Ray Mears has built a successful career at his company Woodlore, which offers bushcraft-related courses and presents award-winning TV series on survival techniques, writes Dan Moore.
His best-selling books include The Outdoor Survival Handbook, Bushcraft and British Woodland.
Ray, 60, lives in rural East Sussex with his wife Ruth, the mother of his adult stepson.
He also teaches bushcraft courses abroad teaching self-reliance and ingenuity, skills that Ray believes are essential in the modern world.
His next big course is in the Arctic in January.
Expertise: Ray Mears presents award-winning TV series about survival techniques
What did your parents teach you about money?
My father was an extremely good printer and worked for a company called De La Rue, the world’s largest commercial banknote printer. While my mother worked in administration. My father was very smart, but we didn’t really talk about money. I think they thought money wasn’t an issue that should bother a child, which is very sensible.
I grew up in Surrey and when I discovered the North Downs Way was a 20-minute walk from my door it opened up a world of possibilities – and it was much more interesting than money.
Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?
After A-Levels I worked in London doing something financial in the city. I can’t remember exactly what and I didn’t stay there long. I left to work for Operation Raleigh, which was based in rooms 440, 441 and 442 of the Old War Office building in Whitehall. I was the youngest member of the team who set up the selection process and led the outdoor adventures for the expeditions.
It was a lot of fun, but it didn’t cost much. There was no way I could make a living doing it, so I started writing for magazines about the expeditions, sustainability and the environment.
What was the best year of your financial life?
We’ve had highs and lows, including surviving two recessions and losing a warehouse full of DVDs to a fire. But there have been some good years, like a foreign TV series in Australia, the Arctic and Canada, but I’m not into entertainment, which pays very well, so it’s all relative.
What has been your biggest money mistake?
I don’t really think in those terms. Everything you do wrong is just a life lesson that you can hopefully turn into a positive or learn something valuable from. I have to say that I don’t dwell on the past or focus on things that went wrong. I put them aside and continue walking.
The most expensive thing you bought for fun?
I once bought a Rolex to cheer myself up after my first wife died (from breast cancer at age 50 in 2006).
Best money decision you’ve made?
Starting my business. The company has been through two recessions. The first time we were small enough to squirrel ourselves away. With the second one we saw it coming and knew what we would experience. We battened down the hatches and we did well in the sense that we got through it.
I am very proud that the company has been around for over forty years. As far as I know, Woodlore is the oldest company in the world offering bushcraft lessons.
Do you have a pension?
I have a private one, but I don’t know much about it because those kinds of things don’t interest me. I understand why small business owners and sole proprietors fail to own one because it’s hard enough to make a living. It really bothers me that our politicians have no idea about small businesses and have never done enough to support them.
Do you own a property?
My lovely wife Ruth and I live in a detached house in Sussex. It’s my only possession because I already spend enough time outdoors.
What would you do if you were Chancellor?
I’m really concerned about the Green Belt. During the lockdown we saw its value enormously. It provided incredible psychological benefits for people who were struggling.
The current government wants to build on the Green Belt, even though there is sufficient brownfield land. That worries me very much.
The environment is never high enough on the agenda. If we don’t fight for the environment now, we will face a bigger bill later. I would like to see politicians think about the future beyond their own terms of office.
What is your number one financial priority?
These are uncertain times, so my priority is to keep going, make sure we can survive and make sure my family is happy and healthy.
- For tickets to Ray’s Woodlore Arctic Winter Course in Northern Finland, January 15-25, 2025, and other courses in the UK and beyond, visit raymears.com.