Meet our Best in the West Finalists: Pyyros, LLC.

While serving in the military, Adam Nichols experienced some of the worst conditions in nature, which taught him what elements are necessary to withstand a crisis: power, fire, and light. In his garage in New Mexico, he began constructing a flashlight designed for wilderness survival: Pyyros, an emergency tool and flashlight.

“We quickly noticed no one had combined all of the basic capabilities required in a life-threatening or emergency situation, such as a flood, tornado, or a hurricane,” Nichols said. “So after lots of R&D, a couple fires, and a battery explosion, we had a very impressive working production prototype.”

Pyyros is the world’s first modular multi-purpose flashlight that utilizes interchangeable, electronic plug and play devices and storage modules in a compact, watertight, aluminum housing. Among its many tools, it contains a six-piece screwdriver kit, crossfire all-weather fire starter, iodine pills, and a hammer cap.

“We've really created our own category,” Nichols said. “Nothing exists for flashlight/tool/electronic/emergency power source/modular device, that is all in one compact housing and fits in your pocket. It's also available with a one-by-one-inch Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) that is COSPAS/SARSAT compliant or a wind and water turbine to use as an alternate power source.”

His time in the military also taught him how to lead an efficient and successful team, which has been the foundation of the company’s success.

“Teamwork and communication are paramount,” Nichols said. “Those qualities were instilled in me from my time in the Army and they're the cornerstones to our business.”

To learn more about Pyyros, visit their website and Kickstarter page.