# Hey stp! meet this douchebag: the mastercard vagabond



## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

Watch first: 


I hate to be the one to do this, but I have to call bullshit on Tomislav Perko, and I'll explain why. I've read alot of his articles and interviews in the past, and this TEDx Talk is the last straw that breaks this camels back.

First of all, it's a bit misleading for Tomislav Perko to go around giving romanticized speeches about traveling around with "almost no money", or claiming that he "lost his job" due to a financial crash. That's not exactly the truth.

Tomislav Perko was a stock-broker that convinced most of his friends and family to pool together 30,000 dollars into a bad investment, promising them that there was NO WAY they could lose. Well, Tomislav lost all their money, and when his investors began demanding answers, he got frustrated at answering the phone calls, quit his job, and skipped out of town.

However, Tomislav didn't runaway empty-handed. He managed to smuggle away 1,300 dollars from that investment, and used that money to monetize a traveling blog BEFORE he even started traveling. Profit seemed to be his first priority, and to Tomislav it didn't seem to matter that he did this with other peoples money.

NOW, there is nothing wrong with making a little blog money on the side, and I think that's an awesome idea for many travelers! However, Tomislav takes "monetizing his travels" to the next level of complete bullshit, and it just gets worse and worse from there:

While Tomislav is writing away on his monetized blog and telling everyone that he boldly hit the road to escape the corruption and burdens of modern society, particularly the institutions of financial slavery, he then immediately accepted a deal with MASTERCARD.

This deal obligated Tomislav to backpack around the world around wearing a huge MASTERCARD logo, and the other part of the deal was that Tomislav had to promote and "plug" Mastercard on his so-called traveling blog.

Oh, and in exchange for being a complete sell-out and a walking contradiction, Tomislav received a 1,000 dollar monthly salary, including paid vacations and preplanned excursions. Tomislav even further brags that Mastercard directly pays 100% for some of his trips and vacations, including such luxury expenses including a skydiving trip in which he video's the experience while wearing a Mastercard shirt.

The fuck? At first he is boldly escaping the financial slavery of modern society, yet then agrees to accept a deal from a conglomerate financial institution that solely profits off exorbitant interest rates and potential customer debt? All the while, being housed and fed by people in third-world countries. The fuck?!

So, while Tomislav is "boldy traveling the world" and being housed and fed by the generosity of poverty-stricken families in third-world countries, he is simultaneously advertising for a billion dollar corporation, and making more money in one month than most of these poor people can make in a full year. Yet, he greedily smiles as he eats their food (Kurdistan, Iraq).

As if that's not enough, he then raises $12,000 on Indiegogo so that he could publish his vagabond book, which I'm tempted to believe was something he planned to profit from once he started this entire prepaid vacation.

I'm sorry, but as a vagabond, his entire story is simply revolting to me, and he profits by making a mockery of our lifestyles as houseless travelers.

In the end, when you read through most of his articles and put everything together, it really just seems like he was a corrupt yuppie that ran away from his financial obligations, only to start accepting money and gifts from corporate sponsors so that he can tour the world on a prepaid vacation.

And, of course, now he can stand in a room full of gullible college hipsters, lying to them by claiming that everyone can do the same thing as him, while continuing further profit over the phony claim that he is a vagabond that "backpacked the world with almost no money".

Oh can't you just see the wanderlust in those college kids eyes, soaking up every bit of this crap, dreaming of buying an REI backpack and living wild and free? Gimme a fuckin' break...

Just checkout his rules for traveling success:

_For the end, 3 most important things:_

_1. have a product that is unique and will be interesting to people_

_2. communicate with the public_

_3. find a way to get in the media_

*TL;DR - If tricking your friends and family into giving you money for junk investments doesn't get you rich, just runaway and trick the entire world into giving you money for your phony "vagabond" vacation.*

LINKS:


http://tomislavperko.com/en/travel-sponsors/ (blog post bragging about tons of cash and sponsors, admitting to intentional media whoring, admitting to intentionally manipulating social media websites for personal profit, and admitting that his entire trip was planned solely for profit)


(As if corporate sponsors isn't enough, he nows begs for $12,000 from the public so that he can further profit from writing a book about his prepaid sponsored vacation)

 


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/1-000-days-of-summer-tomislav-perko-151842180.html (Admitting that he ripped off his clients and chose to run away from answering their phone calls)


(OFFICIAL MASTERCARD FACEBOOK PAGE, featuring Tomislav)

 


http://tomislavperko.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2014/10/08-no-cash-in-bangladesh.jpg (Picture he posted on his blog of a wad of cash sitting on top of his Mastercard credit card)


http://tomislavperko.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2014/10/9.jpg (the official Mastercard logo of his sponsored vacation)


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## briancray (Apr 26, 2015)

Why does he need 12,000 USD to write a book? I've started writing a book of some of my travels it did not require money for me to think lol...let alone 12,000 USD? I feel no shame in working and then traveling with the money I have earned. It sounds like this guy just doesn't want to work and found a way to beg on the internet and through lying about his financial situation to live on a lifeline prepaid vacation.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

junglegreencleeds said:


> Why does he need 12,000 USD to write a book? I've started writing a book of some of my travels it did not require money for me to think lol...let alone 12,000 USD? I feel no shame in working and then traveling with the money I have earned. It sounds like this guy just doesn't want to work and found a way to beg on the internet and through lying about his financial situation to live on a lifeline prepaid vacation.



He claims he needed the $12,000 for translating and publishing the book. Considering his "investment" history, it's a plausible assumption that Tomislav pocketed a majority of that money, using only a fraction of it to publish just enough copies of the book to please his investors..


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## briancray (Apr 26, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> He claims he needed the $12,000 for translating and publishing the book. Considering his "investment" history, it's a plausible assumption that Tomislav pocketed a majority of that money, using only a fraction of it to publish just enough copies of the book to please his investors..



The fact he is trying to translate his book just shows he is looking to profit from it. If I were to write a book I would be concerned about the people of my country hearing my story and hopefully being an inspiration for some people to change their lifestyle. If I got a few bucks out of it...then cool, but I think the message is more important than a 12,000 USD pledge fund. Just sounds to me like he is pocketing it. He can't release the book in his country and then use that money to translate it? Nothing he did is even inspirational anyway. I would feel like a piece of shit if I lost my friends and family a ton of money and then left on a prepaid vacation by Mastercard.

Is any of his money going back into their pockets for the losses they incurred? I don't even know this dude and this got me heated. What a shitty human being.


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## sean p (Apr 26, 2015)

What a tool


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## Matt Derrick (Apr 26, 2015)

not really all that surprising really. i'm sure he justfies it to himself. and has no problem with what he's doing, but that's the way of the ignorant.

anyways, this reminds me that i'm hoping to write an article soon about how full of shit the travel blogging scene is. that'll be after we open an articles section here though.


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## briancray (Apr 26, 2015)

I just posted my opinion on his blog. I'm sure it will get deleted, but hopefully some will read it. Thanks for posting this Hobo Huck.


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## drewski (Apr 26, 2015)

Lol fuck yeah I just read your comment on there.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

@Matt Derrick I'd support travel blogs by real vagabonds. I love reading that stuff. I'm just tired of all these "Backpacking through Thailand/Costa Rica/Morocco blogs. Jeez, there's like 100,000 of them, and 90% of them are full of shit just like Tomislavs blog.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

junglegreencleeds said:


> I just posted my opinion on his blog. I'm sure it will get deleted, but hopefully some will read it. Thanks for posting this Hobo Huck.



I left a comment on his blog also. Thanks for calling him out on his own blog, that was epic. I can just imagine his face when he reads that shit...he is going to shit a brick.

However, he can't delete this article from stp, or the article I put on my forum, and I have a feeling the combination of these will expose him to a much, much larger community. And he deserves it, too.

I've seen some poser-blogs before, but this is the absolute worst I've ever seen.


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## briancray (Apr 26, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> I left a comment on his blog also. Thanks for calling him out on his own blog, that was epic. I can just imagine his face when he reads that shit...he is going to shit a brick.



No problem man. I wouldn't have been able to unless you posted this article so thanks for that. I'm not broke, but I wander and get odd jobs to fund my travels. The shit he is posting is deceiving and fake. Fucking over people and then acting like you're some broke vagabond is just pitiful. There's nothing wrong with earning money to travel, but lying about your story for financial gain is about as low as you can go imo.


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

What can we do and organize to expose this phony? For a jerk like this we will need an organized and directed effort. Comment blast all his media cites? The .sucks domains will be available soon. We can make a honeat site exposing his exploits.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

JimH1991 said:


> What can we do and organize to expose this phony? For a jerk like this we will need an organized and directed effort. Comment blast all his media cites? The .sucks domains will be available soon. We can make a honeat site exposing his exploits.



I'm currently summoning his username and taking him to Vagabond court. He is being charged with 1 count of "Impersonating a Vagabond"

This is his official court summons. I also sent him a direct inbox message informing him of his right to defend himself.

This should be fun.

COURT SUMMONS: (http://www.reddit.com/r/vagabond/comments/33wbp2/u1000daysofsummer_you_are_being_summoned_to/)

I would also suggest leaving comments on his TEDx video link, since he can't delete those comments, and much of his publicity is coming from that youtube link. I left a comment there already, as well.


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

Haha wicked. I'm trying to figure out how to get a pay off from this jerk. Fuck, I've been perpetually on the road for 4 years and now working my butt off to start a homestead/ vagabond anarchists travel center, no one is handing me 12k for a tractor. there has to be a way to be such a thorn he pays up. Oh and I'm still houseless....

Edit: the universe is reminding me of my utter fuck status by not allowing my shitty phone to load anything other then stp and craigslist haha. I guess I should cool down and hope he gets his. Damn sometimes I wish I had real internet.


