Gaining

Hey I think I've seen stuff about this before and the general answer was "just change jobs", but any tips on gaining, while wanting to stay active?

I'm planning on working field research jobs that would require hiking rough terrain for miles a day. I also really enjoy outdoor hobbies and would like to get involved with sports like rock climbing and mountain biking. Unfortunately, these things don't really mesh well with being bigger bodied. It seems any weight I gain disappears quickly when I start hiking again during the summer.

Simple solution would be to eat more do less, but food is expensive, and it's difficult for me to eat even a little more calories than normal, especially without my roomate noticing. Anyone dealt with this problem or have some ideas? Or is this just a matter of me accepting I can't live out a chubby fantasy while also living my life doing things I enjoy?

It's possible, but you'd be looking at a muscular chubby build. Basically, you would need to go on a bulk, but don't cut.

probably one of the healthier ways to go about it

This is a struggle for me too, i find part of my problem is not really committing to the gain worrying about being unfit. I think its one of those leap of faith type deals, but if you can because it almost worked for me, set aside a month to yourself to focus entirely on gaining, you might surprise yourself with the results. And it can be a a taste of what could come