New Episodes of UL A-Z

[Bob Bankhead]

"Ultralight A to Z" is a video series developed by BPL Member Hendrik Morkel (Hiking in Finland), and sponsored by Backpacking Light. It is one of the benefits available with a Life Memebership.

After a long pause, there are now two new episodes available:

G = gas stoves
H =hygiene

[Ken Thompson]

G came out Aug. 20th

H was released Sept. 8th

Due for another one.

[Hendrik Morkel]

I'm working on them =)

[Bob Bankhead]

Whatever happened to "D"?

It's been MIA since the start.

[Kyle Meyer]

Hendrik, you really blew it and are continuing to blow it. You took $11,000 from a total of 176 people in the community over a year ago (myself included) and have delivered very little value in exchange. Out of it though, you got publicity, new cameras, and surely money you used to do things other than film episodes.

Leaves a bad taste in my mouth that you would so easily break the social contract and abuse Kickstarter and people's trust to profit from this.

[Ken Thompson]

Well K is now out.

I paid into it as well. I am disappointed that it has taken this long. But Hendrik has already been through the ringer for this and has given his explanation.

Would rather see him out filming instead of defending himself. They obviously will be done when they are done. The fact that at the current rate we have years to go…..means disappointment will continue.

What are we still waiting for to happen so D will be finished?

I have enjoyed the series so far.

From the Kickstarter page. July 2011

Once the funding goal is reached I will start to film and edit the episodes, so the sooner we reach it, the sooner I will be out shooting! I have the majority of episodes planned, and now am eager to get out. Timing is also something you want to know; so let me tell you that I plan to upload one episode a week after the funding time is over, which means come August the project will already start to air.

Where does the money go? Tooling for DVDs, packaging, stickers, the Amazon Download service and the T-Shirts cost a little fortune, and the rest goes to paying my time for planning, filming and editing the 26 episodes. Some special camera gear is needed to get the best audio and visual quality, and costs for travelling to locations round out the costs.

The Rewards are the series itself, as well as Stickers, T-Shirts and a really slick DVD package of the finished series. The HD downloads will be a lot better in quality than the free version, and also will be available before the free version goes online – you're thus in the know a lot earlier. The DVD, Stickers and T-Shirt will be sent at the end of the series, I hope before Christmas, so that you have a nice present for yourself or a mate =)

[Bob Bankhead]

@Ken:

Video K may be available out there (where?) but BPL only has the HD series through H (minus the long-lost D).

Could it be Hendrik is having trouble coming up with an appropriate UL title for D? How about:

"D"eclination – use it or lose it (and maybe yourself)

"D"iet – you are what you eat

"D"amn, I could have left this at home too.

"D"epression – what you get when you meet someone with a lighter pack than yours.

"D"eath – what you risk by going Stupid UL

[Dean F.]

Where do you get the videos?

[Ken Thompson]

I helped fund this project. I got the email last night. Not sure how long it takes BPL to post it here.

@Dean To see the videos here you need to click this

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/ULAZ.html

Good thing we don't use the Khmer alphabet, 74 letters.

[Benjamin Moryson]

Wow cool. That sounds good.
Hope it is faster available than the last ones :)

[Jeffs Eleven]

My vote is for- "D"amn, I could have left this at home too.

That made me laugh. I swear, last time I went out I prob carried 4lbs of BS. That is my new mantra.

Hi, my name is Barry, and… Damn, I coulda left this at home too.

I'm from the south so I say "Coulda". I was gonna write 'lefis' but y'all wouldna known what I was talkin bout. That saying should read: Damn, I coulda lefis at home too.

[Ole Saether]

I am not a native and struggle to understand you. What is your point?

[Jeffs Eleven]

No worries, Ole. I'm willing to bet even the natives don't know what I'm talking about half the time. …Hell even I don't know what I'm talking about half the time.

Mostly I was laughing at (with) one of Bob's comments, because I find myself saying to myself how I could have left this or that at home. A mundane thought but I like phonics and the written language and dialects, which I have one, so I occasionally ramble so that I can say certain cute phrases in hopes of making cyber friends. Hasn't worked yet.

Yeah… ignore most of my posts. I have no point. Seriously.

I also wanted to make a joke about Hendrik saying: "I'm working on it =)"
but really meaning "I'm working on it ;)"

but I didn't want to pis off Mr. Morkel seeming like a mean joke.

[Ole Saether]

Any news on the UL A-Z videos? The link on the front page is gone.

[Ken Thompson]

Shameful isn't it? Come on Hendrik. You were paid years ago now. I'm sorry, but this has gotten to be very lame. Years.

Hendrik seems to be keeping plenty busy doing other things…

No Bueno. I have to agree with Kyle.

There is no good explanation that can be given at this point. But I am willing to hear it.

[Stephen M]

Maybe a dog ate his homework.

[Ken Thompson]

..or the baby hit delete.

[Stephen M]

Or a bear stole the Hd video camera.

[Daniel Fish]

…

[Stephen M]

I had a good laugh of that Daniel.

[Mike Stromsoe]

Apparently this was big news in Finland. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/09/08/050233/finnish-bureaucracy-takes-issue-with-crowdfunded-textbook

"Senja Larsen, who runs popular Facebook study group Senja teaches you Swedish, collected $14,161 via Kickstarter's crowd funding service. The project caught much media attention in Finland (TV and all major newspapers), since it is the first crowdfunded book project in this country, and among the first Finnish crowdfunded projects. (Previous ones include the movie Iron Sky, the role-playing game Myrskyn Sankarit, and the Wishbone headphone wire manager). Now, after successfully collecting the funds for the book (and after the book has been edited and printed), the National Police Board of Finland has asked Senja to submit a statement [PDF; Finnish] concerning using crowdfunding to finance a project [PDF; Finnish] and the terminology used. It is possible that all the funding collected must be returned. The main problem is that direct translations of terminology at Kickstarter, such as 'bounty' and 'support,' are interpreted to mean collecting money without giving anything back, and this kind of operation requires a permit which can be only given to associations, not to private persons, and it takes long to apply for such permit."

How is this much different than Hendrik, a Finnish resident? Well, actually I would imagine that donors of Senja Larsen would have actually received what they paid for.

I did not contribute to Hendrik's Kickstarter project, but if I did I would be accusing him of theft right about now. "Funding ended: Jul 31, 2011" That's long enough to figure out how to use his nice expensive HD camera bought with Kickstarter funds.

[Frank H.]

If you feel like giving more of your hard earned money to Henrik just buy him a cup of coffee or a nice Finnish lunch.

https://holvi.com/shop/hikinginfinland/

[Nick Gatel]

I think the "crime" was committed is the US. It was funded via Devon Montgonery through a US funding source, then the money was sent by Devon to Hendrik. Sounds like Devon did this in good faith and should not be criticized.

[Cayenne Redmonk]

Devon laundered money so Hendrick could get money undisclosed ?

[Nick Gatel]

It was all upfront on the Kickstarter page. Everything.

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