HOW WILDFIRE SPICE CO. BEGAN...
I’d never even hiked before, but why not start by backpacking 70+ miles of the Appalachian Trail. I studied for months online, bought the most affordable (cheap) gear I could find, and hit the trail. A young Kansas kid setting out for the mountains.
The Smokies are a green tunnel — relentless elevation, constant up and down. Somewhere out there I ran into a black bear and earned the trail name “Bear-anoid.” Fair. One guy was hiking in jeans with a cast iron pan and a hatchet. I found comfort in the rag-tag people determined to earn what the mountains offered. I was hooked.
Backpacking taught me how little I knew — and how far you can go anyway. You stop. You breathe. You take ten more steps. And eventually, you crest the ridge. Then repeat. Same rules apply for life.
Origin Story
My first hot sauce memory is an elementary school “who can handle more” challenge with my best friend. Completely unnecessary. Unexpectidly formative.
In my twenties, I helped build and sell hot sauces through an Amazon business. That’s where I learned what flavor profiles sold well and which I loved the most.
Hot sauce isn’t some sacred calling for me. But damn do I love it. And on trail, that multiplies.
The REI Moment
The idea for Wildfire hit me walking through REI. There was an entire wall of dehydrated backpacking foods — and then… regular bottles of hot sauce. Heavy. Liquid. Leak-prone. The industry couldn't see what it needed.
Backpackers need flavor after big days. They need solutions designed by themselves — not grocery store products repurposed for the backcountry.
The solution felt obvious: What if hot sauce didn’t carry water weight?
Built in a Duplex Kitchen
Wildfire started in my duplex kitchen. No co-packer. No investors.
I was going to do it right. Real vinegar tang. Real garlic. The best peppers. Not chili powder in a bag. Actual hot sauce — just without the water. I wanted Wildfire to enhance any meal.
When I finally nailed a blend, I hit the ground running and got into 11 stores within a month. Then we grew. And grew.
Wildfire was catching.
What this is really about
The outdoors gives us everything — freedom, challenge, community. Long trails center us. They strip life down to the essentials. They remind you that you’re stronger than you think. They recalibrate your appreciation and your priorities.
In 2024, I hiked the Skye Trail in Scotland alone. Wind tearing across the cliffs. Sea and sky stretching endlessly in every direction. Just me, my pack, and the next step in front of me. (Oh, and Giardia)
Out there, something became clear. I didn’t just want to visit the outdoor community. I wanted to make it my life. Wildfire became that step forward.
This company exists to make those trail moments better — to add morale to days you’ll never forget. It’s built with respect for the trail and the people who walk it.
See you on the trail.
— Spencer / Founder