FlameStower- Charge your devices...with FIRE!
Andrew Byrnes is no stranger to the outdoors. He’s worked in Yellowstone and is an avid explorer of the lesser known gems here in California. “Really my favorite place is Trinity Alps, hope not too many people find out about it, but it’s awesome” says Byrnes. With a graduate degree in Material Science from Stanford, he’s also plugged into innovative engineering and product design, with a focus on his passion for the outdoors lifestyle.
Byrnes' newest project is what has piqued our interest here at Hipcamp. The ground-breaking FlameStower doesn’t need a power outlet, but will charge your electronic devices purely by the power of fire. Obviously there is something special about this product, and despite many who swear off technology in the outdoors it offers more than what meets the eye.
“We get it a lot, people go crying out - ‘we like to go camping to get away from that kind of stuff’, which we understand,” Byrnes says. “You make the technology work for what you’re doing. Technology can exist in outdoor activities, it doesn’t have to be used for communication. Cell phones are so much more now, with maps, GPS, or for emergency situations. To me anything that gets kids outdoors and exploring is positive.” Byrnes believes that the FlameStower encourages people to get outdoors and explore, which can only be a good thing, and with only a few days left on the Kickstarter campaign, the product has almost quadrupled the original $15,000 goal.
Nowadays we’re seeing more and more products that utilize a USB port to charge technology and FlameStower takes smart advantage of this. The device is very basic, but sexy (in a geeky, caveman kind of way). It’s made up of a small stand, a container for water, a flat end to put over your heat source and of course, the USB port. Byrnes explains, “the temperature difference creates energy because the higher voltage of the flame helps send electricity to the lower voltage of the water.” From there the electricity flows into your device, giving it a boost.
Andrew’s device can charge your smartphone, but, he also sees it as a tool to help those in poverty. “It started off as an energy thing, but it’s turned into a social enabling tool. Bringing electricity into houses in the developing the world is half and the other half is building cool products for camping in the outdoors,” says Byrnes. He’s also working to support a friend in rural Kenya by the name of Alex Adundo. Alex is also an engineer who is developing affordable farming machines. These machines are quickly revolutionizing small farming throughout East Africa and greatly increasing the yield of drought-resistant crops. “As part of our crowdfunding campaign we’re using to raise money to buy him some machines,” says Byrnes.
All in all, we think the FlameStower is a revolutionary tool. It retains the authentic and simplistic elements of camping, whilst allowing us to use technology that ultimately makes the experience that much more special. It also increases the possibilities and opportunities in far flung nations as well as in our own backyard. Act quickly and you can still jump on board the Kickstarter campaign!
Thanks to Alex for the interview and for being part of the Hipcamp tribe!
