“Business has always been a passion. The outdoors, too. And furthermore, I’ve always loved playing with fire!” Tim Garcia is the man behind Überleben, which launched its first product—the Zünden Fire Starter—in March of 2016. During that time, he and his wife, along with their children, were living with family in Southern California, and within the first few months of Überleben going live, they began planning their relocation north.
“My wife and I have four children, and we homeschool. Those two things alone were pretty ostracizing in California,” says Tim. “Regardless, it simply wasn’t the right place for us to raise our family, nor was it the right place to grow our business. We wanted to live in the outdoors—not just visit it. This will be our third winter in North Idaho. Moving here was the best decision we could have ever made!”
At Überleben, they believe that fire represents a return to the basics and is an essential component to any outdoor experience, from gathering around the campfire to emergency preparedness. “Fire is embedded in our DNA. Whether we’re conscious of it, or not, it resonates deep,” affirms Tim. “I’m proud that Überleben is playing a leading role in facilitating that experience.”
Tim has given his company a competitive advantage as he strives to develop the absolute best products for his customers. Überleben’s product line, which began with ferro rods (fire starters), has expanded to include products that accompany the fire experience, such as their authentic Kuksa cups (each crafted from a solid chunk of natural hardwood using a tried and true Nordic design) and twig stoves (made of the highest quality HD 304 stainless, weighing in at just 14.6 ounces and fueled entirely by organic matter such as twigs, bark and pine needles).
“Our Sånft-korr™ is one of the best ferrocerium blends in the world. But more importantly, while everyone else is focused solely on their product, we’re congruently focused on the experience, and the deeper why,” affirms Tim. “I’m quite confident we have the best customer service around, too.”
When it comes to what Tim attributes to the success of his business, he believes that in addition to being focused on the experience, embracing failure has always been an important part of the Überleben process.
Prior to Überleben, Tim spent 10 years working in the music industry, with the last few years focused exclusively on tech startups.
Tim finds it is important to give back to the community which has embraced his family, as well as the business. In addition to supplying ferro rods to Boundary County Search and Rescue, through Überleben, Tim supports a handful of local events and causes including Active Heroes (and their annual Carry the Fallen Ruck March) and the Boy Scouts.
Though Überleben is primarily internet-based, Tim invites you to stop in anytime and say hi! Open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, he looks forward to telling you more about Überleben products as well as offer hands-on demonstrations. Tim adds, “Although our retail display area is not fully built out, we’re fully set up for retail processing this holiday season.” Be sure to stop in, as the company likes to offer discounts to the locals! What are you waiting for?
Überleben 6389 Kootenai Street Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805 855.937.3665 Uberleben.co