Working in the Great Outdoors.

**canoebie** · 01-13-2011, 10:48

Background is social work, now a Financial Advisor at a bank. Side business outfitting canoe camping trips for groups on the Manistee River in the north west part of lower Michigan. Do 6-8 trips of 3-5 days a year. Also have 7 acres, a pond, woods, etc. at home. Wife and I hang out lots and host hangs for area folks as well. We get out plenty and part time work is outside. When I retire, it will become full time as long as the weather and the body allows.

**Big Papi** · 01-13-2011, 11:28

I am a copier sales rep selling to the churches of central and southern ohio by day, and on weekends my wife and I run a dan's deli concession trailer on friday and saturday nights at OSU's campus serving food to inibriated kids. I can get outside when i want to thanks to being a sales rep.

**Muskrat** · 01-13-2011, 11:32

Spent 10+ years as an Outdoor Instructor for a "Youthful Offenders" facility primarily teaching backpacking, ropes course, top-rope climbing, and rappelling. Had a blast

. . . Then I get the notification that I will be a poppa

. .

! Realized at that point that working for non-profit organization, my salary wasn't going to cut it with my wife's new expectations for our growing family. Went to school for civil engineering, graduated in '07, now I spend 90% of my time in the office and 10% in the field. Really enjoy site development work... play alot with GIS and Google Earth so I always tend to "veer" off into the next upcoming adventure

**6_string_jams** · 01-13-2011, 11:33

Excellent! thanks everyone for the info! I've thought very seriously lately about doing Land Surveying. I've got a baby on the way, so moving away to college to do a Wildlife degree isn't happeneing any time soon. : )

**Muskrat** · 01-13-2011, 11:35

Originally Posted by 6_string_jams

Excellent! thanks everyone for the info! I've thought very seriously lately about doing Land Surveying. I've got a baby on the way, so moving away to college to do a Wildlife degree isn't happeneing any time soon. : )

Sounds like a great compromise! Hope there is plenty of work to support your career. We are struggling down here in SC but with a bit of patience, work is to be had.

Good Luck.

**Red Wing** · 01-13-2011, 11:44

Originally Posted by Big Papi

I am a copier sales rep selling to the churches of central and southern ohio by day, and on weekends my wife and I run a dan's deli concession trailer on friday and saturday nights at OSU's campus serving food to inibriated kids. I can get outside when i want to thanks to being a sales rep.

Where do you set up Biggy? I'll come down and get some "street meat" from you guys some time. btw, you got your UQ/TQ yet? Haven't heard anything recently 'bout a weekday hang since your last thread.

As for me,I'm an account manager and I'm stuck in an office, all day. It's mind-numbing monkey work. Also with my schedule I find it pretty difficult to get outdoors as much as I'd like. The plus side is I can take time off whenever I want as long as my partner is agreeable but the catch is I have to make it up or not get paid (I always opt to make it up). Making up time consists of 16 hour shift, 2pm-6am

Don't get sick days or vacation days TECHNICALLY. It's a crapshoot but it's recession proof.

**mountaingoat** · 01-13-2011, 11:54

I work as a gardener/ groundskeeper at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Magnificent campus overlooking the bay, with meadows, redwood forests, oaks, madrones, bays.....I walk through sequoias from my car to my little office and I get to see the sunrise over the ocean every morning, since I start work at 6. This morning was actually one of the most spectacular sunrises I have seen. I am so very lucky! On my breaks and lunch I search for Chanterelles, practice setting up my Traveller and tarps among the trees. Besides my fulltime job there, I have side jobs, also mostly outside. Today at 3 pm I get to take a corporate group on a hike along the Ocean, by Ano Nuevo. We will walk by a colony of Elephant Seals....

**Bomber** · 01-13-2011, 12:02

Originally a educated informatics man, but haven't really worked in that field. Had my own company for some years(and nearly killed myself with stress and work). Been in the medico technical business, more specifically the IVF field(In Vitro fertilization) But got some serious back problems and haven't worked proper for the last 4 years just the odd small time job here and there

(but loads of time to spend on HF

)

/Bomber

**The Belgian** · 01-13-2011, 12:17

I manage a 700 acre estate (250 acres of fields and 450 acres of woods). I have worked here for the past 9 years. We have 4 horses and 6 ATVs. One family owns it and comes up for a weekend once a month. My wife and I have lived on the property for the past 3 years. Over the past 9 years myself and one other guy have cut in 10 miles of trials for horse back riding and ATV riding. We have several wildlife food plots that I manage. We also have 4 acre pond with catfish, large mouth base, talopia in the summer and trout in the winter. We also have 250 yard rifle range. I do spend alot of my free time in the woods "hanging" around, and enjoying the fruits of my labor.

**Chocolatier** · 01-13-2011, 12:20

Hey, I'm a chocolatier--which means I already work and play in the same place!

I often share chocolate (hot and otherwise) when I'm backpacking, so that's work. Occasionally get to a plantation or other cool outdoor place. Anyway, everyone knows that cacao beans are the ultimate backpacking food.

Rich