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## Matt Derrick (Apr 26, 2015)

junglegreencleeds said:


> The fact he is trying to translate his book just shows he is looking to profit from it. If I were to write a book I would be concerned about the people of my country hearing my story and hopefully being an inspiration for some people to change their lifestyle. If I got a few bucks out of it...then cool, but I think the message is more important than a 12,000 USD pledge fund. Just sounds to me like he is pocketing it. He can't release the book in his country and then use that money to translate it? Nothing he did is even inspirational anyway. I would feel like a piece of shit if I lost my friends and family a ton of money and then left on a prepaid vacation by Mastercard.
> 
> Is any of his money going back into their pockets for the losses they incurred? I don't even know this dude and this got me heated. What a shitty human being.


oh


Hobo Huck said:


> @Matt Derrick I'd support travel blogs by real vagabonds. I love reading that stuff. I'm just tired of all these "Backpacking through Thailand/Costa Rica/Morocco blogs. Jeez, there's like 100,000 of them, and 90% of them are full of shit just like Tomislavs blog.



the article i want to write is basically centered around how a lot of these 'make money travel blogging!' websites are just a minor form of a pyramid scheme since they always require you to sell something to someone else to finance your travels, or "credit card hacking" to get free miles. the reality of credit card hacking is that you need to spend a LOT of money (about $3,000 in three months) to get those free miles that (in my opinion) you're just better off spending on plane tickets for actual travel. i've been reading up on how to do this stuff for years now (i have a lot of the major player's books) and without writing a novel here it's all a bunch of bs.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

Matt Derrick said:


> oh
> 
> 
> the article i want to write is basically centered around how a lot of these 'make money travel blogging!' websites are just a minor form of a pyramid scheme since they always require you to sell something to someone else to finance your travels, or "credit card hacking" to get free miles. the reality of credit card hacking is that you need to spend a LOT of money (about $3,000 in three months) to get those free miles that (in my opinion) you're just better off spending on plane tickets for actual travel. i've been reading up on how to do this stuff for years now (i have a lot of the major player's books) and without writing a novel here it's all a bunch of bs.




THAT'S a travel article that should be publicized by Vice or Newsweek. Unfortunately, that is going to be a hugely "unpopular opinion" that the mainstream media is going to _conveniently_ ignore. But I do agree, this guerilla-corporate form of pyramid-schemed blogging is the BIGGEST problem when it comes to traveling articles/websites/blogs/youtube-vids/etc, but all the trust-fund backpackers are going to bandwagon with the corporate establishment against you.

I'll gladly link the article on my site and several other sites as well.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

MASTERCARD VAGABOND REPLIES!

Here is his reply:


Hi - Tomislav Perko here.

There's a lot of work here, so lets start with some simple true/false points, later I will explain in details:


I was a stock broker who convinced his friends/family into bad investment and at the end of it all, owed 30,000 dollars - TRUE.
When investors started demanding their money back, I ran away - FALSE.
I smuggled away 1,300 dollars, and used that money to monetize a traveling blog BEFORE I even started traveling - FALSE.
I accepted a deal with MasterCard - TRUE.
I was housed and fed by the generosity of poverty-stricken families in third-world countries - TRUE and FALSE at the same time.
I had paid vacations and preplanned excursions - FALSE (I did used sponsor money to pay for that skydiving and my fathers visit to Kenya).
I raised 12,000 dollars on Indiegogo for my book - TRUE.
So, you have 3 1/2 out of 7 right. 50%.

Let me know explain in details:


I was a stock broker, young and naive, and I did convince my family members to lend me money so I can earn more for them. I succeeded for a while, until 2008. Then I lost everything I had, and much of what they gave me. So yes, guilty of being a self confident stock broker, but instead I was more of a gambler. I did fuck up, and had to find a way out of it. And then we come to the point #2.


I didn't run away. The people I owed money were my family. And they even didn't ask their money back, but I felt the obligation to give them what is theirs. So I started working in one juice bar in my city, while hosting 100-150 people on CouchSurfing. Then, I started traveling myself, 5 days to Bulgaria, around Croatia, 2 months around Europe. That was 2009/2010. So I was "home" 2 years after I "ran away".


When I was posting photos of my "vagabonding", friends told me they like it, so I opened a FB page and started posting things there. I went to Spain for 2 months, and the FB page grew bigger, I ended up in media, gave few talks in my city. When a lot of people wrote to me that they would like to try something like that themselves, I organized a hitchhiking race from Croatia to Turkey. We had 2 sponsors for that race - we got free travel insurance, T-shirts, and some rakija. The race was a huge success, but there was no 1,300 dollars and monetized blog.


After the hitchhiking race, I was approached by MasterCard, and they told me - keep traveling like you do, we will give you our T-shirt and our card, mention us in your blog, take some photos with our T-shirt. And I said yes. The reason for that wasn't because I needed money for traveling, but because of my debt. I saw this as a perfect opportunity - I will continue doing what I want (traveling) using ways I want (hitchhiking, couchsurfing, busking, etc.) and use the sponsor money to pay off my debt. Then I went on my RTW trip called "1000 Days of Summer". MC said they will sponsor me two days before I embarked. I planned this year since July 21st 2009. I started it in September 2011.


I was fed and housed by poverty-stricken families in third-world countries - yes, as everybody who is traveling in third world countries. But did I take advantage of them - I don't think I did. I wasn't a free loader - I was hosted by people like I hosted people in my flat. I cooked with them like people cooked with me in my flat. It was an exchange.


I had no planned excursions - I received a monthly salary (which was directly going to paying off my debt), and I used that money twice in 3 years - for skydiving, and for bringing my dad over to Kenya to fulfil his lifelong dream. Plus, I was always clear about that. People who read the story from the beginning, they knew everything.


When I started writing my book, I had two choices - to self-publish or to accept some publisher proposal. I saw crowdfunding as a perfect way of getting what I want, and I offered perks in exchange for money. Is that a problem? Or everybody asking money via crowdfunding is begging?
There you go. I am willing to discuss this further if anyone has any questions.

Peace out, T.

PS. You will be happy to know that my debt of $30,000 just got payed off couple of days ago, thanks to MC sponsorship and profits from my book.


___________________

If you want to express your opinion to Tomislav, the comment section is here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/vagabond/comments/33vmda/fixed_post_how_to_travel_the_world_while_being/


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

I have now informed Tomislav to get off Reddit and face this challenge to a community of real vagabonds. Get ready, STP:

"Dear Tomislav,

I figured there would be a well organized list of bullshit judtifications and elaborated excuses, as I predicted here[1] while I was explaining this fraud to another traveler.

Your reply was absolutely everything I expected it to be. I'm ready to INVEST!

Let the markets open, vagabonds!

(Keep in mind everyone, there might be Mastercard guerilla-marketing trolls designated to downvote us into oblivion, not to mention the horde of trustfund backpacker kids that make up his fanclub of wanderlusters)

However, Tomislav, you will also need to dedicate the marketing team to handling this post that was made to a community much, much bigger than r/Vagabond: SQUAT THE PLANET

That's the place you dare not venture, and dare not submit you bullshit excuses. The Reddit community may fall for such rhetoric, but STP can smell this sort of monetizing-for-profit-fake-vagabond bullshit from a mile away.

/u/1000daysofsummer[3] , I welcome you to a community of REAL harcore backpackers and REAL harcore vagabonds:
https://squattheplanet.com/threads/...ag-the-mastercard-vagabond.23497/#post-170233
https://squattheplanet.com/threads/...ag-the-mastercard-vagabond.23497/#post-170233[4]

I'll see you there, Mastercard.


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## Tude (Apr 26, 2015)

This thread is awesome! Nice callout there @Hobo Huck . You know I really do enjoy reading the travel blogs of people here and elsewhere and then I run into some stuff where it is quite commercialized and unfortunately I don't get it till I'm mid way through reading and fek I got caught up in it. It's like a paid infomercial or something. Channel Sunday TV or something where I can cure every skin ailment and lose weight at the same time.


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

Thanks @Hobo Huck for sticking up for those of us with too shakey of service, because, :COUGH COUGH: ya know we ARE actually broke travelers trying to avoid the ilk of a cancerous rotting society instead of profitting off of others. This is hardcore usery, and if there is any sort of afterlife he will suffer along with the rest of his kind.


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## Kal (Apr 26, 2015)

This guy sucks he should travel the way most of us do by train, foot and van.


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

Well atleast we all know what he looks like. If you run into him on the road be sure to give him a friendly hello


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## WanderLost Radical (Apr 26, 2015)

I can't really blame him to ally with mastercard to travel for free... But the stealing and lying and living off the poor makes him a massive douchebag!!


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## EphemeralStick (Apr 26, 2015)

This guy is no vagabond and has no right to call himself such. Using the ideas of freedom and wanderlust to turn a profit while advocating against corporate greed? What a colossal waste of breath. I hope this asshat checks out StP, I hope that he finds what real nomads are like. I hope he attempts to give real nomadic life a chance after reading our stories and becoming enamored with a romanticized idea of what it means to travel with nothing. 

And I hope that illusion breaks him.


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## Dmac (Apr 26, 2015)

i hate to admit it, but if i could get some company to pay me 1000$ a month to wear shirts with their logo's on it, i would. hell i would get a mastercard tattoo for that much. the lying, sealing and general douchiness he can keep.


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## sandpaper cowboy (Apr 26, 2015)

Deleted


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

Hi all, "The MasterCard vagabond" here 

The person who started this post (and the one on Reddit, and another one on Reddit, commented on my TEDx YT talk, and my blog) told me I should come here, where the REAL and TRUE vagabonds are, and justify myself. So here I am.

Couple of things I want to point out so we can have a normal conversation, unlike the one on Reddit, where I was banned from replying for no reason whatsoever. You can check it for yourself and make your judgement.

So, here are some issues I would like to address:

1. If you call yourself TRUE and/or REAL vagabond/whatever, you most likely have some ego issues. Just sayin'. Thinking your way is the only one that is proper, while everyone that is not playing by the unwritten rules someone sets - is just being childish. My dad is stronger than yours. My way of traveling is better than yours. Same thing. 

2. I have been accused of several things, to name the few: I ran from my debt/investors when I lost money on stock exchange, I begged 12,000$ on my crowdfunding campaign, I monetized my blog before I started traveling, I used people in poor countries, etc. All of these are utter nonsense, you can read the reasons in my first reply that was pasted on this forum. Of course, when you see that, that is not relevant any more. 

