Hey all,
I just started a new job and my Paid Time Off hours have greatly been reduced from my old job. Don't get me wrong, I like my new job loads more then my old one, but wrapping my brain around how to still do trips with my limited PTO is a hard pill to take.

I am just asking for you all that have only two weeks off per year how you manage it. Do you do more weekend camping? Take unpaid time off? How do you get your fix?

Thanks.

I feel your pain. I went from six weeks of PTO to two. Luckily, I get to choose summer hours (4 ten-hour days, Mon-Thurs) so my weekends are longer.

My wife has had a couple job changes which reduced her PTO greatly. Unfortunately, have to find creative ways, like combining with a holiday weekend (bigger crowds notwithstanding), or maybe negotiating extra hours earlier in the week for a "comp day" later in the week.

One of the couple things that has kept me from grabbing something more lucrative is having five weeks vacation at my job, with the opportunity to "purchase" a 6th week... knowing that it's generally one of the more negotiable things when you get a job offer, when/if that time comes i'll be pressing hard to keep at least half that amount next job.

Good luck, I hope your employer has some reasonable flexibility and you can manage something!

Minnesotian: "
Hey all,
I just started a new job and my Paid Time Off hours have greatly been reduced from my old job. Don't get me wrong, I like my new job loads more then my old one, but wrapping my brain around how to still do trips with my limited PTO is a hard pill to take.

I am just asking for you all that have only two weeks off per year how you manage it. Do you do more weekend camping? Take unpaid time off? How do you get your fix?

Thanks. "

If your employer has weekend or holiday coverage needs, work those in return for comp days during a week when you would like to trip.

My position necessitates either banking holiday comp days or trading shifts with a co-workers to string together additional days off.

Just have to make do with what you have.

Obviously you'll have to decide if you want to take a week long trip and sacrifice with less days off elsewhere in the year or take a shorter trip and have more time to use throughout the rest of the year.

I always tried to get creative with combining trips with holidays but sometimes its just not possible. When I had 2 weeks of PTO I would generally just take shorter trips, usually 4-5 day trips with 2-3 of those being PTO days.

Now I've got 6 weeks of PTO plus I can work remotely on some days I need off so that saves some PTO and I can also flex my schedule to make up for half days. I usually try to work a half day on a departure day and cover the other half of the day by making up hours earlier in the week. That saves a PTO day and allows me to use it to add a full day to the trip that doesn't include driving. Now I tend to come to the end of the year and I've got to find ways to use up my extra PTO days. Its not uncommon for me to have a plans to take a day off only for work issues to pop up that cause me to cancel my day off and head into the office. I usually end up carrying a few days over to the next year but then that means I'll have closer to 7 weeks of PTO when I'm already struggling to use up 6 weeks.

Take as much unpaid time off as allowed. The only thing worth accumulating is free time.

Time is infinite. Your time is finite- own as much of it as you can.

Too late now but in the future after you get a job offer try to negotiate an extra week of vacation. They already want you so most of the time you can negotiate extras after receiving the initial job offer. As we get older 2 weeks of vacation just doesn't do it anymore. I am even finding out that the 5 weeks I have are not enough as I have to take days off here and there for kids activities or things I have to do and it gets eaten up a little at a time. I think America has in wrong in regards to time off and in general we don't get enough of it. By the way I hope to be on permanent vacation within the next year.

salukiguy: "Too late now but in the future after you get a job offer try to negotiate an extra week of vacation. They already want you so most of the time you can negotiate extras after receiving the initial job offer. As we get older 2 weeks of vacation just doesn't do it anymore. I am even finding out that the 5 weeks I have are not enough as I have to take days off here and there for kids activities or things I have to do and it gets eaten up a little at a time. I think America has in wrong in regards to time off and in general we don't get enough of it. ..........
"

Amen, saluki!!

