Alpine Hammock Press Release for Outdoor Gear Media

Posted on July 23, 2012 by The Young Urban Unprofessional

Contact: Mike Brown FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cell Phone: 207-619-0592

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.

###

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.

—

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.

$30,000 in 30 Days – Launch a Kickstarter Campaign for my Alpine Hammock

Posted on July 5, 2012 by The Young Urban Unprofessional

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Kickstarter, it’s an online funding platform for creative projects. More specifically, you can post a project on this website for 1-60 days and people from all over the world can pledge money to your project.

My good friend Paul from college recently raised $153,585 with his Ramos Alarm Clock so I'll use his project page as an example throughout this post.

Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing funding program so if you successfully reach your fundraising goal ($75k in the example above) before the project’s duration is over (a self selected1-60days) then your donors’ pledge amount is debited from their accounts and you get the money ($153k in the example above, wow!). If you don’t reach your funding goal then you receive $0 (go home empty handed) and your potential donors didn’t lose any money in the process. In this way, money isn’t being given to projects that 1.) aren’t popular/doable/well-thought-out ideas and 2.) don’t have enough funding to have every possible chance of success (i.e. you wouldn’t want to underfund projects). So it’s a great, global way to crowd-source money for your project versus trying to find a rich relative or any other single investor to give you cash. People can get anywhere from 100 to 1000′s of donors who little by little do their part to help the project get off the ground.

This seems like a perfect scenario for the inventor, however, nothing in life comes without a price. The inventor/entrepreneur must set up a rewards structure for varying funding levels. Typically the lowest tiers of funding would get a social media shoutout/thanks, medium tiers of funding get the product itself, and the highest tiers of funding get the shoutout, the product, and something even more awesome. Therefore, each kickstarter project has built-in incentives to encourage people to pledge money (the higher the funding level the more awesome the reward). Here’s an example from my friend Paul’s campaign:

and so on…

I’ve heard it said that, “There’s no such thing as altruism, only mutual self-interest.” From what I’ve read and seen online I think there’s a decent amount of altruism on Kickstarter (people with money to spend want to see you and your project succeed and don’t want/need anything in return) but at the end of the day, people donate because they like and want to own part or all of your project (alarm clock in the example above). It’s a win-win from both parties because the inventor gets access to money they wouldn’t otherwise have and the donor gets a cool product in return.

In addition to your project description and your reward structures there’s also the video. The video is often the first and only thing people will look at when they visit your project’s page. Therefore, this is your elevator pitch where you must briefly describe what problem you’re solving, why your project is better than the competition, and why Kickstarter funds will be crucial to your success. Here is Paul’s video for his Ramos Alarm Clock product:

Now, for the meat and potatoes of this post: What is my project?

Over the past year, a few friends and I have developed a concept that’s been brewing in my head for a few years now. I’d been looking for a lightweight, one-man shelter which could help me finish my 48, 4000 footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I bought a one-man tent but that was bulky and heavier than I wanted it to be (poles, separate rainfly, etc). Then I bought a bivy which was bombproof weather-wise but pretty uncomfortable. Lastly I bought a hammock which was super comfortable but it required buying (and carrying) additional stuff sacks for bug netting, rainflies, and ropes which became expensive and heavier than my 1-man tent. This lead me to start developing an Alpine-Style Hammock (thanks goes to Stolp, Sarah, Colette, and Katarina for all the help).

The Alpine Hammock - finally a fast, light, weatherproof and comfortable one-man alpine shelter. (photo courtesy of Sarah, Vallecito Trail, Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado)

Hammock tents certainly exist on the market but they are bulky, time consuming to set up, expensive ($300-$550!!), and as a result I’ve never heard of any serious alpinist using one. I’ll go into more detail in a future blog post but essentially the Alpine Hammock is a one-man shelter that can be used as a weatherproof hammock below treeline and as a weatherproof bivy-sack while above treeline, thus the term “Alpine”. Through personal use I’ve found this prototype to be lighter, faster, and simpler than other options on the market. It’s also the first product I’ve seen that offers the hammock and bivy options that I’d be willing to take with me on a serious alpine ascent (significant time above treeline, high altitude, poor weather conditions, etc).

