Brent Davidson and Bryan Cantrell got the idea for the Radiate Portable Campfire from another business they own together. The two guys make skin care products and they always have a lot of excess wax lying around. They’d tote a bucket of waste wax on a camping trip, stick a wick in it, and make giant candles. Unfortunately, toting around five gallon buckets of wax isn’t the most convenient thing in the world, no matter how cool their candles were.
One day, Bryan took a cookie tin – like the ones people give you around the holidays – and poured some wax in it. Then he added some packing material and VOILA, the first Radiate Portable Campfire was invented. It was just the right size for carrying anywhere you might want a fire.
They make everything in the US of A. A portable campfire consists of recycled packing material, like what egg cartons are made of, and recycled soy wax. Soy wax is carbon neutral and sustainable. It also burns clean. A Radiate Portable Campfire will burn for 3-5 hours and it burns even after getting wet. It’s more like a candle than a real fire, but the ambiance is the same. At $25 each, it’s a bit pricier than a typical campfire, but that’s the price you pay for portability.
For now, they’re only available online, but they probably want to get the product into the Home Depots of the world. The Sharks can help them do that quickly. Will a Shark light up over this fire?
My Take on The Portable Campfire
I love a campfire at the beach. Unfortunately, open flames of any kind aren’t allowed on most public beaches near me, but I know a few places I could take one of these. At $25 a pop, it’s a bit pricey, but I could see having a couple around the house to bring to an outdoor event.
At home, we have a fire pit. There’s nothing like sitting around a fire with friends and family. There’s something primal about it that can’t be replicated. Taking a portable campfire to new locations is a cool idea and I think it’ll catch on once people see it. I’m in.
Will the Sharks be Fired Up?
Mark and Lori invested in Insta-Fire back in season 7. That was a product that starts fires, but it’s similar enough that it could be a conflict for them. That leaves Barbara, Robert and Rohan. Of those three, I’m inclined to think Robert is the most likely to bid. Robert is outdoorsy and likes these kinds of things. If he can get a good valuation, I think he’ll do a deal.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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