What's a Bindlestiff?
A Bindlestiff is a Hobo of sorts. A person who carries their clothes or bedding in a bundle. This is a pretty fitting name for the company, as the founders themselves came from a background of guiding adventure tours throughout North America in 15 passenger vans, living out of the backseats or camp trailers for weeks, no months on end. Sound familiar? Yep, that's what we do here at Bindlestiff Tours and we're looking for like minded people who want to carry on that lifestyle!
Read on for More Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bindlestiff Tours Located?
Our office, warehouse & fleet is located at 4120 W Patrick Lane, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118. We just moved into our facility recently and we're loving the new space!
However, our trips reach far & wide. If you're guiding with us you may find yourself poking around an abandoned mining town in the desert southwest, atop a granite peak in Yosemite, in a raft on the Colorado River, listening to Jazz in New Orleans, hiking on a glacier in the Canadian Rockies or watching bears catch salmon in a remote Alaskan river!
Am I a good candidate to work with Bindlestiff Tours?
A good fit in general is a trustworthy person who does what they say they're going to do and has no problem communicating if they're having any kind of problem they need help with.
That being said, we also want people who can think on their feet, act responsibly in a wide variety of situations and always remain professional and courteous. We are in customer service and our guests come to us because we deliver a high quality product.
If you're working in our offices, behind the scenes, we're looking for efficient, friendly, fun people who bring solid organizational skills to the table as well as a supportive mindset when it comes to helping our guides out on the road and at base and of course when dealing with any of our guests, suppliers, or our tourism community.
If you're one of our guides, safety is number one. We have to make sure our guests stay safe so they get that trip of a lifetime experience. Safety and customer service fall into the same boat in our minds. In addition to this is the obvious fact that our guides need to be able to deliver a lot of knowledge of the areas they're guiding in a way that keeps the guests engaged. We do allow for flexibility, as every guide will do things a bit differently depending on their background and knowledge base. If you don't have a ton of knowledge in the areas we offer yet, don't worry. We'll set you up, we just need you to be astute at soaking the information in and being able to share it well with your passengers! Some of our guides have said one of the highlights of working with Bindlestiff tours is that they learn something new almost every time they go out on tour.
Does Bindlestiff provide employee housing?
Short answer: Yes, accommodation is available in many of our positions. We're looking for a wide variety of positions. Some of those would be year-round positions, which would require you to have housing of your own in the area. Some of our positions, however, would lend to being on the move quite most of the season. In this case, Bindlestiff would cover your accommodation while out on tour. While you're back in Vegas, shared bunkhouse on site accommodation is avail for free should you decide to utilize it. Many of our guides are local, or once hired, they'll often meet up with other like-minded guides and secure seasonal, shared accommodation here in Las Vegas together. We'll judge the need as we get into our main operating season and keep you posted as we go through the hiring process.
How much does each position pay?
Our guides pay is not a static rate, rather it is per trip day and varies with years of experience. As we move forward through the hiring process, we would share more detailed information.
Due to the fact that tipping and commissions are a known part of the industry, some of our experienced guides earn as much as $500 per day. Our base rates range from $145 to $205 per day depending on industry experience.
We offer a generous seasonal bonus package as well including a 401k plan, which we can discuss in more detail during the interview process.
Pay for office staff is dependent upon experience and will be discussed during our interview and offer process.
What if I don't have a ton of experience driving a large vehicle or guiding tours yet?
As you may have seen in our job ad, we require all driver's to be at least 23 years of age and have a clean driving record. In addition to that we screen our applicants for driving history and experience as well as life experience that shows leadership ability and responsible past behaviour. We take time to train our drivers and guides through a mentorship style, hands on program, which ensures each guide is ready to head out on tour with their guests. We also supply detailed information for our tours and ensure you have a deep understanding of the places, routes and accommodations of each trip you're assigned.
What if a concert or a wedding or something comes up that I want to go to during the season?
Yeh, we get it, but as you'll see in our application, we're looking for people who can fully commit to our season. The tourism industry is full on here in the summer and we need all hands on deck throughout the full season. It's just the nature of seasonal work and the dynamics that go into scheduling for the season require that level of commitment. However, if we have discussed a certain date during your interview, before time of hiring, we will certainly take that into consideration and see if it might work out.
How will I get to Las Vegas if I'm not already living there?
If you don't already live in Las Vegas, we'll discuss your availability to start and options for your travel to the city. While some people would fly out, many of our guides drive their own vehicles. We don't provide for your transportation here, however, if you do have your own vehicle we may allow for a certain number of staff to park at our facility during tours. Obviously, Las Vegas is a big city, so parking anywhere in the city would be at your own risk and our insurance does not provide protection for any theft of personal items, vehicles, etc., so it is important to come to the job with a minimalist mindset, so as to keep from having to leave any personal items of value in your vehicles.
What's the best part of this job?
Are you ready to explore and share some of the most amazing destinations our country has to offer?
We could go on and on with comments we get from our current and past guides and crew. That answer will be different for everyone who works with us. However, the most common themes we hear have to do with the freedom people feel when they're out there on the road, living for the moment. The fact that you receive some of the most positive feedback you can imagine on almost a daily basis from guests is also a very unique experience for many jobs out there. We're not saying it's always rainbows and sunshine, but when it is, it's a hard feeling to beat!