RESPECTFUL EXPLORATION OF OUR PUBLIC LANDS

Browse my YouTube
videos of excursions
throughout Oregon

and across the west
Videos about
vehicle mods,
DIY projects and
other practical info
Video reviews of
camping equipment,
vehicle accessories
and other gear


Supporting
the channel

 

Running a YouTube channel of this size with such niche appeal is unfortunately no longer a sustainable way to make a living, however producing this content and operating all aspects of softroadingthewest requires well beyond 40 hours a week. 

If you enjoy the content I deliver at no cost to you every week and would like to see the channel survive the rapidly-evolving world of online media, here are some ways you can help:

Become a Patreon member
For as little as $3/month, you can become a member of my Patreon community. All paid members receive access to exclusive extra content including behind-the-scenes, sneak peeks, and even entire extra mini-adventure episodes. Other available benefits include direct messaging priority and assistance finding the locations seen in my videos. Visit my Patreon page

One-time support contribution
For those who prefer not to join a member site but would like to make a financial contribution, you can choose to purchase a softroadingthewest sticker for $25 instead of the usual $4.79. You will find this option on the STICKERS page. You'll receive a softroadingthewest sticker along with a handwritten, personalized thank you note from me.

Super Thanks via YouTube
Along the bottom of all my YouTube videos, you can click the Thanks! button and choose any amount from $2 & up. This will generate a highlighted comment in the comments section. YouTube keeps 30% of the amount and delivers 70% to me.

Buy a softroadingthewest sticker
For just $4.79, you can slap my logo on your rig, water bottle, cooler or fridge. BUY HERE

Subscribe to the channel
While the number of subscribers does not directly impact my revenue, it does provide indirect long-term benefits, and if you're subscribed, you're more likely to catch all of my videos when they come out.

Watch all my videos
I know you're probably not interested in every video I drop, and that's okay. Some viewers prefer the adventure episodes, some prefer the DIY content and other practical videos. If you'd like to help ensure I am able to continue producing the content you appreciate, consider nonetheless clicking on the videos you don't care to watch (even if you then wander off and do the dishes while it plays). Views are king on YouTube and every click helps YouTube see that viewers are interested in my content

Don't block or skip the ads
YouTube delivers high quality content at no cost to viewers, but none of this would be possible - both for the YouTube infrastructure and for the content producers - without advertising revenue. However, advertisers only pay for ads that actually get seen. If you're running an ad blocker or clicking Skip Ads at every ad break, the ads don't play, so the advertisers don't pay, and I'm left uncompensated for the time & money I've invested in producing content.

Consider disabling your ad blocker on YouTube, and consider NOT clicking Skip Ads as soon as that 5-second countdown is over. I mean, sure, if YouTube serves up one of those annoying 1-minute or longer infomercials, please DO skip those, it's annoying that YouTube even allows this. The majority of ads however are only 15 to 30 seconds long, and there's never more than two of them at a time. It's an opportunity to run to the fridge to refresh your beverage or grab a snack. Note that I do manually reduce the number of ad breaks on every video I upload. This has a negative impact on my ad revenue, but in my opinion YouTube's automated ad insertion is way too disruptive and I prefer to give up a few ads to improve the viewer experience.

Click Like and leave a comment
Even if it's just a simple "Nice episode" or "Thanks for the video," every bit of active  engagement helps YouTube see that I am indeed reaching viewers. And while it's impossible for me to personally reply to every comment, I do read every single comment on every single video.

Thank you for watching the channel. None of this would be possible without you. :-)