What Adventure Ready Brands does

Adventure Ready Brands is a privately held, PE-backed consumer packaged goods company that manufactures and markets a diversified portfolio of outdoor safety, health, and recreation products. Originally founded as Tender Corporation in 1973 in Littleton, New Hampshire, the company rebranded to Adventure Ready Brands in June 2020 following a recapitalization by Victor Capital Partners in January 2019. The portfolio is organized into three platforms: Adventure Protection (After Bite, Ben's, Natrapel — insect repellents and bite relief), Adventure Ready Gear (Adventure Ready, LuminAID, SOL, Counter Assault — lighting, survival, bear spray, and camping accessories), and Adventure Health + Wellness (Adventure Medical Kits, QuikClot, Easy Care First Aid — medical kits, hemostatic gauze, and trauma supplies).

Product technology centers on a few proprietary assets: QuikClot hemostatic gauze impregnated with kaolin that accelerates clotting (validated by U.S. Military combat use and TCCC guidelines); Counter Assault's 40-foot bear spray, claimed as the only such range in the market; LuminAID's flat-pack solar lantern and phone-charging technology; and the Easy Care First Aid System that organizes supplies by injury type. The portfolio has expanded through acquisitions including Counter Assault (2019), Advanced Products and RapidPure (2019), and LuminAID (2021).

The company generates revenue primarily through wholesale hardware sales via a multi-channel distribution network spanning outdoor specialty, mass merchants, drug stores, food retailers, industrial suppliers, sporting goods chains, and DTC ecommerce in 55+ countries. Major retail partners include REI, Walmart, Bass Pro Shops, Amazon, Costco, Target, Canadian Tire, and Grainger. Operations are anchored at the Littleton, NH headquarters, a dedicated Counter Assault manufacturing facility in Kalispell, MT, and a sales/marketing office in Alameda, CA. Leadership includes CEO Chris Heye, Chairman Gary A. Kiedaisch (former Chairman/CEO of Igloo Products and former CEO of The Coleman Company), and a private equity sponsor (Victor Capital Partners) that has actively supported a buy-and-build strategy.

Name

Adventure Ready Brands

Legal name

Tender Corporation d/b/a Adventure Ready Brands

Website

https://adventurereadybrands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Adventure Ready Brands is a PE-backed consumer packaged goods company manufacturing outdoor first aid, insect protection, survival gear, bear spray, and solar lighting products, distributed through mass merchants, outdoor specialty retailers, and DTC ecommerce in 55+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation Safety Products

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Safety, Survival & First Aid Retail (CRAMAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Navigation, Safety & Survival Gear Retail (CRAMAAAE), Backpacking & Trekking Gear Retail (CRAMAAAA), Camping & Overlanding Equipment Retail (CRAMAAAC)

Keywords

• Outdoor first aid kits
• Insect repellent products
• Survival gear
• Bear spray
• Solar outdoor lighting

Headquarters

HQ city

Littleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consumer Outdoor Products: Direct product sales through multiple retail channels including outdoor specialty, mass merchant, drug, food, industrial, and sporting goods retailers, as well as direct-to-consumer ecommerce platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Adventure Ready Brands manufactures and markets a diversified portfolio of outdoor recreation and safety products across three brand platforms: Adventure Protection (insect repellents, bug bite and itch relief), Adventure Ready Gear (solar lighting, survival tools, bear spray, and camping accessories), and Adventure Health + Wellness (outdoor first aid kits, trauma supplies, and hemostatic gauze). The company sells its branded products through wholesale distribution to outdoor, mass, drug, food, industrial, and sporting goods retailers in over 55 countries, complemented by direct-to-consumer ecommerce channels.

Product overview

Adventure Ready Brands is a diversified portfolio company of outdoor recreation and safety products, operating since 1975 (originally Tender Corporation). The company organizes its products into three brand platforms: Adventure Protection (insect repellents, bug bite relief, and itch relief including After Bite, Ben's, and Natrapel); Adventure Ready Gear (premium camping accessories across lighting, survival, camp kitchen, and skin care including Adventure Ready, LuminAID, SOL, and Counter Assault); and Adventure Health + Wellness (outdoor medical kits, trauma supplies, and first aid including Adventure Medical Kits, QuikClot, and Easy Care First Aid). The portfolio spans over 55 countries with distribution across outdoor, food, drug, mass, industrial, sporting goods, and DTC/ecom channels. Key retailers include REI, Walmart, Bass Pro Shops, Amazon, Costco, Target, and Canadian Tire. The company has grown through strategic acquisitions including LuminAID (2021), Counter Assault (2019), and continued expansion of its core brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Adventure Medical Kits: Leading brand in backcountry medical kits and outdoor first aid products
• After Bite
• Ben's
• Counter Assault
• Easy Care First Aid
• LuminAID
• Natrapel
• SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer)
• QuikClot
• RapidPure
• Ready4 Kits
• The Itch Eraser
• Genuine First Aid
• Adventure Ready

