Brian is one of those gearheads who strives to create a perfect set-up. He enjoys researching gear and loves to tinker, craft, and build pieces to make life in the outdoors more enjoyable. Rita loves being outside more than the gear but enjoys a comfortable stay in the wilderness. (She can often be found stopped at a berry patch along the trail.)
After years of curating their gear for backpacking trips and multi-day kayaking adventures, Brian & Rita still had the same issue with their sleep setup that everyone suffers from: as both sleeping bag and quilt users, they couldn’t find a solution to keep an inflatable pillow in place all night.
With some time during the lockdowns, Brian took a trip to the fabric store, pulled out his green Kenmore sewing machine he inherited from his grandma, and decided to craft a solution. That fall, he and his partner Rita took a week-long kayaking trip to test the prototype.
After two years of trial and error, feedback from friends, and many miles walked, Brian finally found the ideal design and fabric requirements that were simple yet effective. Many design iterations and fabric choices later, Pillow Strap was officially born in March 2023!
Read Pillow Strap's full story here.
