To sponsor or not to sponsor, that is the question! Doing up proposals, editing them repeatedly, spending months phoning and emailing a thousand companies? For what? A handful of replies saying thanks but no thanks? That’s pretty much how it goes in the expedition game. But, does this mean you should not bother? Al Humphreys certainly leans that way. “Just go!” is his worthy advice. I can’t argue with that! But, I do see some value in the chase.

I was stoked to receive in the post yesterday the above two bits of kit from my friends at Suunto. A kicking X10 (above, left) and a wicked Core (above, right). Suunto have sent these through as part of their support for my next expedition. So what’s the catch? Nothing too brutal. In basic terms, promote their brand.  In reality it’s a little more detailed than that, but overall that’s the theme of it. As with any partnership there is a great deal of relationship building involved. I was fortunate enough to first have Suunto’s support for the Expedition Amazonas. A successful expedition both in terms of completion and promotion of our partners. Thanks to this success, Suunto were only too happy to back my future endeavours.

Now, I’m no Bear Grylls or Ben Fogle (ie. nice guys, TV stars, pseudo-expeditioneers) but I would like to think I am the real deal. Unfortunately, at least for now, this relegates people such as myself to second-place behind these celebrities in terms of both media focus and public recognition. Rest assured, adventurers and explorers, far greater than I are victim of this scenario (think Mike Horn). What this means for companies like Suunto is that they must weigh up the cost of sponsorship to the return on such investments. How many people will my message reach, really? I must show that an adequate return is possible. This is true for any sponsor. Prove this without doubt and getting sponsorship becomes a whole lot easier.

Foremost in my mind is repaying a sponsors investment. Get that done and then what’s in it for me? A bit of free kit? Not exactly how I read it. Sure, it’s fun to have some toys to play with, but if that were the only benefit to me then I would for sure agree with Al. Having my name associated with a marquee name such as Suunto is of limitless value to me. It shows to the world that a highly reputable company believes in me. Believes in my ability to succeed and provide a return. In every aspect of my life this is worth a great deal.

So, we’ve got sponsor kit, we’ve got name association, what else is there? Money! The toughest nut to crack on the sponsor tree! It’s really a terrible time to be chasing the money, just ask Ben Saunders and Al Humphreys. Unfortunately, for most Arctic and Antarctic expeditions unless your David de Rothschild, sponsorship is quite often the only route open. Can I get by without any sponsorship whatsoever my next expedition? Most definitely! Get kit together, catch a flight, catch a bus, walk, catch a train, catch a flight, with some rough eating and sleeping in between and I am done. Cost? Perhaps a couple of thousand quid, if that. I must speak to Al about his recent walk. Just a little cheaper than setting off from Ward Hunt Island. But, I can, at least get the benefits of sponsorship I mentioned above in any case.

So, for me, the sponsor chase is worth it. For the most part a frustrating experience but with perseverance, tangible rewards may be found. Remember, if all your work comes to nought JUST GO!

PS.  I hope in the next couple of months to be able to announce some very cool developments in my relationsip with Suunto!  A few more emails, some more discussion and we shall see.