3. And then we come to my only sin - MasterCard sponsorship. How dare I take money from big company while promoting traveling with almost no money? Well, I had these kind of thoughts before accepting their proposal, to be honest. But then I faced with a decision - do I take this offer and continue with my travels around the world while that sponsorship pays off my debt, or to stay home and work/save money for 5-10 years to be able to pay off my debt? I chose the first option, and I was never sorry. I continued with my way of traveling (hitchhiking, couchsurfing, volunteering, busking, dumpster diving, etc.), and every now and then mentioned MC. Was I lying? Was I being dishonest? Not really. I wrote what I was going through, and had some obligations for people that I was working for. One can question morality of working for big corporation, but if you look around you - there is a big chance you are using some immoral products every day. Apart from "true vagabonds" who don't spend any money or work for someone. But the real vagabonds won't go around and brag with their lifestyle, accusing everyone (99,9% of the population) for living differently. If they do, they also have some ego issues.

4. The last - did I travel the world with almost no money? Did I hitchhike through Iraq/Iran/Pakistan, across Indian ocean, couchsurfed/camped/slept outside on 5 continents, volunteered, worked, busked, and all that spending 7-8$ a day? Yes I did. And I wrote about that. I never wrote how I am the ultimate traveler, I never wrote with disrespect to other travelers/tourists - if I did, I had some ego issues. My story is about how its possible to travel with almost no money. Does it hurt to have money on the side? Not really. Am I causing damage to the world by putting a MC logo on my T-shirt? Depends on who you ask. 

I'm not trying to save the world and present myself as being a travel guru. I just do what I do, trying not to hurt anyone in the process, enjoy my life and share my story. That story is not for everyone, just like yours is also not for everyone. But if we go around and attack people that are different from us - ask yourself are we making this world a better place or we are just frustrated with big egos?


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## Wawa (Apr 26, 2015)

Shrug maybe I'm being taken in but this guy doesn't seem too unreasonable. Can't say I've ever actually read the blog though.


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

I definitely commend you for coming to this site, took some balls especially since hardly any folk here have any money to buy your stuff or book. I don't know you from adam and only you know in your heart if what you are doing is ethical. I personally have political ideologies that prevent me from following your path, but to each their own I suppose. Welcome to stp mastercard.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

Now to reply directly to some of you.



junglegreencleeds said:


> Why does he need 12,000 USD to write a book? I've started writing a book of some of my travels it did not require money for me to think lol...let alone 12,000 USD? I feel no shame in working and then traveling with the money I have earned. It sounds like this guy just doesn't want to work and found a way to beg on the internet and through lying about his financial situation to live on a lifeline prepaid vacation.



I didn't need 12,000$ to write a book. I needed $6,400 to publish the Croatian version and to translate and publish it to English. People liked my story and gave me more than I asked for. Which is a normal thing to happen when you do crowdfunding.



junglegreencleeds said:


> The fact he is trying to translate his book just shows he is looking to profit from it. If I were to write a book I would be concerned about the people of my country hearing my story and hopefully being an inspiration for some people to change their lifestyle. If I got a few bucks out of it...then cool, but I think the message is more important than a 12,000 USD pledge fund. Just sounds to me like he is pocketing it. He can't release the book in his country and then use that money to translate it? Nothing he did is even inspirational anyway. I would feel like a piece of shit if I lost my friends and family a ton of money and then left on a prepaid vacation by Mastercard.
> 
> Is any of his money going back into their pockets for the losses they incurred? I don't even know this dude and this got me heated. What a shitty human being.



So you are okay to write your own book and getting "few bucks from it" - but if I want to translate my book that is wrong? Would you translate your book to German for example if 200 Germans asked you to? Or would you be like - no, I just want to inspire the members of my local community?

Also, 95% of the sponsorship money and book profits went to paying off my debt.



junglegreencleeds said:


> I just posted my opinion on his blog. I'm sure it will get deleted, but hopefully some will read it. Thanks for posting this Hobo Huck.



Well done! Its not deleted, unlike reddit post when I was attacked (apart from the first one) and my banning from commenting on Reddit. Thats pretty ironic, right?


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> @Matt Derrick I'd support travel blogs by real vagabonds. I love reading that stuff. I'm just tired of all these "Backpacking through Thailand/Costa Rica/Morocco blogs. Jeez, there's like 100,000 of them, and 90% of them are full of shit just like Tomislavs blog.



I see you read my blog.



Hobo Huck said:


> I left a comment on his blog also. Thanks for calling him out on his own blog, that was epic. I can just imagine his face when he reads that shit...he is going to shit a brick.
> 
> However, he can't delete this article from stp, or the article I put on my forum, and I have a feeling the combination of these will expose him to a much, much larger community. And he deserves it, too.
> 
> I've seen some poser-blogs before, but this is the absolute worst I've ever seen.





junglegreencleeds said:


> No problem man. I wouldn't have been able to unless you posted this article so thanks for that. I'm not broke, but I wander and get odd jobs to fund my travels. The shit he is posting is deceiving and fake. Fucking over people and then acting like you're some broke vagabond is just pitiful. There's nothing wrong with earning money to travel, but lying about your story for financial gain is about as low as you can go imo.



Spread the word, people! Let the world know! 

BTW, I really like this last sentence in the quote - "" 



Hobo Huck said:


> I'm currently summoning his username and taking him to Vagabond court. He is being charged with 1 count of "Impersonating a Vagabond"
> 
> This is his official court summons. I also sent him a direct inbox message informing him of his right to defend himself.
> 
> ...




Why did you erase that post? Because nobody replied and wasnt interested?



Kal said:


> This guy sucks he should travel the way most of us do by train, foot and van.



Oh lord. So you are saying that everyone that doesnt travel with trains, on foot or by van - sucks? Seriously?



Carl Wander said:


> I can't really blame him to ally with mastercard to travel for free... But the stealing and lying and living off the poor makes him a massive douchebag!!



Can you please elaborate on what stealing and lying are you referring to? Thanks.



dmac66 said:


> i hate to admit it, but if i could get some company to pay me 1000$ a month to wear shirts with their logo's on it, i would. hell i would get a mastercard tattoo for that much. the lying, sealing and general douchiness he can keep.





sandpaper cowboy said:


> I get what you're saying, and that's gotta be a hard temptation to pass up for someone who's homeless with no income or security, BUT...
> 
> it's one thing to get sponsored by Osprey backpacks, or Marmot for gear, and a whole 'nother thing to be sponsored by Mastercard. I can't think of a more Uncle Tom thing to do than running around raving about how great our slave master is.
> 
> Also, the human brain is great at finding excuses. People believe what's _convenient _for them to believe. Like someone said above, this guy has justified everything he's done in his mind. I'm not perfect, I've done it as well and still catch myself doing it from time to time. It's a hard habit to break. The zen buddhists say: "observe your own mind". Don't let it go where you don't want it to. Of course it's easy to say, but harder to practice.



I agree with this "observe your mind". All of us should.

Btw, do you know where the money from Osprey or Marmot is going to? Or is it just that they are not a big international corporation and that makes them okay?


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

JimH1991 said:


> I definitely commend you for coming to this site, took some balls especially since hardly any folk here have any money to buy your stuff or book. I don't know you from adam and only you know in your heart if what you are doing is ethical. I personally have political ideologies that prevent me from following your path, but to each their own I suppose. Welcome to stp mastercard.



But that is the point of this all attack - to tell people I'm a fraud because I don't travel the way they do. Or I do, but I made a pact with the devil himself to pay off my debt and now I'm spreading lies all over the world.

I respect your ideologies, and I wish is that everyone respects mine. Thats not hard, is it?


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## EphemeralStick (Apr 26, 2015)

@Tomislav Let me clarify something to you.

My largest issue is that you don't seem to see what kind of ripple effect your influence has. You want to inspire young people to live a different lifestyle? A more open and free one yes? That's fine and dandy.
What you don't realize is that those you inspire most likely will NOT be receiving any sort of sponsorship. They will be left to their own devices and that's where things begin to change.

These kids will eventually pass over from your idea of traveling to ours and that puts a strain on our community. The number one most dangerous thing on the road is recklessness and people like you who promote this false sense of whimsical, traveler fantasy bring people into our community that end up getting themselves into more trouble than they're worth.

You want to promote a travelers lifestyle? Go for it. But spare us your condescending humility crap. You're just hurting the community.


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

@mastercard (sorry but that's going to follow you a long time bud)

I guess the specific issue was the use of the term "vagabond" which is used to describe most of our lifestyles. I guess the general energy is you can't really be a vagabond because:
A) you have a corporate sponsor
B) you are clearly monetizing your efforts
C) you Can go home when you want, when the road is our home.

Vagabond is like a badge of honor in this community, and gives people something to belong to and hold on to.


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## sandpaper cowboy (Apr 26, 2015)

Tomislav said:


> I see you read my blog.
> Btw, do you know where the money from Osprey or Marmot is going to? Or is it just that they are not a big international corporation and that makes them okay?



Never said it was ok. I guess it depends on how honest you are as a person and how deeply one is willing to look into the nitty gritty. I don't endorse either one of those companies, but I'm willing to bet quite a few nickels they haven't locked too many people into debt slavery recently. 

Look, you've justified your actions to yourself I'm sure, so I don't really see the point of hopping on a carousal with you. 

laterz


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

EphemeralStick said:


> @Tomislav Let me clarify something to you.
> 
> My largest issue is that you don't seem to see what kind of ripple effect your influence has. You want to inspire young people to live a different lifestyle? A more open and free one yes? That's fine and dandy.
> What you don't realize is that those you inspire most likely will NOT be receiving any sort of sponsorship. They will be left to their own devices and that's where things begin to change.
> ...



I traveled all these year WITHOUT using my sponsorship money - lets be clear on that one. I told numerous times that I used that money to pay off my debts. Plus, I traveled 2 years around Europe with having no sponsorship money.

What I am trying to promote, even though share would be a better word - is that its possible to travel with almost no money. If you check that video of my TEDx talk, or see THE THIRD SENTENCE in my article about travel sponsors:

_Before we start, I would like to point out that lack of sponsors (or money generally) should’t discourage you to travel. Sponsors are just cherry on the top, because you can definitely travel without them – ask 99,9% of the travellers that went on their trips with no sponsors whatsoever. Life on the road is not that expensive, after all._

Tell me, if someone listens my advice and goes traveling alternative ways - hitchhiking, couchsurfing, camping, dumpster diving, volunteering, working, busking - is that possible to do without sponsor money? Of course it is. Thats what I'm trying to point out. You can travel without sponsors. I had them when I was traveling. But I didnt use their money for my daily expenses.

