Tag Archives: alpine hammock

One Year of 30-Day Lifestyle Experiments

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In the heat of a narrow but exciting Kickstarter success followed by all the things that come with starting a small business, I neglected to do a proper recap of my year-long series of 30 day lifestyle experiments.  Now that life has returned to a manageable pace, I’ve decided to return to the blogosphere and continue the project that I started over a year ago.

Back in July 2011 I had been talking with some friends about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as well as This Guy in New York City who went an entire year without producing any trash at all.  Both topics are at the extremes of environmental sustainability so it got me to thinking, “How reasonable would it be for a yuppie in Boston to go just 30 days without producing any trash?”   It was certainly a challenging experiment and I ended up with a small amount of trash at the end (filled a 1 quart ziplock bag) but it taught me to live with minimal impact to the landfill.  Many of the behaviors I picked up during this lifestyle experiment I still continue with more than a year later (French press coffee instead of drip or D&D styrofoam cups, worm composting food scraps, stainless steel travel mug, and others).

Throughout the course of my first experiment, my family and friends suggested other “lifestyle experiments” that I thought would be interesting to try out.   So I decided that I’d keep going until I didn’t feel like doing it anymore.  As a result, I’ve spent the past 12 months trying new things, meeting new people, and learning a lot about myself in the process.  I can definitively say that each experiment has resulted in new behaviors that have crept their way into my daily life and I’m a better person a year later because of it.  I’m not sure if 30 days is the magic number or not, but from my experience it seems to be just long enough to make an impact.

Courtesy of Google Analytics, I spent some time going through my most popular blog posts from each 30 day lifestyle experiment.  I was shocked to see that my most popular month of blogging (by several hundred views) was my short story reviews on my train commute to work.  I attribute this to all of those high school students looking to get away with not having to actually read the story.  I would say shame on you but I did the same thing in high school so there you have it.  A close runner-up was my new exercise each day, it was also the most fun so I’m glad that people enjoyed reading about it.

I had a great time going through my old blog posts so I’ve included a summary of the most popular posts from each month here, check them out:

I found that these experiments have improved my lifestyle in many ways so I plan to continue.  However, for 2013 I’ll be focusing my lifestyle experiments on a new-ish topic that I’ve become very interested in: The Sharing Economy (i.e. cohousing, carsharing, community supported agriculture, bartering, and more).  I’ve been carsharing with Zipcar since the company started 5 years ago and it has been great, but the sharing topic has exploded since then and there is so much to learn, do, and write about.

As for the writing of the blog, I plan to deemphasize the “daily” aspect as compared to last year.  Writing each and every day about my exercises, meditations, dreams, meals, readings etc got to be a little overwhelming at times so I’ll plan to write at least once/week to keep track of my experiences.  I do have a full time job and I just started a company on the side so scaling back the rate of blog posting will help to improve the quality of the posts as well as keep my sanity in check.  I’ll also be tweeting about my experiences as often as possible.  So Like My Facebook Page for the weekly-ish blog updates and Follow Me on Twitter if you want to keep up with my experiments in real-time.

Alpine Hammock Press Release for General Media Outlets

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Contact: Mike Brown                                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cell Phone: 207-619-0592

Email: AlpineHammock@gmail.com

Twitter: @AlpineHammock

Innovative Projects vs. Student Debt – Who Will Win?

2 Tufts engineering grads need your help to fund their “Alpine Hammock” project

Raising $40,000 in 30 days for a side project isn’t the most appealing notion to most recent college grads buried in student debt, but two young engineers from Boston have created something that might just be worth the risk.

Immediately after graduation, Mike Brown (25) and Ryan Stolp (23) designed what they’re calling the “Alpine Hammock”.  More than your average backyard hammock, their patent-pending invention provides comfort and weather protection in almost any outdoor weather condition.  It is constructed with waterproof nylon, waterproof zippers, waterproof-breathable fabric and no-see-um bug netting.

“It combines the best qualities of both hammocks and bivy sacks (read: one-man minimalist shelter), allowing you to stay protected in outdoor environments both with and without trees,” says Brown.  It features clever designs such as a built-in bug net and rainfly, making it convenient, comfortable and lightweight which are typical tradeoffs when choosing between backpacking hammocks, bivy sacks, and one-man tents.

A dream come true for fast and light outdoor travelers?  Yes, but, without the funds to take their project to the next level it might take years before their product can leave their makeshift (read: basement) gear lab.