It is my goal by the end of this month to launch a Kickstarter campaign with this project. Ultimately this Kickstarter campaign will last longer than 30 days but I’m using the construct of my “30 Day Lifestyle Experiments” blog as a forum for doing my research on how to launch an effective Kickstarter Campaign. I’ve wanted to do a Kickstarter campaign for this project for a while. Now I’m finally under the gun to manufacture prototypes and file my full utility patent. I filed a provisional patent last October so I’m on the hook for writing the patent, working with Lawyers and submitting it by the end of October 2012 (short timeframe, yikes!).

I hope that those who read my blog will contribute to my research with their constructive criticisms. If something doesn’t make sense, tell me. If you’d like to see a particular reward in my incentive scheme please let me know. If you know anybody with $30k burning a hole in their pocket, please email me :) (theyoungurbanunprofessional@gmail.com). It’s all in an attempt to help make my project as successful as it can be.

In each post this month I’ll include research on successful and not-so-successful campaigns that have occurred in the past. Kickstarter is something that I’ve been following since it started so I’d say I’m very familiar with it. However, I know that a few weeks of intensive Kickstarter research will definitely help lead to a successfully funded project. I think the Alpine Hammock is an extremely versatile piece of outdoor gear, I just need to effectively articulate its significance to the Kickstarter community to obtain the funding I need to move this project forward.

Wish me luck!

The Alpine Hammock in use above treeline at Columbine Lake (~12,000 feet) in the Weminuche Wilderness in Colorado.

Meditation Week #2 – A Yuppie’s Reflection on a Pilgrimage to Israel

Posted on June 13, 2012 by The Young Urban Unprofessional

This week’s reflection meditation experience was 180 degrees different from last week’s guided meditations on YouTube. Almost exactly one year ago, I went on a religious pilgrimage to Israel with a group of people from my church. It was a truly incredible experience packed with new knowledge and a renewed sense why I believe in my faith. It still seems that I have more questions than answers but this trip was certainly a step (or a leap) in the right direction. While I was there I took copious notes during the day on the places we went and people we talked to. Each night before bed I would write in my journal, synthesizing the notes from that day. I knew that this would be an experience I’d look back on for a long time so it was worth spending the extra hour each night to put it in my journal.

Hammock session watching the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee while we stayed in Tiberias.

Now, fast-forward one year. I had meant to type up my notes and distribute them to my pilgrimage group but I only got about halfway through my notebook before it got lost in the shuffle of life. Also, I hadn’t spent a whole lot of time reflecting on the trip since our plane touched down back in Boston last year; I had some thoughts here and there but no serious time was spent reflecting on what happened and what I thought about all of it. So I figured that my meditation month would be a great way to revisit and relive that experience. Luckily, two of my meditation days were up in New Hampshire.

A sunny summer day at the Tufts Mountain Club's Loj, a pretty ideal place to meditate and reflect on my trip to Israel.

Another sunny day in New Hampshire. The bank of the Pemigewassett River was a pretty ideal place to meditate.

I decided that I would spend 1/2 hour meditating each day by reading one day’s journal entry from Israel and then meditating on the time/place/smells/people/knowledge/etc in that entry. Last week I did some hour-long meditations but that seemed a bit aggressive and it was a real struggle, both to stay focused and I started to get pains in my knees and ankles from sitting cross-legged for that long. The half-hour sessions were perfect, just enough time to get into some deep thought without having to stay focused for a full hour. Also it was easier to fit it into my daily routine. Here’s a glimpse at where my mind was over the past week:

Meditation 1 – Traveling to Israel and Visiting Calvary. It took us about a full day to fly to Israel and even in my meditation I could remember the sights, smells, and initial reactions I had when I stepped foot in the old part of Jerusalem. We stayed in the old city near the Church of the Holy Seplechre where it is believed Calvary was (i.e. where Jesus was crucified)
The Church of the Holy Seplechre down the street from our hotel, it was built around Calvary where Jesus was Crucified.

