Ray Mears has made a career out of his company Woodlore, which offers craft-related courses, as well as presenting award-winning television series about survival skills.
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 grown-up stepson.
He also runs craft courses abroad that teach self-sufficiency and ingenuity, skills Ray believes are essential in the modern world.
His next big course will be in the Arctic in January.
Expert Knowledge: Ray Mears Hosts Award-Winning TV Series About Survival Skills
What did your parents teach you about money?
My father was an extremely good printer who worked for a company called De La Rue, the largest commercial banknote printer in the world. While my mother worked in administration. Dad was pretty shrewd, but we didn’t really talk about money. I think they thought money wasn’t something a child should worry about, which is very wise.
I grew up in Surrey and when I discovered that the North Downs Way was a 20 minute walk from my door, a world of possibilities opened up and it was so much more interesting than money.
Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?
After A-Levels I worked in London, doing some finance in the City. I don’t remember exactly what and I didn’t stay there for long. I went 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 that organized the selection process and led the outdoor adventures for the expeditions.
It was a lot of fun but it didn’t pay much. There was no way to make a living from it, so I started writing about expeditions, sustainability and the environment for magazines.
What was the best year of your financial life?
We’ve had ups and downs, including surviving two recessions and losing a warehouse full of DVDs in a fire. But there have been several good years, like an overseas TV series in Australia, the Arctic and Canada, but I’m not in 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. Anything you do wrong is just a life lesson that you can hopefully turn into a positive one or learn something valuable from. I must say that I don’t dwell on the past or focus on things that went wrong. I put them aside and move on.
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 ever made?
Starting my business. The company has been through two recessions. The first time we were small enough to hide. With the second, we saw it coming and knew what we would experience. We battened down the hatches and did well in the sense that we got through it.
I am very proud that the company has been in business for more than 40 years. As far as I know, Woodlore is the oldest company in the world teaching bushcraft.
Do you have a pension?
I have a private one but I don’t know much about it, because that kind of thing doesn’t interest me. I understand why small business owners and sole traders fail to own one because it’s hard enough to make a living. It really bothers me that our politicians are clueless about small businesses and have never done enough to support them.
Are you a property owner?
My lovely wife Ruth and I live in a detached house in Sussex. It is my only property because I spend a lot of time away from home.
What would you do if you were Chancellor?
I really care about the Green Belt. During lockdown, we saw its value enormously. It provided incredible psychological benefits for people who were struggling.
The current Government wants to build in the Green Belt even though there is a lot of abandoned land. That really worries me.
The environment is never high enough on the agenda. If we don’t fight for the environment now, we will face a bigger bill in the future. I would like to see politicians think about the future beyond their own mandates.
What is your number one financial priority?
These are uncertain times, so my priority is to move forward, make sure we can survive and that my family is happy and well.
- For tickets to Ray’s Woodlore Arctic Winter Course in Northern Finland, 15-25 January 2025, and other courses in the UK and abroad, visit raymears.com.