Help me leave the office for an “outdoor” job

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[Stephen M]

30 min round trip to the dungoen for me, spend 8 hours spent staring at 2 monitor split in the middle by going to the dungeon gym at lunch time, eat lunch in dungoen cell, go back to cave and dial back in to dungoen for an hour. bah humbug

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[Justin Baker]

"For most of us (other than school teachers and firefighters) we have on average: two days a week off, 6 holidays, and two weeks of vacation. Do the math… That's ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY days off per year! So don't waste your inventory of free time"

Nick, many of us need to drive 4-5 hours to get to a wilderness area. It's not always practical to drive all that distance on a friday after work, sleep at the trailhead, do an overnighter, and get back to the car sunday at a reasonable time. And it's often around $70 in gas. There have been times where I really wished that I could work 10 days straight and have 4 days off… but that would never happen.

[Nick Gatel]

Well, When I was your age I had to drive far distances to hike. So when I was 26 I moved. It's all about priorities :)

Move while you are young.

[Anonymous]

Have you looked into a 250 ninja or the like Justin? Gets really good gas mileage, especially if you learn to drive it in "eco mode". They use to be quite cheap even new, but in the last few years, i think got noticeably more expensive though still relatively cheap.

[Justin Baker]

Well that isn't an option because I'm not entirely supporting myself right now, but I generally agree. When I transfer humbolt or monterrey are at the top of the list.

[David Thomas]

Justin: "There have been times where I really wished that I could work 10 days straight and have 4 days off… but that would never happen."

I know lots of people who work "2-on, 2-off" which means 14 12-hour days (they feed and house you) and then you get two weeks off. THIRTEEN TIMES A YEAR! Now, if you drive truck, weld, or operate oilfield equipment, you might also be earning $90,000-$130,000 in those North Slope oilfield positions. But if you can get by on $40,000-$60,000 then house keeping, office work and food service is an option, too.

A budget could look like:

$50,000 annual income.
Change your address to Mom & Dad's house (saves $20,000 rent right there).
13 round trips to Anchorage (where you report for work): $7,000
No food bill for half the time.
Those 13 round trips don't all have to be back to M&D's – might as well go someplace fun / outdoorsy.
Some of the 13 shifts (May-September) are obvious times to stay in Alaska and recreate here. Heck, don't even fly back to Anchorage – the Brooks Range and Gates of the Arctic would be on your doorstep.

[David Thomas]

>"Nick, many of us need to drive 4-5 hours to get to a wilderness area."

In my 20's and 30's I hung with a university outing club. Lots of college students who wanted to get to the mountains but didn't have wheels. The paradigm was "driver doesn't pay" for gas. And the trip was wherever the driver(s) wanted to go. If you've got a beater that breaks down a lot, there are still repair costs, but I had a Corolla and it went 490,000 km and was still running when I passed it on.

[Justin Baker]

In a professional career, I can see that being possible. It's really difficult for someone in my position to get a job for more that 30hrs per week. There is overtime, legal issues, and of course obamacare.
My issue right now is I really need to pick up a part time job while I got to school 2 days a week. That means I'm probably going to be working weekends and I'm probably going to have no chances to go backpacking… it's going to be terrible. Unless I can find a job that is only mon-friday, but the only things I see available to me are miserable, pathetic service jobs.

My local community college doesn't have an outdoor club that I know of. I don't know about backpacking with other students, my idea of backpacking might be way too adventurous or extreme for casual backpackers. But hey if that's the only way to get out, then it's fine.

[Nick Gatel]

Justin,

A good education usually opens doors for good job opportunities. It doesn't guarantee a good job, just the opportunity to prove yourself. Work on this. While it may seem it limits your backpacking time, you can be creative and do that too.

A great paying job doing something you love is ideal. It can happen, if you work at it. And great paying jobs often have ample time off.

One thing about a good education, no one can take that away from you. And in the big scheme of things, it doesn't take much time.

Good luck, stay in school and stay the course.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I looked at what I wrote in 2008 – I had one kid then, he was mostly free-range (he was 11). I was on the cusp of freedom – business was booming, then the recession hit. I made it through, but had the worst last 2 quarters of my business in 2008.

My husband left one place a week before it fell that fall – and bounced through a couple of tech jobs, with companies failing, till he came to his current job, that he has been with the past 4 years. It was trying but good for us. Is it fulfilling for him? No. But it pays well. We build retirement, pay down our house and save.

In that time I decided to have more kids. Jobs are time and soul sucking? No, kids are. I didn't backpack till this summer – it had been FOUR YEARS since I had. But I love my boys (I have 3 now) and I'd not trade it. Had one of my best hikes ever on Sunday with my 3.5 year old middle son. 3 miles with him is like the best summit/weekend/death march – I see so much through his eyes.

I found myself again, I re-invented myself, found new ways of work that fulfilled me – and paid decent enough. My goal was and still is I wouldn't work out of the house once I had more kids. It is hard – I work when they are asleep, I had to hire out the sewing of my FBC Cozies (don't worry, a hiker sews them!!)

And I even published another book this month – my first ebook. Made me proud I did it!

You just have to find a way and how is all – and go for it!

[Author]

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