The Boiler floating above the Wind River Range, WY on BPL!
BPL: As those on the mailing list already know, a VERY limited number of the Boilers are now available to pre-order on Backpacking Light! I probably don’t have to extol the virtues of BPL to many here, but they have been instrumental in helping birth the Boiler. Not only was it incubated in their forums, but they came in early with a bulk order that really helped with quantity discounts on this first batch. The Boilers they (will) have are part of the first run, and will also include very low, individual numbers. Once they’re gone, it’s going to be a good while before more ship out, and they may or may not be the last to bear numerical identities!
Finland: I’m a big fan of Hendrik’s Hiking in Finland, and I’ve been blessed with a fine honor indeed: the first guest post on his blog! What started off as an email to him quickly became a very concise history of the Boiler and my thoughts on the project. Check it out, and stay around to read more of his fantastic material. Hendrik is among an elite corps of blogger who take their craft very seriously and produce some of the most authentic outdoor content anywhere, bar none. He’s working on a comprehensive series on ultralight backpacking, titled Ultralight A-Z. Only the teaser is public so far, but something, call it intuition, tells me there is great stuff to come.
Twitter: Talking to Sam over at BPL convinced me to finally jump on to Twitter. I had been waiting to do this until I could make meaningful use of the service, and now is as good a time as any. From my stream you can expect not only instantaneous updates on the Boiler, but also some notes on what I’m most keen on in the world of outdoor recreation. Most importantly, it provides a level, organic place for me to interact with all of you. Follow me!
Oh, and the Boilers get anodized next week. There will be some cool pics of the formed Boilers en masse, followed by hopefully some video of them taking their high voltage acidic bath. Ahhh, sounds relaxing.
[ 14 comments… read them below or add one ]
Got the exiting news that more boilers are now available through Backpacking light. And I’ve just ordered my stove (the first one to Norway?)!
Really looking forward to receiving it! And I’ll spread the word to my friends :-)
Cheers,
Grunde
Very nice update – and it was pretty sweet to see that hammock forums was the #1 referrer!
Grunde – I don’t have all the info on where BPL’s have gone, but to my knowledge, you are Norway #1!!! Thanks so much, and I really hope you like it. I also liked the English post on your blog. I really need to check out this fly fishing thing… and learn Norwegian.
Hi James – Yeah, you all, like, rocked my world! HammockForums are the most ill!
Hey Devin,
I just had an idea for your site (and can lend my skills if requested)! Since you’re numbering each individual boiler, you can have a place on your site for people to “check in” where each boiler has gone (like which peaks, valleys, etc.) and put them on an interactive map! A little ambitious, and you should focus on manufacturing, but this is an interesting way to keep the user conversation going :-)
Enjoy your NYC trip and let’s talk soon!
-=Leo
Devin, Leo may be on to something. I’ve got big plans for Kettle #1 (production)–after I get it.
Steve
Hey Leo! I’ll call you, but I really like this idea. That way, when people send in pictures of one in use, we could tag them to a specific spot on the globe, and really see the Boiler take over, Risk stye. Alternatively, I could install covert GPS tracking and camera devices in each, and just take the geo-tagged pictures myself whenever I feel like it. Muah ha ha!
On a related note I actually need to get some pointers from you on getting javascript to run on my posts, I got 99% of the way there, but other things came up.
Steve: Cool! I’m particularly looking forward to sending #1 (and #40) out. You certainly have been waiting long enough. Did you ever think this is how things would turn out when you replied to that BPL thread? I sure didn’t! :)
Devin, This has been an interesting road to be a small part of–four years for you if my math is right. Glad you have handled the many ups and downs so graciously.
Kettles #1 (me) and #40 (my brother) will soon have some interesting adventures…
Thanks. I really look forward to seeing where they all go!
Devin- the BPL screenshot is awesome. Sibling rivalry aside :), I am so proud of my bro!
Thanks, Kels! Are you getting ready for your Grand Tour with Caitlin and Rachel?
I’ve just finished up a couple of projects, so the next few days are the best time to pick my brain and cook up (or rather boil up) some new ideas! I’m a night-shifted at the moment, so late afternoon or evening is the best time to talk.
-=Leo
Devin congrats on the BPL deal.
I was in the first wave of pre-orders that you did here. How do I know what number my stove is? Just curious. Thanks!
Hey Leo, I’ll call you this weekend. I look forward to hearing about these projects and life as a new dad. That’s weird to write. :)
Matt – Thanks! Past the first fifty who reserved last Spring, I haven’t yet broken down those numbers. After the first fifty, numbers will be assigned according to the order in which I received the orders. It’s all in the info I got from PayPal, but I haven’t extracted it yet.
Happy, happy, joy, joy! It’s almost time! IRoses are red, violets are blue, I’m schizophrenic, and so am I