Expedition FAQs...
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Q: I've always wanted to do an expedition. How do I get started?
A: I love hearing this question, because the answer is so easy: You come up with an idea for a trip or challenge that excites you, and then decide that there's nothing else in the world you would rather do. It's not about skills, money, sponsors, time off work, partners, or "a death wish" as some people say. It's about commitment. Period. Some of our greatest heroes of expeditions are people who had no outdoor experience whatsoever, no grand athletic accomplishments behind them, and no bank full of money to rely on. They were just haunted by an idea and couldn't sleep until they set the wheels in motion to make it happen. Need some inspiration? Read Graham Mackintosh's "Into a Desert Place" about his walk around the entire Baja coastline. The most powerful step you can take toward making an expedition happen is to just BEGIN. All glory comes from daring to begin.
Q: The area I want to travel in is pretty unknown and "out there"! How can I research it?
A: One word: Internet! No single resource is going to provide you with EVERYTHING you need to know about an area, but the 'net is by far the most comprehensive place to start. We were amazed at how much we could learn and how many local people we could communicate with around Lake Baikal, after just one day of research and "outreach" on the 'net. (I'll refer to "outreach" a lot in this forum, because it's such an essential part of expedition success. On its simplest level, it just means getting your ideas and needs out there. The power of doing this is immeasurable, unexplainable and downright magical, but it's one of the most important things you'll do in achieving success in your research and planning.)
Of course, magazine articles, encyclopedias, video archives...etc...are all good resources for finding out more about the area of travel, and collecting different information from different sources is one of the most fun parts of planning. What makes the 'net so effective, though, is that it lets you communicate, not just read.
Q: Tell me more about this "outreach" thing!
A: With some projects, keeping your plans secret for a while can be important. If it's a "first" or otherwise highly marketable because of its uniqueness, it can pay to not broadcast your plans until you're getting on the plane, or even back from the trip. But for most of us and most expeditions, we WANT to generate buzz, both for our own money raising projects and to make our sponsors happy. "Outreach" is just another word for marketing--or telling and selling the world on your ideas. Our successful fundraising and sponsorship drive for "Canada to Cabo" was because we told EVERYONE what we were doing, and asked EVERYONE to help. I was contacting people I hadn't spoken to in ten years, people from across the country, my old high school, even grade school. We had a 1-page write up that we could fax or e-mail at a moment's notice, and we must've sent out 1000 of those things. In the end we ended up raising over $8000 and had 22 gear sponsors. In the week or two before we left, we had checks coming in from friends of friends of friends, and had sponsors calling us to ask if we'd like to take some of their gear. (This is addressed in a later Q&A below.) We were also contacted by both of our hometown newspapers, towns we hadn't lived in in over a decade, and both did front-page stories on our plans. Chronic enthusiasm is hard to resist, especially if it has to do with a stunt that most people would never dream of but wish they could. And again, the power and effectiveness of "outreach" or networking or marketing--call it what you will--can NOT be overstated, or measured. Just doing it--just starting--is magic and there's nothing like it!
Q: How do I get a sponsor?
A: On its simplest level, sponsorship involves a discounted price, a gear loan or a donation of gear--or "product"-- because the sponsor believes in what you're doing. Maybe the president of "Acme Tents" has always wanted to skateboard across the Nevada Salt Flats and envies your upcoming attempt, and just wants to get "on board" the project. This situation is the easiest to arrange and usually involves dropping in to the shop and talking to the owner, or just calling. Putting stickers on your gear, a signed 16x20 poster of your best expedition photo featuring the gear, and maybe a slide show upon your return is a nice "Thank You" gift upon your return.
A more common situation is an exchange of product for slides or jpegs, testimonial and review of the gear. This is how most of our sponsorships have worked, and it starts with a phone call to the company's head of marketing. You need to know up front that today's gear companies are absolutely INUNDATED with these calls, some to the tune of 1000 a week. In my opinion, the smart companies have created a system for managing the requests, like a page on their website where you fill out a form, write an essay and apply along with the masses. The not-so-smart companies freak out on you for being call # 7,692 of the day, tell you there's no way they can afford to "give you free stuff" and shout out "Buzz off, kook!" It's too bad because they're missing out.
