Hope you've enjoyed your break away from us... We've been busy, here's the newest news:
about 7 years ago – Wed, Mar 01, 2017 at 12:20:29 AM

Alright, Enough Monkeying Around!

                                        .... and yes, smarty-pants, we know it's a lemur.

      It has been far too long since our last update, sorry about that!  We're used to hunkering down and getting our work done. This whole "documenting the process" thing is new for us, so thanks for your patience. 

Now brace yourselves for a wild update!

Let's kick it off with some rapid fire:

Custom sew-on tags - DONE!
   

Webbing + Velcro + Paracord = CACHE BELTS! 

Brent accepts the first few thousand sewn Cache Belts and ponders where to put them... 

Koozies are in, and they are AWESOME! 

For those of you following along in all the updates:

you'll know that we have had only one major issue with manufacturing... it was MAJOR. 

For those that are still clueless:

Here's a quick update on why we have to drink so much beer: Our buckle manufacturer promised quality, professionalism, and reliability - they delivered late prototypes that don't match the 3D models, poor communication, and an overall lack of creativity when it comes to solving problems. However, we are a survival company and we're great at adapting. We've become the squeaky wheel, demanding check-ins every other day to make sure things stay on track to get us the buckles by the end of March so we can start shipping in April. 

     In fact, instead of twiddling our fingers waiting on our custom buckles, we have taken this the opportunity to push other custom components EVEN FURTHER. It has been a silver lining opportunity for us during this stormy weather.  For instance...

Foiled!

Instead of using standard heavy duty commercial aluminum foil, we've sourced a custom 6"x12" aluminum sheet that is more robust and resilient. It's super moldable yet rigid. Shape it into a windscreen for starting your fire, or a heavy duty scoop for filling your water bag. These are already getting folded up and rolled up with the water bags, pre-filter, and water tablets to make an ultra compact water purification set.

Whistles Blown!

Instead of using existing models of whistles on the market, we have designed a custom whistle. Nick (the Engineer) did some prototyping to find the perfect balance of chamber length, chamber width, cut depth and length to optimize tone, resonance, and loudness.

We've even remodeled the exterior of the whistle to create better grip in harsh conditions and a more tapered design overall (Let us know if you can see the hidden message)

Flashers

Instead of adhesive velcro dots to secure the signal mirror in the buckle, we've now got a custom mount inside the buckle of the Adventure level belts. It has 2 elastic straps to hold the mirror securely in place, and a backer made from microfiber to keep the mirrored surface protected. These will eventually be for sale on our webpage for anyone that wants to add them to their other belts. It's designed for a mirror, but that's not to say you can't tuck something else in there instead. Yet another place to Cache stuff!

 

Fun Bags

We've also made time to really test out the water bags. We did a combination of testing in the woods and controlled testing a LOT of bags over a fire pit in the back yard. If you missed some of the facebook live videos, you can check them out by clicking the water bag image below.

 

Even though our bags are higher heat rated than others, they're not fireproof.  The key to a good reliable boil is a nice bed of coals. We did a longevity test on one of the bags and got 5 consecutive boils before we bumped it with a hot coal while stoking the fire. Keep in mind the water tablets will give you 2 liters of potable water before you even have to consider boiling. 

When the sun went down on us in the woods, Dustin came up with an alternative use for the water bags in combination with the Photon light in the belt.  What do you think of this water lantern?

Beer Intermission 

Did we mention the koozies are awesome?  You're going to be jealous if you didn't add one on with your pledge. 

 Buckle Up!

But what about the buckle, you're asking?! I know this has been a roller-coaster for all of us. Below are some of the samples we have already received. Each did not meet our specifications in some manner and has required us to retool the mold and push for another sample. At this time we have not approved an FAI (First Article Inspection). As soon as we get the final buckle that we think you are going to LOVE, we're going to start the machines and we're told the stamping and plating will be very quick. 

