To begin with the question of how to get sponsored, This is where the deal gets real. Having understood everything about sponsorship, this is the time when you hit the floor.

Once you have zeroed on the what companies you are targeting, it's time to proceed with the next question- "how to request sponsorship?".

When looking for sponsorship, you need to look for any available company willing to sponsor you. 

Surf the internet for corporate sponsors or companies looking for brand ambassadors. Make good use of online and social media platforms in your quest to get sponsored by outdoor companies.

With the right information online or garnered through friends, you can quickly get a sponsor. Take consideration of your demographics and the section of people you are targeting. This is the essence of how to get sponsored by companies and how to request sponsorship.

Start with the most basic step of creating a social media account of yourself to get sponsored by outdoor companies.

Create a Facebook page, an Instagram account, Twitter account and any other platform you think where you can acquire a decent following.

Build your profile gradually and showcase your work by growing your network.
Tell people you exist!

Emails are delivered extremely fast across the globe to recipients with convenience and relative ease. Having made proper and adequate research now is the time to send emails to get sponsored by outdoor companies and study about how to request for sponsorship.

This can easily grant you access to the companies who are willing to sponsor your outdoor activity.

Often corporate companies sponsor groups of people for an outdoor activity rather than on individual basis. Looking for sponsorship as an individual might be quite a tricky task. Joining one of these groups and becoming a member can help you to easily get sponsored by outdoor companies.

Such groups could be an online or social media platform; or a well-established group. Try as much as possible to identify with any of these groups as it increases your chances of getting a sponsor.

When searching to get sponsored by outdoor companies, it is imperative to meet the right company personnel. It will save you valuable time that might get lost otherwise.

Also, getting to talk to the right staff in a company gives you access to accurate and precise information regarding certain things. For example, what the company can offer to you, how to get sponsored and expectation of the company from you in the sponsorship deal.

When meeting with some companies, it is advisable to speak with the head of the marketing department, public relations or brand management as he/she would be in a better position to guide you through the sponsorship deal.

A quality proposal is an essential point of knowing how to request sponsorship or, to put in specific terms, how to get sponsored. As an individual, meeting with the right personnel is not always enough to get sponsored by outdoor companies. You must look for a way to convince the company that sponsoring you for your outdoor or sports activity isn’t a bad idea.

This can be achieved through presenting a quality sponsored proposal to such companies. Show them what you can offer them as a sponsoree regarding marketing their products. Make your proposal utterly compelling that it will be able to convince the company of the essence of sponsoring you.

A quality proposal could make a company want to sponsor you to increase awareness of their brand. So before you go to meet a company representative, be ensured to take along a quality proposal to get sponsored by outdoor companies.

Note: We will be focusing on the quality proposal for sponsorship in the next section

Getting a sponsor is always a tough task that requires a great
deal of patience, persistence, and perseverance. Sometimes as an
individual you might not get the expected response from companies who
might want to sponsor you; companies may turn down your proposals.

Hollander once said, “So many people lose deals because they don’t
follow up." Send follow-up emails because they work well, they serve as
reminders to companies who don’t respond to your initial email or proposal.

Although this may seem a daunting task, it remains one of the most reliable
means of getting in touch with a company. Also, probably the best way of getting a sponsorship.

Having gotten a sponsorship deal, you must go the extra mile in delivering your part of the agreement. 

You should make conscious effort to impress your sponsors, while still
maintaining your integrity. This strategy can help you to get sponsored by outdoor companies and can attract several others having seen your cordial working relationship with your previous partners.

Perhaps the most important section of gaining sponsorship is writing a quality proposal.

Think of this as your resume for the job. You won't land a good job until and unless you have an impactful resume in hand. It will just increase your chances to get sponsored by outdoor companies by an impressive figure of 50%.

All the best!

Do some quick research on the internet and go through many formats that are available. It won't take you more than a couple of minutes to understand that most sponsorships use standard business letter format. Hence, you will be following the corporate sponsorship proposal template.

• And just like any business letter, use proper format of the date, name, salutation, etc.
• Try to keep it as short and precise as possible.
• Choose a proper tone of the letter. Understand that this requires you to be professional so refrain from using colloquial language and stick to the formal tone.

