CleanTrek Newsletter - June 27, 2025

Dear Subscriber First Name,

Well, it looks like I’m way overdue for an update here. In addition to this product launch, I’m getting MARRIED in a week, so things have been a bit crazy! Lots to celebrate lately!

In case you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick summary. And if you don’t want to spoil it, skip ahead to the next section!

1. CleanTrek got featured by Backpacker Magazine!

2. The Kickstarter will offer two product versions: an early-access (handmade) version and late-access (factory-made) version of each reward.

3. I’m making great process on manufacturing plans for both versions of products, and I expect to be ready to launch the Kickstarter by the end of July.

4. I got some new 3D printers in my apartment to speed up the prototyping process.

5. CleanTrek just sent out prototypes to sponsor a cleanup effort along the Camino de Santiago in Portugal!

1) Backpacker Magazine

CleanTrek was (semi-)recently featured in an article by Backpacker Magazine!

The editor in chief, Adam Roy, stumbled across my Kickstarter and decided to reach out for an impromptu interview! Backpacker Magazine is a subset of Outsider Magazine, which is the largest magazine there is when it comes to hiking and camping. Needless to say, I was pretty floored when Adam reached out!

I recently updated the CleanTrek website to highlight all of our features. It’s awesome how much free, organic marketing we’ve gotten so far, which really helps bring credibility to the brand. If you have ideas of other outlets who may be interested in covering CleanTrek, please let me know!

2) Two product versions

If you follow the Kickstarter email list, you may already know that my current plan is to offer two different types of Kickstarter rewards:

1. The “Early-Access, Handmade” Version

   This will be an early-access prototype — the same one you see in all my videos! This will help me get your feedback early and also get some exposure out on the trails! I plan to throw in some swag too so you can help promote these products on your hikes. Since it’s pretty costly and time consuming for me to make these, there will be a limited quantity (maybe 100 or so) with a generally high price tag (probably about $150-$200 for the full kit, Grabber + Collector). I’ll begin production as soon as the Kickstarter ends. Remember, this is a fundraiser — the whole point is to raise money so that we can get these costs down in the future :)

2. The “Late-Access, Factory-Made” Version

   For those of you who aren’t in as much of a hurry, or maybe don’t want to pay the higher price tag of the early-access version, you can wait an additional ~6 months and get the first batch from my manufacturer. I don’t have the price yet, but I’m hoping we can get it down to about $60 for a complete kit ($25 for the Grabber, $35 for the Collector).

This hybrid approach will be the best balance between getting these products out into the world as early as possible, while also working towards a more affordable and scalable option.

3) Manufacturing progress

Having two product versions means that I have to simultaneously prepare to build both types of products, and I’m making good progress. By the time I return to reality after my wedding, I should have:

1. a quote from my overseas manufacturer, so I’ll have a better idea of how much money I need to fundraise to pay for the tooling and production. I’ve been working with this manufacturer for about a month now, and so far, I’m happy with where things are headed.

2. some samples of my prototype parts printed via multi-jet fusion (MJF). I’m excited because this process is historically pretty expensive, but I recently found a place that’s really cost-effective. If these samples look good, it will solve some issues I’ve been running into; namely, these parts will have much better strength, accuracy, and temperature resistance (so they won’t warp if left in a hot car). The improved accuracy may also save me from some post-processing steps, which would save time during assembly.

If all goes well, this means I will have fairly accurate cost estimates in 2 weeks from now, allowing me to finally set my prices for the Kickstarter! And once that’s set, it’ll only be some finishing touches that are left, so I believe we’ll be ready for launch by the end of July!

4) An equipment upgrade

My apartment’s manufacturing corner got a little upgrade: 2 Bambu A1 Mini 3D printers! My 3D printing capabilities are now about 3X faster, allowing me to iterate on prototype updates more quickly. It’s amazing how quickly this technology has progressed…my “old” printer from 2021 was like 3X the price for half the speed!

5) CleanTrek sponsors a cleanup in Portugal!

I sent 6 Grabber prototypes out to Lorie Solis, who is only a couple weeks away from her big hike along the Camino de Santiago, where she plans to clean litter along the entire trail in a multi-month expedition! Lorie happens to be one of CleanTrek’s earliest fans, and she asked me about a year ago now if I could provide some Grabber prototypes for her trip. Well, I finally got them built, packed up, and shipped out, with a Collector added in there as well! If you want to follow Lorie’s journey, you can do so on her Instagram page. I will be sharing her journey more as it progresses.

5) Conclusion

I know it’s taken much longer than I originally projected, but we’re making great progress on the Kickstarter! Many of you have been providing feedback and helping me spread the word, so thank you for that, and please keep it up! We’re up to 1,435 potential customers, and that number keeps growing!

If you haven’t yet, please follow the Kickstarter pre-launch page below to help me get a more accurate headcount of who’s planning to support this project!

Thank you,

John McShane
Inventor and Founder of CleanTrek
clean-trek.com