How, why and where?
I have been asked a lot of questions about adventuring, financing trips and motivation. Here are a few of the most common questions.
Ideally pasta and protein bars, in practice whatever I find next to the road. Quiet often that means cookies and chocolate.
No, I use komoot to plan and record my adventures. However, due to battery limitations during long adventures in the wild I may not record everything. During world records I use a satellite GPS which you always find on my website.
I usually carry a small power bank to charge phone, GoPro, bike computer and lights. I mostly turn them off and charge whenever I am in restaurants. This keeps me going for a few days
I have long-term relationships with most of my sponsors that take time to develop. it is very unlikely to get any paid sponsorship for your first major adventure. So, do a big thing and then ask companies to help for the next big thing not the other way around. Sponsorship is also not a charity, so think in terms of what you can do for the potential sponsor. Be creative if you don´t have a big reach, you might be able to help with blogposts, products testing or sth. similar.
Yes, please check my YouTube page. I am posting my equipment list there before every major expedition.
On most journeys I am alone, carrying a GoPro and a Selfie Stick. I mostly use the Gopro in time lapse mode and connect it with an App to choose the best pictures.
On a few adventures I am followed by a film crew / photographer who takes the pictures. All pictures that are not from me are credited on social media, so you can always see how this picture was taken.
Triathlon 360 Degree – 120-times Ironman distance around the world…and a few more adventures on the way.
I have a few big adventures that I still want to do when I am young like running across a continent, rowing across an ocean and skiing to the South Pole. My ultimate adventure would be a human powered circumnavigation of the globe which means rowing across the oceans and running/cycling the continents. When I’m old I might live on a boat and sail the world but who knows, I actually enjoy not knowing what lies ahead.
Going on an adventure in a wild part of the world is a big logistical challenge. Usually, I have a predetermined route that I calculated with komoot. However, I know that a lot of things can go wrong so my plans are always flexible.
I go quite fast, so I still find a place to buy food every few days. The only time I really struggled was in Siberia as distances between villages were massive. Water is never a problem since I drink from rivers and lakes which I find almost everywhere. When I am not on a record quest I also like to look for my food in the forest.
One of the questions I get most of the time. I do have sponsors and other sources of income. Finding sponsors is difficult and I recommend only trying this if you have a successful track record and a strong network. Asking around for free stuff is not really worth the effort.
That being said, going on a big adventure is very cheap. I always sleep in a tent and cook my own food. During my two year world cycle I spent less than 10€ a day and had an awesome time. You will be surprised how little you need to be happy.
The most important thing is knowing why I do it and really want it. During miserable times I ask myself if I would rather be somewhere else and the answer is no. I am lucky that I can follow my dreams and feeling miserable is sometimes a part of my dreams. The pain and suffering is only temporary but the memories of a great adventure stay. Stupid life choices some might say.