The introduction is your first chance of attracting the sponsor, and this is where you need to be creative. It is the first step to proceed a bit towards the question of how to get sponsored.

• Mention your name or company clearly and the cause of your sponsorship. 
• You can start by telling a story and try to make an emotional connect with the sponsor.
• Ask for sponsorship directly and why you need it.
• Tell them what you do and why you do it.

Now, there has to be something for the benefit of the company by granting you sponsorship. And, it's your job to make them realize how great of an asset you are for them.

• Tell them how you plan to publicise their event (via social media, television, radio, magazine, etc.).
• Mention how extensively their brand is going to get promoted by doing their business with them.
• Include factual information rather than boasting about your impact or following.

As I mentioned before, the proposal has to be short, precise and crisp. Do not refrain yourself or be embarrassed to talk about the money openly. The company is not going to make a call and ask you about your financial needs.

• Lay out your financial needs in the proposal clearly.
• Keep it organized, making a tabular section is a fantastic idea and can genuinely help you get sponsored by outdoor companies.
• Tell about all the expenses that will be involved very specifically.
• The proposal won't get declined if you are asking for a large sum.

End with a word of thanks and how you would appreciate it if you get the sponsorship.

At last, do not forget to proofread your proposal. It is nothing but unprofessional if you send a letter with loads of mistakes. It lowers your chances to get an outdoor sponsorship.

Once you figure out how to get sponsored by outdoor companies and to efficiently do the job, there is no looking back. For your love of outdoors, you have to put in some smart effort to get yourself sponsored.

Getting clothing sponsorship is more or less equivalent to receiving sports sponsorship.

Sports sponsorship can be financial or in-kind. With the latter covering sports gear, footwear, clothing, etc.

I haven't included the clothing sponsorship companies exclusively. Sports sponsorship will be covering the clothing sponsorship in the subsequent section.

To make your job a bit easier let's, straightaway, get to the real deal. Where will and how will you get sponsored by outdoor companies? Also, how to start looking for them?

The list has to be intricately specific to the type of sponsorship.

There are four tiers of Clothing sponsorship:

1. Donation or contribution: The company sponsoring you will provide financial support for your venture. In return, you contribute towards them by sending a word of thanks.
2. Shop sponsorship: Here, the company will give you free or in some cases discounted gear. It can include your sports footwear, clothes, and other requirements.
3. Amateur sponsorship: The company gives you not only free or discounted gear, but also financial support. It can cover your travel fees, equipment expenses or other specific requirements.
4. Professional sponsorship: The company grants you full expenses that cover every requirement of yours and also gives you a paycheck.

Most people wish to embark on outdoor adventures, but their dreams are nipped in the bud due to unavailability of funds and sponsorship. Contrary to the belief, broad-chested bearded men or gorgeous females aren't the only ones for whom sponsorships are reserved.

However, there are certain requirements by sponsors or qualities of a good sponsoree. Once these are known and achieved, you can boost your chances of securing a sponsorship tremendously.​

Some of these requirements to get sponsored by outdoor companies include:

• To possess the capacity or potential to be an excellent and ebullient brand ambassador.
• Granting your sponsors the required permission to publish your photos on adverts and their websites.
• Uploading their logo on your social media accounts such as
  Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and also putting it on your website. These forms of publicity tend to relate your sponsors and consequently, make them more positively inclined to you.
• As an athlete, strive to attain top-notch finishes in races. Finishes that will have you mount podiums, and as such, promote your brand. You will soon notice it's easier to get sponsored by outdoor companies this way.

It is noteworthy that getting the first clothing sponsorship is usually the most rigorous of all sponsorship applications. It is because your portfolio is still quite scanty and proving your potential to sponsors might show to be a herculean task. But on successfully scaling this hurdle, the rest is history.

Now sponsorship isn't only about gaining the financial support to go on your hiking or kayaking adventure. Remember how we talked about in-kind sponsorship at the start of this blog? Here we pick up a small segment on this sponsorship and give you some insight.

Sticking to the thumb rule, I mention it here again, sponsorship is a two-way street. You won't get sponsored by outdoor companies until you have something to offer them in return.