I promise we are working hard to do the best job we know how to do. We have had the fortunate opportunity with the Cache Belt to innovate on many levels with custom designs and rethinking conventions. 

If you thought the Cache Belt looked good from the Kickstarter page... just wait!

 Out With A Bang!  (Or maybe a Boo!) 

If you can't stand cheesy jokes, then I guess we'll see you later . . . .  I forgot how it ends. 

I bet if you asked an alligator what it's favorite flooring was it would say rep-tiles.

If you put a GPS chip in an alligator would it become a Navi-Gator?

If that's the case then I guess putting a vest on one makes it an investigator!

And finally, to paraphrase Larry The Cable Guy,  let's "Gator Done!"

Senstone, the Intelligent Wearable Voice Recorder

 

MiiXR | Can your sports bottle, shaker or blender do this?!

 

Steadicam Volt Smartphone Stabilizer | Shake-Free Videos

 

TAB | the world's most versatile convertible bag

 

Facebook Live Update on Monday - A Bombshell Has Been Dropped...
over 7 years ago – Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 09:04:35 PM

Dear Backer, 

It seems to be common practice for Kickstarter projects to delay, miss delivery dates, and continually let down backers like yourself. We tried our hardest to not be one of those projects, but I'm sorry to have to break the news that one of our suppliers just failed us. 

Our custom buckle manufacturer just let us know that they are going to blow past their deadline... and not just by a little bit. We were 9 weeks into our 10 week contract with a lot of communication and no word that anything was off track or delayed, when out of nowhere they informed us that we still have another 12 weeks to go (for those of you that aren't good at math, that just doesn't add up)! They grossly underestimated their own abilities, lost our trust, and now instead of getting the buckles in mid-January, their new estimate puts buckles in our hands at the end of March or early April!

Nearly any other component we could have pivoted and adapted to still ship some of the belts, but this cripples the entire project. 

Please understand that no one is more disappointed or distraught than us. The thing that makes this sting the most is that there are dozens of suppliers and parts involved in this project and many have worked very hard and made many sacrifices in order to stand by their promises of agreed delivery dates. It's incredibly frustrating and a diservice to everyone that has done their job right and on time that 1 supplier will hold everything else up.

We are already manufacturing belts (see video below), and doing final assembly of many of our custom parts (Brass Wire coiled in tubes, Gorilla Tape wrapped in a flat roll, etc).

We had a few of you reach out to us during the campaign to let us know that you had an expedition or trip that you intended to take a Cache Belt on to be used a survival belt, travel belt, or money belt. We don't want anyone going on any extreme outings without being prepared and we are prepared to try to at least get a working belt to those people that NEED one. We have about 50 of the original prototype buckles laying around that could at least be coupled with a finished belt in order to get some of you by. If you are one of these people that NEED the belt ASAP, get in touch via email so we can work this out. The two caveats are that you will have to cover the cost of the extra shipping to get the new interchangeable buckle when they arrive, and this would only apply to the Cache Belts without the Essentials or Adventure kits.

On a more positive note, this project has enabled more than just the launching of the Cache Belt. Thanks to the volume of backers it has also allowed us to invest in new custom designs of individual components, like a micro whistle, high-temperature water bags, minimalistic ferrocerium rods, and more. We'd love to show you some of the parts we've already gotten in-house and showcase all the things that are going/have gone right so far. We're going to be doing a Facebook Live (click here for page link) MONDAY, January 16, at 2pm CST where we will answer any questions and offer some sneak peeks/behind the scenes of current inventory.

OVERDUE UPDATE - Sizing Last Chance & Production Updates!
over 7 years ago – Wed, Dec 21, 2016 at 11:01:58 PM

Heeeeey Backers!

First off, thanks for your patience. We fully understand that it has now been more than a month since we've sent out an update, but at this time, no news is good news! We've been crazy-busy and laser-focused on trying to make sure that this project is "a good job, done right, on time." So far, we have not encountered any delays... yet... (*knock on wood*). If we do, we will certainly notify you immediately.

