whats your job? is it outdoor work? does it fit around bushcraft?

[4D_scumpunx]

I was just thinking the other night before falling asleep as usual about the outdoors, camping, being out under the stars and was wondering how others fit it all around there work, or if they do work outdoors or something that closely relates to bushcraft, wood crafts, forestry, gardening?

so what does everybody do for work, careers?
I myself have just come out from working in a garden centre, now looking to try and get a job in the outdoors or working with wood, forestry work, gardening, etc etc
I am just looking at trying to get an apprentice job in joinery.

 

[Shewie]

I work in IT and have done for the last 13 years, I had plans to go to college and do a countryside management course and try to get with the FC or NT, with all these quangos getting quashed I'm just sitting tight for the time being and see how it pans out.

The way I look at it now is that I get my head down where I am but still make sure I get plenty of playtime each month, usually a trip up to Scotland or the Lakes.

Hopefully I'll get a change at some point but right now I can't afford to throw away a good career if there's nothing to go into. It's a shame but it's reality for me.

 

[John Fenna]

Canoe coach, magazine gear tester, walks writer for a mag, a bit of bushcraft instruction work, craft work ... and a little releif support work for Mencap.
You could say that bushcraft is my life - with a little work in around the edges
Mind you I am poor as a church mouse - but as happy as any can be!

 

[Mesquite]

I used to work outdoors for 22 years as a groundsman.

Now I'm in 10 years in a totally new career with the probation service. I'm still able to get out and about from the office which helps

 

[g4ghb]

I'm also in IT but get out when I can - unfortunately there is scant few opportunities to combine business with pleasure AND bring home the bacon....

 

[g4ghb]

I used to work outdoors for 22 years as a groundsman.

Now I'm in 10 years in a totally new career with the probation service. I'm still able to get out and about from the office which helps

I thought you told me you had been ON probation for 10 years Steve!?

 

[Mesquite]

I thought you told me you had been ON probation for 10 years Steve!?

LOL... that's with the wife

 

[tomongoose]

I run a paintball centre, we run Paintball, Airsoft, Laser, Archery and Bushcraft so I get paid to spend all day playing in the woods
the only down side is the huge amount of paper work

 

[MartinK9]

Retired woop woop

 

[Wayland]

I'm a professional Viking when I'm not being a Roman or a Pyrate.

Bushcraft comes in very handy when you've got a Monastery to burn...

 

[4D_scumpunx]

Canoe coach, magazine gear tester, walks writer for a mag, a bit of bushcraft instruction work, craft work ... and a little releif support work for Mencap.
You could say that bushcraft is my life - with a little work in around the edges
Mind you I am poor as a church mouse - but as happy as any can be!

brilliant, how did you end up getting such good jobs? i know all about poor at the moment, im out of work and cant sign on due to my partner having to much of an income, and i had a period of time not working a few years back /or signing on so i cnt get contribution based...
though if you work in a job you love and get little out of it penny wise its the joy of being happy with your life doing what you want to do. what ive allways thought and allways will, you cant buy happyness.

 

[bigandy]

i sell sky for a living!! so dont get out that much!!

 

[FGYT]

was a Mech Design and production enginneer

now a house husband looking after 2 kids (2 & 4)

after to much time on forums im now registered for Tax as a self employed Cutler (they would take maker of Sharp n pointy stuff as a Job )

 

[whitey3192]

im a scaffolder, no chance of doing anything bushy at work at all.
mind with this snow ive not even managed to get in, so im losing money whilst sat at home when i could be out practicing snow shelters and sub climate drills i suppose

 

[John Fenna]

brilliant, how did you end up getting such good jobs? .

I quit my job in IT when I was 20 (realised it was a poor choice!) after just 12 months working.
Lived out of a rucksack for a year and got work with an Outdoor Charity as a trainee outdoor skills instructor. Fro m there got work in various centres gaining experience until I ended up as a level 4 canoe coach, Mountain Leader and all round outdoor skills instructor. For a number of years I lead overseas expeds for teenagers and visitted lots of places I would never afford to travel to alone.
I took some time out from outdoor work due to injuries - but turned it to getting a Btec in Fashion Design... and then turned that into work for Craghoppers and Snowdon Clothing designing outdoor gear. Read gear reviews in SWAT thought they were poor and offered to write some myself...and was accepted!
Wrote for them for years (and other mags as well) and got into writing up walks and gear reviews for mags such as Walking Wales, TGO, Country Walking, Trail etc, produced books on walking and cycling in West Wales and making DIY clothing and kit (such as my "Basic Guide to making your own Budget Bushcrafting Equipment" for sale on this site only), was a Scout Leader for 15 years and made good contacts...
As I was having such a great life I thought to make others lives a bit better and ended up doing the releif support work for peanuts.
There you have it
I do not work - I get paid to have fun, I try not to make rich men richer but peoples lives richer!
I can afford to do this as my wife paid for our house cash onthe nail after saving hard for years - no mortgage or rent to fret about - and we have no kids - so BOTH major money drains are sorted!
In my spare time I am heavily involved with our local Am Dram group - see me as Baron Tightfist iin our Panto this year - my local church...I am out 5 nights a week, and I support several charities with donations of goods and by buying most of the stuff I do buy in their shops!
I owe no money anywhere, all that I do earn is mine to spend as I will (barring council tax) and I earn so little that I have not paid income tax in 30+ years...
But I love my life!

 

[JonathanD]

I'm a field herpetologist, so obviously I get outdoors alot in the UK doing mitigation and survey work. I also get to go on expeditions abroad when a herpetologist is needed that specailises in Elapids and Vipers. All of this lets me practice bushcraft as part of my work almost daily. Not so much in the Winter though, but I get more free time and expeds are usually sheduled around those months too.

 

[pwb]

Used to work on an estate, which was a pretty varied job , quite a bit of forestry and sawmill work along with fencing and general building repairs....jack of all trades, same on most estates .
Now work on a small local nature reserve which also trains young people in various outdoors skills .

 

[brickie]

I'm a bricklayer/ stonemason so i'm outdoors all day, in the summertime it's great , but in winter it can be crap i.e rained off , to cold to lay or like the last couple of days snowed off. Even though were dry stone walling at the moment ,the stone's are either frozen to the ground or under the snow , so not i'm not earning any money at the moment ,not to worry though i wouldn't change job's i love being outdoors ,cheers

 

[Shambling Shaman]

I'm a Gardener/Estate worker so I'm out all the time, If I set the fire in the morning I use feather sticks etc just to keep my hand it.

when I "Weed" the garden the wife uses what we can - Dandelion leave, nettles etc.

 

[Nonsuch]

Self-employed consultant, which means I can fit bushcraft, canoe and archery stuff in pretty well whenever I want (and therefore don't do so enough !)
NS