You make them look smart, you publicize them, and there you have your sponsorships rolling towards you. Well, it might sound quite easy to read but do not be fooled by just mere words.

Why in the world are the companies going to get ready to sponsor you in the first place? Even if you assure them to put in some reasonable efforts to publicize them.

Welcome to the world of social media, my friend!

First of all, let's be clear that companies are always on the verge of finding suitable partners to sponsor their products. This fact helps us smash down the first glass wall, of the many, that separate us from the sponsors.

Brands are looking for ambassadors to promote their products daily, hourly, every minute and every second. Get paid to promote clothing, gear, equipment, just anything the company can provide you.

The only significant question now remains- HOW YOU DO IT?

Your social media profiles are a total game-changer. Instagram is a powerful tool to showcase your talent and reach out to the audience. Stating the obvious, try to gather considerable followers on Instagram to begin your journey.

Of course, the profile has to be specific to the sponsorship you are interested. Maybe you love kayaking, or you are much of a camper, so make that noticed on your Instagram profile and get sponsored by outdoor companies.

You can be a boho fashionista and a lifestyle blogger with a decent following. Now is your chance to acquire a sponsorship. Nike would love if you could promote their sports gear with your 20000 followers on Instagram.

Consider a blog to be your resume for your dream job. You build it full of aesthetics, accurately pointing to every neat work you do. It's more like a recipe for the success you have always craved.

Moreover, it gives the sponsor an easy way to sort out the applicants plus assurance of getting their job done efficiently.

If being outdoors is your passion, and getting sponsorship is the middleman, it's better you put some night hours to have a blog that wouldn't get unnoticed.

Without a proper portfolio, you cannot jump to Quechua or North Face to start sponsoring you. Like I mentioned before, this is your job resume. So most likely, you will send in your application to the companies within your reach and current standards.

Still trying to create a niche for yourself? Do your research and narrow down the list of companies from whom you will be asking for sponsorship.

Your athletics or love for trekking might bring a name to the little town from where you come. Figure out a brand that matches your aesthetics and reach out to them for their support. It's more like starting from the scratch and moving on to a more prominent empire.

Trying to get a clothing sponsorship is equivalent to building goodwill in the eyes of the sponsor. Prove your loyalty by buying their clothes or athletic gear. Tag them in your Instagram account way before you receive the actual sponsorship.

Build a good reputation that catches the eyes of the company.

Take a look at some tips to get hunting sponsors:

It is perhaps the smartest way to acquire sponsorships. Since the companies are quite busy during the season, its nothing but better to request sponsorship during the off-season.

Also, it will help you get noticed by companies quickly and even give them time to devote to your request..

Shoot a video of your whole hunting trip. Document everything and do not forget to mention, time and again, any brand with whom you are working. It might be the first step as to how to get hunting sponsorships.

Send the video to the company you are requesting sponsorship from to make them realize the credibility of your work. You can post the video on your Youtube channel and spread a word across all the other social media platform like Instagram.

So what exactly is a pro staffer? Just to lay it out simply, its a member of the company dedicated to promoting the companies name and, it's product.

To be a pro-staffer, you have to be not just a good hunter, but you even need to have a right equation with the public. A pro-staffer has to be charismatic and good with words, such that people are impressed with their words.

You need to have a good following and work to promote the product and companies name with the public.

Not everyone can bear the expenses of such magnificent trails and appreciate a financial aid. Get paid to hike these trails by grabbing these sponsorships and carry on with your expedition.

Take a look at this awesome video that inspired many hikers to come together to fulfill a former hiker's dream.

Let me take you to some of the best hiking trails from around the globe where you can go to while being sponsored.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, or better known in short as Appalachian Trail is one of the best hiking trails in the world. Better, some refer to it as A.T for the most concise version. You can earn sponsorships and get paid to hike the Appalachian trail.

This Eastern United States trail extends about 2,200 miles approximately from Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.

The hike will take about 5 to 7 months to complete! It's safe to state here that the trail is one the longest hiking trail in the world. The fact that the trail will take you to travel through 14 states is what attracts the hikers the most.

