3/8 UPDATE: Announcing Stretch Goals in Kickstarter Update #4. And the first one is already funded! We also added new rewards and welcomed our first expeditionary gear sponsor Juicies.
The first ten days have been exciting. The initial funding goal for underway internet access was reached in less than 72 hours thanks to your support. At this point a campaign normally turns to so-called “stretch goals”. We touched briefly on stretch goals in Update #2. Stretch goals help enhance the project quality and support upgrades to existing rewards.
Stretch Goal #1: $4500 [REACHED on 3/8] will fund access to Adobe Creative Cloud software. Funding this goal will also let us “go big” with the printed rewards: larger post cards, paperbacks and hardcover books. $60 and $80 backer postcards will be mailed in envelopes.
Stretch Goal #2: $6000 will fund a Nikon D1500 camera kit. This particular kit was recommended by Will (of willbeale.com here in Connecticut). Michelle has a lot of experience with SLR photography and a great eye. The kit will upgrade or replace camera gear that is over 20 years old and frankly starting to fall apart. Reaching this goal will fund envelopes for $12 postcard backers and a dust jacket for the $80 hardcover backers.
Stretch Goal #3: $7500 will fund a Tascam USB audio mixer, Blue-brand XLR microphone(s) and a Pelican case for shipping. If you can help find more backers and get us here, all $6 bandwidth and $20 eBook backers will also get a handwritten postcard from the ship. All $40, $60 and $80 backers will also get the eBook.
Stretch Goal #4: $9000 will fund a Drobo Mini with 2-3 terabytes of redundant storage, an upgrade from our current 500mb redundant storage solution. If you can help find more backers and get us here, all $12 postcard backers will get an eBook and all $20 eBook backers will get a paperback. $100 certificate backers will be upgraded to a hardcover book.
Stretch Goal #5: $11000 will help fund a laptop upgrade. If you can help find more backers and can get us here, $6 backers will get the eBook. All $40 and $60 paperback backers will get a hard cover book. All $80 hardcover backers will get upgraded to the Adventurer level and get the full-color hand-calligraphed framable certificate.
New Rewards: In this update we are adding the Adventurer Certificate at the $100 level and a package reward with phone/video chat at the $150 level. You may also choose to sponsor the binding, front or back cover at the $180 level.
Keep in mind that reward levels must cover Kickstarter and fulfillment company fees, federal tax withholding plus the cost of producing the rewards. The goal remains a high quality daily blog with photos, a weekly audio podcast, five segment updates with video and a 9×6 full-color book. You’re helping to fund the entire operation and getting an exclusive inside look at the process.
Gear Sponsor: Thanks to Laurens and Juicies.com for getting on board as our first expeditionary gear sponsor. We backed the Juicies cable project on Kickstarter a couple years ago, and they returned the favor by sponsoring an object – Juicies of course! We have replaced cables for all our small electronics with Juicies and you should too. They are robust enough to sail around the world, and are made with 100% recycled material to Laurens’ exacting specifications.
Thank you all for your support so far, and for helping achieve these new funding “Stretch Goals”. Let’s keep moving!
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