IF YOU ONLY READ ONE PART OF THIS UPDATE, MAKE IT THIS:

With the rock bottom pricing we offered on Kickstarter, unfortunately we will not be able to afford to exchange belts for different sizes without requiring a fee to cover restocking and shipping a new size. So please be sure that you have chosen the right size.

• Carefully measuring your waist circumference will guarantee the best fit.
• Order by pant size only if you have no other option! Due to "vanity sizing" varying greatly from brand to brand this increases the risk of getting the wrong size. 
• Guessing is flat out a bad idea. Laziness now will likely turn into disappointment when you finally get the belt. Just because you are are an XL in shirts, does not at all mean you are an XL in our belts.
• Do NOT size up "just to be safe" This may work on other belts and products, but the low ends of these sizes are limited by the size of the pocket. You will not be able to go smaller. We put a lot of time and effort in creating these size ranges for a reason. Please measure and order the appropriate size.
• If you realize you ordered the wrong size, simply log into your survey and adjust it. If we have already locked your survey down and you need to change the size, shoot us an email and we'll get it fixed from our end. Use this link to access your survey if you can't find the original email link: https://cache-belt.backerkit.com/

Now that we're done beating that into your heads one last time, let's get on with the fun stuff!

Parts, Pieces, and Prototypes

We've been busy ordering materials, finalizing factory samples, and lining up the manufacturers. With over 36 parts from almost as many suppliers for over 4,500 Backers, you can probably imagine the logistical gymnastics we're doing over here. 

For the most part, things are going as planned. As well as they can, at least. We are custom making many of the pieces in-house (wire saws, brass wire, fishing line and hardware are all put in sealed tubes) AND we're doing all final assembly and shipping here in our little office/warehouse located in Seabrook, TX, USA.

RECEIVED: Brass Wire, Wire Saws, Fishing Weights, Safety Pins, Tubing, Purification Tablets, and a few thousand of the handmade F.A.T. Packs. Oh and US-Made Bead Chains! 

Challenges Of Scale

"You see a mousetrap, I see free cheese and a f***ing challenge!" ~Scroobius Pip

It may seem like a manageable list so far, but when we're ordering miles of webbing, and fishing line and tens of thousands of other components, it starts to add up quickly!  Take for example a bead chain - Even if it only took a mere 3 seconds to attach a single ball chain to something, when you multiply it by 10,000 chains, that's more than 8 hours of labor... with no breaks... and that is probably the most simple task we have to complete. Seconds become days - Minutes become weeks!  

The scale of this project is daunting, to say the least. 

Bad News

BANDAGES - For those of you that may not have followed along in past updates, Bandages are not going to be included. They are the only items in the belt that are not water resistant. This means they are an unreliable product for the intended applications and use of the belt, and we don't like unreliable products! 

LIMB LIGHTS - As much as we love these products, it's not looking good. Dustin has been getting the run around from the distributor "Hunter's Specialties". They are discontinuing the product and apparently, didn't think that was an important thing to tell us when we contacted them months ago to plan the Cache Belt. We can't seem to convince them to take our money and do a bulk run for us. We aren't ready to give up yet but wanted to keep you in the loop. 

Good News

WHISTLE - Nick has been working with the whistle factory to develop a custom whistle for us. It's going to be really cool in its own right! It's more of a sleek design with some custom touches. We've ordered custom samples made in 3 different sizes from both Brass and Aluminum to test sound vs size and material acoustics. We're waiting on these samples to lock in the best combination. 

WEBBING - Many of you have concerns that the webbing may not be stiff enough to hold tools (like guns) and not suffer from too much sag. Well, in fact, we found a Mil-spec webbing that has had a special stiffening agent added and I think you guys are going to love it! Also, our webbing is Made in the USA, Berry Amendment Compliant, IR Compliant and made to MIL Specifications. In summary, the webbing we settled on is even better than we anticipated!