Located at an altitude of 18,192 Ft in Nepal, this is the best trek if the Himalayas are what you seek.

The best time to go for Everest Base Camp Trek is from March to mid-May and between Septembers to mid-November. With a distance of about 70 miles, it'll take about 16 days for a practiced trekker to reach the base camp.

The pristine mountains and picturesque beauty of Nepal are sure to make you want to come back to this place.

If hiking runs in your veins, you wouldn't have missed the name of Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile.

Get paid to hike trails and experience the majestic mountains, pristine waters and amazing glaciers in this 80-mile long trek. It will take about 4 to 6 days for total completion.

The difficulty level is moderate with fantastic scenery all along the way. The popular circuit follows the letter 'W,' however, if you wish to go for the longer circuit, you can opt for the letter 'O' trail.

With just a 5 km hike and such unusual rocky formations to see, I must say its an incredibly profitable payout.

It's not always about climbing hills, going into the snow and gazing at the amazing glaciers. Located in Arizona, USA, at the White Pocket you get to see the crazy rock formations in deep orange hues all around.

Wander along these marvels of nature with an easy hike of just 5 km. What else can we ask?

Let's take a look at three cool apps that pay you for walking around. The rewards can be in the form of cash, coupons or discount.

• Sweatcoin: Sweatcoin lets you convert your footsteps into its currency, which can be used to get discounts in some stores around you. Get paid to walk with a daily step limit of 2000. Available in US, UK, CA and Ireland, the app is for both Android and IOS users.
• 
  
• Charity Miles: While you stay fit, let others be beneffited by your fitness. Charity Miles does exactly this job. You can walk for charities like Stand Up To Cancer, Alzheimer's Association, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the  ASPCA, the Special Olympics, and Habitat for Humanity. The app is available globally in both Android and IOS.     
• Achievement: Well not just walking, but with the Achievement app, you can earn money for biking, swimming, and other exercises you do. You can make as much as 80 points a day, and for every 10,000 points, you get 10$. The app is US based and available both on Android and IOS.

Since I have told you about converting every step you take into cash, you know it for sure that I am not cooking up stories here. You can straightaway get on to Google and start writing a research paper on this.

So why don't you get out of your house right now and start making cash? You can save the money for your big hike trip that you always wanted to take. Or buy that lovely red dress you couldn't afford because you had to pay your house rent instead?

What would you do to follow your dream of running without bearing any personal cost? Does it sound too good to be true? Let me prick the big bubble you are living in and tell you that this is precisely how sponsorship works. 

Here are some of the most famous and efficient companies that can provide you with sports sponsorship.

• Toyota Sports Sponsorship
• Man Sports
• Herbalife Nutrition
• McDonalds
• Petro-Canada
• Hydro One
• Gull Sports
• Junior Sport
• Players Sports
• BodyWell Group
• Headsweats
• Elevated Clothing
• Instant Knockout

If you manage to get sponsored by outdoor companies, it can help you open doors to entirely new opportunity.

You can go on your favorite hike, to that fantastic kayaking expedition your friend went to and that too without bearing any expenses.

Start ticking off your bucket list now!

Here are some outdoor companies that can help your dream come true just like Dean's by granting you outdoor sponsorships.

• Kelty
• Kathmandu
• SectionHiker
• AlpKit
• Patagonia
• Adventure Possible
• Boreal
• Mad Rock
• Szent
• Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek

Often, to land an enormous sponsorship deal that can cater for all that we need in the course of outdoor activity is almost impossible, especially for first-timers.

However, one can start small and grab the little opportunities with both hands. “In a world riddled with so many financial hassles, how can one meet up with the full requirements for their activity without adequate sponsorship?"

Jobs! Specific jobs can be taken up in the course of the journey to generate funds. Likewise, to complete the tasks or even to get sponsored by outdoor companies by getting noticed. These jobs attract sponsorship and can also make income even after the completion of the journey. 

We will take a look at a few of such jobs below that will help you to get noticed in the eyes of sponsors while allowing you to travel.

Working as a freelance photographer can be both lucrative and exciting. In certain parts of Canada, you can sell some quality photos for as high as a hundred dollars. Hence, you can even get sponsored by outdoor companies..

