Our Story
The story of how Trail Magik® came to life is a story truly close to our hearts.
The Trip That Sparked Trail Magik
One summer, as our first son Gus turned three, my husband, Connor, was eager to take him on a series of backpacking adventures while I was cuddled up at home with our newborn. The plan was a modest overnight trip, covering about 4 miles to the campsite and another 6 miles to a scenic peak and back. Unfortunately, little Gus soon grew tired and refused to walk after his initial excitement waned, and even gummy worms couldn't coax him further. Gus ended up walking only 40% of the time, so Connor had plenty of time to think of a more effective way to carry our little hiker.
Designing a Unique Solution
Before he embarked on the second, more challenging trip on the beloved John Muir Trail, Connor spent countless hours searching online for a child carrier that could attach to the front of his backpack without success. He didn’t want to bring a typical bulky child carrier that would interfere with the backpack straps and waist belt, and he didn’t want a hard-framed back carrier with a compartment for a child and no room for much else. So he decided to take matters into his own hands. He hand-sewed his own carrier from heavy fabric, nylon straps, and a few carabiners. And it worked like MAGIK!
Prototype in the Wild
From the very first trip, Trail Magik was a hit. Gus was able to hike until he got too tired, and then be scooped up to nap and regain his strength while Dad (or Mom) continued on. Our new invention unlocked the ability for us to backpack as a solo parent while carrying all the supplies needed for a 3-4 day backpacking trip AND our toddler if/when needed. We used our original olive green and black “prototype” Trail Magik year after year with all 3 of our children—at the beach, hiking to hot springs, backpacking and more. Our kids are each 2 years apart, so when one graduated out of it the next one hopped right in! Memory after memory was made in our Trail Magik, and every adventure family we knew kept asking us how they could get their hands on one.
From Prototype to 10,000+ Trail Magiks
After being hounded for years by friends, we ultimately decided to figure out how to produce Trail Magik Kid Carriers at a bigger scale and get them to all of you. We spent almost 2 years ironing out the manufacturing process, working to get it past rigorous safety testing, and ensuring it met the highest standards for quality and durability. Through continuous use and feedback, the design has been refined to ensure comfort and functionality. We bootstrapped the beginnings of our business using my late father’s inheritance he left us. This business is more than just another side hustle: it is a part of our family, a part of my father, and a part of our children.
Creating & Sharing Family Adventures
We started selling Trail Magik by simply sharing pictures of us using it with our own kids on Instagram. Adventure family after adventure family bought, used it, loved it, and shared it. Week after week our community of like-minded families raising their children out on the trail grew and grew. Three years later we’ve sold almost 10,000 Trail Magiks to nature-loving families across the world. I still run our @trail.magik Instagram to this day. Tag us on your next Trail Magik adventure and we’d love to share to continue inspiring others!
The Trip That Sparked Trail Magik
One summer, as our first son Gus turned three, my husband, Connor, was eager to take him on a series of backpacking adventures while I was cuddled up at home with our newborn. The plan was a modest overnight trip, covering about 4 miles to the campsite and another 6 miles to a scenic peak and back. Unfortunately, little Gus soon grew tired and refused to walk after his initial excitement waned, and even gummy worms couldn't coax him further. Gus ended up walking only 40% of the time, so Connor had plenty of time to think of a more effective way to carry our little hiker.
Designing a Unique Solution
Before he embarked on the second, more challenging trip on the beloved John Muir Trail, Connor spent countless hours searching online for a child carrier that could attach to the front of his backpack without success. He didn’t want to bring a typical bulky child carrier that would interfere with the backpack straps and waist belt, and he didn’t want a hard-framed back carrier with a compartment for a child and no room for much else. So he decided to take matters into his own hands. He hand-sewed his own carrier from heavy fabric, nylon straps, and a few carabiners. And it worked like MAGIK!
Prototype in the Wild
From the very first trip, Trail Magik was a hit. Gus was able to hike until he got too tired, and then be scooped up to nap and regain his strength while Dad (or Mom) continued on. Our new invention unlocked the ability for us to backpack as a solo parent while carrying all the supplies needed for a 3-4 day backpacking trip AND our toddler if/when needed. We used our original olive green and black “prototype” Trail Magik year after year with all 3 of our children—at the beach, hiking to hot springs, backpacking and more. Our kids are each 2 years apart, so when one graduated out of it the next one hopped right in! Memory after memory was made in our Trail Magik, and every adventure family we knew kept asking us how they could get their hands on one.
From Prototype to 10,000+ Trail Magiks
After being hounded for years by friends, we ultimately decided to figure out how to produce Trail Magik Kid Carriers at a bigger scale and get them to all of you. We spent almost 2 years ironing out the manufacturing process, working to get it past rigorous safety testing, and ensuring it met the highest standards for quality and durability. Through continuous use and feedback, the design has been refined to ensure comfort and functionality. We bootstrapped the beginnings of our business using my late father’s inheritance he left us. This business is more than just another side hustle: it is a part of our family, a part of my father, and a part of our children.
Creating & Sharing Family Adventures
We started selling Trail Magik by simply sharing pictures of us using it with our own kids on Instagram. