Jake Bridger

I grew up in San Diego, which most people don't associate with hunting or survival. But I grew up in a military family, and that changes the way you see the world. Self-reliance wasn't a hobby — it was just how things worked. My earliest memories involve fishing. I honestly can't remember a time before I had a rod in my hand.

I started hunting around 2000 — rifle, shotgun, and bow. Twenty-five years later, I've hunted across multiple states and I'm still learning something new every season. That's the thing about the outdoors. The second you think you've figured it out, you haven't. The desert out here in Arizona teaches you that lesson fast.

Before I got into tech, I worked as a butcher. Most hunters pay someone else to process their game. I was the someone else. I know what a clean cut looks like, how to break down a deer in under an hour, and why most people waste more meat than they realize. That experience shaped how I think about the full cycle — from field to table, nothing wasted.

I'm CPR and First Aid certified, because when you spend enough time in remote places, you realize that knowing how to tie a tourniquet isn't optional. It's just something you should know. I've been a self-taught survivalist for most of my adult life — not the bunker-in-the-woods type. More the "I want to know how to handle whatever shows up" type. I watch every survival show, every outdoor documentary, every instructional video I can find. And then I go test it.

Right now, homesteading is where my head is at. I'm researching it seriously — the land, the setup, the animals, the crops. It's the next chapter. The goal is full self-sufficiency, or as close as you can realistically get.

I have three sons, and I'm teaching them everything I know. How to hunt. How to fish. How to build a fire, read a map, dress a wound, and stay calm when things go sideways. That's really why I started Survivorpedia. I wanted to build something that captures all of this knowledge in one place — not the flashy, gear-obsessed stuff you see everywhere else, but the real, practical skills that actually matter when it counts.

I love adventuring and traveling. There's always a new trail, a new hunting spot, a new lake nobody's fished yet. And honestly? I'm working toward getting on Alone. That's the goal. Until then, I'll be out here putting in the work and sharing what I learn along the way.