I used to think, “Camping isn’t the goal; it’s just a means.”

But during this whole COVID situation, I found myself thinking, “You know what, just camping is enough—I just want to camp! I want to sit by a campfire!” That’s what led me to start developing the Firestand SOLO.

I’ve always loved our NINJA Firestand—it’s unique and simple—but honestly, it wasn’t great for cooking. So, I decided to keep the “lightweight and compact” concept while making it more stable and easier to cook on. The first step was adding bottom bridges, which really boosted the stability. Then, I switched the top bridges from a cross-type to a parallel-type, making it much easier to cook. I also changed the square fire bed to a rectangular one, making it better for campfires.

It sounds simple, but the prototyping and testing this time around was pretty intense. I’d spend my days in the studio making prototypes, and my nights testing them out at the campsite. I’d show up at work the next morning reeking of campfire, tweak the design, and head back out to the campsite again. My kids started asking, “Dad, where are you sleeping tonight?” and my team would say, “Just make sure you at least take a shower.” I kept telling everyone, “This isn’t just fun, it’s work!” as I shuffled between the campsite and the office for months. After consuming a lot of firewood and beer, I finally landed on a design I’m really happy with. The new NINJA Firestand SOLO is perfect for both campfires and cooking, no doubt about it. And I’m super proud of the included tongs and fire blower, too.

Well, I guess it's only natural if people say this is a development project aimed at camping. I'm sorry for having so much fun at work.

Let’s pack and go!