Most debt-swamped, recent college grads aren’t attempting any projects that require them to fundraise $40,000 in 30 days. However this is exactly what Michael Brown, a Hampden native, and Ryan Stolp are doing.
Tufts engineering alumni, Brown and Stolp, have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to produce and market the Alpine Hammock they have invented.
The Alpine Hammock is a one-man shelter that can hang as a hammock in trees, and features a bug net and rain fly that can be zipped up to protect the camper from the elements. For areas without trees the Alpine Hammock can be laid down and used as a bivy sack.
“We took the best features of both bivy sacks and hammocks and put them together into one fast, light, protective and easy-to-use outdoor shelter,” Brown said.
Brown and Stolp have the ideas and the motivation to follow through with the project; however, the money to fund the Alpine Hammock is an issue.
“As recent college graduates, our student loans limit our ability to fund the project ourselves,” says Stolp.
For this reason they have launched a Kickstarter project, where the general public can pledge money to help them reach their goal of $40,000 in 30 days.
If enough people donate, and they reach their goal by Aug. 30, the team will get all the funds donated. However, with Kickstarter it is truly all or nothing. If Brown and Stolp don’t reach their goal then none of the backers have to pay up.
The money earned from this campaign will help them buy materials, do extensive product testing, pay legal fees, and set up a website where they can sell the Alpine Hammock.
They have rewards for people who decide to donate to their project. These rewards could be anything from a thank you shout-out via social media, to a prototype of the Alpine Hammock.
Brown grew up in Hampden and often went camping and hiking in Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park. But he says it was when he was at Tufts and when he joined the Tufts Mountain Club that he began to take the outdoors lifestyle more seriously.
“It was the community within the mountain club that exposed me to alpine-style hiking and climbing; trying to travel as fast and light as possible in the mountains. So I was surrounded by a great group of smart outdoorsy people who were always trying to safely push their limits in the outdoors,” Brown said.
Brown and Stolp met in the Tufts alumni group called VICE, or Vertical Ice Climbing Enthusiasts. Brown said that he and Stolp were always discussing the gear they wanted, especially camping or climbing gear they wanted but which hadn’t been invented yet.
“What we really wanted was a solution that only required us to buy one piece of gear to cover pretty much every environment. We asked ourselves, ‘Why isn’t there a product that can be fast, lightweight and comfortable?’ This is how we came up with the idea for the Alpine Hammock,” Brown said.
Raising the money for this project is only one hurdle that Brown and Stolp have to deal with. A patent is pending on their hammock and they plan to file for a full utility patent in the near future.
Product distribution is also another concern and they are currently looking into potential manufacturers.
“Personally, I’d feel successful if I hiked up on someone in camp and they were enjoying a backcountry adventure, hanging in an Alpine Hammock,” Stolp said.
You can check out the progress, learn more and donate at www.kickstarter.com/projects/alpinehammock/the-alpine-hammock. You can also follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheAlpineHammock?ref=ts and Twitter @AlpineHammock.
Hey there and good luck with your venture. I know a guy in Hampden that may help, im sending a link to him now. Great product and lets keep business local!
Great thanks! Feel free to also forward along our email AlpineHammock@gmail.com
Why not give the kick starters a piece of the action? stock warrants etc.
theres a limited amount of people that a company can issue stock to without spending hundreds of thousand in filing fees and a whole bunch of issues and responsibilities that come with issuing stock. More than likely theyre not a corporation. Pretty sure if you wanted to donate a large sum they would offer a % of the action
Kickstarter is just one of many crowd funding platforms, it happens to not include equity because it’s geared more toward discrete individual projects as opposed to startup companies. However, there are other sites such as http://www.fundable.com/ that use the crowd-funding model but for equity, Fundable is explicitly for startup companies, not projects like Kickstarter.
‘THEY INVENTED”?????
The Government perfected them and made them by the hundreds of thousands for soldiers and marines in WWII. They are still available in various catalogues and stores in the tropics and subtropics.
Put a holder for the beer, solar panels on the roof and a fold down LCD TV and it’s still a hammock…..one more thing knuckleheads will hammer into trees.
Dont be jealous you cant come up with a good usable product. Some of the best inventions are improved products. Go plant a tree would ya
I gotta tell ya; a 3 second Google search yielded this.
http://www.google.com/search?q=hammock+tent&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=vjAsUKH9CYb50gHl9IGIBw&sqi=2&ved=0CFYQsAQ&biw=864&bih=636
Hate to keep rushin to these guys defense but did you read this article? It isnt just a hammock it doubles as a bivy sack.
Emergency car/boat/ATV equipment….hmmmmm….may be a market after all?
Brian,
Thanks for this..one of my favorite things to do is sleep out in my hammock so all these images that would allow me to do that with some shelter ( from bugs and rain) was just too much fun.