Meditation 2 - Bethlehem. Again we went back to the site of Calvary early in the morning, this turned into a daily occurrence because it was so close to where we were staying. Then we spent the whole day in Bethlehem which was my first time that I caught a real glimpse at what is meant by Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Bethlehem is an Israeli city but it is located in Palestine. As an Israeli male in Bethlehem you cannot go in or out without a Palestinian passport (except tour groups apparently), thus the unemployment rate is 70% and there’s a large drug/alcohol/crime problem within the city
Me hanging out on a roof in Bethlehem.

Meditation 3 – The Temple Mount, Mount Zion, and the Pools of Bethesda.We got a lot of history on this day from our tour guide (thanks George!). One image that stuck in my mind was that during those days at passover, 250,000 sheep would be slaughtered (one for each family) as a sacrifice for their sins. The blood was channeled into the Kidron Valley. This image stuck in my mind as I remember being in the Kidron Valley and wondering what it would look like (and smell like) to have the blood of a quarter million sheep running through it. Also, it looked like there could be some rock climbing there as well (return trip?)
The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, where the Muslims believe that Mohammed ascended into Heaven.

Meditation 4 – Bethany, Mount of Temptation, Jericho, and Tiberias. On this day I renewed my baptism in the Jordan River, rode a camel, and saw some nomads. More importantly, I started to better understand some of the New Testament stories like the Good Samaritan and Lazarus coming back from the dead on the 4th day. They are stories you hear constantly if you’ve grown up in the church, but actually being in some of these places with someone who is very knowledgeable about religion and history it helps the stories become very real, amazing really.
The tomb of Lazarus in Bethany.

Meditation 5 - Today I honestly forgot to meditate. I woke up late-ish for work, worked, went on a lunch-time bike ride with some guys at work, worked again, went home with enough time to shovel a PB&J into my mouth and then headed to the climbing gym. I didn’t get home until about 10:30pm at which point I ate some food, showered, talked to Sarah on the phone for a few minutes, and then passed out. It was a great day with good friends and good exercise but I failed on the meditation piece which was the whole point of this month: slow down and spend some time in my own mind.
Meditation 6 – Magdala, Cana, and Nazareth. This was the day I realized that in order to really experience Israel I had to live here for at least 6 months. The amount of information and stimuli was too much to really soak in within the timeframe we had. Again it was another day full of history and visiting key areas from the New Testament. One aspect I spent a lot of time meditating on was when we visited a church built by Pope John Paul II (the first pope in the past 200 years to visit the holy land, wow) which featured mosaics of Mary and Jesus from each country of the world. The idea was to portray that everyone was welcome here to this church in Israel no matter where you came from. It was interesting to see a Chinese or African Jesus, when in fact he was an Aramaic Jew. The United States had a particularly awful piece of art, not only was it not a mosaic like everyone else, it made Mary look like the white witch from Narnia
A mosaic done by the Chinese of their depiction of Mary and Jesus.

This is the U.S. rendition of Mary and Jesus, not only is there no Jesus, Mary looks like the witch from Narnia, ugh, really guys?

Meditation 7 – Capernaum and the Mount of Beatitudes. This day was cool because we got to ride a “Jesus Boat” across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum where Jesus did most of his adult teachings and healings. We then spent some time meditating (of all things) on the Mount of Beatitudes. It was an amazing day and the trip was only half-over at this point.

The Temple in Capernaum where Jesus spent most of his time teaching, basically the 3 years before he was condemned to death. It was rebuilt to the exact same specifications by the Byzantines in 300AD, so the real church is about 4 feet below this one

It was amazing how easily reading my journal brought me right back to these places I visited a year ago. If you keep a journal I definitely recommend trying it. Read one of your entries and then spend 20-30 minutes sitting with your eyes closed just going through your memories. What did those events mean to you then, what do they mean to you now, and what might they mean to you in the future? I definitely found value in revisiting these experiences via meditation. I feel like reflecting and meditating on this trip/life experience in Israel was almost as important as going there itself. I don’t know if it’s something I’d do every day but certainly it’s something I think I’ll mix in on a semi-regular basis, especially when I’m outside in nature, I’ve enjoyed those meditation sessions the most.

Next week for me is chakra meditation. I’m not sure how much I buy into the concept of aligning your 7 chakras via white light cleansing energy but I’m always interested in trying new things and having new experiences. We’ll see how it goes, wish me luck.