Caravan

You can join a caravan as a guard and earn caps and xp by protecting it from wasteland threats. There is a Caravan coordinator in Hub that knows where certain Caravans go, where they are now and where they are currently headed. To join a caravan as a guard, talk with the Caravan Master NPC (guy with Combat Armor and 250 hp) when he is in town. You need to be at least level 9 to join a caravan, but most of these get pretty rough so it is advised to be more fully leveled first. Bring plenty of ammo, a backup weapon, combat drugs, and Super Stimpaks.

Note: It is also advised to avoid bringing your Companion followers on caravans, or at least to avoid arming them with burst weapons since they are a bit reckless in combat.

Note: Be aware that some of the encounters will have semi-hostile NPCs. These are the ones that yell at players if they see any weapons armed in Slot 1. You have only a few moments to put your weapon away (or move it to Slot 2) before they go hostile and attack you. When this happens, do not expect your caravan NPCs to help you.

While employed guarding a caravan, you can encounter exclusive Caravan Encounters which are tougher than ordinary encounters.