I designed a coffee mug with an elevation profile of the JMT!

[Jim H]

Hi All,

I’ve been tinkering around with design software as part of my graduate program, and I designed this John Muir Trail coffee mug (a mug about the JMT, not for the JMT).

I put it on my Etsy store at the link down below. I’ve included a coupon code that basically gets you one at my cost if you like the design. It’s only $2 off, but I use a 3rd party on-demand printing service which basically means the potential margin is terrible, but all I have to do is the digital design, and they do this rest, which is great since this is all just a hobby project (further evidenced by my “store” of four products). So let me know if you like the design or the concept. I’d like to do a few more trails over time and get myself a little collection going – just a fun way to remember a hike.

Cheers!

-Jim

See post #4 below for link with discount code. 

[Matt]

Very Nice!!  Best design I’ve seen.  Love the shadowing detail.

[Jim H]

Thanks Matt!

[Jim H]

Hi All – Turns out I goofed on setting up the coupon and it was a fixed amount off the order, not each mug. Please use this new code which should give you 15% off, instead of the fixed amount, so it’ll work as expected for multiple mugs. Thanks! – Jim
<p class=”bbp-user-nicename”>Link:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/MuddledRemarks?coupon=BPL002</p>
Code:  BPL002

[Alex Wallace]

Looks great! Placing my order now…

[Alex Wallace]

My coffee tasted better this morning thanks to my new mug. Instead of dwelling on tasks at work, I was able to ponder the JMT. Thanks, Jim.

[Jim H]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Alex.

 

Thanks for the interest, all. I’ll post another coupon when I get around to making one for another trail.

Cheers!

[Jim H]

Hi all – Happy new year! I had some time over the holidays so I added the Wonderland Trail mug. Use code THEWATERISFINE for 10% off. Cheers!

[John P]

Nice mugs.  Should add the elevations of the highlighted points in addition to the mileage.

[Jim H]

Thanks, John. That’s a good idea! I’m going to play with that and see if I can squeeze in more data.

[David Thomas]

Somehow I missed this, last time around.  Nice design!  Now it needs to be on a Evian bottle so you can bring it with you on the trail for no weight penalty.

Back in the 1970’s, there were some t-shirt and bandanas with moderately useable maps of super popular trails (Grand Canyon trail corridor, Half Dome in Yosemite, etc).  If it’s an item you’re bringing anyway, the map now weighs nothing (but the ink) and is readily available.  I also liked the star maps, plant identification guides, and first aid instructions on bandanas – again, why not make them more multiple purpose?

Nowadays, I’d suggest printing JMT, Whitney, GCNP, Half Dome, or an AT trail overview on a Buff.

Are custom-printing options now reasonable enough that I could send a PDF or JPEG to a t-shirt shop and get 4-color printing of a custom map on synthetic shirt?  I’ve had 30-year-reunion hike messages printed on synthetic t-shirts that were decent hiking clothes.

[Jim H]

Thanks, David! I’ve read so many of your great posts on BPL that I feel like I’ve run into a celebrity.

Custom garment printing is relatively affordable these days, and there’s very few color restrictions. You usually just need to provide a PDF or PNG at at least 300dpi that uses the sRGB color profile (i.e. the default color profile on nearly all computer and web software).

There are two main types of printing for on-demand/small quantity orders. For Direct-to-garment inkjet (DTG), it works similarly to an inkjet printer, but printed directly onto a finished garment, and usually there’s a relatively small printable area. There’s also sublimation printing, where your design is printed on polyester fabric before being cut and sewn into a shirt. Essentially you’re designing custom fabric. You’d probably pay under $30 per shirt for all-over-print polyester t-shirts (example:  https://www.printful.com/custom/mens/t-shirts/all-over-print-mens-crew-neck). I don’t know if there are other companies that offer more choices in fabrics that would better cater to hikers. Printing functional maps onto gear/garments is something to think about for sure. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

 

 

 

[David Thomas]

Jim, Thanks for the info!  I should stop by the local t-shirt shop and local sign company.  I’ve used them for simple stuff like my campaign signs, but they can probably do all sorts of things now.

Those cool artsy socks?  You can custom order your dog’s face onto them.  A family my daughter babysits for got her a pair of socks with the toddler’s face printed on them.

[Kevin Babione]

Jim – I love the mug and was wondering if you’d consider designing similar mugs for trails you haven’t done.  If, for example, I were to send you the elevation profile of a 27-mile loop I’ve done a few times along with named points (summits, camping spots, streams, etc.) would you be able to put it together and add it to your shop?  I stopped carrying my GPS a couple of years ago, but this might be enough to get me to start carrying it again to log the trails!

[Jim H]

Hi Kevin. Thanks for your kind words. I’d be happy to do something custom for you. Sending you a PM now.

[Nathalie V]

Hi Jim,

 

I missed your initial JMT message, and apart from that, only since this last summer I am deeply aware of the pain that every pass brings (we hiked the JMT in 2019). Do you still have a discount code for the JMT, as THEWATERISFINE does not seem to work, and BPL002 is also inactive.

 

Thanks,

Nathalie

[Jim H]

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MuddledRemarks?coupon=BPL005

Thanks for letting me know, I’m new to all this. This one should work.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim H]

Apparently I can’t edit any previous posts, but this new code is working for 10% off.

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MuddledRemarks?coupon=BPL005

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