Please watch that TEDx talk, and tell me do I tell people to go out there and be reckless. Please do.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

JimH1991 said:


> @mastercard (sorry but that's going to follow you a long time bud)
> 
> I guess the specific issue was the use of the term "vagabond" which is used to describe to most of our lifestyles. I guess the general energy is you can't really be a vagabond because:
> A) you have a corporate sponsor
> ...



That is the thing here - I was called out because of this - WITHOUT me saying anywhere that I am a vagabond. 

People in "vagabond community" got insulted because I was promoting "my" style of traveling, only because I dont fit into their boxes of how traveling should look like.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

sandpaper cowboy said:


> Never said it was ok. I guess it depends on how honest you are as a person and how deeply one is willing to look into the nitty gritty. I don't endorse either one of those companies, but I'm willing to bet quite a few nickels they haven't locked too many people into debt slavery recently.
> 
> Look, you've justified your actions to yourself I'm sure, so I don't really see the point of hopping on a carousal with you.
> 
> laterz



You havent said it was okay, you said it was a different thing. Which kinda justifies it.

Every company, well almost every, can be guilty of something. If a CEO of a small local bakery drives a car - he is supporting the pollution on Earth. If he is buying BigMac he is bad. This can go forever. 

Yes, I justified my actions to myself, and all I'm trying to do here is to defend from attacks on 4 different fronts from people that dont know me, but have issues with my way of traveling and living.


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

again, I don't know you, I just hope you use some of your new found funds to make a positive impact in the community. Good ways of doing this would be to donate a large percentage of your profits to some form of travelers resource like food banks, soup kitchens, loads of socks ect. You have the right to be your own person, just anything linked to such financial treachery raises a few eyebrows in radical comunities. Most of us do what we do to stand up against everything the financial system represents.


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## EphemeralStick (Apr 26, 2015)

Maybe try asking yourself why an entire community would be targeting you. You clearly have just as much an ego as the rest of us if you're coming to our site specifically to justify yourself. If you believe in your own convictions so strongly what does any of our opinion matter?


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

If you really want to change your initial impression with this community make a large contribution to food not bombs.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

JimH1991 said:


> again, I don't know you, I just hope you use some of your new found funds to make a positive impact in the community. Good ways of doing this would be to donate a large percentage of your profits to some form of travelers resource like food banks, soup kitchens, loads of socks ect. You have the right to be your own person, just anything linked to such financial treachery raises a few eyebrows in radical comunities. Most of us do what we do to stand up against everything the financial system represents.



That is also one issue - before I had the chance to defend and explain myself, I was called out. Just check the title of this topic.

You know, I did donate ALL of my profits - to my family who needs it, and to few NGO's and few travelers making their own story. But no one cares about that, and I dont want to go around and brag how noble I am. The bottom line - creator of this topic doesnt care about my part of the story (which you can see because he banned me from reddit post he moderates) - the only purpose of all this is to discredit me because someone doesnt like that I was sponsored and succeeded in making a successful book/blog/whatever.

Tell me, is that righteous?


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

EphemeralStick said:


> Maybe try asking yourself why an entire community would be targeting you. You clearly have just as much an ego as the rest of us if you're coming to our site specifically to justify yourself. If you believe in your own convictions so strongly what does any of our opinion matter?



Why? Maybe because I was attacked on Reddit, YT, my blog, and here. And I like when people have their chance to tell their part of the story. 

When it comes to coming here, its a lose-lose situation - if I didnt show up you would be like "oh, he didnt have the courage to show up here, where the true travelers are", and when I do show up and make some valid points, I have a big ego, and your opinion doenst matter.

Seriously?


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## Durp (Apr 26, 2015)

Well, the internet is reactionary, I'm human and have ego issues as well. I can't judge you and apologise for my rude comments. Hopefully you bring more good than ilk to the community at large (not just stp.) I'm sure you are aware how easy it is to get swept up in internet hystaria. In a former life I worked for a marketing firm and every day I try and atone for those mistakes I made before I was of evan legal drinking age.


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## sandpaper cowboy (Apr 26, 2015)

Deleted


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

JimH1991 said:


> Well, the internet is reactionary, I'm human and have ego issues as well. I can't judge you and apologise for my rude comments. Hopefully you bring more good than ilk to the community at large (not just stp.) I'm sure you are aware how easy it is to get swept up in internet hystaria. In a former life I worked for a marketing firm and every day I try and atone for those mistakes I made before I was of evan legal drinking age.



We all have issues. 

My point is that we can learn from one another, and we shouldnt use the time to argue. I never discredited what other travelers are doing and how they are traveling. Or if I did, it was long time ago, when I was a newbie hitchhiker, and trying to tell everyone how my way is the best there is.

If someone has a problem with me earning money on behalf of my travel writing, its their right. But thats not, in my opinion, what travelers should focus on - discrediting other people. Everyone has their own ways, and thats good. If everybody was a hitchhiker, who would have picked us up?


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

sandpaper cowboy said:


> Well, if it were me I wouldn't have said anything about it and just ignored you. These attacks have probably done you the favor of bringing you more attention.



Now someone will say that topic creator get 20% of my revenue on books I sell because of these topics.


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## iamwhatiam (Apr 26, 2015)

Tomislav said:


> We all have issues.
> 
> My point is that we can learn from one another, and we shouldnt use the time to argue. I never discredited what other travelers are doing and how they are traveling. Or if I did, it was long time ago, when I was a newbie hitchhiker, and trying to tell everyone how my way is the best there is.
> 
> If someone has a problem with me earning money on behalf of my travel writing, its their right. But thats not, in my opinion, what travelers should focus on - discrediting other people. Everyone has their own ways, and thats good. If everybody was a hitchhiker, who would have picked us up?


I'm curious if you tell the people who host/feed you in these 3rd world countries - do you tell them you get sponsored by a credit card company and paid X amount of dollars per month? How do they feel about it? and also...if you dumpster dive, how do you ever think that maybe you are taking resources away from those who really need it, people who really don't have an income or means to procure food?


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

iamwhatiam said:


> I'm curious if you tell the people who host/feed you in these 3rd world countries - do you tell them you get sponsored by a credit card company and paid X amount of dollars per month? How do they feel about it?



To some I did tell, to some I didnt. They generally love the idea that someone can do what they like and be paid for it.

And to be clear, I dont show up in someones home expecting to be fed. People who hosted me are kind human beings who choose to do that. Sometimes they cook for me, sometimes I cook for them, sometimes we cook together. Its an exchange.

Like it was an exchange when I hosted 100-150 people in my apartment before I started traveling.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

Tomislav, you are in this life lifestyle for ONE purpose: $$$.

That's how it started, that's how it continued to evolve, and that's exactly what it still is to this day: Escapism and Profiteering at every corner/angle you can find it.

When you put on that Mastercard shirt, and then later decided to give grandiose speeches, you became a sell-out, a hypocrite, and a walking contradiction.

You started traveling with a monetized blog. You then got your blog and your soul sponsored by Mastercard. You then asked for several thousand dollars just to write a book, so that you can sell that also make even more money. Now you give a TEDx speech in which you trick a gullible audience into thinking he did all of this traveling on 10 dollars a day.

If it was up to you Tomislav, this would be the future of our lifestyle:


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## Kim Chee (Apr 26, 2015)

@Tomislav, I used to be a corporate guy before hitting the road. On the other hand, I also spent my first three years on the road with only the clothes on my back, a paper bag with hygiene articals and absolutely no money while eating whatever trash I could find. I can say that I know what it feels like to live on the plush as well as what it is like to use a rock for a pillow. 

Anyway, I can see where you're coming from (I think). If you can be so kind as to be especially considerate to those who happen to be less fortunate, I think that would be mighty awesome of you.

Happy travels.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> Tomislav is in this life lifestyle for ONE purpose: $$$
> 
> He started traveling with a monetized blog.



Its not nice to mislead people, you know? For your information, I started traveling in May 2009, and got my MC deal in Dec 2010.

You can confirm my story here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.125253384168439.18723.123615887665522&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.125276164166161.18728.123615887665522&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.125450567482054.18807.123615887665522&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.128477527179358.19702.123615887665522&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.136028466424264.22058.123615887665522&type=3

Any comments on that or you will just continue with argument-less accusations?


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

7xMichael said:


> @Tomislav, I used to be a corporate corporate guy before hitting the road. On the other hand, I also spent my first three years on the road with only the clothes on my back, a paper bag with hygiene articals and absolutely no money while eating whatever trash I could find. I can say that I know what it feels like to live on the plush as well as what it is like to use a rock for a pillow.
> 
> Anyway, I can see where you're coming from (I think). If you can be so kind as to be especially considerate to those who happen to be less fortunate, I think that would be mighty awesome of you.
> 
> Happy travels.



I am considerate to everyone, that is the point here. I'm not the attacker in this story. Show me one (1) example of me being inconsiderate to the less fortunate, that would be mighty awesome of you


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## Wawa (Apr 26, 2015)

Okay, got to argue about the "dumpster diving taking resources away from others" thing. Most trash gets THROWN AWAY. Unless I'm at the most popular fucking dumpster on the planet, I'll eat trash with $500 in my pocket because its a good free meal and chances are it'll spoil or get hauled away, or someone will dump toilet paper and coffee grounds on top of otherwise.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

iamwhatiam said:


> and also...if you dumpster dive, how do you ever think that maybe you are taking resources away from those who really need it, people who really don't have an income or means to procure food?



Yeah, when I go to supermarket bins I have guilty conscience that I am stealing it from all the people standing in line.

Face. Palm.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

JimH1991 said:


> If you really want to change your initial impression with this community make a large contribution to food not bombs.



Or he could just stop being paid by a corrupt financial institution. He even admitted earlier that Mastercard is an evil corporation, and then he goes on to say that he has no regrets working for them.

I can understand someone that is working in an office and they are stuck working for a corrupt corporation that they know is corrupt. Hey, ya gotta feed the kids, it becomes a total trap. That's something that we can all sympathize with or understand.