CUT AND SEW - We're working with 2 manufacturers to ease the burden on each and get faster delivery. These will be split by sizes.  One making the bulk of the Medium and Large belts, the other making the fringe sizes Small and XL. The factory making the Medium and Larges developed a method to sew the belts with a natural contour to the waist. This further minimizes any "bunching" that may occur when bending a flat velcro seam into a curved shape. We're hopeful that the other factory can apply this technique as well.

BUCKLES: Since you asked for a stainless steel buckle, we've been working our mold to accommodate both materials, so that we can run both Carbon and Stainless. Remember that these 2 buckles are interchangeable so get both!  (NOTE: Cobra buckles are still in design, require an entirely different method of sewing the belts, and are not interchangeable) 

FLASHLIGHT: Photon has been such a pleasure to work with. Not only do they make great products, but they are very open to our ideas and suggested we add a logo to the light. Now the Photon lights will be limited edition Wazoo lights!  (NOTE: This is a cut out piece of paper to show what it might look like... not a representation of final quality) 

SIGNAL MIRROR - Dustin is deep down the rabbit hole of signal mirrors, because here at Wazoo, "good enough" never is! Every mirror we have tested seems to have a downside, so it only seems logical to try to make our own. We're working with experts around the country, from history buffs to mirror nerds, to hone in on the perfect design. Because there is so much time and effort in designing this may lead to minor delays if we pursue it. We always have the fallback of Adventure Medical Kits though. Those are in stock and ready to ship if we should need them. QUESTION: Would you rather have a mirror that's "good enough", or the ultimate in mini signal mirrors designed by Wazoo? 

SIGNAL MIRROR SLEEVE - Our original prototypes mounted the signal mirror in the buckle using hook and loop. We are in the process of redesigning this to include two elastic straps that hold the mirror (or other 1.5"x2" items) in place.  

Last But Not Least - Merry Christmas! 

GIFT ON THE WAY - For anyone that ordered this Burnable Gift Card as an Add-On, know that the cards are already in the mail and it's all in the hands of the USPS gods to get them where they're going. If you're wondering what's in the package, check it out! Here's our final design of the limited edition holiday Burnable Card: 

This is the most important Update, to date.
over 7 years ago – Fri, Nov 18, 2016 at 07:30:03 PM

If you HAVEN'T filled out the survey yet...

WAZOO: Hello, Backer. What's happening? Uh… we have sort of a problem here. Yeah. You apparently didn't fill out your survey on Backerkit.

BACKER: Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that. I, I forgot.

WAZOO: Mmmm...Yeah. You see, we're filling out surveys on Backerkit for all the Kickstarter Backers to make sure everything is correct and accounted for before they go out. Did you see the memo about this? 

BACKER: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've got the memo right here, but, uh, uh, I just forgot. But, uh, it's not shipping out until January, so there's no problem.

WAZOO: Yeah. If you could just go ahead and make sure you do that from now on, that will be great. And Uh, I'll go ahead and make sure you get another copy of that memo Mmmm, Ok?

 

https://cache-belt.backerkit.com/

↑ The Survey link. If you haven't filled it out, go now!↑

(But feel free to read some of the info and tips below, they may help you)

----------------------------------------------

Details and FAQ's

Most of you have already filled it out (76%), but we still have 950+ backers who are MIA. 

Filling out the survey is the way we make sure you get what you pledged for! We’re using Backerkit, which makes this process as simple as checking out on any online store. Just go through the process and make sure to read all the “NOTES” that may pop up. For instance, please pay close attention to sizing! 

Many people assume pant’s size is the same as your waist size, however, this is not true. Over the years, pant’s waist size has evolved into “vanity sizing” and varies from brand to brand making this "measurement" an unreliable standard. It is because of this that we advise that you take a moment to measure your waist (with pants on) and with anything else on that you would typically wear with your Cache Belt, like a tucked in shirt or a concealed carry. If you are close to being in between sizes, it’s probably best to opt for the smaller size, but when in doubt, measure! You can learn more about that in the dimensions diagram below. 

