Working full-time and finding the time for hiking/bp'ing

[Splintercat]

I've been working mostly M-F since 1986, so am sympathetic with Mutt on the frustration of not having off-peak time to get on the trail! For many years, I've a modified scheduled that gives me a flex afternoon off, but in reality, that time is filled with family obligations, doctor appointments, etc., so not really a hiking day. Instead, I use my vacation in small increments -- and specifically schedule a few (3-4) mid-week days each year during peak season, so that I can enjoy uncrowded trails. Another option to check with your employer on is swapping a holiday for a non-holiday. I haven't done that, but have had workers do it in the past -- e.g., work on Labor Day and take the following Monday off.

I work in the public sector, so M-F is pretty much universal -- but there are some local governments that have adopted alternate schedules in order to save money. I think Clackamas County still operates on a 4-10s schedule, and I recently learned that the City of West Linn uses 9-hour days with every other Friday off (or closed, if you're trying to do city business!) That's my understanding, anyway, so those seem to be good employers for hikers to seek out!

Back when I worked in the private sector many moons ago, I worked in various forms of retail and it was GREAT for hiking, as weekends were our busiest time. The downside of retail is that you didn't typically have a fixed schedule, so it was tough to actually plan something like a backpack or even a day-hike a few weeks or months down the road. I wouldn't go back to that -- and I've always been especially kind to retail workers, since, too! Hard work with little respect awarded... but that's probably another topic...

Tom

[Guy]

I work Mondays to Fridays and am also busy most Saturdays that just leaves Sundays. Luckily my wife is happy to hike with me so Sunday we hike (48 out of 52 in 2016), it's kinda like going to church

[justpeachy]

It's tough for sure. As has been mentioned, you just have to make the best of it until you build up more vacation time. Sometimes you may be driving several hours after work on Friday and then driving home in the dark late on Sunday and hitting the hay at midnight, but if you had a great weekend in the outdoors, it's worth it! Sure you'll be limited in the places you can go (you can't really go to the Eagle Cap Wilderness when you only have two days), but you can really get to know your own backyard, then explore further afield when you have more time off.

It seems that the U.S. is REALLY far behind most other first-world countries when it comes to things like paid vacation, sick leave, and maternity leave. In other countries it's considered a GOOD thing to let employees have these perks because it results in happy healthy employees. I don't know why that's not the prevailing attitude in the U.S.

I recently learned that the City of West Linn uses 9-hour days with every other Friday off (or closed, if you're trying to do city business!)

Yup, they call it the 9/80 schedule (working 80 hours over 9 days instead of 10). But it's only for City Hall employees. The library and police are 7-day-a-week operations, which makes that kind of schedule pretty difficult.

[Aimless]

The USA is not kind to workers who would like time off for their own pursuits. As disappointing as the answer might be, I think the options are to schedule your hikes within your predictable days off, then make sure (insofar as the fates are kind) you get out on the days you set aside for hiking. If you can work with your employer to arrange for some flexibility in swapping days of work on normal off-work days in exchange for a run of days off when you want to hike or backpack, that's great, but employers aren't always receptive to oddball requests that might conceivably inconvenience the smooth operation of the business.

Lastly, as a more drastic resort, change occupations to a job that allows time off, even if it reduces your income. I was a school bus driver for 5 years before I retired and I didn't earn a hell of a lot, but got my summers off!

[retired jerry]

yet, maybe with computer automation, there is a shortage of work?

maybe we'll phase into 4 days a week, 8 hours a day? The available work spread around more people.

[miah66]

At any rate, my hiking is going to primarily be weekend overnighters for the foreseeable future.

See you out there, with everyone else.

[Guy]

While it's true most countries in the EU offer their workers far more vacation time than we get here in the USA there is a big and growing caveat. You have to be lucky enough to get a full time position. I don't know about all countries but in Germany, France and the UK for example more and more people are being forced to work part time or on what are called zero hour contracts. These come with no benefits & no paid vacation and a the number people having no option but to work like this is increasing as companies look for ways to manage costs.

Thirty years ago when I was living in France the entire staff was made up of full time employees but even then hiring a new person was the absolute last option for the company I worked for due to the long terms costs involved in giving someone a permanent position. Today that nursery and most others hire part time and seasonal contract workers.

[maobie15]

I also work 40 hrs/wk, M-F, typically 8-4:30. And I work at a hospital doing patient care, so I have to work occasional Saturdays and holidays as the hospital is never closed. I actually love working on the Sat as then I get a random Mon off, but then my favorite adventure partner (my husband) is working.

I've really struggled to balance my love for the outdoors and my love for my job. My birthday is over the summer, so I've always taken off a couple of days to do a backpacking trip or multiple day hikes. This is something I look forward to every year and I feel like it is a good use of my very limited vacation time.

Things that help me get the most of my weekends:
-Be packed and ready to go! (Mutt- it sounds like you have this down, so good for you!)
-Have trips pre-planned! I constantly have an arenal of about 3-5 trips that I would like to do for any given season. Most of these are day trips, but I do have a handful of single overnight trips I could take on a whim.
-Embrace getting more sleep on the weekdays so you can skip a little bit of sleep on the weekends for that adventure. Drive after work, get to the trailhead at 11 pm, then wake at 5 am in the summer to hike. Little sleep that night, but then I make up for it on Monday night, or something.
-Find a way for you to sleep out of your car! This way, I drive to the trailhead on Friday night, sleep in my car (quite comfortably too!), then I have ALL day Saturday to do stuff.
-Finding contentment with NOT having an EPIC weekend every single weekend.

I hope you can find that balance!