Tag: Opinion
-
Outdoors Station Podcast
I was interviewed last week for The Outdoors Station podcast. Started by Bob Cartwright in 2005, it is the longest running podcast of its type. We discussed my approach to expeditions (cheap and simple), my ethos (adventuring is no better or more noble than working in an office) and my grant (open for applications now).…
-
What Should Expeditions Expect in Return for Supporting a Charity?
I had an email recently asking me about using an expedition to fundraise for a charity and what one might expect from that charity in exchange. I’ve changed the wording of the original question and embellished my reply a little but the gist of it is published below. Thoughts welcome. What Should Expeditions Expect…
-
“Normal life” is Full of Routines But So is Cycling Around the World (and that’s no bad thing)
This time last year I was having the time of my life, pedalling across South Korea. Now, I am back in the UK and back in a normal job. Every morning, I get up at the same time, put the kettle on, eat my breakfast, make a packed lunch and cycle to work. Every afternoon,…
-
Is Crowd Funding an Acceptable Way to Pay for an Expedition?
Is “crowd funding” a great new way to kick start expeditions? Or is it just asking other people to pay for your holiday? Expeditions can be expensive. Although I personally advocate cheap adventures (like my friends Tom and Al do) and almost always advise people not to bother trying to get that elusive sponsorship deal,…
-
This Is What I Think About Adventurers
I recently sorted through some of my Opinion articles from over the years and drew out a few themes about expeditions and adventure. Here is a summary of my ethos with plenty of links… My strong view is that adventure need not require time, money or expertise. I don’t have a major beef with celebrity…
-
Honk Once for Hello, Twice for P*** Off
I am developing an involuntary reflex. At the sound of a horn, without volition, my right arm rises into the air. Though this may happen against my will, I am quite aware of the cause. Almost every day for the last six months, I have spent several hours at the right hand side of a…
-
Why Sean Conway’s swim is the greatest expedition of 2013
A couple of years ago, Dan Martin wrote a guest blog on this website predicting that swimming would be the next big thing to hit the expedition world. It often feels as though the world has now been fully explored, and that ‘world firsts’ are increasingly arbtirary – Tim and I joke that we are…
-
In Praise of Microadventures
Recently, the adventurer Alastair Humphreys has been running a campaign encouraging people to undertake what he calls “microadventures” – little adventures that typically happen after work or on the weekend, usually involve sleeping under the stars and often involve jumping into some water. Alastair has undertaken many great big expeditions – like spending four years…
-
Do More or Do Less? A Modern Conundrum
One of my qualities that I value most is my motivation. I like the fact that I am driven to do things like maintain this website and do all the stuff that fills its pages. As such, I frequently try to cram as much as possible into my days. Some examples include: Having a ticksheet on…
-
Dressing up an expedition as a charitable act is just plain wrong
Last week I posted a Twitter update with a link to an article with the tag line: “Dressing up an expedition as a charitable act is just plain wrong“. It opens with this: The next time some would-be adventurer tells me he’s doing an expedition to raise money for a cause, I’m finally going to…
-
So, Ben Fogle is Swimming the Atlantic
So, Ben Fogle is to swim the Atlantic. An almighty feat, no matter how you look at it. Mr Fogle’s activities often pique my interest (no doubt he is similarly fascinated by my life). This announcement, however, was not at all the kind of thing I would have expected from the Accidental Adventurer. I’ve written…