On their website, they describe what a bindle means. Bindle is a blanket or cloth tied to an end of a stick to carry essential belongings. You know, the “luggage” used by old cartoon characters when they would be traveling somewhere. Occasionally seen in classics like Looney Tunes, for example. More accurately, train hoppers and hobos used these back in the day. It holds a sentimental idea to Americans - the idea of freedom and leaving home with only a few possessions and exploring what the world has to offer. Bindle Bottle wants to bring that idea back. But instead of a cloth they chose something that millions of people, especially hikers, use every day - a reusable water bottle.
The Bindle Bottle is the world's first fully-insulated water bottle with integrated storage. Basically, water goes in the top; while keys, credit cards, and other small items go in the bottom. "If you think the length of a credit card and about the width of a baseball - that's the size of the storage compartment," says Houston Buehrle, co-founder and inventor of Bindle Bottle. The storage compartment is scent proof and waterproof to keep stuff safe and clean and it is double-walled, vacuum insulated, which keeps drinks hot or cold for hours. It comes in five different colors - black, stainless steel, coral, sage grey, and glacier.
Buehrle came up with the idea for the bottle through his experiences growing up in southern California. "Everywhere we went, we were always wearing board shorts or gym shorts and would awkwardly put headphones, keys, credit cards and things in our pockets," Buehrle recalls, "And we noticed a lot of other people doing the same thing." Further down the road these things became more apparent to him. Buehrle noticed a lot of folks carrying water bottles around, too. That's when the idea hit him. "I wanted to solve a problem and that's how I thought of it," Buehrle says.
“Woman out and about uses the Bindle Bottle for holding her keys - secure and out of the way!”
As someone who studied business and entrepreneurship but had no inventing experience, Buehrle made a New Year's resolution on January 1, 2016 to create his vision of the Bindle Bottle and not stop until it was finished. "I made a lot of mistakes in the prototyping phase," Buehrle says. He ordered several bottle types before he settled on a shape he liked. Next, Buehrle hired a contractor in China to help him make the bottle. "It was very hard to communicate the idea to the guy and it didn't work out," he says. He then started talking to people in the USA about helping with the design. "The communication was a lot easier. The problem is anyone can design a great product, however a lot of ideas cannot be manufactured." Finally Charles Crisan, the other co-founder, talked to a guy who has been in the bottle industry for a long time. That guy referred the team to their saving grace - a factory that was easy to work with and who could actually mass produce their idea into the product that it is today.
In September 2017 they started a Kickstarter campaign with a $25,000 goal. 764 people have raised more than $40,000 to bring the product to life. In January, the Bindle Bottle website went live and they have been selling ever since. “We sell on our website and online retailers, as well as in Francesca’s, Uncommon Goods, and some local surf shops,” Buehrle says. Bindle Bottle is excited because business is coming to them. “It’s great because these retail stores are approaching us asking if they can sell the bottle in their stores,” Buehrle says, “We are, like, sure!”
They have been pleased with the trajectory of the product so far and hope to continue their success. "So far, we have 5 star responses on Amazon and a great overall response from the retail world," Buehrle says. They have noticed that their buyers are typically college graduates that are active and like being outdoors, so they try to cater to that. They sell a couple hundred bottles per month on the website and a lot more on Amazon and retail stores “Having an online following is great, but this is a product that you need to get in your hands,” Buehrle says. Besides a strong online presence with Instagram and Facebook, they frequent local Farmer’s Markets and festivals like the Surf Rodeo Surf and Music Festival in Ventura, California for promotional efforts.
People that have had it in their hands have been impressed. One user comments, “This is probably the best water bottle I've ever purchased...I put ice water in in the mornings and it is as ice cold when I go to bed late night. The hidden compartment is very convenient to stash my keys.” The amount of space, both for liquid and goods, has impressed people. Along with 5 different colors, there are several different lids to choose from on the Bindle Bottle. Consumers can expect more to come, and can currently purchase a Bindle Bottle for an easy $40. “We have a few limited editions colors coming out,” Buehrle says. They are also experimenting with different size compartments. So whatever you carry in your modern day “Bindle,” the water bottles are working to handle it.