The Alpine Hammock

[dejoha]

I was recently contacted by a new start-up that is considering a Kickstarter campaign to prepare their new project, the Alpine Hammock.

The design is nothing new to this forum, and borrows on a lot of concepts we've already discussed. I think the idea is great, but I'm waiting with baited breath on their final execution. My biggest worry will be that they create a hammock that is designed more as a bivvy and less as a hammock, requiring a tight pitch, restricted lay, and a tippy outcome.

Currently only on Facebook and Twitter, but they are still in the early stages of their project so I expect more will roll out eventually.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

[Mikums]

It seems like an incarnation of the Lawson Blue Ridge Camp Hammock without a bugnet. I'd be interested in seeing how it compares to similar sized hammocks.

[dejoha]

As with any bivy, condensation and durability are the chief concerns. Mixing the hammock into the equation multiplies that problem, but adds water drainage issues, for if the bivy alone is used to fend off precipitation, it could turn into a pool on the occupant.

I have high hopes for a good bivy hammock, so I'm going to stay my initial reservations until I see their full design.

[Montalaskan]

I really wanted to be excited about this project, and I think it has potential. However, I'm fairly disappointed by the backer tier levels they came up with.

If you remember, when Kammok was on Kickstarter, at $85, you got a hammock. The lowest level where you get a hammock with the Alpine Hammock is $300.

$80 nets you a t-shirt, a water bottle and a post card.

Not surprisingly, their project doesn't seem to be catching on as fast as Kammok's. Add that to the saturated Kickstarter "market" and they might struggle.

I wish them all kinds of success though. I hope their product turns out well.

[Mustardman]

kickstarter should be used for genuinely innovative products. I disliked the idea of the kammock kickstarter, and I dislike this one even more because the reward tiers are so lame.

[ShadowAlpha]

using the waterproof material scares me if using as hammock to sleep in. from the pictures I have seen - it looks like a good bivy design -- @Dejoha as you mentioned what condensation issues does it have when used as bivy? With that material I can't see it working well as a hammock that is intended to be used as a shelter rather than just a lounging hammock.

[dejoha]

I wish I knew more about the project, the materials, etc. I'm in talks with them to find out more, but it will likely require an NDA. I'll share what I can.

[Mustardman]

an NDA for an incredibly generic hammock with a weathershield just seems completely absurd to me.

[MedicineMan]

agreed with Mustardman

[Montalaskan]

I'm hoping they are holding something truly innovative back, otherwise, an NDA seems kind of silly.

That said, $40,000 is an awful lot of money. Again, considering Kammok was only looking for $15,000. Combined with the reward tiers, it makes me think this is a fairly creative method of paying off some college loans. A big part of what people found attractive about Kammok was not the product itself, but the fact that they had charitable intentions built in to their business plan.

Other than the overall manufacturing quality (at least according to Grizz' review and others I've seen) and the LunarWeave fabric, Kammok wasn't bringing anything all that new as far as I can, as a total n00b to the hammock world can tell. So their innovations were: quality, a new fabric, and a business plan that involved charitable work. Those things, along with the slick, Apple/Twitter/Square-like branding and video presentations made them attractive to backers.

I'm not normally a naysayer or negative. I just think that either they should disclose more about what makes it so innovative, lower their target goal and/or increase the value of their funder rewards.

That's what I would advise them to do if I were a "business advisor" to the project.