Place some of these images in the home pages of the corporate companies sponsoring you. It could help generate higher traffic of internet users who will want to have a glimpse of such amazing images thus further increasing the customer base of the company.

Travel blogging is an outstanding job you can do while partaking in your outdoor activity. You can pen down your experiences during your hike, trek, or mountaineering on a blog.

However, you have to be devoted and put in a lot of hard work to make your blog interesting. It can help you as an individual to further develop your blogging skills. Also, it can open doors for other job blogging job opportunities or even better, help you to get sponsored by outdoor companies.

You can place the brand logo of the corporate company sponsoring you on your blog. Also, advertising the companies products such as backpacks, hiking shoe, etc. can generate more income for the company through affiliate marketing.

When your blog becomes popular, you can earn more money from this job and also it will help to increase further the brand awareness of the company sponsoring you.

Some of your blog followers and other corporate companies might even be willing to sponsor you on further journeys. They want you to help further discover and explore the relatively unexplored regions. So, its safe to mention that blogging is one of the jobs to attract sponsorship effectively.

As an individual under sponsorship from corporate companies, you must have been able to explore a particular region. You can thus pick up a job as a cynosure for that specific location.

While showing them around the place of their choice, you also get to learn new things about their own culture and languages. This kind of job can, however, be hectic and time-consuming. You would have to dedicate most of your time to organizing accommodation for the tourists and some other responsibilities of a cynosure. Hence, making sure the group of tourists under your guide are happy at all times.

Ski Instructors are usually in high demand, especially during winter. As a sponsoree embarking on skiing who still aims at making some extra cash, working as a ski instructor for amateurs could just be it.

Besides the prospect of making extra money, working as a ski instructor could also be fascinating. It affords you the ample opportunity to tutor upcoming skiers and to harness more terrains.

Ski instructors make up to a whopping 12 dollars per hour for a start, and renowned instructors even get to earn much more. In most parts of the world, however, instructors need to undergo a course, earn a certificate and get accredited.

Once you can get this and probably a few clients under your belts, working as a ski instructor might be the way for you to get sponsored by outdoor companies. Continuous work as a ski instructor can further help you land other clients. In turn, they can easily advertise the brand of the company sponsoring you.

Working as a ski instructor can also afford you the opportunity to meet new people and showcase your (sponsor’s) brand. Your tutees and also broadens your horizon as an individual by putting them and you on other subtle forms of an advertisement.

The upcoming trend of vlogs has inserted a new climax in the business of sponsorship. You cannot overlook vlogging when talking about many jobs that attract sponsorship,
Since the Youtube rules the Earth, some envious channels are coming up which for once will make you question your job.

These YouTubers have successfully managed to grab enough following and sponsorships to carry on with their adventures. One can start such vlogging channels and document your trips as well. However, some amazing aesthetics, neat presentation skills, and a lot of hard work are required.

Probably the best way to earn a job in a foreign land is to be a language tutor. English, Spanish, German are all trendy languages and being fluent in one can be your golden ticket.

You can volunteer to teach foreign language in an NGO, and they might give you financial aid to so this service and spread their goodwill.

Some of the world-class athletes who engage in outdoor activities around the globe have immensely benefitted from sponsorship deals from corporate companies. People like Usain Bolts, Blessing Okagbare and others too have in one way or the other managed to get sponsored by outdoor companies from large companies and corporate bodies.

Team Huntress objective is to help women on their outdoor adventure. Ensuring a safe and secure environment for women to carry on their path to success is the primary motive.

Some businesses that sponsoring Team Huntress are:

Doeville is the Product Sponsor for Team Huntress. The latter organizes daily outings where participants receive gifts daily. Doeville is an involved partner and provides a leather hunting diary ($40 value) for each participant.

Faini Designs sponsors a scholarship for a woman for attending the Team Huntress Event. Faini takes up the expenses involved in the cost of the outing for someone who cannot afford it any other way.

