4Patriots: Company History, Ownership, Products, Manufacturing and Reputation
4Patriots is a privately held American emergency-preparedness company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by husband-and-wife team Allen and Erin Baler in 2008, the company sells emergency food, portable solar generators, water-filtration equipment, survival gear and related preparedness products primarily through direct-to-consumer ecommerce.
The company’s product catalog has expanded significantly since its founding. Today it covers backup power systems, long-term food storage, water filtration, emergency communications, portable cooking and refrigeration equipment, and preparedness education. If you have encountered 4Patriots through an advertisement, email campaign or media placement, you are likely researching the company independently before making a purchase.
The company describes itself as promoting “freedom and self-reliance.” Its official terms identify 4Patriots, LLC as the operator of 4Patriots.com.
| Company | 4Patriots |
| Legal entity | 4Patriots, LLC |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Original company name | Reboot Marketing LLC |
| Founders | Allen Baler and Erin Baler |
| Headquarters | 2920 Berry Hill Dr., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37204 |
| Business type | Privately held / direct-to-consumer ecommerce |
| CEO | Allen Baler |
| CSO | Erin Baler |
| Major categories | Emergency food, solar generators/portable power, water filtration, emergency communications, survival equipment, RV/camping products, education |
| Fulfillment | Salt Lake City, Utah and Atlanta, Georgia |
| Website | 4Patriots.com |
Allen is currently identified by the company as co-founder and CEO, while Erin is identified as co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer.
History of 4Patriots
Most online articles about 4Patriots present a simplified origin story. The actual corporate history is more layered and connects several brand names that casual readers often treat as though they appeared independently.
Founding in 2008
Allen and Erin Baler left corporate careers, relocated from New England to Nashville and launched the business in 2008. The company was not originally called 4Patriots. Its legal name was Reboot Marketing LLC.
That founding name is important context. It tells you the company’s roots were in direct-response marketing, not in traditional retail or manufacturing. And its first product was not a solar generator or a freeze-dried food kit. According to the company’s own newsroom, 4Patriots began with a series of how-to guides. The original business model was selling preparedness information.
Power4Patriots and Off-Grid Power Education
Federal trademark records show the POWER4PATRIOTS mark entered commercial use by December 2011, originally covering educational materials about off-grid power. The initial trademark holder was Reboot Marketing LLC.
This establishes that 4Patriots’ involvement with backup power started as an information business. The company was selling knowledge about off-grid power systems before it was selling the hardware itself. Reboot Marketing also made the Inc. 500 list during this period, according to the company’s later rebranding announcement.
Food4Patriots
The FOOD4PATRIOTS trademark shows first commercial use in July 2013, covering prepared emergency food kits. This marked the company’s entry into physical preparedness products.
People still search for “Food4Patriots” and “Food 4 Patriots.” It was not a separate company. It was an earlier 4Patriots-branded product line that preceded the unified brand consumers see today.
The 4Patriots Brand Emerges
Federal trademark records list first commercial use of the 4PATRIOTS name in July 2014. A USPTO assignment record confirms that Reboot Marketing LLC formally changed its name to 4Patriots, LLC in April 2014, with a public announcement in July.
The corporate progression: Reboot Marketing built individual preparedness brands (Power4Patriots, Food4Patriots) and then consolidated everything under a single identity.
Expansion Beyond Food and Power
The Patriot Power Generator trademark also dates to July 2014, establishing when the company moved from selling power education into selling power hardware. From there, the company expanded into water filtration under the Patriot Pure brand, then into broader preparedness equipment, cooking, refrigeration and eventually education through 4Patriots University.
Company Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Company founded as Reboot Marketing LLC; first products are preparedness how-to guides |
| 2011 | Power4Patriots enters commercial use (off-grid power education) |
| 2013 | Food4Patriots enters commercial use (emergency food kits); Inc. 500 appearance |
| 2014 | Reboot Marketing becomes 4Patriots, LLC; Patriot Power Generator trademark filed; unified brand launches |
| 2016 | Approximately 2,200 Patriot Power Generators recalled (battery fire risk) |
| 2018 | Trademark assets assigned to Avalon Group, LLC |
| 2019 | Federal 4PATRIOTS trademark registration |
| 2020 | BBB accreditation begins |
| 2022 | NAD rules on 4Patriots food-kit advertising claims |
| 2023 | 4Patriots challenges competitor My Patriot Supply’s advertising before NAD |
| 2020s | Expansion into water, emergency communications, cooking, refrigeration and preparedness education |
Who Founded 4Patriots?
