How Do I Make Money as an Adventurer?

I would like to quickly explain how I make money as an adventure. But I also want to write this post for selfish reasons – to save me from having to repeat the answer to this frequently asked question. Although I was working with an outdoor brand for approx ten months, this affiliation came to an end in late 2021. Anyway, here’s the short answer:

– I’m a “working adventurer” and make most of my money as a writer online.

Here’s a few more points about me that you might be interested to know:

• 95% of my adventures/trips etc have been funded entirely by myself.
• I often work as a content writer which accounts for 50% of my income.
• I sometimes work in warehouses/supermarkets for several months which accounts for 30% of my income.
• I receive “tips” on Ko-fi/Patreon which accounts for approx 20% of my income.
• I am very frugal with money. I don’t buy many “things” but I’m willing to spend money on adventures etc.
• I believe that not spending money is the key to having enough money to take an adventure. In other words, I think it’s often better to watch my spending rather than worry about what I’m earning.

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Why I am not Yet Sponsored by an Outdoor related Brand

For many years, I perceived professional sponsorship as being the best and only way to make a living as an adventurer. This meant I needed to grab the attention of outdoor brands and entice these companies into funding part of my trips. I knocked on a lot of doors throughout those years but nothing substantial ever came from it. I also found this process rather tedious and demoralising and decided to focus on earning my own money instead and pay for my on trips.

Then things started to change….

I did end up working with a couple of brands for a short time. However, I felt this influence was greatly affecting what I wanted to say or do as part of my videos. It was no longer “fun” and took much of my time away from connecting with my audience and saying things and doing things that I genuinely wanted to say and do!

About Giving Talks to Businesses Etc

Before the pandemic, I had given paid-talks to three of the top schools in the country and five more talks were lined up with businesses in Ireland. I was also giving talks online to big companies including Dell and Paypal but decided to step away from these talks for various reasons. Instead, to get through the pandemic, I took jobs in two different supermarkets and now work a 4am shift at a warehouse to help cover my cost of living – which it barely does!

How I’m Trying to Change the Way I Work

I recently handed in my notice at the warehouse in order to return to the trail. It means a return to uncertainty for my finances but I hope to cover the cost of living by writing online. It is also my hope that followers will check out the support page and one day soon, I might focus less time on making money and more time on making the videos.

Thank you for reading!