At any rate, when you reach the marketing kingpin, cut right to the chase by asking about their system for reviewing sponsorship requests. "Hi Mr. Guru, This is Johnny SpeedClimber of the Race up Half Dome Expedition 2004! Can you tell me about your system for reviewing sponsorship requests?" You should already have a ONE PAGE document typed up and ready to fax or e-mail that outlines your trip, what you want and what you'll give in return. This document is critical and deserves a separate category, so I'll get to that later. Back to the phone call... If Mr. Guru is in a good mood and talkative, he may ask about your trip, what you're looking for, who you are, etc. Be ready for this and get your name and your project name in there as early and often as possible. This may be your one chance that he remembers this call when he's reviewing the 4-foot tall stack of requests. When you've got him on the phone, take this opportunity to get ALL his contact information: Name and title, direct phone line, fax #, e-mail, and don't forget to ask "Where will I send the slides and review after the expedition?" Put all this information down on a file that you've created just for THIS ONE COMPANY! (Click HERE to look at a sample information sheet). (When you're done with the call, put this sheet in your expedition file. You DO have an expedition file book going, don't you!?) I know this is the first contact, but this information is valuable, needs to be kept organized, and will be of use for future projects even if this one doesn't work out.
Important fact: I can't stress this enough: Make sure when you speak on the phone to a potential sponsor, that you're talking to THE HIGHEST RANKING PERSON who can say Yes or No to your request. I've NEVER had a potential sponsorship come through after speaking to a "middleman" or receptionist or anyone less than director of marketing. It's not always easy or possible to get on the line with the right guy or gal, but it's IMPERATIVE that you try.
As soon as you're off the phone, go straight to the fax machine or computer and get that document sent to that person. Give them two days unless they've specified otherwise, and call them back. "Did you get my document? What other information can I send you?" And so it goes...
Keep in mind, this is essentially sales. You're selling your product (yourself and your expedition) to the gear company or cash sponsor. It's a professional contact and relationship that you're initiating and hopefully maintaining, and you need to think and behave like a professional every step of the way. These companies owe you nothing, I don't care if you're going to drag a cross from L.A. to New York to raise money to ease the suffering of persecuted minorities. The only thing 99% of your potential sponsors want to know is How they are going to benefit from this proposed relationship. Keep that in mind when you're designing your end of the bargain. These things from your end are pretty standard :
1) A website covering the expedition. The more traffic the better, obviously. Ask EVERYONE you meet who has a website to add a link to yours. Offer to do mutual links.
2) Slides or jpegs of the gear in use and general "lifestyle" shots from the expedition. A lot of companies want to know what kind of camera you'll be using, if you've published photography, etc. Be prepared to deliver pro-quality shots.
3) Magazine coverage. Most magazines won't talk to an unknown about a trip until it's been done, but try to get some commitment that they'll run a piece. Folks at magazines are human beings like the rest of us, and if you can land sponsors you can land at least a blurb in a mag.
4) Testimonial and review. Sponsors like to publish glowing reviews on their sites or in their catalogs, along with a quick blurb about epic trips. Polish your writing skills and deliver pro-quality text on time consistently.
5) Consistent open channels of communication. We probably go overboard with our communication, but one of the first concerns we heard from a lot of potential sponsors was: "We deliver the gear and then never hear back from you people again." We wanted to bend over backwards to keep this from happening, so we broadcast updates through our entire expedition, and we make sure our sponsors are on the receiving end. This also is a topic for another separate category.
Bottom line, sponsorship is a numbers game, and more often than not you're going to get rejected. But if you land one sponsor for every 4 rejections, and you contact 20 potential sponsors, you're looking at 5 deals and that's AWESOME. (Heather and I have a name for our sponsorship hunt. We call it "Collecting rejections.") But hey, if you keep at it for a year before your trip, you're going to have your share of success! Remember, it's a professional business relationship that serves both you and the sponsor. Act professional.
Q: How many sponsors should I have?
A: On our first major expedition, Canada to Cabo 2000--4300 miles on bike and sea kayak, we had 22 gear sponsors. I got so carried away or 'addicted' to trying to land the next deal, that we had more gear than we could carry. The flipside was, when we got home we had 22 packages of testimonials, reviews and CDs full of jpegs to put together and ship out. Think of how long it takes to write a term paper with photo illustrations, then multiply that by 22. Those roll-up sunglasses I "had to have" suddenly seemed a little over-the-top.