But you know I like the looks of their system..they seem to have simplified it and geared it to campers who might also be hiking ( or in my case kayaing) and need something light and quick to assemble.
I wish them well with it and this is the kind of job creation/economic development I’d like to see supported and encouraged in Maine instead of the usual big buck multi million support for greedy speculators who promise jobs and deliver none.
This is a potential “Made in Maine “product that has all the hallmarks of yankee ingenuity and more importantly a product that can be sold at the hundreds and hundreds of stores in Maine already creating jobs and supporting the local economy in the outdoor activities business. It is a possible +++.
“grow it here,show it here, sell it here.
How about some incubator support these guys Le Page?
We would love to be made in Maine, if you know of any tent manufacturers in the 207 area please send them our way. We are currently looking at manufacturers in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Colorado. Regardless, we know it’ll be manufactured in the United States.
Well that is a stunning bit of news..that in a state where tenting and camping are such a major part of our economy we have no tent makers!!!! What’s wrong with this picture?.
I am sure you are much more in the center of things than I am in the realm of tent makers, but wouldn’t .woulnd’t sail makers and canopy makers be able to do that work?
Many years ago, my sister rented her barn in Cumberland to “omar the tent maker”.but I have no idea who Omar is or where he might be. Also the guy in /near Searsport who makes those canopies and “flyers” has the facilities and the workers, I would think to do your project..certainly worth looking into. It would lower the cost of your product considerably if you could make it right here in Maine with existing facilities/workers.
A friend of mine used to earn extra money sewing sails and canopies as many did in and around Camden. I know the equipment and the skilled labor for this is tight here in Maine and hope you will do some work in that directions.
Seems like a natural incubator for Maine..tent making..a to re use those ancient skills ( and perhaps facilities)..and a way to “decentralize” into local communities where these skills are still alive..
Any way. best of luck..look forward to being bale to order your hammock tent on line some day soon.
You really don’t live in Maine do you?
Go GOOGLE MOSS TENTS and read about Bill Moss the founder who lived between Belfast and Camden and his legion of fans.
My boy scout troop was run by ‘techies’ and they ‘bought’ a jungle Hammock. Let’s face it, we sleep on level stable surfaces, and fall out of hammocks rather easily when asleep. So much for this ‘innovation’ in outdoors sleeping.
In case you still think this an ‘innovation’ here’s a few of the competitors:
Clark Jungle Hammock – makers of ultralight …www.junglehammock.com/features_standard.phpSTANDARD FEATURES. Every Clark hammock comes with these minimum features: – No-tip design (Absolutely will not tip) – Full mosquito netting with zippered …
Hennessy Hammockhennessyhammock.com/Here is a video from 2009 with Tom Hennessy giving a quick demonstration of our …including jungle hammocks, winter hammocks, and hammock accessories. All Hennessy Hammocks include attached mosquito netting, detachable rain fly, …
Jungle Hammock w/ Mosquito Netwww.tacticalassaultgearstore.com › Tactical AccessoriesThis Jungle Hammock with Mosquito Net is great for those who dont want to carry a tent but want protection from insects. This Jungle Hammock comes with …
Thanks for these links
Not sure whatprompts your rude comment. My family has been in Maine since the 1700’s.. I live in Stonington..year round.
My input here , and on many similar stories about small start ups, is along the lines of my belief in micro focus on jobs and economic development..
I am a wilderness camper but of late just managing my compound keeps me so busy it is hard to organize a trip to the dump so I am out of touch with all this.
I will check out your links though as I hope to do a little wilderness camping via kayak.
Have any ideas about how this could be made in Maine or are you saying there are so may closely similar products on the market this one won’t add much?
So you never heard of Moss Tents or saw their ‘flying’ shelters at the factory in Northport on your way to Stonington on Rt. ONE?
You do the research on ‘jungle’ hammocks and then check out the new product and tell us what’s so different about theirs that makes it ‘unique’ and ‘innovative’. Be sure to check out the many overseas manufacturers and similar domestic outdoor shelters that were discontinued.
We have a hammock firm here in Brunswick that just relocated to a non-retail location…perhaps you should interview them on why.
I’ve been both a successful and not s0 successful entrepreneur…and you?
The good news is that if you can make it in Maine; you can succeed almost anywhere…and most successful entrepreneurs either sell off the biz or relocate it closer to market, raw materials, and skilled labor.
We have different definitions of “Wilderness”, mine goes beyond ‘no cell coverage’.
Yes, Moss tents is exactly one of the busineesses I had in mind in my post to the entrepreneurs trying to bring this product to market.
My point is that these are all related skills involving related equipment..tent making, sail making, canopy making so there should be both the space, the trained workers to make tents and tent hammocks of the sort these young entrepreneurs envision right here in Maine and more importantly that this is the kind of endevaor State policy should be supporting and furthering.
