5 Kickstarter projects you want to know about this month
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Crowdfunding continues to grow in the outdoor market, and we’re learning about more campaigns than ever before. Here are a few we’ve spotted on Kickstarter that are worth your attention.
Editor’s Note: Unless otherwise noted, we haven’t yet tried these out for ourselves.
Floafers
Floafers are essentially foam loafers: a beach-ready shoe made entirely of EVA foam, with strategic holes and slits for breathability and use in the water. Lightweight and a bit more dressy than Crocs, Floafers are designed with versatility in mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3sqZqh2xAk
Wholesale: Price per unit starts at $18; MSRP: $40
Kickstarter goal: $30,000
Current funding: $128,000
Campaign ends: April 7
The Inferno: Hammock insulation by Sierra Madre Research
Sierra Madre Research has created a two-piece hammock insulation system: a top quilt that looks like a backless mummy bag, and an underquilt to string up under a hammock to provide warmth. The Inferno is less restrictive than a mummy, and creates a sort of hammock cocoon.
Retail price: Varies; Kickstarter prices for a set start at $339, discounted from expected retail
Funding goal: $25,000
Current funding: $65,000
Campaign ends: April 26
This cartop tent comes with a skylight and hanging iPad sleeve, so you and all your friends can cozy up for a movie night. And we do mean all your friends; iKamper says it’s the size of a “massive king-size bed,” and fits four adults and two children. Three adults or two adults and two kids can sleep comfortably in this tent that folds into a hardshell, low-profile, 150-pound package. The company says it’s the world’s first hard-shell rooftop tent. Sleeping on top of your car rather than next to it, on the ground, is quickly gaining popularity, and the Skycamp is no exception; with a week left, it has raised 20 times its original $100,000 goal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=megtACYyOkM
MSRP: $2,250, with accessories sold separately
Kickstarter goal: $100,000
Current funding: $2.3 million
Campaign ends: April 13
You Are Here: Your personal map jewelry
Give Talia Sari a significant address—mountains included—and she’ll turn it into an oversized ring, brooch, or necklace. While these maps may be too small to provide a practical use—how awesome would it be if you could wear your Appalachian Trail map?—we still think they’re pretty creative and awesome. Got a landscape or cityscape your customers love? Sari is offering a wholesale special on Kickstarter: 10 custom-made pieces for $650.
Retail price: $130
Funding goal: $9,800
Current funding: $81,000
Campaign ends: April 14
Jül: Power Practical’s heated “Smart Mug” for coffee and tea
We’ve all had this problem: You want a hot drink, so you pour coffee into your insulated mug. But the mug often works too well and you have to wait hours for it to cool down. Power Practical has an answer for that, in the form of a mug that sits on a heated plate you plug into a USB port. You turn a dial on the mug to set the desired temperature, and then set it on the plate. It glows red when it’s too hot, blue when it’s too cold, and white when it’s just right.
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say this one is likely better for your desk than for your backpack. But if you’ve got a portable battery to match, it could be a sweet luxury to bring for lounging by the fire on a car camping trip.
Retail price: $70
Funding goal: $50,000
Current funding: $120,500
Campaign end: April 28, 2017