I'm sure any serious expeditioner will agree, the ideal situation is to have ONE sponsor. Preferably a money sponsor, so you can outfit yourself with the exact gear and resources that you need regardless of brand names, etc. We haven't gotten to that point yet, and maybe never will. But they exist for a lot of people and are definitely possible for the professional expedition athlete.
Q: What about grants?
A: Grants are huge, because you're getting cash and it goes without saying that cash is "mandatory gear" in making these trips happen. Like sponsorship in general, grants are wickedly competitive. We authored a number of grant proposals for our expedition to circumnavigate Lake Baikal, and never landed a penny. BUT... we did get our names in front of those review boards and if we stick with it over the next few years, eventually we'll get somewhere. Some of the companies send out a letter to all applicants stating exactly who won the grants. Now we have a list of contacts of successful writers who won't be eligible again for awhile, and maybe they'll share some of their winning techniques with us or even let us read their text! I've also seen excerpts from winning proposals published on the net.
My impression is that the key to winning grants is to learn the nuances of what EXACTLY the judging panel is looking for and cater to their every whim. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to try to speak with the individual judges and get their own feedback, though this would undoubtedly have to be arranged in some informal way. Get to know the names of the judges on a given panel, find out what functions they attend, and put yourself in front of them. The Outdoor Retailer, IATOS, the Banff Film Festival, whatever. Network. Network. Network. And be tenacious.
Q: What are some other ways to raise money for an expedition?
A: We've done a few different things to raise money, the most popular being our updates. For 'Canada to Cabo' we sent a letter to everyone we knew that explained how we'll be sending satellite e-mail updates from the field. To join the list, we asked that people donate at least $25. Long story short, we raised over $8000. The key is to put it out there. Tell everyone! And ASK FOR THE MONEY! It sounds a little scandalous, I know. But it's a simple sales technique. You can make the best presentation in the world, but if you walk away without that check in your hand, you've wasted your breath. Remember, you're not begging for a handout. You're providing entertainment just like a magazine or a movie, only better. Believe in your project, believe in your abilities, and be fearless in selling it. Give the pitch, pile on as much enthusiasm as you can muster, and end by saying "Will you help support our expedition by subscribing to our updates?!"
The same advice works if you're selling T-shirts, which is another effective way we've raised money. For 'Around Baikal' we designed a simple logo and some text outlining our expedition and had 100 quality T-shirts printed up. We spent about $7.50 a shirt and sold them for $20. Within a few weeks we had to order another 50 shirts, and those sold out too. The best part was that, again, we weren't just begging for hand-outs. We were selling a quality product, a piece of expedition history, while we raised some money for our trip. It was AWESOME to see people all over town wearing our shirts, and to this day we have people writing to ask if they can buy one.
Another technique we've used is to host a send-off party/fundraiser with an auction. Our friends Beth and Marco helped us set this up at their pizza restaurant, Marco's Cafe, for our 'Canada to Cabo' project. We started by having a local printer make up a stack of simple 11x14 colored flyers advertising our expedition and the fundraiser event. Then we walked into every store on Main Street in the nearest good-sized town, Placerville. I asked to see the owner or manager of each place, set a poster down on the counter, and quickly laid out our plans. Before they could take their eyes off the poster I asked point blank: Will YOU donate an item for our silent auction?" Emphasis on YOU. At least seven out of every ten stores gave us something, whether it was a gift certificate for a free tattoo, a set of oven mitts and kitchen utensils, or a pair of size 8 skateboarder shoes. We piled the gear in our car and went to the next one.
By the time the fundraiser happened, we had enough stuff to fill three or four tables. We charged $10 a head to get a slice of pizza and a beer, for which we paid wholesale cost to Beth and Marco, and they gave us the rest. By the end of the night, action included, we netted about $1500! And the community had a ball!
The most important aspect of any fundraising stunt you try is not so much what the product is, whether it's updates, T-shirts or pizza... but that YOU stay enthusiastic and believe 110% in what you're doing. In the end, that's what people are buying: YOU and your energy. You'll meet people, even close friends, who scoff at the idea of supporting your trip while they stay home and work. "Why should I pay for your vacation? Will you pay for me to go to so-and-so next summer?" Just smile and say, "If you sell T-shirts to raise money for it and do a slide show when you get back, I'll definitely buy one! Now what size can I get you?!"
