This week on Kickstarter: Oru Kayaks, Alcohol Stoves, Goodday Bikes, and Rugged Smartphones.
Oru Kayak Inlet: A Portable Origami Folding Kayak.
Oru Kayak is at it again with another widely successful Kickstarter. Built to be the most accessible kayaks on the market, the Inlet is 10 feet long (when expanded), weighs just 20lbs, and takes around 5 minutes to set up. Build for use on flat water, its 42" by 19" inch storage size makes it easy to stash wherever. $749 and it's yours.
We wanted to push all of Oru’s key attributes- portability, weight, foldability- to the absolute max. Instead of a suitcase-sized box, what about a handbag size? Could we get it under 20 pounds? How many steps could we cut out of the assembly process?
And of course, it had to be a blast in the water- solid, stable and lively. Oh, and it had to be sleek and beautiful- we think a 10 foot kayak should still have sweet lines and curves.
To do all of this, we had to go back to the basics of origami- and develop a SHINY. NEW. FOLD PATTERN. Every crease was designed from scratch, through dozens of paper and cardboard models. Every fold had to be designed to nest and fit perfectly, to eliminate wasted space and make the smallest box possible.
Check out the Oru Inlet on Kickstarter!
CORE PUK Titanium Alcohol Stove
A new take on the classic alcohol stove. Weighing less than 1oz and boiling water at a rate of 2 cups every 4:30 minutes, once the stove has burnt all of the alcohol off from the outer wick, it automatically starts burning the alcohol from the inner wick. This creates a simmering effect to keep your food heated while you wait to eat. Made from titanium and based in Idaho, there are LOTS of backing packages including an add on for their new trowel the S.H.A.R.T. (Single-Handed Advanced Refuse Trowel)
It's pretty difficult to design the lightest, best performing, fastest boiling yet longest simmering, tune-able, ultralight titanium backpacking stove on the planet with every feature that backpackers want when you're competing against all the big manufacturers and their unlimited tooling and abilities; but the kids have to go to college this fall and that's kinda spendy, so... we did it!
- The complete stove system weighs under 1 ounce at only 25 grams!
- It can boil 2 cups of water in only 4:35 seconds and then Auto-Simmer for another 15 to 20 *additional* minutes... with only 1 oz of fuel!
- Its tune-able for a long slow burn or Hot then Auto-Simmer, with no extra parts!
Check out the CORE PUK stove on Kickstarter
Goodday Bikes + Curiosity Bags
A small custom company looking to get its start creating bike and bag systems for "bikepacking, randonneuring, and everyday enjoyment." Perhaps not your typical Kickstarter project, this campaign's primary goal is to launch its brand. While not hyperfocused on a single product, Goodday's campaign lets you choose between a wide range of custom products.
Bikes today are safer, lighter and over all way more fun to ride. Despite this though vintage bikes are still in demand. Why do we still feel such a strong nostalgia when see an old schwinn or klunker? Vintage bikes were created in an analogue world where designers used pencil and paper to create elegant shapes and flowing lines.
Goodday bikes and Curiosity Bags are purposely designed this way but we utilize modern technology. Our bikes have through axles, updated geometry, and butted chromoly tubing. Bike bags are made with PU coated polyester canvas, that is incredibly durable and waterproof but still maintains a retro aesthetic.
Check out Goodday Bikes on Kickstarter!
Titan, Unihertz Rugged QWERTY Smartphone
While this Kickstarter campaign has been shrouded in poor communication and backer frustration (see the comments section if you are interested in backing), I included this Kickstarter in our roundup because it's fascinating to me that this Kickstarter has decided to align it's messaging (at least partially) towards "outdoor enthusiasts." While neat that it's durable and waterproof, I won't be holding my breath for a phone that is really designed specifically for the nuanced needs of the outdoor community. However, I would be curious to see some more legitimate attempts.
Unfortunately for keyboard fans, there are only a few smartphones with keyboards to choose from and those tend to be older brands that lack the style, features and convenience that modern digital lifestyles require.
That’s why we, Unihertz, created the all new, Titan. After two successful Kickstarter campaigns with over 20,000 backers, we are back with our latest launch - Titan the ultimate QWERTY phone for people who get things done! Titan is an unbreakable and versatile smartphone for working professionals, outdoor enthusiasts and QWERTY lovers.