Allen Baler
Allen Baler is co-founder and CEO. A 2017 profile reported that Baler holds a Harvard English degree and worked in corporate marketing at Eaton Press and Danbury Mint before entering the preparedness business.
That background is informative. 4Patriots did not grow out of a military-surplus operation or a manufacturing company. It grew out of direct-response marketing expertise applied to the preparedness category. The company’s sales infrastructure, landing-page design and promotional approach all reflect that origin.
Erin Baler
Erin Baler is co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer. She is publicly involved in company strategy and representation, not simply a background figure.
Older sources sometimes list her title as COO. A 2025 company release used that title, while current 2026 material identifies her as CSO.
Who Owns 4Patriots?
This question has a more interesting answer than most articles provide.
The Operating Company
A 2026 Florida annual filing for 4Patriots, LLC identifies Allen Baler and Erin Baler as members of the Tennessee LLC. The filing uses the Nashville Berry Hill Drive address.
That supports a straightforward statement: public corporate filings identify the founders as members of 4Patriots, LLC.
Avalon Group, LLC
Federal trademark records show that 4Patriots, LLC assigned major intellectual-property assets to a separate entity, Avalon Group, LLC, in July 2018.
Avalon now holds trademarks including 4PATRIOTS, FOOD4PATRIOTS, POWER4PATRIOTS, PATRIOT POWER GENERATOR and FRANK BATES. Avalon’s current trademark filings use the same Nashville address as 4Patriots, LLC: 2920 Berry Hill Drive, Suite 300.
The distinction matters. Trademark assignment records establish that Avalon owns significant IP assets. They do not, by themselves, establish that Avalon owns the operating company. These are two different questions, and conflating them produces an inaccurate answer.
Where Is 4Patriots Located?
Nashville Headquarters
The corporate headquarters is at 2920 Berry Hill Drive, Suite 300, Nashville, Tennessee 37204. Both the BBB profile and corporate filings independently confirm that address.
Warehouses and Fulfillment
4Patriots says orders ship from facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah and Atlanta, Georgia.
Three different functions, three different locations. Nashville is headquarters. Utah handles at least some food packing and order fulfillment. Georgia provides additional fulfillment capacity. Headquarters, manufacturing and fulfillment are not the same thing, though many articles treat them as interchangeable.
What Does 4Patriots Sell?
Today’s company is considerably broader than emergency food. Its product catalog spans several domains that, taken together, cover most of the basic operational requirements for household continuity during a disruption.
Backup Power
4Patriots’ Patriot Power lineup is its portable solar generator family. The catalog has included the 1200, 1500, 1800, 2000X, 2200X and 2500X generators at various capacity tiers, along with the smaller Patriot Power Sidekick and the Patriot Power Cell-CX portable solar power bank. Supporting products include solar panel kits, generator expansion battery packs and the AlphaCase Elite protective case.
For household preparedness, backup power is typically the first critical gap during a grid failure. The Patriot Power lineup is designed around solar recharging capability, which gives it relevance for extended outages where fuel-dependent generators run into supply constraints.
Emergency Food
4Patriots sells survival food kits at several duration tiers:
| Kit | Servings | Total Calories | Approximate Calories/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72-Hour Kit | 20 | 4,800 | ~1,600 |
| 4-Week Kit | 192 | 36,480 | ~1,300 |
| 3-Month Kit | 704 | 140,000 | ~1,555 |
| 1-Year Kit | 2,816 | 560,000 | ~1,555 |
The calorie figures are worth examining. The one-year kit provides roughly 1,555 calories per day, and the company explicitly notes that individual requirements may be higher. These are survival rations. They are not designed to sustain normal caloric intake for someone performing heavy physical activity. Current 4Patriots pages are more transparent about calorie counts than older preparedness marketing generally was.
Beyond the kits, the company sells freeze-dried and dehydrated individual meals, freeze-dried meat products, fruits, vegetables, dairy products in #10 cans, MRE-style meals and emergency food bars.
Water Filtration
Water products fall under the Patriot Pure brand:
- Patriot Pure Ultimate Water Filtration System: a gravity-fed countertop filter
- Patriot Pure NanoMesh Water Filter: a filter element the company specifically markets as made in the USA
- Patriot Pure Water Pitcher: a smaller pitcher-style filtration option
- Patriot Pure Personal Water Filter: a portable filter for field use
- Water filter straws: individual-use portable filters
- Emergency water storage: containers for stockpiling
Water security is arguably the most time-critical preparedness gap during infrastructure disruption. Most municipal water systems depend on electrical pumping, which means a power outage can quickly become a water access problem.