And again, your tone is very rude and disrespectful which is not at all the “Maine Way”..Mainers speak in an understated and reserved way..never n an “in your face” style..
The many Mainers I’ve done business with were direct and honest; unlike you with your pretext to innocence.
If you want respect don’t pretend to be ignorant about a fairly famous Maine entrepreneur and then post that they were “exactly one of the ….” Honestly is a fine Maine virture…try practicing it some time.
…and while you’re doing the research see if you can find the name of the Maine Company that made tents and other items for DOD, and find out what happened to the skilled seamstresses, etc.
I have no “marketing biz”
Who I am and how I have spent my life is determinable via google..I am a life long policy wonk and public advocate..all my posts here speak from that life long career.
It reveals your ignorance and is more than bad manners, to assume that I or anyone passing by a few awnings would know anything more about them than that they are there.
My one universal life rule to which I am always true is live the truth, seek the truth speak the truth.
We are very familiar with the products you mention above and we did research on well over 100 similar products to inform our current design. While we are not claiming to be revolutionizing your outdoor experience, but we are indeed filling a market gap in the alpine hiking and climbing community and that is to have an alpine-style hammock (i.e. fast/light/minimalist) that can be used both above and below treeline (with or without trees). We have yet to see an option on the market for hammock shelters that are ideal for traveling in and out of alpine zones. My partner and I are both avid hammock campers (Hennessy) but when we headed into the mountains the hammock always stayed home because of their complexity and lack of utility above treeline. A treeless ridge with 40mph winds is no place for the hammocks that we’ve seen on the market so we set out and built our own which works quite nicely in every harsh scenario (above and below treeline) that we’ve used it in.
Um, where do you hang a hammock above the treeline?
Or have you done an environmental impact study on using trees in sub-alpine wilderness?
A few of us are rather protective of areas above the tree line; and while your gear might look nifty in OUTSIDE, it is yet a potentially dangerous piece of equipment along with rock climbing and mtn bikes in the same zones.
Bad enough to have wind farms rip open ridge lines and put up new access roads and ROW for transmission lines; encouraging additional recreational use could be considered even more exploitative of easily damaged terrain.
A company in Corrina or Skowhegan once had large contracts with the military to make cots, tents, and similar gear. I think they went OOB when they lost the DOD contracts or maybe not. Another resource are fabric makers….but this industry may no longer be there either. Been in Cabella’s lately? I’m acquainted with the head of R&D for LL BEANS, you might want to see what he thinks the market is…..and I’m serious about minimum impact above or even near the tree line. ….this is not the image you want to project. http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_8kezHnIS88ViuIZfOcHqBe8pIk64xRJb2tPEaqjEa3rIopwseg
Yeah and if you’re backpacking, you don’t want that weight to carry around….
Any hammock system will weigh less than a tent. Mine weighs 12 oz. without the bug net I made for myself.
The hammock cost me under $20 & the no-see-um netting was around $10 for the yardage I needed. I had the velcro already for the closure.
Oops, forgot to mention the tarp I use for a rain fly and vestibule. Don’t remember how much that one cost, but I did drop some dough on that one to get the lightest and biggest one. I think it’s 10×12′ or so and weighs under a pound.
The tarp alone is good enough for a bivy.
I agree with Brian, this isn’t a new idea. I still wish Brown and Stolp the best of luck. They’re certainly doing more than many folks these days.
yeaaah no. If you click on the link he posted, he is searching hammock TENTS. The ones that come up in the search are very large, bulky and heavy. If you’re going with something like this, that yes- isn’t a new idea, it will be substantially lighter. More for use among backpackers, not actual ‘campers’.
Good luck!! Everything is in a name. symbol
Nice, but invent? I actually own a hammock tent. ? Had mine for 3 years. It’s gray and I love it..mine doubles as a screen “house” hammock….yes theirs is a little different in its uses…but the concept is very the same and old
I would like a link to yours until these guys have theirs in stores..which I hope will be soon. How much does yours weigh? Feasible for kayakers,canoeists, hikers, bikers?,
I have seen shelters like this in action out in the big woods by a few granola eaters…………good luck with those. Better yet,stay home. There is nothing new here.
Good on them for giving it a go. Obviously they see a market for their product, whether it is a brand new concept or not. Great to see the opportunities there and them taking advantage of them to give them a chance with their business. Hard getting started on a business with that student loan debt chaining you down.
Looks like a “jungle hammock” — military surplus item a friend had back in the 1960s . . .
Yup, used ’em a few times…….nice idea to upgrade it……it will need: cup/mug holder, led night light; mp3 player storage; flexible solar charging panel on top; and an endorsement with “Off” products………to place OFF clip on mosquito repellant system on it. The luxury model should have a built in air mattress…………; )