Team Huntress maintains a strong goodwill among many women globally. It never fails to mention its sponsors and publicizes them in every event. As a result, they hold an important position in their partnerships

Usain Bolt a now retired sprinter who still holds the record of the world’s fastest man got to the peak of his career through the aid of sponsorship deals.

Usain Bolt usually called, “Lightening Bolt” by media houses was a talented kid and is documented to have been the best sprinter in his alma mater, Willian Knibb Memorial High School. He is born to an average family in a small town in Sheerwood content in Jamaica. But would not have been able to achieve the highest echelon of his career as an athlete without sponsorship deals.

In 2002, Bolt landed a nice sponsorship deal with Puma and had since then been a brand ambassador for Puma, renewing his deal several times.The most recent renewal came in 2013 which landed him a deal that took him to a different financial terrain.

Bolt’s sponsorship deal has also been a blessing to his family and country at large. Usain Bolt is now sorted after by many brands although he chose to stick with Puma in a mouth-watering deal (numbered to be worth up to 20 million pounds).

In his words “Yeah definitely, others were interested but for me, Puma is number one”.

Tom Gathman or better known as The Real Hiking Viking is infamous for his extreme hiking adventure and signature beard style.

He was a marine combat when he decided to give up on his belongings, everything from his car to his apartment and became a full-time professional hiker.

2013 proved to be a game-changer for Gathman. The Warrior Hike's "Walk Off the War" program sponsored him to hike the 2,185-mile Appalachian Trail. His success stories have inspired many others to hike as well.

“Walk off the War” program, founded by Sean Gobin, provides gear and other supplies to complete a thru-hike on any of several National Scenic Trails. Apart from this, the program also includes lodging facilities, food, and transportation to the hikers.

The basic idea is to help the war veterans to shrug the adverse effects the war had on them by going on a hike. It also proved to have incredible therapeutic effects and a real stress buster. The disabled veterans or the ones suffering from PTSD are funded via this program and achieve their dreams.

Founded in 1973, National Wild Turkey Federation mission was to conserve the Turkey population in North America. There were about 1.5 million wild turkeys left, and the numbers were dwindling.

It took years of hard work to make the number hit about 7 million with the help of fantastic support received throughout the journey.

With a current commitment to saving the future and still striving to protect the turkey, NWTF could have carried on without the support of its sponsors.

Significant companies partner with NWTF and sponsor its events throughout to enhance the wildlife habitat and also manage outdoor recreation activities. Some well known name includes Proteus, Alps Outdoors and Outdoor Underwriters.

Also, Blessing Okagbare, the fastest athlete in Nigeria and Africa as a whole remains one of the few hopes of Africa to blossom at the world stage regarding athletics.

However, this hope nearly blew before it became manifest. Speaking in her IAAF biography, she said: “It is not as if I’m trying to talk about my country, but it lacks the right facilities and these things limit us.”

Blessing was an outstanding athlete from her early ages, but without proper sponsorship deals and endorsement, she might not have attained the status she holds today.

Nike offered Okagbare a sponsorship deal worth $500,000. According to the then President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, he explained that one of the critical reasons that Okagbare received such mega sponsorship deal was to aid her preparations. Also, to possibly help break the perceived stronghold and dominance of Jamaicans in sprint races.

In this case, the sponsorship deal would help Blessing prepare adequately. In return, she helped promote the brand of Nike and possibly coming out tops and subsequently possibly becoming a brand ambassador.

Which company doesn’t want a top-class athlete to be a brand ambassador? None!

The value of sponsorship deals, therefore, cannot be overemphasized. Even a world-class athlete like Blessing has underlined the massive importance of sponsorship when embarking on outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking, and others.

Tailoring back the apparent lack of success from certain individuals and athletes can sometimes lead to the lack of grooming investment and their inability to get sponsored by outdoor companies.

This goes to say that acquiring sponsorship is not an easy task, but then again, it is not impossible. Strict adherence to the afore-mentioned tips of this article as it can almost guarantee sponsorship.

Expect to get turned down a handful of times, but in the end, you will get a sponsor.

As Robby Gordon once said, "There are two exquisite feelings. The first is when you land a sponsorship that allows you to be competitive. Then to win a race is the icing on the cake that you have made with the sponsorship."