Emergency Communications and Lighting
- Liberty Band Tactical Solar Radio: an emergency radio with solar charging
- HaloXT Multi-Use Flashlight: a tactical flashlight
- BugOut Solar Lantern: a portable inflatable solar lantern
Communications and lighting are the preparedness categories most likely to be overlooked until they are needed. A solar-charged radio that does not depend on the electrical grid or battery supply chains has obvious utility during extended disruptions.
Off-Grid Cooking and Refrigeration
- Sun Kettle and Sun Kettle XL: solar-powered water heaters
- StarFire Camp Stove: a compact portable stove
- Solar Go Fridge: a portable solar-compatible refrigerator
- Freedom Fridge: another portable refrigeration option
- 4Patriots Freeze Dryer: a home freeze-drying system
Other Products
The broader catalog includes bug-out bags, car emergency kits, Victory Garden survival seed kits, air purification, heating and cooling products, storage solutions and various tools.
4Patriots University
4Patriots University offers online preparedness education covering emergency planning, water preparedness and related subjects. The company identifies Seth Weller as senior manager of its customer-education team and lead instructor.
There is a historical symmetry here. 4Patriots began in 2008 by selling preparedness information products. It evolved heavily into physical goods through the 2010s. Now it also maintains a structured educational arm. The information-product DNA never fully disappeared.
Where Are 4Patriots Products Made?
The correct answer depends on the product. Blanket statements about American manufacturing or overseas sourcing are both inaccurate.
Generators
4Patriots is straightforward about this. Its FAQ says the solar products are designed and developed at its Tennessee office, while most lithium-battery products are manufactured in Asia. A current generator sales page states the generators are designed in the USA and manufactured overseas to company specifications.
Accurate framing: Patriot Power generators are American-designed and overseas-manufactured. The company’s patriotic branding makes this a predictable question, and their own pages answer it clearly.
Emergency Food
Current 4Patriots pages say its survival food is hand-packed in Utah using ingredients sourced from the United States and around the world. The food is domestically packed but not all ingredients are necessarily of U.S. origin.
Water Filters
Certain Patriot Pure NanoMesh filters are specifically advertised as made in the USA. Not all water products carry that designation.
Manufacturing Summary
| Product Category | Design/Development | Manufacturing/Packing |
|---|---|---|
| Patriot Power generators | Tennessee (USA) | Overseas (Asia) |
| Emergency food | N/A | Packed in Utah; domestic and international ingredients |
| Patriot Pure NanoMesh filters | N/A | Advertised as made in USA |
| Other products | Varies | Varies by product |
How 4Patriots Makes Money
4Patriots is a direct-to-consumer ecommerce company. The company itself uses that description.
The business model follows a recognizable direct-response pattern: paid advertising drives traffic to standalone long-form landing pages, which feed into email and SMS marketing, bundled product offers, upsells, installment-payment options and repeat purchases.
Current promotional pages use structures including “buy X and receive Y free” promotions, limited-time bundles, installment pricing and large bonus packages. The company also accepts orders by telephone alongside its standard ecommerce checkout.
This is classic direct-response marketing applied to preparedness products. It is not unusual for the category, and it makes considerably more sense once you know the company started as Reboot Marketing and initially sold information products. The marketing infrastructure came first. The physical product catalog grew around it.
4Patriots’ Marketing and Political Image
This is one of the most frequently searched questions about the company.
Conservative Marketing History
WIRED’s 2026 profile documented a long history of advertising to conservative audiences. According to that reporting, the company’s founder began buying advertising with Newsmax in 2011 and later expanded to National Review, The Blaze and Fox News. The earlier customer profile was explicitly described as older conservatives in red states.
The company historically used marketing themes involving government distrust, grid failure and self-reliance, with earlier messaging that invoked political fears and alleged government threats.
Current Positioning
Current 4Patriots material positions the brand more broadly. Its messaging now emphasizes hurricanes, wildfires, blackouts, camping, RV use, homesteading and general emergency preparedness rather than exclusively political themes. The company’s own recent material describes its founding mission as a “common-sense, apolitical resource.”
The Nuanced Answer
4Patriots has deep historical ties to conservative-oriented direct-response marketing and built much of its early customer base among politically conservative consumers. That marketing history is not the same thing as proof of formal affiliation with MAGA, Donald Trump or the Republican Party. Advertising on conservative media and using patriotic branding does not automatically establish partisan organizational affiliation.
Who Is Frank Bates, and Is That His Real Name?
Frank Bates appeared extensively in older 4Patriots newsletters, marketing copy and preparedness content. He is one of the more unusual elements of the company’s public history.