But Tomislav has a CHOICE, yet he has no regret choosing a completely corrupt corporation as a sponsor. Why? Because it isn't about the lifestyle for him, its about building his traveling resume for further profits and more shit that he can sell. More speeches...more books...more sponsors...where does it end exactly? When he becomes the Nascar equivalent of a backpacker?

I understand he did this sponsorship to pay off his debts, and thats notable. Kudos. But he could have just done what other vagabonds and backpackers do. We don't get sponsored by capitalist conglomerates, we go out and bust our ass on farms, jobs in Alaska, working in forests, and we earn the money ourselves.

If he would just get off the stage and quit lying to people and convincing them that anyone can go live on the road and get a corporate sponsor, I'd personally have no problem with him at all.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> If he would just get off the stage and quit lying to people and convincing them that anyone can go live on the road and get a corporate sponsor, I'd personally have no problem with him at all.



I think you would have a problem with me no matter what I do or say, as you prove it with every unanswered message here and/or reddit where you banned me, saying that that place is for real travelers only. And telling me to come here, why? Because this is place where unreal travelers can come? Or you are expecting people will start throwing stones and spitting on me like you do?

Once again - I never lied to people and convinced them that anyone can get a corporate sponsor, you again with misleading people, shame on you! 

I do tell people that they can live on the road and travel with almost no money. Without having a sponsor, like I said many many times. But you dont seem to hear and understand that. No idea why.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

I mentioned you here because you deserved to be exposed to a community of real travelers, not just Redditors. That's fairly simple to understand, and this is the THIRD time I have explained it to you.

Tomislav, you were banned from r/Vagabond because you accused hitchhikers and backpackers that own cell phones of contributing to civil wars in Africa. That was a ridiculous and outlandish leap, and it was a bogus attempt to claim that vagabonds with cell phonesare just as corrupt as a traveler that gets sponsored by Mastercard.

I'm sorry, but that a pile of bullshit. Vagabonds with cell phones aren't fucking up Africa, and having a cell phone is nowhere near a fair example to wearing a Mastercard shirt. You may try to stretch and embellish that analogy as much as you, and I'm sure it will sound fine and dandy, but its really just a pretty pile of shit.

Theres alot of things I dislike about you, and many things I do like about you. But you have a CHOICE for working for a shitty sponsoring corporation, and your TEDx speech is just a way for you to market your products and mislead a naive audience.

Profit Profit Profit. That's all you are about. And if it wasn't for that, I'd have no problem with you. Hell, I'd even forgive if you just manned up and told Mastercard to fuck off.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> Tomislav, you were banned from r/Vagabond because you accused hitchhikers and backpackers that own cell phones of contributing to civil wars in Africa. That was a ridiculous and outlandish leap, and it was a bogus attempt to claim that vagabonds with cell phonesare just as corrupt as a traveler that gets sponsored by Mastercard.



Well, thats not what you told me in a private message on Reddit:

"You have been banned from our traveling community because you are not an authentic traveler. You are a fraud."
"Yes, you are banned from r/vagabond. When you learn how to travel the world without a Mastercard shirt, or stop giving speeches that are full of misleading advice to naive consumers, you are more than welcome to join a community of real travelers."

You made few points, I answered to all of them, and you keep ignoring everything apart from one - I got sponsored by a big company. That is your only argument. I dont really need your forgiveness, nor anyones here. I just like to defend myself, and to point out one thing - people that go out spitting on others just because they are different and have their own path, are the people who need to change their attitude. 

If you want to continue with conversation, focus on arguments and facts, and then we can talk. Like your friends here all can.


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## Kim Chee (Apr 26, 2015)

Sorry, the argument is so lopsided I feel the need to share this:

Remember:
****It isn't selling out if you always did it*****

I wonder how many here really would turn down the offer if given the opportunity:
Free smokes for carrying a tobacco company's duffel.
Free airfare for flying an airline logo.
Free cash for getting a lending institution logo tattoo.
Free food for signing up for foodstamps.
Free house for signing up for a government program.


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

7xMichael said:


> Sorry, the argument is so lopsided I feel the need to share this:
> 
> Remember:
> ****It isn't selling out if you always did it*****
> ...



Here is my question - who would judge people that accept one of these offers? And why.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

Tomislav, don't nitpick quotes and leave out the other half of my messages, and then pretend that you are dealing with "facts"

This is the screenshot of me telling you in the ban message one of the reasons I was banning your account. You then created another account, and continued to post after you were previously banned. I then had to ban your second account. We are hoping that this doesn't require a third ban.

Here is the part of the ban message that you conveniently left out for everyone not to see: (screenshot)








I've stated what I've stated to you, multiple times, and I just wanted information put forth so that other real travelers can see another side of your story and not just the TEDx talk. 

I suggest ditching the Mastercard logo, and quit giving phony TEDx speeches just so that you can plug your books and monetized blogs. 

That's all I have really left to say to you dude. You're just going to argue forever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and there comes a point to where you're just not worth the trouble. 

Good luck with Mastercard and your "product/life/soul" that you'll forever market down peoples throat.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 26, 2015)

7xMichael said:


> Sorry, the argument is so lopsided I feel the need to share this:
> 
> Remember:
> ****It isn't selling out if you always did it*****
> ...



Personally, I wouldn't. Alot of scumfucks would definitely do it for the booze and tobacco though. You should call American Spirit.

I personally don't use food stamps or welfare, but I dont think that's quite equal to selling out to a corporation for marketing a product. There's alot of people that really need those programs...


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## Tomislav (Apr 26, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> I've stated what I've stated to you, multiple times, and I just wanted information put forth so that other real travelers can see another side of your story and not just the TEDx talk.



You've stated a lot of lies, and yet you have no answer to them once you are faced with them.

To save you some time to research, here are points you accused me for, which are completely false, and for which you have no comment for:

I ran away from investors when they started demanding their money back.
I smuggled away 1,300 dollars, and used that money to monetize a traveling blog BEFORE I even started traveling.
I was housed and fed by the generosity of poverty-stricken families in third-world countries.
I had paid vacations and preplanned excursions.

I tell people that everyone can get corporate sponsor for their travels.
You ban me from a conversation that YOU invited me to, saying I accused people with mobile phones for wars in Africa, while I was making a comparison how everyone uses things that are not necessarily morally okay.

I didnt come here because of you, but because I believe in a fair trial. With people actually being present and stuff. Even though I came on a "enemy territory" where "real vagabonds" reside.

That's all I have really left to say to you dude. You're just going to argue forever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and there comes a point to where you're just not worth the trouble.

Good luck with your judging career and spitting on people who have a different path than you do.

Love and light for you, truest vagabond you. ::eyepatch::

T.


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## Wawa (Apr 26, 2015)

This thread: A duel with an audience. I get the feeling the rest of us are just yapping in the background.


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## briancray (Apr 26, 2015)

Tomislav said:


> I see you read my blog.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



So because I bought an iPhone 4 used for 100 dollars to use for work at my job that means what lol? I work temporary jobs part of the year and then travel on the little money I make. I live off myself...can you say the same? Sadly I need a phone to talk to employers. I'm not "vagabonding" around opening indiegogos for sponsorship of 12,000 and getting sponsored by MasterCard and acting like I'm traveling the world on no money. 

I'm not broke. I already stated that. But you aren't either and you aren't doing anything that anyone else hasn't already done with a ton of money sitting in a bank account. So you stuck out a thumb, who gives a fuck. Do you catch my drift now or are you focused on my used iPhone 4 from a few years ago? Save your bullshit for the rest of society because I'm pretty sure it won't fly here. You're not a vagabond. You're not traveling broke. You're not doing anything special. You're just a trust fund baby backpacker who lost his family and friends a lot of money and ran away. Then you got lucky through social media. If I'm wrong please tell me.


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## Odin (Apr 26, 2015)

Tomislav said:


> Here is my question - who would judge people that accept one of these offers? And why.



I'm trying to be objective following this feud... but I have to say...

Are you seriously asking that question?

Your sponsoring yourself with MasterCard!!!

Seems to me...

You can't be a bankster and a vagabond.

Now sponsorship could be a thing... but you really gotta look at what it is. If I was sponsored by a NGO or humanitarian deal to travel fine. Or just about any enterprise with real ethics.

But the BANKS?

That is your problem dude. And nothing you say can change that.

Dude... just for the fact that you were a stock broker and then flip to a sponsored by a major credit card company... it would not even cross my mind to take your advice or read your book.


DIY or die.


One more addition... like I said if it was ethical.

There is a documentary called Home 2009.




Some where in that doc... there is a part where the narrator talks about an *entrepreneur* that opened a bank that *EXCLUSIVELY* gave loans to the poor in third world nations.

That is about the only bank I would proudly wear a t-shirt for.


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## watson (Apr 27, 2015)

i gets free food from foodstamps.. im a sellout?


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## Durp (Apr 27, 2015)

Ya that whole africa thing is because of banksters stealing the entire continents resources. .... and yes I wish there where no cars for hithikers and no trains for hoppers.... the world would be a much nicer place.


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## Mongo (Apr 27, 2015)

The only problem I have is that it had to be a company like mastercard. It's just one step from promoting companies like monsanto, halliburton, or merryl lynch. I don't think you would blink twice before even thinking about the social impacts of promoting any of those companies for money.

The thing about getting sponsored by osprey is that they don't have any direct involvement with the kinds of evil activities that mastercard does like blocking payments to wikileaks ,branding iD cards , and making a profit off putting people in debt.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MasterCard


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## Tomislav (Apr 27, 2015)

junglegreencleeds said:


> I work temporary jobs part of the year and then travel on the little money I make. I live off myself...can you say the same?
> 
> I'm not broke. I already stated that. But you aren't either and you aren't doing anything that anyone else hasn't already done with a ton of money sitting in a bank account.



1. Of course I live off myself. I work (write/take photos/make videos/give lectures) and get paid for that. How would you call that if not living off myself? Because you work temporary jobs part of the year makes you true or what? You know what the funny thing is? If I worked for MasterCard and had a steady 9-5 life, you guys wouldn't care. But nooooo, I dare to travel AND have cooperation with big corporations. Shame on me. How can I, when we know true travelers are broke and not allowed to work with specific firms.

