September 8, 2022

Learn to Packraft was a Kickstarter project sponsored by Backpacking Light and successfully funded in early 2013. Approximately 50% of the proceeds were paid that summer for permits, equipment, a film crew, and a video producer for eleven different film shoots. Shortly thereafter, the video producer, who was the partner on this project, was unable to continue due to personal reasons. Because of the producer’s deep expertise and intimate involvement with the project, we were unable to find a replacement and the project in its original scope has been effectively on hold because of (a) our lack of video production expertise internally to move this project forward and (b) our inability to recruit an effective replacement for the original producer.

We acknowledge that all disruptions to this project, regardless of the unforeseen circumstances that led to these outcomes, are 100% my responsibility as the project manager, and the consequences must be owned by Backpacking Light as the primary funding vehicle for this project.

Here’s what we are doing in response:

  1. In June 2014, all corporate sponsors of Learn to Packraft who helped fund the project prior to the Kickstarter launch were issued full refunds.
  2. All corporate sponsors and backers of the Kickstarter project have been invited to request refunds. Some have taken advantage of the refund, and others have opted to continue their support.
  3. All backers and sponsors are entitled to refunds and will continue to remain entitled to refunds until we close the project.
  4. As of September 2022, this project remains open, and the remaining funds are earmarked in a separate account. They will continue to be set aside for projects related to the original scope of Learn to Packraft, including packrafting safety education, packrafting skills instruction, and the ultralight backpacking video content that was included as part of the stretch goal of Learn to Packraft. As this content is produced, it will remain free to the public.

If you backed this project, and are reading this and find that any of these solutions are unacceptable to you, please contact me directly so we can work out a solution together.

Throughout this humbling and difficult process, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned to be grateful to our community, which originally supported the project. I’ve learned that open communication is critical to maintaining long-term relationships.

I’ve also learned that managing complex video production projects and directing video producers is well outside my area of expertise, regardless of what I may have believed when I started this project. For these shortcomings and my inability to recognize them when I asked you to back Learn to Packraft, I apologize for misleading you about what we promised we could accomplish with this project.

Best Regards,

Ryan Jordan
Publisher, Backpacking Light
[email protected]