Our Story

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 some 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 our gear for backpacking trips and multiday kayaking trips, we still had the same issue with our sleep setup that everyone suffers from.

As both a sleeping bag and quilt user, we couldn’t find a solution to keep our inflatable pillowin 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 and learned that the first design wasn’t going to work due to the fabric.

Many design iterations and fabric choices followed in what would eventually become Pillow Strap. Brian stuffed prototypes in friends’ backpacks and asked for feedback. The sentiment after their first use encouraged him to improve and simplify. Needing to try out the latest version lead to more backpacking trips. Finally, after two years of trial and error and many miles walked, Brian found the ideal design and fabric requirements that was simple yet effective. More prototypes were made, more trips to test, and finally, Pillow Strap was officially born in March 2023!

Since embarking on this journey, we have slept better in the backcountry, and we’re excited for you to experience a better night’s sleep too.

Pick up a Pillow Strap and let us know about your next adventure using it!