fun productions at http://www.cameronmckirdy.com
Mocha has conquered Saddle Mountain in Oregon
By Cameron McKirdy
I’ve had my hippie van for a week, and have burned through tanks of petrol. I’ve found several spots to crash out for a night or longer that are free places to stay, and I’m willing to share this and more with you today – only on Survival Bros.
The first type of location I scouted out are places open 24 hours to the public. There aren’t many in small towns, but large grocery stores are a good start. Be on the look out for other campers, and recreation vehicles at the far end of parking lots. If you had to spend a night car camping in city limits, this isn’t a bad choice, because you probably won’t be hassled. Don’t forget you can always post up, and get some ZZZ’s at Rest Stops. I spent a night this week the parked at one. You’ll have access to the bathroom at all hours, trash, and potable water (in some cases).
Camping in a van solo can be lonesome. So I made an effort to hangout with other preppers, this time way outside of the city. The VW van, which I’ve named Shaggy, has been mobbing hard, so I felt comfortable driving to BLM land in the Clatsop Country Forest. I have AAA towing up to 100 miles, so I have no fear going off the grid. However, I still had cell phone service in the mountains, thanks to a well-placed tower. Two bros of mine led me to Lost Lake this week for a getaway. It’s stocked with thousands of trout begging to be plucked from the depths. I watched my buddies fish for a few hours, while I played with the dog, and poured drinks. I brought rum, and sparkling cider. The Martinelli’s was an excellent chaser.
Camping at the lake, or in the parking lot is prohibited, so we made our own spot down another gravel road. The lookout was spectacular. Below you can see a valley, and the Nehalem river. Which you can watch me and my Dad raft by clicking this link to YouTube. The fish were cooked on a spit for an hour or so, and tasted delicious. I wanted to take a bite out of the side of a raw fish, but I will save the sushi for when I’m being trendy in town. Wasabi, soy sauce, and ginger are a must anyways.
I didn’t feel like waiting for food to cook, so I grabbed two bags of Mountain House food, and heated water on my portable butane camp stove. It took four minutes to get it boiling. Then I opened the food pouches, and dumped the water right in. I resealed the grub, and in eight minutes I was ready to chow down. Now normally I would share, or save some of a feast this size, but I went beast mode, and devoured both bags. I combined the Mountain House biscuit and gravy meal, with scrambled eggs and bacon. It was terrific! I forgot to pack utensils though, so I used a six inch blade to carefully shovel calories into my face. In case you are wondering, the knife I used is called the COAST F611. It’s a survival tool I’ve been playing around with a lot lately, and I like it.
Dinner is served! Even our dog got some fish.
Fire looking cool.
Tactical Gypsy made his own coffee cup in the morning from a beer can.
Shaggy the VW Vanagon is a tank, and handled the gravel roads like a boss.
In the A.M. my two bros, the mutt, and I went back to the lake. I was busy getting fishing tips, journaling for fun, and doing basic breathing and stretching techniques. I love my yoga! We walked a trail skirting the water, and attempted to hook more gilled vertebrates. The fish were teasing us. Jumping out of the water and splashing near us. We did see one breach the surface and smack into a floating log. That was funny. Not amusing was the dog getting all muddy and wet, then coming right up to me to shake off. Of all the places. I almost took a swim, but decided to save that for another time. I didn’t need a bath that bad. Besides, have you ever seen a clean hippie? More from the road soon friends. Best wishes.
I’m cruising along. Listening to Tupac. Going through the busiest intersection in town, when I fly over my handlebars, and crash onto the pavement and my bike. I walked it off. And carried my bike to the sidewalk, hobbling.
The cargo net attached to my rear bike rack got unhooked, and wrapped up tightly in the gears. I stopped instantly. I was bleeding instantly too, and I’ve never gotten bruises so quickly. I have road rash on my left knee, and gashes, and scrapes here and there. It could have been worse.
Now I’m recovering. My wounds are clean, but still exposed. I’ve got my leg elevated, but the pain is setting in. I didn’t see it coming. Of course I wasn’t wearing protective gear. It was the nicest day on the Oregon Coast in months, so I didn’t wear my biking gloves, or pants. Shorts though, I wasn’t naked. The only thing I was prepared for was the fall. I’ve studied martial arts, so I know how to break fall, and minimize impact. Still, I’m going to be recovering for weeks. I didn’t have first aid on me either. But I usually do in my backpack. I was traveling light. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to make it. I’m a survivor. I hope chicks really do dig scars.
By Cameron McKirdy
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.
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.
By Cameron McKirdy
It’s Superbowl Sunday. Go nuts. Forget all your worries, sit back with a cold one, and watch TV. Soak up all the bread and circuses. This is what people are passionate about. Men playing with their balls.
Watching 3 plus hours of sports has to have some benefit right? I’m trying really hard to figure out what though. It seems all this energy is wasted. Why watch people compete anyways? Is it entertaining? Maybe we want to know who the loser is. I think it’s the viewers.