After attending Tufts University, one of the most expensive schools in the nation, Mike and Ryan realized that their looming student debt would require them to put their Alpine Hammock project on hold until they could raise the funds to produce the one-man shelter.  Determined to push the concept forward, they continued to tweak the design through numerous prototypes, from a proof of concept prototype to a fully functional, technical outdoor shelter. However, “being responsible for paying our ways through college makes it almost impossible to finance this project on our own,” says Stolp.  This is why they’ve decided to run a Kickstarter campaign to try and crowd-source the $40,000 necessary to continue design work, to enter a more robust gear testing phase, and to produce their Alpine Hammock at a larger scale.

Kickstarter campaigns operate under an “all-or-nothing” funding model so if the Alpine Hammock project doesn’t reach it’s goal at the end of 30 days then it Brown and Stolp go home empty-handed. Be sure to follow them on Twitter (@AlpineHammock) and Facebook to follow their progress and make sure to spread the word to your social media networks.  Consider donating as little as $1 to help their project come to life.  If you decide to donate more, you might be among the first in the world to travel in the outdoors with an Alpine Hammock.

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If you’d like more information about the Alpine Hammock Project, or to schedule an interview with Mike or Ryan please email AlpineHammock@gmail.com or send them a Tweet @AlpineHammock.

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Mike Brown studied Biomedical Engineering (B.S.) and Engineering Management (M.S.) at Tufts University and currently works as a Mechanical Engineer in greater Boston.  He is a Tufts Business Plan winner, a MassChallenge Alumni, and a recipient of entrepreneurial scholarships.  Ryan Stolp studied Engineering Psychology (B.S.) at Tufts University is currently working with the forest service.  He has designed and built multiple backpacks specific to both rock and ice climbing.  Both engineers were avid members of the Tufts Mountain Club and belong to a Boston-based climbing group called VICE: Vertical Ice Climbing Enthusiasts.  Their technical design skills, entrepreneurial savvy, and experience in the mountains makes them a great pair to tackle the challenge of bringing the Alpine Hammock into the world.

The Alpine Hammock on day 5 of backpacking from Purgatory Flats through the Vallecito Trail in Colorado.

The Alpine Hammock in bivy sack mode near Columbine Lake in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado.

Alpine Hammock Press Release for Outdoor Gear Media

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Contact: Mike Brown                                                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cell Phone: 207-619-0592

Email: AlpineHammock@gmail.com

Twitter: @AlpineHammock

Alpine Hammocks – Redefining Fast and Light Outdoor Travel

Two young engineers from Boston bring their “alpine-style” project to Kickstarter

The Alpine Hammock is a weatherproof one-man shelter that can be used in the outdoors both as a traditional hammock as well as a bivy sack.  This patent-pending design is the creation of two young engineering graduates from Tufts University, Mike Brown and Ryan Stolp. “We have both hiked and climbed with hammocks, bivy sacks, and one-man tents but we were dissatisfied with the tradeoffs that we had to make between the available options on the market,” says Brown.  So one day they decided that there had to be a better solution for fast and light traveling in the mountains.  This led to the creation of the Alpine Hammock.

After several rounds of prototyping, they have created sleek and functional prototypes out of waterproof materials and have tested them in both the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and the White Mountains of New Hampshire.   It’s a project they’re very excited about.  However, “As recent college graduates, our student loans limit our ability to fund the project ourselves,” says Stolp.  Therefore, Ryan and Mike have taken their idea to Kickstarter.com in an attempt to raise $40,000 in 30 days.

While the Alpine Hammock incorporates design components from both the hammock and bivy sack, it is a significantly more versatile product than either option.  “We pulled the powerful features of both systems, and combined them in a way that preserves the functionality and integrity of both the hammock and bivy experience, in a single, lightweight and capable product,” says Stolp. It can be used up in the trees as a traditional nylon hammock and in the event of poor weather, the built-in bug net and waterproof-breathable rain fly can be zipped up for protection from the elements.  This self-contained, compact design makes the set-up and tear-down fast and easy because there’s no need for additional rain tarps and multiple tie-out points as is common with most backpacking hammocks.  When traveling in areas above the tree-line or without trees in general, the Alpine Hammock can simply be used on the ground as a traditional free-standing bivy sack.

Kickstarter campaigns operate under an “all-or-nothing” funding model so if the Alpine Hammock project doesn’t reach it’s goal at the end of 30 days then it might be years before you’ll see it on the market. To follow their project, be sure to find them on Twitter (@AlpineHammock) and Facebook and spread the word to your social media networks.  Consider donating as little as $1 to help their project come to life.  If you decide to donate more, you might be among the first in the world to travel in the mountains with an Alpine Hammock.