Q: Updates? That sounds cool, what's that all about?
A: Updates are WAY cool, and are without a doubt the most popular gimmick we've used to add lots of spice to our projects. Essentially, we use simple, solar-recharged satellite communication equipment to broadcast relatively short but entertaining tales from the field. We've found that sending a tale every three or four days works best for us, and keeps the readers on the edges of their seats in anticipation of the next one.
The creativity and possibilities of this feature are absolutely without limit, from sending text-only narratives depicting trials and mishaps, storms and grizzly encounters, meals-gone-wrong and close calls with hoodlums, to sending pictures, sound bytes or even video clips. We've preferred to stick with text-only for its simplicity and because it keeps the reader's imagination involved at the highest level. But don't get me wrong, if a title sponsor said they'd get us what we need only if we sent jpegs and a few phone interviews from the field, you better believe I'd be packing the digital camera.
Another reason I especially love the updates is that it gives me a focus during the expedition, basically like work. It makes a two- or six-month wilderness journey into an intensive writing exercise, and when you know you've got many thousands of anxious followers awaiting the next update, you tend NOT to just blow it off. It works for me, it may not for you.
The flipside to the update coin is that is DOES involve high tech gadgetry. I happen to like using and playing with this gear, but others look at it ENTIRELY negatively. We've gotten our share of nasty e-mails from disgruntled purists who claim we've "ruined" the experience by being "connected" from start to finish. That's certainly a valid argument. I'll admit whole-heartedly that checking e-mails or having a conference call with three different tech-supports, while I'm staring out over wind-torn seas from a secluded beach at sunset, certainly has a way of "taking me out of the moment." But my attitude is that it's too much fun to share these experiences from the field with the folks who'll never get to do it. It's not like we don't have to do the paddling, build the fires, make camp, avoid death, speak the language or any of the other real-life challenges of an expedition. AND we're carrying extra weight! AND if you can get some e-zines or other professional websites to pay for your updates, you can say you're actually WORKING out there. And believe me, it's a lot easier to bring a laptop in a kayak, than to bring a kayak into a cubicle.
Q: What sort of equipment do I need to send updates?
A: There are a number of options. On our first expedition we used a simple GPS that doubled as a satellite e-mail transmitter, (Magellan GSC100). It worked with a dedicated constellation of low-earth-orbit satellites that basically covered only the area we were traveling through. It was cumbersome, slow and limited in its abilities, but for us it was the BOMB! We bought it for a grand and like I said earlier, raised $8000 in our "update subscriber drive." I had two extra NiCad batteries for it, stored it all in a Pelican Case, and kept it charged with a simple 5-watt solar panel. It never let us down. The e-mails are not considered "real time" though, so for emergency use it's not considered very effective. We paid $29.95 a month service charge and $50 to activate. (Click HERE to check out the updates we sent with this system.)
For Lake Baikal, we had to upgrade to something that had global coverage. We ended up using a Motorola 9500 Sat Phone that works with the Iridium Satellite system. The phone can interface with a laptop to act as a modem, and you can send and receive e-mails and jpegs from anywhere on earth, even the polar regions. Again, I had a spare battery, and this time I used a Brunton Solaris 25 watt solar panel to keep it juiced up. This system is light years ahead of the Magellan we used earlier, and I made a total of 5 hours of calls with the phone for a mere $300 in service charges. Of course, it doubles as an excellent safety back-up...IF there's someone to call for help! (Click HERE to check out the updates we sent with this system.)
If you're in need of sending streaming video, you'll probably need to use an InMarSat system. This technology is primarily used on boats and airplanes, and as far as I know it does NOT offer truly global coverage. You're on your own here, as InMarSat is outside the scope of my knowledge.
Q: How do you keep this high-tech equipment alive in wet, harsh conditions?
A: One word: Pelican! Pelican cases are the industry standard for carrying and PROTECTING valuable, sensitive, important equipment in any environment. I know I sound like an advertisement here, but I'm giving you the straight facts. On our first sea kayak expedition, we had only 1 camera between us. We carried it in a 1200 series Pelican case, and when I had it and Heather needed it, I would wind my arm back and launch the thing through the air toward her boat. It would land with a splash, she'd paddle over to it, open it up and start taking pictures. I still use that camera to this day, AND that same case. Pelican cases are 100% waterproof, dustproof, and literally indestructible.