I’ve boughten into sports hype before. It’s something to do. And if you go to a game, you feel cool because you are a part it. But isn’t it all just a giant, intentional distraction? What should we be focused on instead? Community? Country? Family? Spending time doing almost anything other than watching sports on TV seems wise.
The viewers are on the bottom of the sports pyramid scheme. You pay to watch. Then there’s the athletes and sports reporters. They get paid OK for acting out a role. At the top of the sports pyramid is the Owner. He constructed the team, and gets paid to stage the show. The few control the many.
All anyone is talking about on Facebook, and twitter is college, and pro football. And if it’s not that, then there’s another league to follow. There’s always something completely manufactured to buy into, and consume. I say there isn’t a point to sports. There’s a point to being healthy, and fit, but watching sports games all the time is stupid. And if you have a fantasy football team, you may be special.
America, World, the time has come to put down the remote, and stop rooting for your favorite team. Instead, work together on real issues. Sports are ALL hype. See it, and don’t buy in. You deserve better. Your brain needs real knowledge. You can’t learn a damn thing watching college football or any other sport, besides maybe mixed martial arts. That’s badass, and MMA training could save your life. Team sports are lame. I want to see who is the best individual athlete. That’s why boxing, golf, track, cycling, and even chess are more interesting to me.
In conclusion, sports are used against you, to distract you from real issues. We’ve turned into a Nation of bandwagon fanatics, drunk on cheap food and savage entertainment. Walk away. Save yourself from becoming a look-alike, cookie-cutter, die-hard supporter. It’s all manufactured entertainment. You can enrich your mind with more. Dream bigger.
Looking for a secret spot to swim? Most tourists don’t know about The End of The World in Seaside Oregon. Here’s a quick blog about training in the estuary.
To find this chill beach spot, drive down 12 Ave. and turn right on N Franklin St. Go to the dead end and park. Take the short trail North to the beach. Hidden in the grass is yet another trail to explore.
The estuary is a great place to train. I swam the last two days there. The water is so cold! Maybe that’s why we were the only ones spashing around. When we went, the current was sucking hard into the Pacific Ocean. My hommie and I challenged ourselves to go upstream. I swam freestyle, then began swim-running in the shallow water. My Marine buddy worked on his survival/combat stroke. The combat side stroke, aka CSS was developed and taught by the United States Navy Seals. He was swimming on his side, kicking, and front crawling through the current. He had a very efficient technique. Learn that.
Swimming up current is tough. Survival Bros challenges YOU to try it this summer. Plus, If you like crab, you can wade through the estuary with a rake for an easy dinner. 2 or 3 crabs should satisfy your hunger after aqua running. All you need is melted butter.
Survival Bros is all about challenging yourself. Make missions for yourself to complete. It can be anything, from an endurance bike ride to swimming against Mother Nature. Go hard this summer. You’re responsible for your health. More preparedness blogs coming soon. Best wishes from the beach.
– Cameron McKirdy
Ya caught me with my pants down! I’m blogging while icing my leg. Last week I flew over my handle bars, and landed on lava rocks, biking down the steep McKenzie River Trail. This is my recovery process, with information that could help you heal.
When I went over my bike, I was wearing a helmet, but not gloves. Stupid. My hands are cut up, and my leg is still swollen and bruised, as pictured. I was covered in dirt, and dripping blood. Before I showered I cleaned my wounds with povidone-iodine antiseptic wipes, and sterilization wipes I typically use to sanitize my hands. Then I iced, but all I had to use was a small ice pack made to chill a sandwich or something else in your lunch. I really needed a large ice pack to go from my knee to my hip.
It’s been 5 days since my bike accident. My leg hurts less now, so I’ve been lightly massaging it. It’s instinctual. Massaging gets blood flowing there, and relaxes battered muscles. I’ve been using the R.I.C.E. method of: rest, ice, compression, elevation. In addition, I poured hydrogen peroxide on my cuts to kill any bacteria. Plus, I have been gently exercising and lightly stretching. I went for a long walk this morning. The only other thing I want to do is put tea tree oil on the surface of my black and blue bruised skin. With more attention and rest, my leg will heal up, and I will stop walking with a slight limp. Be safe out there on your bikes!
When you fall, and get hurt, your will to endure is being tested. You have to get up, dust off, take a breath, and ride on. It’s not easy knowing you can get hurt again, but you have to move forward. I had to fight through the pain, and get my head straight. I couldn’t lose my focus and end up getting injured further. All that mattered was getting to the truck, so I could get to basic first aid supplies, and leftover Hawaiian pizza.
In retrospect, next time I will wear more protective gear, and bring a small First Aid kit. I could have been stranded on the trail for hours with a broken leg. There were only a few people on that path, and I couldn’t get cell phone service. Be smart about the situations you put yourself in. Biking in remote locations should be done with extreme caution. Train hard, rest easy.
– Cameron McKirdy
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 