StormBags: 3 Things You Didn't Know About The Shark Tank Product

Floods and storms are scenarios no one hopes to find themselves in. But for some, such natural disasters are a regular occurrence, and prepping for them is a must. Fortunately, StormBags offers a solution to make the process easier than ever before. 

The product acts as an alternative to traditional sandbags that are often used as blockades from flooding. While getting sandbags to work properly is a labor-intensive effort that requires shoveling and packing hundreds of pounds of sand, StormBags greatly cut down on this work by using water to fill up instead. When dry, the bags weigh about one pound. The bag will expand to over 30 pounds once fully hydrated and can then be stacked like a regular sandbag. The bags can then be placed out to dry and be reused a few times afterward. The material inside the StormBag is biodegradable and non-toxic, so you can even cut the bag open once it's time to dispose of it and scatter its insides around your yard to help plants maintain their moisture. 

StormBags have been presented doing some amazing feats, such as damming a creek in under 10 minutes. But soon, the product will be diving into new waters for its upcoming appearance on Season 15 of "Shark Tank." Before we see how it does, let's absorb all we know so far about the StormBag and its creators. 

StormBags is the brainchild of entrepreneur Maurice Huffman. Developed in 2008, the product is sold under Huffman's wholesale company Swiss Link Military Surplus and his own StormTec brand. Along with creating these resources, the creator of StormBags is also well-known for his musical endeavors. 

Born in Germany in 1960, Maurice "Big Mo" Huffman had an affinity for music from a young age, having been a fan of radio and the concerts of great artists such as Ray Charles during his youth. He'd continue developing these passions by taking up lessons and joining various musical groups before moving to the United States in 1989. Here, he met key collaborators such as Scott Shaw, Amy Grayson, Steve Valine, Richard Moore, and Don Bowman, who would aid in the creation of his blues and Southern rock band, Big Mo and The Full Moon Band. The Paradise, California-based music group found plenty of success over the years, winning various best blues band awards and releasing a series of albums.

Sadly, much of their physical media and original recordings were lost in a devastating fire, which Huffman mentions in a released "Shark Tank" clip from his segment, indicating that the tragedy also influenced the creation of the StormBag. Thankfully, Big Mo and The Full Moon Band remain active today, with their website containing their downloadable music and upcoming concert performances.

While Maurice Huffman founded Swiss Link Military Surplus in 1995, it wouldn't be until decades later that his company and signature creation, the StormBag, gained notoriety. Unfortunately, this newfound attention was spurred in part by one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent history. 

Over the course of August 2011, Hurricane Irene swept the East Coast of the United States and nearby islands, resulting in billions of dollars in damages and the loss of 58 lives. During this treacherous time, Huffman's revolutionary product became a key tool in aiding various efforts. This included selling upwards of 5,000 bags to a hospital in New York that was affected by the hurricane. The team found themselves negotiating orders for upwards of 25,000 bags during this period, a far cry from Huffman's early days selling the product,  "I don't have funds to market the product and so far it's a little bit of a loss," Huffman Enterprise-Record. "I use the money I make on my other business to carry it. I guess in the beginning a loss is kind of normal." Huffman and company received even more exposure as their exploits were chronicled by major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal.

StormBags will likely see a surge of website visitors, social media follows, and sales after airing, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the "Shark Tank" effect. But even in its pre "Shark Tank" phase of life, StormBags has already garnered good reactions from users. 

The brand currently only has three reviews on Amazon, but all three are positive, giving StormBags a 4.6 out of 5-star average on the site. Some have stated that the bags are best used in combination with other reinforcement materials, but are nevertheless convenient to fill and dispose of. While StormTec's own social media following isn't very vast at the moment, its association with Swiss Link Military Surplus has gotten more eyes on the product through the company's TikTok account. A video posted in 2022 showing co-founder Maurice Huffman demonstrating the StormBag currently has over 2 million views and over 236,000 likes. The clip was followed by several others presenting more demos and answering questions regarding the product. 

Although StormBags are currently unavailable for purchase on Amazon as of the time of writing, they are sold on both the Swiss Link Military Surplus and StormTec USA websites. Each has the option to purchase either a 10- or 25-pack that goes for between $79.99 and $159.99. 

On the StormTec site, buyers can also find an array of door protection kits that come with a number of StormBags, plastic sheets, duct tape, and a box cutter, with prices varying from $54.99 to $219.99. It's unknown how prices will alter following its exposure on "Shark Tank" and any subsequent rise in demand, so best to bag them up while you can.

StormBag's "Shark Tank" pitch resembled the product itself, which is to say it took a bit of time to see the full size of its potential.

Seeking $200,000 in exchange for 10%, Maurice and Miles Hoffman begin their time in the tank by focusing on StormBag's utility as a more effective — and more expensive — alternative to sandbags. This quickly scares off Kevin O'Leary, who awkwardly taps out shortly after the father-son duo shared a harrowing story about surviving a natural disaster. As Mr. Wonderful sees it, despite the ingenuity of the StormBag, he has a hard time backing a product whose main competition is essentially free.

But the attitude in the room changes once the Hoffmans share the litany of other uses the StormBag has outside of weather defense, including leak prevention and irrigation. This wows all four remaining Sharks, who ultimately split into teams of two to compete for the opportunity to invest. Daymond John and guest-shark Daniel Lubetzky kick things off with an offer of $200,000 for 40%, while Mark Cuban courts Lori Greiner to offer the same in exchange for 30%. 

Mark brings a particularly interesting angle to the table, noting that StormBag should rebrand and potentially even charge more to target consumer and commercial markets. Lori also proposes producing a smaller version of the product specifically marketed as a way to water plants while away from the home. Though Daymond and Daniel bring their equity ask down to meet Mark and Lori, the Hoffmans choose the latter, netting another victory for the Mavericks owner and the Queen of QVC.