Back-country camping in the cold winter months of Minnesota or Colorado is not for the faint of heart.
Despite the frigid temperatures, Jon Rosenberg would take to the woods every winter with his wife as a New Year’s tradition. With warm gear and impressive hardiness, the couple are able to camp comfortably.
But, that couldn’t be said for all of their gear.
Rosenberg’s wife is a photographer and after one brisk night, her camera battery would die.
After a camping trip in the Rockies killed the battery again, Rosenberg thought there must be a better way.
“I had this thought that by using special insulation, maybe this will help to solve the problem of dying batteries,” he said.
So, Rosenberg started small, purchasing insulation off of Etsy to build a prototype. Now, about a year later, the Pagosa Springs resident is waiting on final production samples to officially launch his business, Cold Case Gear.
Rosenberg developed a variety of pouches meant to insulate food, water, fuel and electronics from freezing or dying due to outside temperatures.
The insulating pouches repel frigid conditions, isolating items from the environment and keeping them the same temperature in the pouch as they were before they went in.
Cold Case Gear currently offers pouches that house water bottles, energy bars, phones, GoPro cameras, batteries, fuel canisters and much more.
“This will keep your Cliff Bar from freezing solid and keep GoPro batteries alive at 0 degrees for 48 hours,” Rosenberg said.
There are other products like this on the market, but Rosenberg said they aren’t designed for camping or hiking.
“While they’re great products, it’s not exactly something you’re going to take with you on a hike,” he said. “They have a hard shell that is heavy, bulky and doesn’t pack down. It’s not portable.”
Cold Case Gear’s pouches have a 2.2-liter internal volume and weighs under 80 grams. The soft exterior allows the product to be packed down and easily stored for travel. Rosenberg said he expects the products to retail for between $50 and $60.
Rosenberg is currently waiting on his first production run to be shipped and will launch a Kickstarter campaign shortly thereafter.
He’ll also be looking to expand the product line, getting into active uses for his insulating innovation.
“We’re developing prototypes right now for GoPros and action camera housing, as well as a DSLR accessory that will allow you to use it in really cold temperatures,” he said. “We have the storage covered, now we’re looking at the active usage.”
When he moved to Colorado from Minneapolis two years ago, Rosenberg had no idea he’d launch a business. Now, he’s been featured in Gear Junkie’s Emerging Gear and will present at Wayfinder Co-Op’s The Pitch later this month.
“Everything I’ve done to date, I have no idea how it all worked,” he said with a laugh.
Despite the unexpected turn his professional life has taken, Rosenberg is confident in his idea.
“This is a market that currently doesn’t exist. I think we are a brand-new player in it that is going to shake things up,” he said.
