View Full Version : Thru Hiker Job/Career choices
I'm curious as to what many who devote a good portion of their life to being on the trail (any trail) for extended periods of time do for a living. I've never seen myself as a career-man, and have enjoyed earning money to support a quasi-gypsy lifestyle as an executive chef, sous-chef, line cook, pastry chef, etc. It's worked out well, learning many styles of cuisine, with seemingly endless opportunities most places I go, with the added bonus that I'm never hungry. What about you?
I have jobs in a few places that will always take me on/back on and I take temporary jobs, sometimes lucrative temprary jobs. I live very frugally even on the fringe of society. By that I mean I don't own a car on the mainland( I do in HI), TV, have cable/dish etc TV, or own a microwave. I've leraned to question consumerism and materialism hence I'm not into buying a bigger house because I'm constantly buying "more stuff." I always find work in my field as a Landscale Architect, Landscape Designer, or Horticulturalist. Heck, if need be I'm a good enough builder, carpenter, mason, painter etc that I can always find as much work as I want usually where ever I want.
Food service is a good choice if you want to be semi transient. There are ski resorts that offer housing during the season and then you can hike for 6 months every year.
Lone Wolf
10-10-2013, 20:09
i worked 10 winters at Jay Peak ski resort as a snowmaker then hit the trail in the spring
MuddyWaters
10-10-2013, 20:24
Used to be that if your employment is seasonal ...you can collect unemployment.
Recent years some states have been cracking down on this. But some may still allow for it.
marshbirder
10-10-2013, 20:45
I'm a wildlife biologist and there are lots of seasonal jobs, usually for people building their resume before grad school, but I could probably convince someone to hire me (I'm currently a PhD student). I may have to depend on that for when I finish. I spent 5 years working different technician positions in 6 or 7 states before I went back to grad school the first time, and then I lived in Tampa for 4 years, which is the longest I've lived anywhere as an adult, outside of school. It's a good field for transients.
TheYoungOne
10-11-2013, 10:39
I'm surprised there are not more teachers, especially substitutes, or people who work for universities and schools. You have most of the summer off anyway, it just seems easy to take off an occasional spring or fall semester to do a thru-hike.
misterfloyd
10-11-2013, 15:24
I'm a teacher.
It is not as easy as you may think to take a day off. Yes I have summers off but I do not recieve a paycheck either during that time. I get out during that time.
When students are off, many times we are at required workshops.
We do not have a teachers Union in NC. We have less days off than you may think.
But you can bet your sweet fanny adams that I'm out as many times as I can. It keeps me sane!
Best,
Floyd
mtnkngxt
10-11-2013, 18:10
Funeral Director. Work crazy hours for months / years at a time, and then take a trip to reboot every few years.
hikerboy57
10-11-2013, 18:18
learn how to sell. if you do it well you will never be unemployed.most salespeople suck.
imscotty
10-11-2013, 18:48
I teach at a Community College and with my summers off that should have been ideal for long distance hiking. However, since I got married and had three kids I have had to take on every extra course I could grab to make ends meet. I am not complaining, but family responsibilities certainly change your priorities. In ten years my youngest one should be done with college and then maybe I can take a summer off. I just hope I can still walk by then :)
Seasonal work - raft guiding, ski jobs, and all other jobs associated with those industries. It's usually pretty easy to find a job in any town that's in close proximity to resorts, etc. And those places tend to also be in the middle of outdoor recreation meccas. Many places do their interviewing and hiring over the phone, as well. Super easy to get those kinds of jobs.
TheYoungOne
10-18-2013, 13:43
I teach at a Community College and with my summers off that should have been ideal for long distance hiking. However, since I got married and had three kids I have had to take on every extra course I could grab to make ends meet. I am not complaining, but family responsibilities certainly change your priorities. In ten years my youngest one should be done with college and then maybe I can take a summer off. I just hope I can still walk by then :)
LOL, you sound like me. I'm married with two kids, and the youngest is 11 while my oldest is 14. I was thinking 10 years from now I might be able to pull it off, but I hope I'm healthy enough to do it then. If anything I would think if you have that teaching gig, even if you can't take off the 4 to 6 months to thru hike the entire trail, you could hike half one summer vacation and then finish it up the other summer.