Products and services

• After Bite The #1 brand in insect bite relief, providing relief from itching, pain, and discomfort of insect bites including mosquitoes, black flies, and other insects. Pharmacist-preferred formula trusted for over 40 years.
• Ben's Tick and insect repellent brand offering DEET-based and Picaridin-based repellents for skin, permethrin repellents for clothing and gear, and head and body netting including the InvisiNet Bug Jacket.
• Natrapel Natural and nature-inspired insect repellents, including DEET-free options using CDC-recommended active ingredients such as Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus.
• Adventure Ready Premium camping accessories brand providing everything needed for outdoor hygiene and base camp, including camp kitchen, hygiene, and base camp products.
• LuminAID Solar-powered lighting and phone charging solutions for outdoors and emergency use. LuminAID products pack flat for easy distribution and include solar lanterns combined with phone chargers. Founded in 2010 and acquired by Adventure Ready Brands in November 2021.
• SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) Survival tools for backcountry emergencies and outdoor use, including fire starters, emergency blankets, bivvies, signaling devices, and survival tools. Leads the survival category with #1 selling survival kits and shelters.
• Counter Assault Personal defense products including bear spray, personal protection spray, and law enforcement/military pepper spray products. Home of the only 40-foot bear spray on the market. Acquired in July 2019.
• Adventure Medical Kits The leading brand in backcountry medical kits, offering outdoor first aid and survival products organized by injury using the Easy Care First Aid System, including trauma supplies, wound care, and wilderness first aid kits.
• QuikClot Hemostatic gauze products that stop bleeding 5x faster using kaolin, a naturally occurring mineral. Trusted by U.S. Military and recommended by Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines. Available in 3" x 2' and 3" x 4' Z-fold sizes.
• Easy Care First Aid Comprehensive first aid kits organized by injury, featuring the Easy Care First Aid System that arranges supplies by injury type for fast and effective first aid response.
• RapidPure Water purification products for outdoor use, part of the Adventure Ready Brands portfolio.
• Ready4 Kits First aid kit brand offering preparedness products.
• Genuine First Aid First aid products and kits including Easy Care First Aid Cabinets organized by injury for workplace and industrial use.
• The Itch Eraser Products for relieving itching and discomfort from various causes including poison ivy.

Quantifiable outcome

• QuikClot Gauze stops bleeding 5 times faster than standard dressings
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LuminAIDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2021Adventure Ready Brands acquired LuminAID, maker of solar-powered lighting and charging solutions for outdoors and emergency use. Co-founded in 2010 by Andrea Sreshta and Anna Stork, who appeared on Shark Tank in 2015 where Mark Cuban became their first investor. Transaction closed November 19, 2021. LuminAID maintains its humanitarian mission to make safe light accessible.
• Bushwacker Backpack & Supply (Counter Assault)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2019Tender Corporation acquired Bushwacker Backpack & Supply, maker of Counter Assault brand including bear spray and personal defense products. Founded in 1986, headquartered in Kalispell, Montana. Counter Assault continues to manufacture in Montana. Pride Johnson, owner of Bushwacker, noted Tender's distribution network and complementary brand lineup as rationale for partnership.
• Backpacker MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 April 2018Adventure Medical Kits served as official medical kit sponsor of Backpacker Magazine's Get Out More Tour for multiple years. The 18th annual mobile education tour crisscrossed the country hosting free educational seminars and group hikes at 45 specialty outdoor retailers and 8 music festivals. Randy Propster served as brand ambassador, logging 35,000+ miles and presenting first-aid segments.
• Nicole Jacobs StelmachminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 March 2018Professional angler and tournament competitor partnered with Tender Corporation for the 2018 tournament fishing season. Competed on FLW Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Series. Uses products from Natrapel, After Bite, Adventure Medical Kits, and Survive Outdoors Longer. Focus on encouraging women and families to fish together.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sawyer Products: Direct competitor in insect repellents (Picaridin and DEET formulations) and water purification, selling through outdoor specialty and mass channels — directly overlaps with ARB's Ben's, Natrapel, and RapidPure product lines.
• LifeStraw (Vestergaard): Direct competitor in portable water purification, selling through outdoor specialty and humanitarian channels. Directly comparable to ARB's RapidPure brand.
• North American Rescue: Specializes in trauma and hemostatic products for military, law enforcement, and EMS — direct competitor to QuikClot in the institutional and public-safety segments.
• Gerber (Fiskars Outdoor): Multi-tools and survival gear brand sold through outdoor specialty and mass — competes with SOL Survive Outdoors Longer in fire starters, emergency tools, and survival kits.
• UDAP Industries (Bear Spray): Manufacturer of bear spray and outdoor defense products — directly competes with Counter Assault in the bear-spray category.

Broad incumbents

• SC Johnson (OFF! / Autan): Global CPG incumbent whose OFF! brand is the dominant mass-market insect repellent. Competes with ARB's Ben's and Natrapel across Walmart, Target, Costco, and grocery; broader portfolio and trade spend represent a structural competitive threat.
• Spectrum Brands (Repel): Owns the Repel brand of insect repellents and is a major outdoor/home products conglomerate. Repel competes directly with ARB's Ben's and Natrapel at mass and outdoor specialty retail.
• Johnson & Johnson (Band-Aid, Neosporin): Dominant consumer health company whose Band-Aid and Neosporin brands set the benchmark in retail first aid — overlaps with Adventure Medical Kits and Easy Care First Aid, particularly in mass and drug channels.
• Coleman Company: Iconic outdoor recreation brand spanning camping gear, lighting, and accessories — overlaps with ARB's Adventure Ready Gear platform (camping accessories, lighting, base camp) and benefits from the same distribution channels.

Others

• REI Co-op: Largest U.S. outdoor specialty co-op retailer and one of ARB's most important distribution partners; included as a peer/partner given the deep commercial relationship and overlapping customer base of outdoor enthusiasts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tender-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adventure Ready Brands