Company I'd been with 20+ years was recently purchased by another. During the transition, the new CEO promised our benefits/seniority/etc. would be honored as-is, or be improved to the new company's standard. Terrific! Few months later, I'm looking to take my 3rd week of vacation, and am told it'll need to be unpaid. New CEO had no recollection of the conversation and commitment. Lesson learned - get it in writing. That said, I take the same amount of time as before, just now a bunch is unpaid. And I'm a LOT less eager to "give" anything to the company anymore.

salukiguy: "Too late now but in the future after you get a job offer try to negotiate an extra week of vacation. They already want you so most of the time you can negotiate extras after receiving the initial job offer. As we get older 2 weeks of vacation just doesn't do it anymore. I am even finding out that the 5 weeks I have are not enough as I have to take days off here and there for kids activities or things I have to do and it gets eaten up a little at a time. I think America has in wrong in regards to time off and in general we don't get enough of it. By the way I hope to be on permanent vacation within the next year. "

I couldn't agree more.
My first job had me at 2 weeks for the first 5 years
My current position started with 6 weeks of PTO and am now at 7 weeks. Along with the competitive pay it truly keeps me from looking for something else. I am sure if I tried I could find a job where I could make another $5k a year or so but I'm not going back to 2 weeks, I just can't do it.
Companies can do what they want but I can tell you the ones attracting the best talent are offering sufficient time off to their employees.

I’m retired now but I find myself busier than ever. When I was working I would definitely take advantage of a paid holiday on either side of my vacation day. That is if the forth of July is on a Friday I leave for vacation on Thursday and the following week days. That way I can use the paid holiday, and the weekend to add three days to my trips.

I also would work as much overtime as I was offered then take a day off without pay. When we were working a lot of overtime week after week they let us do this. That way my paycheck would not be short.

Trips over weekends with a late Friday push-off and return Mondays or stretching it to a Tuesday so that I only take 2 days away. This usually gives me the semblance of a 5-day trip even though it's technically shorter.

Just started a new job this week. I'll have more weekends off, more small "Breaks," but vacation time will be only about 1 week for the next year, so...... We'll see what I can figure out but I am hopeful I can at least get a short trip in?

Banksiana: "Take as much unpaid time off as allowed. The only thing worth accumulating is free time.

Time is infinite. Your time is finite- own as much of it as you can."

Amen and plus 1.

ParkerMag: "Company I'd been with 20+ years was recently purchased by another. During the transition, the new CEO promised our benefits/seniority/etc..."

I worked for a very benevolent company at one time that had a number of events throughout the year. Everyone that retired was always invited along with extended family etc. We got bought out by an aerospace company located near the St. Paul airport that was about to have it's annual summer picnic. At the new employee indoctrination one of us asked if retirees were welcome at the picnic. The HR manager said "No, they're no longer employees. And besides we don't have any retirees." Turns out the reason for that was because most people quit long before retirement because that comment reflected the general attitude of the company toward their employees at the time.

I understand the place has mellowed a bit since then.

I'm pretty lucky regarding time off. I took a big pay cut when I took my current job but, I get 45 days of PTO and weekends are voluntary. Think I'll stay where I'm at. Seven more years till retirement.

Weekend trips will help. Even day hikes.

*You* will do best if you focus on being grateful for the time you have instead of lamenting the time off you don't. (not saying that you aren't being grateful as you said you like your job, just trying to help all of our focus....especially mine)

I have no PTO.
If I am not working I am not paid.

Personally this has always been an issue for me. I started with 3 day weekend trips once a year. If I lived closer to the BW then I would take 2 or 3. Recently I have been getting a bit more PTO and am up to 3 weeks a year. Now my trips are more like 4-5 day trips and we are looking at either taking longer trips or more trips in the future.

The one problem I'm having is getting my wife on board with me leaving her with the kids for that long. She is not the type that would ever be ok with me traveling for work...

One of the ways I maximize time is creative travel on either end of the trip. I can leave work at 4:00 and make it to Duluth pack to pull the permit before close. Then late dinner in Duluth or ely, and I can make it to the entry before midnight. Sleep in the car for a few hours and hit the water at first light.
I’m also a fan of all-night driving: leave home at midnight: arriving in ely as brittons opens, and then get permits, and paddling by 8.

Exit day has me eating dinner in ely, driving home and cleaning up in the dark: sleeping for what I can before stumbling to work a few hours later.