Autummyst
10-18-2013, 15:27
I teach at a Community College and with my summers off that should have been ideal for long distance hiking. However, since I got married and had three kids I have had to take on every extra course I could grab to make ends meet. I am not complaining, but family responsibilities certainly change your priorities. In ten years my youngest one should be done with college and then maybe I can take a summer off. I just hope I can still walk by then :)
Kudos Imscotty! I'm a professor at a community college as well...teaching Sociology :) I LOVE it. It's my dream job in every way. And I'm able to take spring/summer semester off and return back to the school for fall semester after the hike. What do you teach Imscotty?
I'm a wildlife biologist and there are lots of seasonal jobs, usually for people building their resume before grad school, but I could probably convince someone to hire me (I'm currently a PhD student). I may have to depend on that for when I finish. I spent 5 years working different technician positions in 6 or 7 states before I went back to grad school the first time, and then I lived in Tampa for 4 years, which is the longest I've lived anywhere as an adult, outside of school. It's a good field for transients.
Biology is an excellent field for a transient. I am currently employed as a protected species observer offshore, i work 6 months out of the year (unless i want to work more or less), and I dont even rent an apartment. I live in parks or on trails when i am landside, and store all my gear in my car (long term storage at airports is very secure nowadays). Of course im young, and free of any serious responsibility (i.e. wife/kids, debt, or any obligations at all lol) so i can afford to loaf about the country during my time off.
peakbagger
10-21-2013, 06:31
Pick up any trade, the only game is if the area you hang out in is union/non union. There is a incredible demand for good trade folks (electricians, welders, pipefitters). Once you get some experience, plenty of oil patch work.
stranger
10-21-2013, 06:54
If you really want to live a interesting lifestyle, don't try to fit your lifestyle preferences into your surroundings.
Instead, fit your surroundings into your lifestyle preferences.
The answer for me was to leave the United States, it's not for everyone...but it changed my life and I will always be very, very grateful I took the opportunity to see the world, because it was suppose to be for 6 months, and that was 11 years ago.
Again...not for everyone.
UnfamousK
10-24-2013, 16:48
learn how to sell. if you do it well you will never be unemployed.most salespeople suck.
agreed....once ur good at it...the product/service doesnt matter....and every industry needs salesmen
Night Train
10-25-2013, 21:20
Career Firefighter/EMT, my rotation is 24 on 48 off, I have a very generous vacation schedule that gives me the months of November and December off for hiking, hunting and snowshoeing. My usual 48 hrs off between shifts gives me ample time to head up to Michigan to hike, ski and snowshoe. I'm an empty nester to boot, only accountable to myself.
rocketsocks
10-26-2013, 04:54
I met a fella this past spring on the trail who is a Merchant Marine, he said he works 6 months on and gets 6 months off to hike, I believe his words were..."I freakin love it"
He went to school for it in NY City??? if memory serves. good luck what ever you do.
rocketsocks
10-26-2013, 04:56
Oh, and the money was good...but keeping a steady relationship was a little tough.
modiyooch
10-26-2013, 07:52
I am a professional with a desk job. I work from 16 to 50 hrs a week. I am currently an independent contractor, but even before branching out on my own I made ever effort to be out there during holidays, vacations and long weekend.
Firefighter503
10-29-2013, 02:47
I met a fella this past spring on the trail who is a Merchant Marine, he said he works 6 months on and gets 6 months off to hike, I believe his words were..."I freakin love it"
He went to school for it in NY City??? if memory serves. good luck what ever you do.
It is definitely in NY, but I can't remember if it is in NYC or not. Definitely a good way to go. As would be any contracting job that makes enough to support you between contracts. For instance, I currently work as a contractor in the Middle East, and many of the guys (and gals) work a year, take a year off, etc. There are lots of contracts on oil rigs, etc. that are variations of x weeks/months on, x weeks/months off, repeat for as long as you like.
double d
10-29-2013, 03:37
I'm a full time community college professor in Illinois and I have the opportunity to take some time off during the summers to hike (Illinois has strong faculty union laws), but most of us have very busy teaching loads in the summer. But its a great profession that does allow for hiking and other activities like fly fishing, hunting, etc. in the great outdoors!
Jeff Kindy
10-29-2013, 08:24
Outdoor/Survival School owner.
That is the goal anyway as I build up the school to support me and the wife after the youngest moves out.
Currently I am a Maintenance Planner / Millwright. I can find work anywhere in the trades. We bring them into the plant all the time in Michigan. They come from all over the country, Texas, Tennessee.