2. I'm not broke, and never said I was. I'm not doing anything that anyone else hasn't done already, and never said I did. I'm just a guy that traveled for couple of year, and openly shares his story of his endeavours. Did I travel the world with almost no money? I did. But I shouldnt go out and talk about it because deal with MC helped me pay off my debt.


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## Tomislav (Apr 27, 2015)

Odin said:


> You can't be a bankster and a vagabond.



THAT is the beauty of all this - I'm NOT a vagabond and never claimed I was. You guys keep putting that word into my mouth.

I am who I am. I have my own story and my ways. Life took me on the road where I spent most of last 6 years. I traveled the way I traveled. I earned money to pay off my debt in a way I did. And I can live with that.

But the problem is that I was doing similar things you guys were doing, and you have a certain set of rules one should obey? I should have probably came here when MC offered me a contract and ask permission to take it or not. C'mon guys. Respect my way, like I respect yours. I won't go around saying shit about other travelers NOT MATTER how much I disagree with their ways. Why would I? Do I feel threatened by them? Because people will think less of me if they hear their story? I'm a grownup, have my own was and I do realise that I cannot please everyone. And I'm not trying to.


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## Tomislav (Apr 27, 2015)

Mongo said:


> The only problem I have is that it had to be a company like mastercard.



I agree that this is one of two problems. The other one is that I am a traveler.

If I had the choice to take sponsorship from Osprey or MC, which one do you think I would choose? I had my situation, I made my choices, and I would do it the same if I had to. I had to choose to be either a 9-5 slave for 5-10 years to pay off my debt, or to travel the world wearing MC T-shirt. I chose the second option. 

And now everybody is upset, because I touch their religion - traveling/vagabonding/whatever you want to call it. I do not follow your rules from your Bible, and for that I should be crucified. There are other books to read, you know? Other paths to follow. Only because you are following your path, it doenst mean its the right one for everyone. Maybe it is for you, but maybe its not for me.


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## briancray (Apr 27, 2015)

Tomislav said:


> 1. Of course I live off myself. I work (write/take photos/make videos/give lectures) and get paid for that. How would you call that if not living off myself? Because you work temporary jobs part of the year makes you true or what? You know what the funny thing is? If I worked for MasterCard and had a steady 9-5 life, you guys wouldn't care. But nooooo, I dare to travel AND have cooperation with big corporations. Shame on me. How can I, when we know true travelers are broke and not allowed to work with specific firms.
> 
> 2. I'm not broke, and never said I was. I'm not doing anything that anyone else hasn't done already, and never said I did. I'm just a guy that traveled for couple of year, and openly shares his story of his endeavours. Did I travel the world with almost no money? I did. But I shouldnt go out and talk about it because deal with MC helped me pay off my debt.



Maybe I'm confused...this is from your article...

"And the idea I came up with was that most of the travellers go on their adventures with some financial backup, while I never had that. I decided that thats it – promoting alternative ways of traveling – hitchhiking, CouchSurfing, etc. The market is huge, because everyone wants to travel, and nobody has any money."

You say you aren't broke, yet here you claim to have no financial backup so I guess I'm just confused with everything. 

The way you write the rest of that article makes it sound like you are using hitchhiking and couchsurfing for financial gain, which is just messed up imo. I never had a problem with your story. Everyone who travels has them. But you're trying to sell this like it's a product and it is not. Sell the story not all this other bullshit giving ppl the idea they can get sponsors for traveling with no money or little money. Maybe if you rephrased it like you can backpack and hitchhike the world on "blank" thousand dollars this all might be less misleading.


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## Matt Derrick (Apr 27, 2015)

okey dokey... where to begin 

well, first off, I take issue with being pushed to the front of this argument and having the StP community be forced to play judge and jury. so let's try to avoid that in the future. we're not really a place for flame wars, i personally don't enjoy them.

but back to the issue at hand. it seems like the only issue @Hobo Huck has that stands on any kind of solid ground is that @Tomislav took money from a (admittedly) evil corporation. the same way that bank of america is guilty of participating in mountain top removal in west virginia, i'm sure it wouldn't be hard to dig up a list of evil things about the master card corporation.

in my opinion, all other issues have been adequately explained by @Tomislav, and personally, I don't have a problem with most of it. i'm open minded enough to realize that even though my political ideals lean to the anarchist side of things, not everyone else does, or should. so if this guy want's to monetize his blog (not sure what's wrong with that? most travel bloggers do that. also, 'monetize' is extremely vague) or any of the other things he did, it's fine to me.



Tomislav said:


> I had to choose to be either a 9-5 slave for 5-10 years to pay off my debt, or to travel the world wearing MC T-shirt. I chose the second option.



i think the main crux of this whole thing is that he did accept corporate sponsorship for his travels; where he spent the earnings from that sponsorship seems irrelevant. and that was his choice. but when you represent yourself as having no money and having no money and traveling as a lifestyle, when you take that sponsorship it devalues your message, no matter what you spent the money on. and when it comes right down to it, that's a luxury no one in the vagabond community has. for example, i myself am over 60k in debt, but you don't see me running around trying to whore myself or StP to any company willing to give a sponsorship. when you make an arrangement like that, it devalues the message you're trying to spread that "anyone can travel on little to no money".

don't get me wrong, i totally believe what @Tomislav is trying to say, we all do. this community is built on that idea. but when you take money from a corporation that's sole purpose is to turn a profit on debt, this makes your message worthless, and corrupted. why? because of how your master card shirt wearing photos were used. capitalist organizations don't sponsor people out of good will. they do it because they get a return on it. the return isn't always money; it could be the simple message of a guy in a foreign country, living his life to the fullest and doing everything you wish you could do... and subliminally, that message says "hey, you can be just as free as this guy, all your dreams can come true too... as long as you have a master card..."

denying this is the equivalent of denying the basic truths of advertising. the master card corporation _knows _this. their advertising department _banks _on it. and somewhere, someone else joins the ranks of being a wage slave for a dream they bought into but will never see the return on, because they saw your picture in a beautiful place they wish they could be, wearing a master card shirt. and if you don't think that's true, that it would never happen, then you're at a level of denial i simply can't get through to.

i think a lot of people will agree with me that where the money _comes _from is just as important as how you _earned _it.


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## Tomislav (Apr 27, 2015)

junglegreencleeds said:


> Maybe I'm confused...this is from your article...
> 
> "And the idea I came up with was that most of the travellers go on their adventures with some financial backup, while I never had that. I decided that thats it – promoting alternative ways of traveling – hitchhiking, CouchSurfing, etc. The market is huge, because everyone wants to travel, and nobody has any money."
> 
> ...



After year and a half of traveling around Europe, and starting my FB page - I realised that I could earn money with my writings, if I had something to write about. And the answer was obvious - I will just write about the ways I'm using to travel. And in a way, yes, I am using hitchhiking and couchsurfing to gain money, the same as writers are "using" different topics to write about to earn money. I don't see a problem in that. 

Back in the days I had no financial backup. And when I did, I said to myself that I will keep on traveling as I didnt. And I did.


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## Tomislav (Apr 27, 2015)

Matt Derrick said:


> okey dokey... where to begin
> 
> well, first off, I take issue with being pushed to the front of this argument and having the StP community be forced to play judge and jury. so let's try to avoid that in the future. we're not really a place for flame wars, i personally don't enjoy them.
> 
> ...



I agree with your points here, especially that at the end, after so many words, all comes down to MasterCard. 

And with that being said - I accept the responsibility for my actions and earning money from a company that is not a pillar of morality. But that was my choice at the time being, and I do not regret. I also do not deny that my adventures were used by the company for their gain. That was an exchange - I got something out of it, they got something out of it. I had my reasons for that. I accept people dont agree with them, and thats okay. Its their right to do so. The only thing(s) I didnt like here was that I was called a liar and a cheater. I was always opened on how I traveled, that I had a sponsor, and I shared my story publicly. I have nothing to hide but I do want to keep my reputation, which can easily be discredited using internet and partly correct information. If someone wants to discredit me because of my deal with MC, I accept that, and I think that is okay. Everything else - I will defend.

"I think a lot of people will agree with me that where the money _comes _from is just as important as how you _earned _it. - it is also important where the money goes. If you take money from a bad person and give it to the poor, is that good or bad? 

You say you are 60k in debt. What would you do if that is life savings of your family? Would you do everything in your power to give it back to them? Not everything everything, but would you be willing to sacrifice some of your beliefs for your family? I did, and thats the bottom line.

I wouldnt go to war to get that money for example, but wearing a T-shirt of a company, I can live with that.


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## Matt Derrick (Apr 27, 2015)

Tomislav said:


> it is also important where the money goes. If you take money from a bad person and give it to the poor, is that good or bad?



it's hard to say, but i'm going to side with bad. why? because money from these kinds of people generally comes from hurting other people. it would be much better if the money and the hurt didn't exist in the first place, otherwise it only outweighs the benefit you or society would get out of giving it to the right people.

i hate to use a video game as an example, but i'm playing farcry 4 right now, and through the story line you have a moral dilemma; do you support the faction that wants to return to the old ways by farming? or do you want to support the side that wants to grow heroin? the argument is that the heroin profits could be used to build schools, public services, and bring the country up to the level of the rest of the world (it's a 3rd world country).

of course that sounds all well and good until you start to think about the people that have to suffer because of the school you bought. drugs ruin lives the same way capitalism does, and all the good you do in the world with that money will never out weigh the suffering it came from.



Tomislav said:


> I wouldnt go to war to get that money for example, but wearing a T-shirt of a company, I can live with that.



now, with that said, and your decision made, you can't argue that there are always consequences for your actions, whether they are big or small. it might be that losing the faith of the 'vagabond' community you claim to represent is simply the price you have to pay for paying off the debt to your family and friends. it sounds like you're comfortable with that, and that's fine. but i don't think it's fair to represent yourself as a 'broke traveler' when you have such sponsorships, no matter where the money goes to. in my opinion i think that's just something you're going to have to give up on.