Keep the gear closet organized and know what you need to pack fast.
Also, the last few years I’ve kept about a weeks’ worth cache of ready-made camp food/meals in a spare cupboard at home. That makes a spontaneous weekend or overnight trip easily possible. Learn Friday that you suddenly face a nice weather weekend with no plans? I can pack food and gear after work and make camp on the local river before dark.

I have 2 weeks vacation. One great way to get "extra days" is to extend holiday weekends like the 4th, memorial day, labor day with vacation days. 4 days vacation there buys you 9 days off. Also taking a day here or there to make a 3 day weekend is nice. Figuring out how to do weekend trips is how i keep my sanity.

For example, here was my breakdown for this last year:
3 days used: Wed+thurs+fri. Fly tues night after work. 5 night ski trip.
1 day used: friday, fly thursday after work. 3 night ski trip
2 days used: Take mon+tues off before the 4th. 4 night BW trip.
2 days used: thurs+fri before memorial day. 4 night backpacking trip
2 days used: thurs+fri before labor day. 4 night river canoe trip.

Right there is 20 days vacation made out of 10 days off. Starting travel immediately after work the night before vacation starts is another way to optimize it. And yes, I am pretty beat my first day back, but that's what they get for not giving me more vacation!!!

muddyfeet: "......., and I can make it to the entry before midnight. Sleep in the car for a few hours and hit the water at first light.
I’m also a fan of all-night driving: leave home at midnight: arriving in ely as brittons opens, and then get permits, and paddling by 8.
Exit day has me eating dinner in ely, driving home and cleaning up in the dark: "

Did that once, when I joined a group on a Quetico trip. It's very rough, but certainly an option if pressed for time off and can endure the lack of sleep for a night or two. (I'm bad with sleep deprivation!)

drnatus: "Weekend trips will help. Even day hikes.

*You* will do best if you focus on being grateful for the time you have instead of lamenting the time off you don't. (not saying that you aren't being grateful as you said you like your job, just trying to help all of our focus....especially mine)"

I agree completely.

Thanks everyone for the ideas and suggestions. Looks like planning trips that fall on holiday weekends and the such will be the way to go. I have done 3 day Superior Hiking trips where I drive Friday after work, hit the trail by 6 or so, hike for 6 miles, then have a good long Saturday. I'll just have to apply what I learned there to my canoe trips. Maybe this will be incentive to start exploring those lakes just outside the BWCA I always wondered about.

I will also look into what their non-paid time off policy is. If I can plan for the time not paid, I can work with that.

Atrain:
For example, here was my breakdown for this last year:
3 days used: Wed+thurs+fri. Fly tues night after work. 5 night ski trip.
1 day used: friday, fly thursday after work. 3 night ski trip
2 days used: Take mon+tues off before the 4th. 4 night BW trip.
2 days used: thurs+fri before memorial day. 4 night backpacking trip
2 days used: thurs+fri before labor day. 4 night river canoe trip."

That is excellent. Thanks for the blueprint.

muddyfeet:
Keep the gear closet organized and know what you need to pack fast.
Also, the last few years I’ve kept about a weeks’ worth cache of ready-made camp food/meals in a spare cupboard at home. That makes a spontaneous weekend or overnight trip easily possible. Learn Friday that you suddenly face a nice weather weekend with no plans? I can pack food and gear after work and make camp on the local river before dark."

Yep, agreed. I have been doing this for a couple years now. Makes packing easier. I also have a couple of packing lists: canoe list, solo canoe list, backpacking solo list, group backpack, car camping, and fast pack. Those all come in real handy so that I know I don't forget anything.

Banksiana: "Take as much unpaid time off as allowed. The only thing worth accumulating is free time.

Time is infinite. Your time is finite- own as much of it as you can."

Agree,short term 2 weeks a year O'kay. But after that it should be at least 3 weeks plus. Life is too short. You can't go back and get those days,especially if kids involved.

