[pct-l] how do long distance hikers make a living?

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

I am 46 now. I did my first section (1200 miles) in 2008. I did my  
second section (1800 miles) in 2009. I quit my job and stayed  
underemployed while I did this. I was able to do this because I spent  
less than I made and had saved up a couple years of salary. So I quit.

In our culture of way too much working, you really cannot do a lot of  
traveling and adventure without sacrificing your job. You can get  
away with it once, but you can't make a lifestyle out of it. To make  
a lifestyle of it you have to choose fungible jobs. Waiting tables,  
working in gear shops, seasonal work. You have to stay out of debt  
and other commitments, too.

I work in web development. Right now I get 3 weeks of vacation a  
year. It's not enough to do any long distance hiking. But I'm saving  
my money again. Meanwhile I can tack on days to holidays to make for  
longer weekends that I can do shorter trips.

There are no things you can own that are better than owning your time.


On Oct 6, 2011, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> For any thru and long distance hikers, or simply those who hike for  
> more
> than 2 days at a time multiple times per month or year...how do you  
> generate
> income? I'm in my late twenties, recently married with a mortgage  
> and a job
> with limited vacation days. I am considering changing careers so I  
> can live
> my dream of hiking for extended periods of time multiple times per  
> year. Do
> you guys have any suggestions or experiences as to careers that  
> support such
> a lifestyle?