Here is the size chart for you.  The Pant Waist Size is a wild guess as we mentioned before so it is best to measure if at all possible. If you made a mistake, it's not too late, you can still log back into your account and make adjustments.

To see the size chart on Backerkit you must first select a size and buckle and then you can go back and switch the size in the drop-down menu if you want. It's a little weird, we know, but it was the only way we found to insert a size chart into Backerkit's interface. We're just adapting and using what resources are available, ya know?

But what if I'm borderline between sizes? Measure!

There have been quite a few questions about borderline sizes, whether to size up, size down, etc. Know that we do everything possible to simplify things for our customers and we do our best to ensure they are happy with the end product. To this end, we simply want you to measure snugly through your belt loops and order based off of that size.

Since you guys seem to like data and details as much as we do, we included the chart below for anyone that's data hungry. This breaks down the planned specs for each size including pocket size, adjustability per side, and even the leftover tail length. We also included a borderline waist size example to explain why it's better to stick to the size chart than to guess. Don't worry, you can still edit your responses in the Backerkit survey if you picked the wrong size.

International Customs and VAT

Also, many international backers have asked if we can declare shipments as “gifts” or use other tactics on custom's forms in order to avoid custom's or VAT fees. Because this is a crowdsourced project and backers are “pledging” donations and receiving “rewards” in return, it can seem like a reasonable conclusion. However, after thoroughly looking into this we will not be able to unfortunately and will declare the proper value and classification as is the standard with legitimate Kickstarter creators. We are lead to believe that regardless of our personal interpretation of this process, it is possible that customs can interpret Kickstarter pledge fulfillments as “merchandise” fulfillment. If we are found to have improperly declared a package it could cost us heavily in fines and other legal messes. We are very sorry we can’t do more to help you avoid this potential cost, but we have to do what we feel is right.

I can't fill out my survey, it keeps "getting stuck" 

We have found that most people experiencing this error are using Safari on iPhone. If this happens, the workaround is to go back to selecting your size (even if you pick the same size again). This will get it out of the loop and allow you to continue the survey.

Anyway, what are you waiting for?! Go get that survey done!

Oh, and in case Kickstarter was your first introduction to us here at Wazoo, we do more than make the Ultimate Everyday and Travel Belt, we also make many other forms of Wearable Survival Kits. From Necklaces that can start fires to bracelets with dozens of tools incorporated in them. For the sake of simplicity, we cannot offer everything we make within The Survey, so check out our website, WazooSurvivalGear.com. Right now, domestic orders over $30 ship free and orders through our website ship within 10 days (usually sooner)!

As always, thanks for your support! We’ll be keeping you updated with the progress of this project! If you have any questions, send us an email ([email protected]) or give us a call (281) 846-4633.

~ Dustin and The Wazoo Crew

 

The Campaign Has Ended! But Wait, There's More! Here's What's Next...
over 7 years ago – Tue, Nov 08, 2016 at 10:36:40 PM

Cache Belts out the Wazoo!

First of all, thank you so much for such a great response on our first ever Kickstarter project! Over 4,500 backers and $275K+ raised! This probably puts us in a small minority of the top 1% of all Kickstarter projects! We'd call that a major success, wouldn't you?!

So, what now?

If you're familiar with Kickstarter, please read below. If this is your first time to back a project on Kickstarter, please read below, twice!

1) Let's make sure you get what you pledged for!

This one is first because it's the most important - We will be sending out The Survey from Backerkit within the next 3-5 business days. You need to fill out this survey to confirm what you pledged and what additional add-ons you'd like. 