According to 4Patriots, Frank Bates is a real person. “Frank Bates” is a pen name. The company says he is a Vietnam-era Navy veteran who lives in Tennessee and has served as a longtime company spokesman. 4Patriots says he writes less frequently now because of his age but continues appearing in videos and blog material.
FRANK BATES is also a registered trademark in Avalon Group’s intellectual-property portfolio, covering spokesperson services. That does not mean the person behind the name is fictional. It means the public-facing name was formalized as a commercial brand asset.
WIRED’s 2026 reporting also covered the history of questions surrounding his identity and the company’s explanation of it.
4Patriots Spokespeople and Endorsements
Cade Courtley
Cade Courtley is a former Navy SEAL who appears in 4Patriots marketing and preparedness content. 4Patriots openly discloses that Courtley is compensated for helping test and endorse its products. The company also explicitly states that the United States military and Navy SEALs do not endorse 4Patriots or its products.
The correct reading: Courtley is a paid endorser with relevant military credentials. His participation is not a U.S. military endorsement.
Company-Hosted Reviews
4Patriots publishes customer testimonials and product reviews on its own site. The company discloses that some reviewers have received free products in exchange for honest feedback.
4Patriots Customer Reviews and Reputation
Better Business Bureau
At the time of this research, the BBB lists 4Patriots as accredited with an A+ business rating. Accreditation began June 4, 2020, and the BBB file on the business dates to January 2010.
The A+ organizational rating and customer-review sentiment are separate data points. BBB currently shows approximately 3.16 out of 5 from roughly 340 customer reviews. Its complaints page reports 314 complaints during the previous three years, with 28 closed during the previous 12 months. BBB notes that complaint volume is high enough that it publishes details for only about 60% of submitted complaints.
| BBB Metric | Current Value |
|---|---|
| Business rating | A+ |
| Customer review score | ~3.16/5 (340 reviews) |
| Complaints (3 years) | 314 |
These are three distinct measurements. An A+ business rating does not mean every customer had a positive experience. A high complaint volume does not mean the company is a scam. Present all three and let readers draw their own conclusions.
Trustpilot
Trustpilot currently shows a 2.4 out of 5 score from 527 reviews, with 54% rated one star and 29% rated five stars.
Trustpilot displays a warning that the company has not recently invited customers to review on the platform. This means the review pool is self-selected and should not automatically be assumed representative of the entire customer base. Self-selected review populations tend to overrepresent customers with complaints.
Recalls and Advertising Disputes
Both of these belong in any serious company assessment.
2016 Patriot Power Generator Recall
On July 28, 2016, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of approximately 2,200 Patriot Power Generators because the battery could catch fire. CPSC reported 13 generator fires, 2 reports of smoking, 1 report of unusual noise or odor and zero reported injuries.
The recalled units were manufactured in China, sold exclusively through 4Patriots.com between November 2014 and April 2015, and retailed for approximately $2,000.
This was a specific recall involving a specific generation of hardware. It does not establish that current-generation Patriot Power generators carry the same defect, any more than a 2016 automotive recall would prove a 2026 model of the same vehicle is unsafe.
2022 National Advertising Division Decision
The National Advertising Division reviewed claims about 4Patriots’ long-term food kits after a challenge from competitor My Patriot Supply. NAD found some claims adequately supported but recommended modifications to others.
NAD recommended clearer disclosures around kit-duration claims and advised against creating the impression that buyers would receive the abundance of food depicted in advertising for the entire stated duration. It also recommended clearer disclosure of material connections with paid endorsers.
2023: 4Patriots Challenges My Patriot Supply
In 2023 the roles reversed. 4Patriots challenged My Patriot Supply’s advertising before NAD, and NAD recommended that My Patriot Supply modify or discontinue claims involving fresh fruit depictions, 2,000+ calorie per day claims, Made-in-USA representations, “home-cooked” food descriptions, limited-time sale promotions and website review presentation.
The pattern: the two major preparedness-food competitors have repeatedly challenged each other’s marketing before the advertising industry’s self-regulatory body.
Is 4Patriots the Same Company as My Patriot Supply?
No. They are separate, independent companies and direct competitors in emergency food, portable power and water filtration.
Their competition is apparently serious enough that they have challenged each other’s advertising claims before the National Advertising Division. WIRED’s 2026 reporting treats the two companies as major competitors in the modern American preparedness market.
If you are evaluating these companies against each other, evaluate them as competing options, not interchangeable brands.
4Patriots Returns, Warranty and Customer Support
This section requires a caveat because the company’s own pages currently present conflicting information.
The company’s dedicated Warranty, Return and Refund Policy, last updated August 29, 2025, describes a standard 365-day product warranty. For non-defective merchandise, however, that same policy says returns generally must be initiated within 90 days.