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## Tomislav (Apr 28, 2015)

Matt Derrick said:


> it might be that losing the faith of the 'vagabond' community you claim to represent is simply the price you have to pay for paying off the debt to your family and friends. it sounds like you're comfortable with that, and that's fine. but i don't think it's fair to represent yourself as a 'broke traveler' when you have such sponsorships, no matter where the money goes to. in my opinion i think that's just something you're going to have to give up on.



I agree.

But the thing is - I never presented myself as a broke traveler/vagabond (except in the beginning when I had no money whatsoever) - I am just telling my story of traveling the world with almost no money by using alternative ways (hitchhiking, CS, volunteering, etc) and earning money on the way (busking, getting a job, writing about it). I mean - I write articles explaining how I got my sponsors - I do hold my readers smart enough to notice the logic here.

The bottom line is - I spent last 5-6 years traveling around the world. My daily budget was under $10. I had sponsors. But I think some people here think that even though I did travel on a low budget, I am not allowed to talk about that because I had money on the side in my bank account or wherever that money went. 

Is there a fear that someone will hear my story and say - wow, this guy did it, it looks so easy, I will do that tomorrow? Sure. Thats why I tell people that its not easy as it looks/sounds. I tell them to try CS, but they have to realise that I have been hosting people for two years and that made it much easier. If they think they can make their profile today and start sending out requests tomorrow, they will learn the lesson the hard way. Same thing with hitchhiking - if they listen to my stories and think they will get to their destination every time on time, and they wont need to sleep beside the road - they will learn that on their own skin. Same thing goes with earning money while traveling, getting sponsored, etc.

I am not writing fairy tales. I am writing about my own experiences. And I think I'm entitled to do that, because I am not lying or being deceiving to anyone. My cards are all on the table, and they always were.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 28, 2015)

Tomislav, you have such beautiful marketing skills to cover up all of the holes in your story, along with elaborate explanations of everything else.

Well done. Well, fucking, done. I applaud you.

However, while you claim to be giving honest speeches and writing unbiased blog stories to "inform" travelers of how to travel the world, you are actually just teaching people how to become media whores, sell-outs, and greedy profiteers.

That's not just my opinion, thats EXACTLY what you teach people, step-by-step, on your "Mastercard Blog". May I remind you of this article?

Proof: 


First of all, real travelers don't treat their adventures as a "sellable product". That's the way greedy yuppies think, NOT vagabonds or backpackers. Our travels and experiences aren't products that we intended on selling to the right "market". It's our life, and we don't expect to get paid from it.

Second of all, when we do interviews with the media, we don't "whore" ourselves out. The media actually FINDS us, and we do our interviews for free in the hopes of representing our subculture in an accurate and positive light. We don't do this as a "marketing" opportunity so that we can "cash in" or "advertise" our "sponsored products".

Thirdly, if any of us ever accepted a sponsor, it would be a sponsor that doesn't make us a walking contradiction to everything we believe in, much less a sponsor that is a DIRECT contributor to the financial corruption and debt-enslaved society that is making thousands of other people, including families, INVOLUNTARILY homeless.

I'd accept a sponsor for an Animal Rights group anyday, but fucking Mastercard? Don't pretend you didn't know who Mastercard is either...you're a former stock-broker, you know exactly who you signed up for, and exactly what bullshit game they play. You know what's up.

I'm sorry for being so aggressive, but your speeches, along with your blog, does nothing but promote the exact type of greed and corruption that real travelers are trying to GET AWAY from.

Yet here you, Mr. "How To Travel The World With Little to No Money", PROMOTING the idea of "selling out and cashing in", to naive audiences that you've intentionally suckered into buying this crap.

Do you think we want these type of "corporate sponsored" fucks ruining our subculture's integrity, meanwhile having the luxury of stealing our hard-earned image and using it for profit? The fuck?

All the while, we blister our hands on farms, bust our ass dishwashing and digging ditches, panhandling during dire times, only for a bunch of spoiled-ass Mastercard-sponsored travelers to reap all of the attention, money, and recognition of our lifestyle? Think again, Mr. Mastercard.

Look dude, if you're going to sell your soul and turn your travels into a "marketable product", that's fine with me as long as you keep it to yourself. Happy trails, Mr. Entrepreneur!

BUT, when you start teaching this shit to future travelers during your speeches and blog-writings, encouraging other travelers to sell out and ruin the integrity of our subculture, you should expect some outrage from people that look at traveling as more than a "marketing" opportunity for mere profit. You make a money-making mockery of our lifestyle, and that offends me and many others.

You think I want to walk through town in 10 years from now, carrying my heavy ass backpack, and suddenly start having people assume:

_"oh, that dudes probably not a real vagabond, he is probably sponsored by Mastercard...i saw it on a dudes blog, all these backpackers are all fake these days"...._

OR

_"oh don't pick up that hitchhiker honey, most of them are sponsored by Monstanto or BP and I don't agree with that..besides they probably have money for a taxi anyway"..._

That's the type of future bullshit you are promoting, and it's disgusting. It ruins it for all of us.

And all of this for the sake of what? So that you can sell your book and pay off your investors? Fuck that, dude..that's your problem, but now you are making it ours.

Of course, you'll have an awesome excuse for this "sell out-cash in" article you wrote, as would any marketer seeking to protect their precious brand image.

However, the proof is in the pudding, and your blog article speaks for itself: You are a media-whore, you are a sell-out, and you work for one of the most corrupt industries in modern society. End of story. Your backpack and your adventures are merely an "accessory" or "brand image" to promote this desperate money-making endeavor of yours.

You didn't leave the life of financial corruption behind to start traveling; you simply brought financial corruption into the world of traveling, for the primary goal of profiting from it.

You don't teach people how to travel as a low-budget traveler. You teach people how to travel as a capitalistic leech that has found a unique forumla to making money from our lifestyle, thus ruining the integrity of all other travelers.

You're not a traveler. You're a profiteer. Furthermore, you are a BRAND, and your blog, speeches, pictures, and stories are just a "product" of this "brand" you have skillfully created for the sole purpose of monetizing OUR lifestyle.

That's your "story", and it's a story sponsored by Mastercard corporation.


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## Tomislav (Apr 28, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> Tomislav, you have such beautiful excuses and marketing skills to cover up all of the holes in your story, along with elaborate explanations of being forced to choose the lesser evils (Mastercard).
> 
> Well done. Well, fucking, done. I applaud.



Thank you 



Hobo Huck said:


> However, while you claim to be giving honest speeches and writing unbiased blog stories to "inform" travelers of how to travel the world, you are actually just teaching people how to become media whores, sell-outs, and greedy profiteers.
> 
> But hey, that's not my opinion, thats EXACTLY what you teach people, step-by-step, on your "Mastercard Blog".



Yes, I teach people how to get media attention, AND I tell them how to travel the world with almost no money. Deal with it, man.



Hobo Huck said:


> First of all, real travelers don't treat their adventures as a "sellable product". That's the way greedy yuppies think, NOT vagabonds or backpackers. Our travels and experiences aren't products that we intended on selling to the right "market". It's our life, and we don't expect to get paid from it.



I never claimed to be a REAL traveler, you made that one up. If you don't wish to "sell your experiences to the market" - thats a simple one - *don't*. But don't go around whining like a little girl because someone else tries to make a living from their travel-related-writings. Because thats what you have been doing for the past days.



Hobo Huck said:


> All the while, we blister our hands on farms, bust our ass dishwashing and digging ditches, panhandling during dire times, only for a bunch of spoiled-ass Mastercard-sponsored travelers to reap all of the attention, money, and recognition of our lifestyle? Think again, Mr. Mastercard.



Oh, thats whats bothering you? The attention, money and recognition? You should've said that in the first place.

Sorry I stole it all from you, but thats life dude. Like people in Bangladesh are working for $37 a month, and they think you are a whiner when complaining by earning that much in couple of hours. Some people earn money in one way, some in other. 



Hobo Huck said:


> Look dude, if you're going to sell your soul and turn your travels into a "marketable product", that's fine with me as long as you keep it to yourself.



Let me have a wild guess - you never studied marketing? "Thats fine as long as I keep it to myself?" LOL



Hobo Huck said:


> You think I want to walk through town in 10 years from now, and suddenlly have people assume:
> 
> _"oh, that dudes probably not a real vagabond, he is probably sponsored by Mastercard...i saw it on a dudes blog, its all fake these days"...._
> 
> ...




To tell you the truth, I doubt that you want that.

Same like I don't want drivers not picking me up because last hitchhikers they picked up were filthy and smelly. But I won't go around preaching how travelers should take care of their hygiene. Same as I don't want people to think that all travelers snort coke (like you brag about it HERE), but I won't go around telling people they should stop snorting coke because it reflects negatively on me as a traveler.

You have a huge ego issue - you wish people see you on the street and recognise you as a real traveler. Real traveler shouldnt give a shit.



Hobo Huck said:


> You don't teach people how to travel as a low-budget traveler. You teach people how to travel as a capitalistic leech that has found a unique forumla to making money from our lifestyle, thus ruining the integrity of all other travelers.
> 
> You're not a traveler. You're a profiteer. Furthermore, you are a BRAND, and your blog, speeches, pictures, and stories are just a "product" of this "brand" you have skillfully created for the sole purpose of monetizing OUR lifestyle.
> 
> That's your "story", and it's a story sponsored by Mastercard corporation.



See you are mistaking again - I can be both, a traveler and a guy who earns money from its travels. I understand you don't agree, but oh well. I can't help you there. And I'm not monetizing YOUR lifestyle, I'm monetizing MY lifestyle. You and I don't belong to the same group.

I am a traveler that is okay with making money from my travels. You are not. And you are not welcome in my subculture!


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## VikingAdventurer (Apr 28, 2015)

Ok. So, I've been watching this thing unfold since it was first posted on here. There are things that have been posted by both sides that I agree with, and things by both sides that I disagree with.