**IMPORTANT** - If you don't fill out The Survey, we can't ship you products.

We've been told that sometimes Backerkit Surveys have been found in backer's email SPAM folder. So, if you do not see it within that time and don't find it in your SPAM folder then please let us know. Notice how we keep capitalizing The Survey? It's That Important.

2) The Pre-Survey

This one is not required, but very helpful for forward planning. We sent a message asking you for your feedback on some details so that we can prepare The Survey. So far about 1/3 of you have responded and we thank you for the quick response.  For the other 2/3 of you, this is a good chance to find the email and make sure it didn't end up in your SPAM folder as practice for the upcoming final survey.

Since we enjoy getting the data in, we thought we'd share some of the results with you.  Here's the information we've gathered so far:

--------------------------------

Belt Sizes:

 --------------------------------

Bandages:  Yes or No? 

You'll see in the data below that it's looking like a No. People are opting for a more rugged reliability and low maintenance option of dropping the bandages altogether.

--------------------------------

Prepackage Components or Keep Them Separate?

So far it looks like there's a great amount of interest in keeping them separate to speed up the fulfillment process. We may make it an option in The Survey to request it packaged for any of those that would prefer that method, even though it could slow down the fulfillment. 

 --------------------------------

Other Products:

We sell all kinds of other products on our web page, some more complex than others to build into The Survey with combinations of sizes, colors, and styles. It may add a lot of SKUs but you're letting us know what your favorites are that you'd like to see. We even have DIY kits, Dog Collars, and more that we didn't put on the questionnaire.

-----------------------    Q & A   --------------------- 

After the campaign ended, many of you backers had some good questions. Let's get some of them answered:

BUCKLES - Can I still upgrade my buckle to a Cobra Buckle or Matte Black Stainless Steel Buckle?

Yes, The Survey will allow you to confirm if you have already pledged enough to select the Add-On buckles. Even if you didn't pre-pledge for the upgrade, it will allow you to increase the pledge during the survey to add on whatever else you'd like.

ADD-ONS - Can I still add-on another belt, Cache Cap, Koozie, "Gift on the Way" Burnable Card, etc...

Yes, The Survey will allow you to confirm any Add-Ons you've already pledged for and add any more that you missed. After asking you some questions in a Pre-Survey, many of you expressed interest in us adding more of our line of products (bracelets, shirts, necklaces, etc) so don't be surprised if you see some new Add-Ons pop up in The Survey.

REFILL KITS - Will you sell the components individually?

Many of the components we are offering in the Cache Belt kits are custom-made by/for us. As such, we already offer many of them individually on our website. We will try to include "refill kits" for the belts in The Survey as long as it doesn't get too complex to do so.

LEAD TIMES - If I order an Add-On (like a Cobra Buckle) that pushes back the lead time of the belt, will it push back the time on all of my other belts/add-ons?

Yes, everything pledged under a single account will have to wait for for the longest lead time in the order. We have to ship the full order all at once. Sorry.

BRANDING - How do I get the "Unbranded" buckle version?

Thanks to the stretch goal you reached, all buckles (standard and stainless) will be unbranded on the front. No extra work required on your end.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS - For international backers, will you be able declare the customs form as a "gift" or "sample"?

We will look into this. As a business we cannot normally sell items and mark them as "gift" or "sample" but since Kickstarter is a special case we'll see if there's any workaround here. We'll only be able to do it if we are certain that it does not break any laws/rules.

FLYING WITH THE CACHE - Is the Cache Belt "TSA Approved?"

First off, there is no such thing as "TSA Approved." It's actually just the opposite, in that you try to make sure nothing is "TSA Restricted" based on the ever-changing TSA carry-on guidelines. The Cache Belt was designed with travel in mind and through our research of current (October 2016) TSA rules we found that the only item that seems even close to making the list would be our ceramic folding blade. With this said, it is actually all up to the individual TSA agent's discretion and interpretation of the guidelines so there's still not a straight forward answer. What we can say is that we have never personally had a problem traveling International or Domestic on 20+ different flights.