Meanwhile, other currently accessible 4Patriots FAQ pages still reference a 365-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. The company’s Our Story page currently references a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Because 4Patriots operates numerous product pages and promotional offers with varying terms, verify the return conditions attached to the specific product and offer you are purchasing. Do not assume every purchase carries the same guarantee period.
Veterans and Charitable Giving
Veteran support is a substantial part of 4Patriots’ branding and corporate identity. The company reports supporting organizations including Operation Homefront, Team Rubicon, Fisher House Foundation, A Soldier’s Child Foundation, Hire Heroes USA, Pets for Vets and For The Troops through cash donations, product contributions and employee volunteer activity.
According to 4Patriots’ current charity page, cumulative donations exceed $2.05 million to military-oriented organizations. Older company pages show smaller cumulative totals because those figures were published at earlier dates.
These are company-reported figures. They have not been independently audited in any publicly available document reviewed for this article.
How Large Is 4Patriots?
4Patriots is privately held, so detailed revenue, profit and employee figures are not publicly reported in the manner they would be for a publicly traded corporation.
The company’s current About and media pages claim approximately $1 billion in preparedness-product sales since founding and 8 million customers served since 2008. That $1 billion figure represents cumulative sales over nearly two decades, not annual revenue.
Employee counts vary across the company’s own pages: the News Bureau page lists 125 employees, the charity page says 175+ American employees, and the BBB currently lists 151. The safest characterization is a company with well over 100 employees.
Retail Availability
4Patriots’ FAQ confirms the company also sells some products through Amazon, although not every product appears there and prices may differ. The company confirms an affiliate program that operates on an inquiry basis rather than open self-service signup. That affiliate structure helps explain the volume of third-party 4Patriots review articles online.
Frequently Asked Questions About 4Patriots
Is 4Patriots legit? Yes, in the basic sense that it is an established operating U.S. company with a business history going back to 2008, a physical Nashville headquarters, registered corporate entities and millions of reported customers. Whether any individual product represents good value depends on the product, the price and the alternatives.
Who owns 4Patriots? Allen and Erin Baler are listed as members of 4Patriots, LLC in current corporate filings. Major trademarks are held by Avalon Group, LLC, a related entity at the same Nashville address.
When was 4Patriots founded? 2008, originally as Reboot Marketing LLC.
Where is 4Patriots headquartered? Nashville, Tennessee.
Is 4Patriots a MAGA company? Is 4Patriots Republican? 4Patriots has historically marketed heavily to conservative and patriotic audiences through conservative media outlets. That marketing history does not by itself establish formal MAGA or Republican Party affiliation. The company’s more recent positioning emphasizes broader mainstream preparedness themes.
Is Food4Patriots the same as 4Patriots? Food4Patriots was an earlier 4Patriots-branded emergency-food product line, not a separate company. The brand preceded the unified 4Patriots identity that emerged in 2014.
Is My Patriot Supply the same as 4Patriots? No. They are independent competing companies.
Are 4Patriots products made in America? It depends on the product. Patriot Power generators are designed in the USA and manufactured overseas. Survival food is packed in Utah using domestic and internationally sourced ingredients. Certain Patriot Pure NanoMesh filters are advertised as made in the USA.
Where is 4Patriots survival food made? Hand-packed in Utah using ingredients sourced from the United States and around the world.
Where are Patriot Power generators made? Designed in the USA and manufactured overseas to company specifications.
Who is Frank Bates? A longtime 4Patriots spokesman. The company says he is a real person, that “Frank Bates” is a pen name, and that he is a Vietnam-era Navy veteran.
Does 4Patriots have physical stores? The company is primarily ecommerce and direct-to-consumer. It does not operate a retail store network.
Does 4Patriots sell on Amazon? Yes, although not every product is available and prices may differ.
4Patriots in 2026
Today, 4Patriots sits somewhere between a traditional emergency-supply retailer, a direct-response ecommerce company and a preparedness education brand. Its catalog spans backup power, emergency food, water filtration, communications equipment and general survival gear.
The company’s marketing has expanded from its historically conservative preparedness audience toward a broader market of homeowners, homesteaders and consumers concerned with increasingly common power outages and severe weather.
Whether you are evaluating 4Patriots for household emergency preparedness, extended outage planning or general resilience, the most useful starting point is understanding who runs the company, where its products are manufactured, how its business model works and what its verifiable track record looks like. The corporate history, manufacturing distinctions, ownership structure and advertising record covered in this article provide a more complete foundation for that evaluation than the simplified “Is 4Patriots legit?” articles that dominate the current search results.
