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
In this Survival Bros vlog I visit a gym to use a free trial membership. Really, I just wanted to use the sauna and shower at no cost. I encourage you to ask more, and see what you can get in life.
Using an infrared sauna will get rid of toxins, open pores, and relax tense muscles. It was hot as Vegas, but I loved IT. I lasted 25 minutes. No idea what the temperature was! After this I drove my new Mustang to Portland to hustle at pawn shops and thrift stores. I forget what I found…but I’ll find it again. ha
Out of nowhere, my VW Bus is struggling to start. Everything electrical flickers. The radio cuts out. The engine sputters. Plus, the battery and OXS (oxygen sensor) light came on. I called Avery’s Air-Cooled in Kelso, WA and they helped me diagnose the problem over the phone. We figured the issue was a faulty voltage regulator. Mechanics Jason and Kelly had a $40 Bosch part, and installed the unit for only $29. But before I got fixed up and back on the road, I was parked on the shoulder of Highway 101, waiting for Classic Towing to get me to another state – Washington. Thank God for AAA. I’m on the Premier towing package. Nothing but the best for my baby. Funny that I broke down on the way to the repair shop.
Avery’s Air-Cooled always hooks me up, and keeps my bill low. And if you have a Volkswagen, chances are they will have the part you need in stock. Call them to order something at (360) 425-1119 Here’s their website too! http://www.averysaircooled.com/ I will have to shoot some HD video there soon. They have tow truck loads of vintage bugs, buses, and beyond. And if you hang out long enough, you’ll get to see a traveling Art Show as the graffiti passes on the nearby train tracks.
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.
I can’t believe what I discovered at Goodwill today. At the thrift store I scored a super rare vintage Specialized Allez Sport racing bicycle! Winning. It took all my hustling skills to acquire it.
I walked around looking for treasure, but couldn’t find anything on the shelves, or in the glass displays. I’m always looking for things to flip. Right when I almost called off the hunt, I went to the back and peered through the doors marked employees only. All I could see were bins, and the bike of my dreams. I’ve been wanting a road bike so I can cruise down the Oregon Coast to hike and camp.
I found an employee, and she said the bike won’t be available until they price it tomorrow. I didn’t accept that. I told her I really need a bike, and I’d like to talk to the manager. He came over, and I said I’d be very grateful if he could sell it to me. So he brought it out, and said I can have it for $24.95! Unbelievable. It’s super clean, and loaded with custom parts. I said deal, and paid the man cash. It was even cheaper because I was in Washington, but showed my Oregon I.D., so I didn’t have to pay sales tax. I rode off into the sunset. I can’t find anything on this ride. If you know something about it, please share. I don’t know the year. If you want it, I can make you a deal.
Update: My local Specialized dealer informed me this is a 1994 Allez Sport. It retailed for $650 new.
It’s my pleasure to bring to you, my hike on Saddle Mountain in the snow, at night, solo. I love doing extreme stuff in the outdoors. It’s a rush, and you’ll get one watching this HD movie. This vlog is packed with action, and epic views. I will update this post with the details of my journey, and my full review of the LED Lenser products I tested. Thanks for visiting Survival Bros!
Produced By Cameron McKirdy – Survival Bros Founder
Survival Bros by Cameron McKirdy 