Smoke and Fire Under a Red Sun - Sink or Swim 96

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Music by Motorboats (https://soundcloud.com/mtrbts)

Supporting Simon
Thank you for watching and liking my videos. I really appreciate your support, and if you’re interested in more, please check out my Patreon for further access to my content and to choose perks that promote my projects and even let you become part of them: https://www.patreon.com/FindingSimon

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For simple straightforward donations, go to my Paypal: paypal.me/ShelbyandSimon
Thanks so much!

Following Simon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finding_simon/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/findingsimon
Website: http://simonstiles.com/

Asking Simon

– Who are you?
I’m a Canadian photographer from Ottawa who got rid of everything to travel the world. I make vlogs sharing my ups and downs, and my adventures in vans, on motorbikes, and on sailboats.

– Who is Champ?
Champ is my handsome 14-year-old Labrador, who travelled almost everywhere with me for his whole life. He loves chin scratches, fetching sticks, and scarfing down cheeseburgers and pizza.

– What camera equipment do you use?
I use a Panasonic FZ2500, a DJI Mavic Pro, a Rode video micro with Deadcat, a Zihyun Crane 3 Axis Gimbal, as well as DIY tripods and lights.

– What are your vehicles?
I drove a 1992 Dodge Ram B350 camper van all over North America for about two years.
Travelling by motorcycle made for some unique trips. I explored the Canadian Maritimes (and deserts and backroads all over the continent) on a 2002 Kawasaki KL250 Super Sherpa dual sport bike, and also rode my 1999 Yamaha V-Star XVS1100 cruiser with a Champion Escort sidecar across my home country twice.
From land to water travels: I currently live and work on a 1979 Wharram Oro 47 catamaran.

– What are your plans with the boat?
I will fix it up, run it on nothing but green electric power, and sail off into the sunset. Stay tuned for the growing build and the adventures to come!

– How do you find all these cool places we see in the videos?
To gain access to my complete research and the world traveller’s map I curate during my explorations off the beaten path, you need to hit me up on Patreon. Here are a few websites I frequent: https://freecampsites.net/, https://www.campendium.com/, http://www.atlasobscura.com/, https://www.couchsurfing.com/

– How do you afford your lifestyle?
I live and travel economical by using free camping and mooring, cooking my own meals, thoroughly researching products and how-to’s online, practicing a DIY approach, and being as efficient as possible with my resources. I’ve struggled financially for most of my life, and although I’m blessed with helpful friends and family as well as being able-bodied, white and male, I don’t subscribe to the belief that you need someone footing your bills in order to pursue your passion. So, I learned that you DO need to sacrifice comfort, consistency, safety, and a traditional career but that it IS possible, worth it, and the only lifestyle that makes me happy.
I make my income almost entirely by creating content for YouTube, but it’s a tight budget. Ad revenue, business sponsors, affiliate links, Patreon, Paypal donations, and merchandise sales bring in about as much as a part-time job, and I’m able to make that work. When it isn’t enough, I go back to regular work such as photography, videography or construction, but that takes the focus away from my own projects.

– How does your dog fit into this lifestyle?
It’s really not as difficult as people seem to think. I spend most of the day with Champ anyways, since we enjoy similar things, like eating food and being outdoors. I let the constraint of bringing my dog with me help me make decisions about where I go and what I do, so I avoid places that ban dogs, and therefore spend more time in nature instead of in cities.

– How do you make it work as a digital nomad?
My electrical power set-up allows charging my camera and laptop to film and edit almost daily. For Internet access quick and reliable enough to upload my episodes a few at a time, I use coffee shops and libraries. I also use a data package on my phone (10GB), a WiFi antenna, and a WiFi booster.