Since 2011 I've been planning an adventure that will see myself and a mate in two collapsible kayaks traveling from the northern most tip of Australia, north through the Torres Strait Islands to and exploring Papua New Guinea over a 5 month period, it's my intention to create a web site where I will have scheduled daily live video streaming, regular video uploads and stories, throughout the trip. This web site will also document all the months of training, preparation and mini adventures that will take place prior to the main adventure. I want people to be as much a part of this adventure as possible and hope to inspire them to go after their own dreams. You can read more about it and check out my videos at www.indiegogo.com/roberttopng
If anyone has any suggestions or comments I'd love to hear from you.
Cheers.

Asking strangers for $400,000 so you can go on a long vacation is not how reality works.
Here are some options that might work in the real world:
People do these sorts of trips these days(without the cost of live streaming from the middle of nowhere) but they mask them behind some sort of money for charity money raising ruse. They also don't try to get all the money up front.
Another option is to pitch the idea of two guys doing a big expedition with no training as a TV show. Google the show "I shouldn't be Alive" for reference.
A third option is to spend several years building an expedition resume on your own dollar, then come up with a sponsorship worthy objective and approach potential sponsors to cover the cost of air flights or maybe donate some gear.

Hi Nick, thanks for checking out my campaign and for taking the time to reply to my post.
Yes I am asking people to pay for me to go on a holiday, much as a reporter on a travel show gets paid to go on holidays, but what I want to be able to bring to people is a greater experience then can be gained by watching a t.v. show.
During the 5 month trip we'll only be traveling until mid-day or before (the coolest part of the day in the tropics)and then spend the heat of the day and afternoon doing live video, uploading videos, writing a blog and longer stories with images about the fishing, wildlife encounters, etc.
In Jan-Feb this year I was approaching sponsors, then in Mar-Apr contacting production companies and now am running the Indiegogo campaign.
Obviously I have great belief and determination in what I'm trying to achieve and truely believe I can deliver an experience to people that can't be gained by simply watching a travel or adventure t.v series. So while it is true that I am trying to raise money so as to be able to undertake a long vacation this is only half of what I'm trying to do, I'm also trying to create an entertainment website where people can be a part of this adventure on a daily basis.

What I find missing in your original post is any mention of you being qualified to undertake such a journey. Do you have any experience in open ocean paddling or the logistical planning to make this all happen?

I'm right there with Nick. You're setting up to be the next person on "I shouldn't be alive". As far as your concept of this being entertaining, watching paddling is like watching grass grow. It's not something that translates well across a screen, especially to an audience that has no real grasp of what you're doing.

As a guy who's undertaken many of my own adventures, on my own dime, what puts me off about what your proposing is that it really is just you asking others to pay for your recreation, transportation and equipment...and your website shows no compelling reason why you'd be the person to do this or that you have the skills to pull this off.

As far as the logistics go, sight unseen - except for looking at maps for your proposed trip, you're talking about tremendous open water crossings in waters that will be lashed by currents and tide races and that's on a good day with no weather moving in. If you have little to no experience in these types of scenarios you are not ready for this. In spite of any "training" that you plan to do. By the way, what does this training consist of, other than learning how not to tip over?

Hi Mark, everything you and Nick have said is true in that it is your belief (to which I have agreed) that I am asking for others to pay for my adventure. However I disagree with both of you that I am setting myself up to be the next person on "I shouldn't be alive", I haven't just grabbed a paddle and set off, the time of year I am planning to go is during the dry season and the trade winds will be in my favour, the longest crossing of this whole 5 month adventure is 50km, most days will only be 20km +/- between islands. The crossing from Australia to PNG has been done by others who I have read about during my 10 month research, and the trip took them 2 weeks, I'm allowing 4 weeks so as to be able to spend a greater amount of time exploring the islands as well as allowing plenty of time so that I'll only be travelling in favourable conditions and with favourable tides. The Klepper kayaks we'll be using are more stable then a hard body, being wider, etc. I'm sure this statement my bring a few responses from hard-body enthusiast to the contrary.
Obviously I am not planning to show hours and hours of kayaking during this adventure, but what people are interested in is sports fishing in remote places, isolated communities and traditional life styles, etc.
The trip isn't planned to start until June 2013 - November.
As for the training, obviously I will be doing kayaking courses as well as training with a local kayaking club in the months prior to June.
I'm just an ordinary guy who with the support of my wife I'm trying to have a crack at making a dream come alive and share the experience with others, I'm not suicidal and not planning to simply jump in a kayak and head off without first knowing everything there is to know about local conditions and spend a considerable amount of time talking with experts who have been there as well as training in the kayaks.

When people start kayaking, they generally look for a wide kayak because of its perceived stability. But as they progress, they find that a narrow kayak is better, more stable in rough conditions, and overall safer as a vessel for touring. There is a reason (and it isn't just that hard shell kayakers are elitist) that even though FolBoats have been around for much longer than hard shell touring kayaks, that hard shell touring kayaks are the preferred route of the vast majority of people on expeditions.

Perhaps you should start taking the kayaking classes now so you can get on water experience before you settle on the gear you will use.

Hi Peter, cheers for the comments. There are other issues that have lead me to my selection of the collapsible kayak other then the stability, legs of this adventure will see me traveling by light plan for which there is a 105cm size limit on laugage.