BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--nCamp™, the outdoor gear company inspired by an industrial designer, today announces that it is heating up the summer backpacking season by launching its new compact wood-burning camp stove. Baltimore-based License to Innovate (L2i) invested in the development of the product and has been working closely with the inventor, the manufacturer and retailers to bring the product to market.
Weighing under 1½ pounds (.68 kilograms), the nCamp stove is about the size of a paperback book when collapsed, reducing backpack bulk. Because it burns readily available twigs and other forest combustible materials, the eco-friendly nCamp stove eliminates packaging and trash associated with propane or canned fuel. But it has the versatility to burn liquid or solid fuel, if desired.
“Wood-burning camping stoves exist, but they can be bulky because of the nature of the combustion chamber,” says Dan Cuffaro, founder of nCamp. The product idea was born when Cuffaro, an avid backpacker and a professor of industrial design, decided to apply his product design expertise to the invention of a sturdy yet easy-to-carry portable stove.
“Our design transformed the common bulky combustion chamber into one that is modeled on a traditional collapsible camping cup,” says Cuffaro.
nCamp expects to release its innovative stove on or about September 1, 2017, starting with an e-commerce rollout and placement in specialty retailers. This product launch comes on the heels of a productive Kickstarter Campaign mounted by Cuffaro.
The nCamp stove has been tested through proof-of-concept and pre-production prototypes. The last few months have been dedicated to refinement, tooling and the initial production run. The units, made of durable stainless steel and aluminum, will be built by a high-quality metal parts manufacturer.
The rollout of the nCamp stove is the result of a unique collaboration between Cuffaro and John Cunningham, founder and president of L2i. Cunningham and his team help inventors and start-ups develop and fund new product launch plans.
Cuffaro, who owns the product patents, and Cunningham partnered in the creation of the nCamp brand. L2i manages the brand and has exclusive rights to marketing and sales of nCamp products. Says Cunningham, the nCamp branding partnership with Cuffaro “is an entrepreneurial ‘ad-venture’ in the outdoors.”
Cunningham notes that the nCamp brand is committed to social responsibility. “We give 1% of our profits back to organizations that support getting people outdoors, preserve and restore the natural world, and promote conservation-related programs,” he said.
nCamp’s marketing materials, a website and future promotional campaigns are being developed by Bevel Designs of Towson, Md.
About nCamp
A newly-created brand by License to Innovate (L2i) and Dan Cuffaro, nCamp™ makes backpacking and camping more enjoyable by developing compact and affordable products that elevate the camping experience. The company is planning to unveil more smartly designed new outdoor products in the next two years. To learn more about nCamp and where to find its merchandise, visit www.ncampgear.com.
About License to Innovate
License to Innovate (L2i) is a unique agency that connects new ideas and inventors with brands, manufacturers and market access. L2i produces results by bringing innovation to the market in the most efficient and effective ways possible. With over 20 years of experience bringing products to market, L2i designs and implements the product development process with a focus on identifying innovation opportunities. For more information, visit www.l2iglobal.com.