Personally, my biggest problem is this: @Tomislav , with the format of your talks, blog, book, etc., I feel that you are marketing a glorified and highly romanticized ideal that closely IMITATES our lifestyle, and you're putting it out in front of the faces of young, idealistic KIDS who don't even know how to get across their own town without their GPS navigation-enabled smartphone, much less survive on their own WITHOUT daddy's credit card. They have no real skills, and in my opinion, most of them are pretty damn stupid. However, they see your blog, watch your Ted talk stuff online, and maybe read your book, and think "oh, that looks like fun, and is not any harder than my life is right now!", and they go and try it, and end up getting addicted to drugs or alcohol, or even get themselves killed because of common stupidity. They think those things because you make it look SO easy to do, and I'm pretty certain that you don't highlight the "rougher" parts of our lifestyle; like the fact that most of us have criminal records, for things as simple as trying to get some sleep in a place that happens to be public, or the fact that inevitability, all of us will end up having to fight someone in order to defend ourselves.

While you were traveling, how many times did you get mugged, robbed, beat up, or your gear stolen?

How many times did you go to jail for sleeping in the wrong place at the wrong time?

I remember that you yourself mentioned that one of your sponsors paid for travel insurance for you during one of the legs of your travels. Do you know who pays MY travel insurance?
No one, because I don't have any. In fact, if I were to get hurt or injured, the best thing I could do would be to go to a Veteran's hospital, and the only reason I even have that option is because I put my life on the line and risked dying to serve this country at one point. Most of us aren't that fortunate.

If you had gotten injured during your travels, would Mastercard have paid the bill while you were laid up for however long, or would they have dropped their sponsorship and left you to rot?

Some young, stupid kid is going to try a trek like yours and get killed or severely injured. Will Mastercard take care of them?
How will you feel when you get the news of this, that some kid who should've stayed home is now dead or disfigured because of how easy you made it all look, or do you not care?

I belive you when you say that the sponsorship money went to paying off your debt, but wasn't it YOU that got your own self INTO that debt in the first place?


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 28, 2015)

@Viking_Adventurer

He's a corporate backpacker, and he'll never realize what it's like actually like living on the road with "little or no money". 

However, he will reap a shitload of money from pretending to know, and then further profit by spreading his bullshit to a bunch of wanderlusting hipsters.

He's about as deep as an infomercial or a billboard, when it comes to the real world of backpacking, hitchhiking, and being an overall vagabond.

Unfortunately, I fear that his type is the NEXT generation of vagabonds, and that's what I'm deeply concerned about.

As if scumfucks and crusty meth addicts weren't bad enough for our subculture, now we have to deal with the opposite end of the spectrum: corporate sponsored "backpackers".

One way or another, it seems that real hobos and real vagabonds are becoming an endangered species, decade by decade.

I know that alot of travelers really need this lifestyle as a means of real freedom and seeking a better path in life. That's why I care.

Yet, within a few decades from now, I'm not sure that path will even exist unless it's sponsored by Mastercard or Monsanto or REI. 

It's funny, because I once thought that idea was "extreme" when I heard it from other travelers and bloggers, and I often scoffed at it. Corporate backpackers, are you serious? That's an actual "THING"? 

It's actually happening thanks to people like Tomislav Perko. And worse, this trend is GROWING, thanks once again, to people like Tomislav Perko, who spread this bullshit to other future so-called "travelers".


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## Tomislav (Apr 28, 2015)

Viking_Adventurer said:


> Ok. So, I've been watching this thing unfold since it was first posted on here. There are things that have been posted by both sides that I agree with, and things by both sides that I disagree with.
> 
> Personally, my biggest problem is this: with the format of your talks, blog, book, etc., I feel that you are marketing a glorified and highly romanticized ideal that closely IMITATES our lifestyle, and you're putting it out in front of the faces of young, idealistic KIDS who don't even know how to get across their own town without their GPS navigation-enabled smartphone, much less survive on their own WITHOUT daddy's credit card. They have no real skills, and in my opinion, most of them are pretty damn stupid. However, they see your blog, watch your Ted talk stuff online, and maybe read your book, and think "oh, that looks like fun, and is not any harder than my life is right now!", and they go and try it, and end up getting addicted to drugs or alcohol, or even get themselves killed because of common stupidity. They think those things because you make it look SO easy to do, and I'm pretty certain that you don't highlight the "rougher" parts of our lifestyle; like the fact that most of us have criminal records, for things as simple as trying to get some sleep in a place that happens to be public, or the fact that inevitability, all of us will end up having to fight someone in order to defend ourselves.
> 
> ...



You make few valid points here, so let me try to address them.

1. If you watch my TEDx talk, at the end I say - "traveling is not the best thing in the world. You will be sick, you will be alone, you will be hungry, you will be homesick." I tell my stories like they happened to me. Thats all. Will someone follow "my" steps and try something similar? Sure they will. A lot of people told me they already have. Will I feel responsible if something happens to them? Not really. Like I don't feel proud when someone tells me they started traveling because of my stories and that changed their life. I just try to tell everything I've been to, with their ups and downs. I really try not to tell fairy tales.

2. Mugged = 0 times, robbed = 0 times, beat up = 0 times, gear stolen = once, in Peru (laptop and camera), ended up in jail = 0 times.

3. As far travel insurance is concerned, I always tell people to get it. If they can afford it, of course. If they cannot, its up to them to decide are they willing to risk it. Again, I write about times I have been sick, stitched my head in India, got my tooth pulled out in Thailand, etc. 

4. Yes, I got myself into this debt, and I got myself out of this debt - by writing about my travels and getting paid for that.


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## VikingAdventurer (Apr 28, 2015)

Just out of curiosity, when your laptop & camera got stolen, what did you do about it?

Keep in mind that I personally have nothing against you as a person; hell, I've never even met you. Obviously you've kept your own best interests in mind. I can understand why some in this lifestyle would disapprove of how you went about it, but that's natural, as you're from a different "class" if you will, from the rest of us. 

However, I can also understand why you did things the way you did them. Or, at least I'm trying to. I try to keep an open mind, especially regarding people.

Remember that the majority of the folks on here are not fond of capitalism, the government, and a number of other things, and a good portion are also involved in activism regarding their particular beliefs.


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## Tomislav (Apr 28, 2015)

Viking_Adventurer said:


> Just out of curiosity, when your laptop & camera got stolen, what did you do about it?
> 
> Keep in mind that I personally have nothing against you as a person; hell, I've never even met you. Obviously you've kept your own best interests in mind. I can understand why some in this lifestyle would disapprove of how you went about it, but that's natural, as you're from a different "class" if you will, from the rest of us.
> 
> ...



When my camera and laptop got stolen, I bought second hand camera and second hand laptop and kept my budget at minimum for the next couple of months. I spent 5 months in a fishing village in Ecuador and wrote my book.

I appreciate you not judging me, if everyone else behaved like that, we wouldn't have to go through all this nonsense. I also understand that majority of people here are not fond of "my way" of traveling, but I'm perfectly okay with that. As they are probably okay that I find some of their ways a bit too extreme. Thats perfectly okay - we are different and we shouldnt go judging people because of that.

I didn't come here to sell my book, to link my TEDx talk or to promote a company I work(ed) for. I just came here to explain all the lies other people wrote about me. 

Bottom line - you guys know better than me what means when people judge you and your choices. You are faced with that probably on a daily basis. And I'm sure you think most of the time - this person doesn't know me, why is he judging me? And from that mindset, some of you turn around and probably want to have their revenge so they do the same thing - judge people that are not following a path they think its right.

You tell me, is that right?

I don't need anyones approval for the choices I've done in my life. If you dont like my choices, I repeat, thats okay. But running around and writing all over internet about "debunking" this "douchebag" with information available to anyone with internet connection and IQ bigger than 50...is that what real travelers life is all about?


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## etpyh (Apr 28, 2015)

Dude have you been in montenegro or croatia around november/october last year holding speeches in hostels?


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## Tomislav (Apr 28, 2015)

etpyh said:


> Dude have you been in montenegro or croatia around november/october last year holding speeches in hostels?



Yup.


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## Wawa (Apr 28, 2015)

Lawl, would like to see REI go out and sponser a bunch of crusties.... The future!


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## Kal (Apr 28, 2015)

Tomislav said:


> I see you read my blog.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I don't care how he travels but the lying and stealing is why he sucks. Don't know about you but I spend most of my time being broke so I try to find work and I don't have to lie and steal to travel.


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## Tomislav (Apr 28, 2015)

Kal said:


> I don't care how he travels but the lying and stealing is why he sucks. Don't know about you but I spend most of my time being broke so I try to find work and I don't have to lie and steal to travel.



Can you please explain who do I lie to and from who do I steal?


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 29, 2015)

Wawa said:


> Lawl, would like to see REI go out and sponser a bunch of crusties.... The future!



I could see Steele Reserve 211 or GPC Tobacco sponsoring some crusties...that would be interesting to see.


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## etpyh (Apr 29, 2015)

Tomislav said:


> Yup.


Missed you a day or so then, you gave my buddy a ride before I catched up with him. So add this to his realness haha. 
Or his marketing? who cares


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## Wawa (Apr 29, 2015)

Hobo Huck said:


> I could see Steele Reserve 211 or GPC Tobacco sponsoring some crusties...that would be interesting to see.


Set em up, get some video footage of them trashed while their dogs fight under a bridge in the rain... cue to announcer "You only wish you where this fucking traincore!" Play it it during the superbowl. PROFIT!


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## Tomislav (Apr 29, 2015)

etpyh said:


> Missed you a day or so then, you gave my buddy a ride before I catched up with him. So add this to his realness haha.
> Or his marketing? who cares



Yeah, I remember picking a German guy up in Zadar day after the lecture, and it turned out he was on my lecture the night before


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## Odin (Apr 29, 2015)

@Wawa I think you've got a bright future in advertising. Copy.


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## Hobo Huck (Apr 30, 2015)

Wawa said:


> Set em up, get some video footage of them trashed while their dogs fight under a bridge in the rain... cue to announcer "You only wish you where this fucking traincore!" Play it it during the superbowl. PROFIT!



Marketing gold. If you ever decided to sell-out like others, you'd have a pretty bright future in ad-marketing.


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## Durp (May 1, 2015)

Can we just all agree the yuppies should all just move to Ireland or an off shore "floating civilization" and leave the rest of us alone  hahaha because of yuppies places are paving and ruining nature trails and charging $10 to be allowed to go hiking around where I'm posted up now. They ruin all the good stuff, than charge a bunch of money for a cheap imitation. ...


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## Durp (May 1, 2015)

I swear they won't be content until there is a starbucks and chipotle on top of every mountain!


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