I was self employed for a number of years. Canoe season was my busy season... I had a family to support number one even though we were split. I went a few years with no “fix”. I was lucky that my body held out until my kids were on their own. I was able then to enjoy my passion for canoeing for a few years. Now my body has kinda given me fits. I’m great full for that period in my life I was able to paddle like I did. But now the body is not cooperating with that. There’s a season for everything we do. You may have to back off your tripping for a season. Maybe spend whatever time gathering gear and such and taking short trips perfecting your style and all. Then when you do have the time your ready to just go. If you don’t have a future where your going to have enough time off you need to get a teaching degree. Haha. But yeah, you may want to look for a better opportunity out there. But if this job situation will improve as far as time off, you will need to adapt and look forward to that time when you can go again.

inspector13: "
I feel your pain. I went from six weeks of PTO to two. Luckily, I get to choose summer hours (4 ten-hour days, Mon-Thurs) so my weekends are longer.


"

NO way in HELL I'd do that...........

My PTO at 6 weeks is about as important as a good salary . I"m thankful I've been at my company for 30 years, and have 6-7 weeks of PTO. I'd never go back to 2 weeks a year.....

Later,

Geo

I take unpaid time. Same situation here but my time in the woods makes up for a week or two of no pay! Just have to budget ahead of time and I find I don’t spend any money in the woods....that is besides the stuff I pack to go in, of course ;)

Soon after my first trip I realized I was hooked, 1979. I got my own canoe and did a lot of local paddling and would pull all nighters for long weekend trips and did what I could along the lines of other's comments. Work conflicts and then a son was born and my tripping and paddling took back seat for awhile. I even dropped out after my canoe was stolen from behind my garage...a sad time. Until medicare and social security started the no benefits issue of self employment kept me home, then a nephew asked me to take him. I got hooked again and being my own boss began taking PTO. Once MC and SS kicked in I have increased my tripping now taking one week or shorter trips to more places and more often.
If it is that season of life you must go less often, do what you can and remember it will be there (I sure hope) when the season changes.

MInnesotian, I feel your pain, but at least you live in Minnesota.

I got laid off due to our company being sold and restructured 2 years ago from a place I spent 15 years at. My time off went from 27 days, plus the opportunity to buy a week making it 32 days off per year total, (plus holidays), down to 16 plus 6 holidays. For us, in the Cleveland, Ohio area, it's a 16 hour drive, so to spend a full week on the water we realistically need 10 days,,so two weekends and the full workweek in between, plus another day.

If I'm you with a short drive, I'm taking a lot of 3 day trips. I'd never unpack my gear.

johndku: "MInnesotian, I feel your pain, but at least you live in Minnesota.

If I'm you with a short drive, I'm taking a lot of 3 day trips. I'd never unpack my gear."

Yep, I will be doing a lot more of those for sure.

GOAR - Remember that the more you use that gear, the less it costs each time!

muddyfeet: "... make it to the entry before midnight. Sleep in the car for a few hours and hit the water at first light.
I’m also a fan of all-night driving: leave home at midnight: arriving in ely as brittons opens, and then get permits, and paddling by 8. ... "

Like Muddyfeet, we try to maximize available time by driving in the dark, especially at start of trips. Excitement about the trip usually carries us through the first day just fine. The late night drive is harder coming home, for sure, especially if we've had a big post-trip dinner.

My job at a paper mill in Iowa we work the southern swing, which means we work 14 , 12 hr shifts every 28 days 7 night shifts, 7 day shifts. I get 5 weeks of vacation, plus 2 floater personal days. I also get a week off every 28 days plus I can do 8 shift swaps a year. I have been making 2 or 3 trips a year for the last 20 years. Alas I'm retiring next spring heck I'll probably be too busy in retirement to make any trips, lol just kidding

New job is 6.7 hrs every 2 weeks or a bit over 13 hrs a month to cover vacation, sick days, and holidays. Adds up to a little over 14 shifts a year off so hopefully I can get one week up north? But you don't go into Nursing for benefits and pay, and nobody "Chose" my profession for me.

I feel badly for those whom end up in the job market at my time of their life (late 50's) not by their own choosing, but because of downsizing, closings, layoffs, etc. With my license, I have plenty of options. And, even though MO is 50th in the nation in Nursing salaries, I cannot complain about the pay.