MAKE SURE, however, that you take the extra step and use lots of silica gel inside your Pelican cases. Silica gel is a hydrosorbant crystal that sucks moisture out of the air and out of your equipment and traps it. You can "re-charge" the crystals by baking them, and they never wear out. Pelican sells packs of the crystals that come in a spill-proof metal casing. Splurge! Your gear depends on it.
Q: How do I choose the right expedition gear?
A: I once read an article by one of the world's top expedition paddlers, we'll call him 'JT'. The piece gave JT's insight into how he chooses gear for his lengthy, extremely exposed expeditions, like his amazing journey from Japan to Alaska along the Kiril Islands, Chamkatka and north-eastern Siberia. His philosophy toward gear has stuck with me ever since. He explained that he would rather use gear that was less comfortable but absolutely WOULD NOT FAIL, than cushy, comfy gear that might feel great going on in the morning, but could blow up when you needed it most. As an example, he mentioned that he chose to wear Converse canvas Chuck Taylor's instead of neoprene booties for this exact reason.
There's nothing more frustrating than blown stitches, broken ferrules on your paddle, frayed material or malfunctioning equipment when you're a million miles from home and the product's customer service center. You've got enough to focus on, like staying alive, without having to rebuild your gear every time you make camp. The only sure way to decide for yourself what gear will work for you without failure is to test it, beat it up, abuse it and mis-treat it when you're at home or close to home, and you can easily replace it with something better.
I made the mistake of trying to ride over 3000 miles along the Continental Divide on a bike that probably wouldn't have withstood even a single day of hardcore single track. I bought the bike new for the trip an didn't test it properly, loaded down with all the weight I'd be hauling on the type of terrain I'd be traveling. Believe me, I paid for the mistake dearly. I went through 3 rear wheels, over 100 tubes, a stripped crank arm, broken rear rack, even a busted seat post! Ridiculous! And expensive!
There are a lot of companies out there, a lot of BIG NAME companies that splash their logo across some of the world's most famous expeditions, but who sell absolute garbage to regular consumers. Be sure to test gear at home and MAKE SURE for yourself that it can withstand your style, your weight, your pace, etc. What works for athlete 'A' will not necessarily work for athlete 'B'. (Heather rode the exact same bike as me on the 'Divide, and never had to do so much as true her rear wheel. KNOW THIS: The level of punishment that a bike or kayak takes increases as the cube of its rider's weight. So, because I weigh twice as much as Heather, I'm inflicting EIGHT TIMES the punishment on my bike.)
We've honed our list of sponsors over the years to the companies who design, test, construct and sell gear that defines the term "expedition worthy". Get started on the right foot by clicking your way over to our sponsors page and browsing their sites.
Q: Where would I get a map for a San Felipe to Cabo kayak trip, including day to day camping sites and locations, etc.? (This question is from Bobby Hampton in Bullhead City, AZ!)
A: There are three indispensable maps to have for that trip. One of them is simple the AAA Baja map. It’s a huge fold out map that has Baja Norte on one side and Baja Sur on the other. It’s a great map to get a big view of all of Baja and easily see where you are and how you’re progressing. If you’re not a AAA member, send me an SASE and I’ll mail you a map; I’ve got three or four.
Another one to have is this two-book set. You can use these in conjunction with your GPS to keep tabs on exactly where you are at all times, and you can see possible evacuation routes, etc. MUST HAVE! Check this link to see them:
http://www.bajadestinations.com/books/balmanac/balmanac.htm
Finally, you can really benefit from having the Baja Boater’s Guide: Sea of Cortez by Jack Williams. This guide has hundreds of aerial photographs so you can see what you’re coming up to in terms of beaches, etc. Don’t rely too much on the information regarding stores and such, it might be outdated. (We found it a bit outdated back in 2000.) But it’s pictures are invaluable. Here's the link:
http://www.maps4u.com/products/Book/Baja_Boaters_Guide_Sea_of_Cortez.html
As for finding camping, Baja is one giant camp site. You will encounter cliffy areas along The Wall, between Gonzaga Bay and Bay of L.A., and a few other areas, but for the most part it’s free game for camping. Beware the north and especially west winds. Let me know what else I can help you with, and best of luck with your trip!
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More FAQs soon...
All Glory Comes From Daring To Begin...