Beacon Outdoor Survival Box: How to Bring New Products into the Outdoor Market Place

by Brad Lane + · Published July 29, 2015 · Updated July 29, 2015

Introducing new products to the outdoor market place can be tricky. On one hand the market is already saturated with new products every day, with each one fighting for your attention. But on the other hand, a truly great product, one that will change the way we adventure, has a way of seemingly selling itself. And Jerommie Smith can attest for that himself, for he is one of the co-creators of the outdoor markets newest innovation; the Beacon Outdoor Survival Box.

Currently excelling in the beta-markets, the Beacon Outdoor Survival Box (Beacon Box) is one-part rugged protection, one part electronic charger, and a complete survival tool that can be used in emergency situations. And to get the good word out on this new product, Jerommie was happy to share a little insight on his product and the process of introducing something new to the outdoor market.

The Beginning of the Beacon Box
Like all good gear, the Beacon Box was born out of a need. Professionally employed as a wrist-watch designer, engineer, and founder of Smith and Bradley Watches, Jerommie had the design background and practical need for something to protect his valuables out in the field.

“It was about a year ago, and I do a lot of stuff on my phone and I travel a lot. I would always be out physically in the environment testing our products and using my phone. I thought to myself if I had something that I could keep my electronics juiced up and able to hold up to the inclement environments I found myself in, that would be pretty good,” said Jerommie, and like any true inventor, his thoughts expanded to other uses.

“And then I thought about lights, and about the biggest reason people stop looking for people who are lost. They stop because it gets dark, and I thought about something that could be used as a safety feature. If I’m out trekking, if I’m out doing whatever, I started to think about what one thing could be that would encompass all of these things, and then the Beacon Box was born.”

Features and Beta Testing
Through trial and error, exploration and field testing, Jerommie began developing the Beacon Box further. The initial design included a 6 ¾” X 4.5” box (enough to hold two smartphones) that could withstand any weather condition. And not only is the Beacon Box super rugged (and 100% waterproof), but equipped with a solar charging lid and lithium battery, while your electronics are being protected, they can also be charged up.

True to its name, the Beacon Box also features 12 high intensity white LED lights that can be spotted a mile away for emergency resources, and 8 yellow low intensity LED lights perfect for reading in the tent. And with all these initial features presented in a simple to use construction, the Beacon Box garnished plenty of interest for its Kickstarter Campaign, and it was through that first introduction to the market that brought about the next evolution of the Beacon Box.

“When we first put it on Kickstarter it was doing really well, we were at about 50% funding with a couple of weeks to go, and we had so much interest about if we could make the battery a little bit bigger. It was a common question. As I started responding to these requests, I thought to myself I could take the Beacon Box one step further, and I could make the lid of it QI Induction charging. In doing that, we realized that we were going to need to re-do the campaign”.

So that’s just what Jerommie and the Beacon Outdoor Survival Box did as he responded to the market. And now the Beacon Box, with a new campaign launched on IndieGoGo, includes full QI induction charging for your electronics so you can kiss all those pesky wires goodbye.

“The unique thing about it is now is that instead of having to plug your phone into a cord and storing it in the box, all that you will have to do is throw your phone in the box, close the lid and you’re done, you don’t have to worry about the wire anymore”.

On The Trail and More
“It’s great for the outdoors, it’s great for travel, and this thing transcends more than just the outdoorsy environment, it can be used everywhere,” said Jerommie, and it’s true.

Because you can take all the electronic components out of the rugged survival box, you can have a handy QI induction charger always at hand, and when you’re ready to go into adventure mode, installing the charger back into the box is as easy as snapping it back into place. And perhaps that’s what makes this product such a success in the testing mode, because outside of adventure, Jerommie envisions applications for natural disaster emergencies, lifestyle travel situations, and military uses.

“The applications are nearly endless.”

Getting a Product Out There
While the still relatively recent idea of crowd-funding is out there, Jerommie knows it’s a good way to beta-test your product, but when it comes down to it, one thing is still critical in getting a new outdoor product into the marketplace.

“The hard part, what’s truly a challenge, is getting the product out and into people’s hands. What it really comes down to is us having to do a lot of work. It’s good ole’ fashioned working your tail off. To get new stuff into the marketplace is about getting it in front of audiences.”

To check out the Beacon Outdoor Survival Box full IndieGoGo Campaign, check out this link.