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If you’d like more information about the Alpine Hammock Project, or if you’d like to schedule an interview with Mike or Ryan please email AlpineHammock@gmail.com or send them a tweet @AlpineHammock.

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Mike Brown studied Biomedical Engineering (B.S.) and Engineering Management (M.S.) at Tufts University and currently works as a Mechanical Engineer in greater Boston.  He is a Tufts Business Plan winner, a MassChallenge Alumni, and a recipient of entrepreneurial scholarships.  Ryan Stolp studied Engineering Psychology (B.S.) at Tufts University is currently working with the forest service.  He has designed and built multiple backpacks specific to both rock and ice climbing.  Both engineers were avid members of the Tufts Mountain Club and belong to a Boston-based climbing group called VICE: Vertical Ice Climbing Enthusiasts.  Their technical design skills, entrepreneurial savvy, and experience in the mountains makes them a great pair to tackle the challenge of bringing the Alpine Hammock into the world.

The Alpine Hammock on day 5 of backpacking from Purgatory Flats through the Vallecito Trail in Colorado

The Alpine Hammock in bivy sack mode near Columbine Lake in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado.

Writing a Press Release for Your Kickstarter Project

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One thing I came across in my Kickstarter campaign research was the importance of having a press release.  Having literally zero experience in public relations or journalism I had no idea such a thing even existed.  In order to understand them further my yuppie autopilot took me to wikipedia: “A press release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy.”  Journalists are bombarded (read: assaulted?) daily with press releases on various topics so I knew that I’d have to read up on the do’s and don’ts of PR so my release wouldn’t end up in the bin of misfit press releases.

After reading through a few examples of press releases I found on the internet, I started to write my own.  To me, it  seemed pretty contrived to write your own press release, but when in Rome I suppose…  If I really want to promote my project, I should make it as easy as possible for journalists to write articles about it.  As a professor of mine in graduate school always said, “Make no demands on the reader” so I suppose this situation applies to that lesson.  I want everyone from Outside Magazine to my hometown newspaper, The Bangor Daily News to cover this project so hopefully writing a press release is the first step in that direction.  From my internet research, here are some of the things that I learned:

  1. Develop a Newsworthy Angle.  Reporters don’t care about you, your project, or helping you with your project.  All they care about is a story.  How is your story different from everything else they’ve written about and how will them writing your story help them or their newspaper/magazine/blog stand out?
  2. The Title.  Your title should be attention grabbing: “Alpine Hammocks – Redefining Fast and Light Mountain Travel”.  Will this grab their attention?  Again journalists might read dozens of press releases each day and many times the title can be the gatekeeper to them reading on or tossing it in the n00b bin.
  3. The Subtitle.  Often the press release contains a subtitle centered under the title.  It’s more of a short sentence than anything which expands a bit on your Title: “Two young engineers from Boston design the first ever “alpine style” hammock.”  This makes it newsworthy because IT’S THE FIRST EVER of something, i.e. it’s so trendy no-one knows about it yet, i.e. you should probably read this article, go to their project page, and give them money :)
  4. Have a Good Lead.  The first sentence must grab the reader in the same way as your title.  Will they keep reading after the first sentence?  Much like the Kickstarter video, people’s attention spans on the internet are continually approaching zero so it’s important to get your point across quickly: ” The Alpine Hammock is a weatherproof one-man shelter that can be used both as a traditional hammock as well as a traditional bivy sack.”  Hopefully at this point you’ve covered what the news is, why it’s news, and why they should keep reading.
  5. The Body of the Release.  The rest of the body should include text that backs up the claims made in the lead.  It is common to include quotes from the project creators or experts/lead users (preferably with street cred) of the product.
  6. The Ending.  It is important to end the press release with a call to action: “Check out the Alpine Hammock on Kickstarter.com and you might be among the first in the world to travel in the mountains with an Alpine Hammock.”
  7. The Footer.  The example below is pretty standard in the journalism industry, include three hashtags (pound signs if you’re not social media savvy) as well as your contact info for interviews and media requests:

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If you’d like more information about the Alpine Hammock Project, or to schedule an interview with Mike or Ryan please email AlpineHammock@gmail.com or send us a Tweet @AlpineHammock.

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I’ve developed two different press releases, one for outdoor-gear related media (more techy/gear nerdy) and one for the general media (more of a personal story).  Check them out:

Press Release #1 – Outdoor Gear Media

Press Release #2 – General Media

Lastly, here are some links that helped me find the information above: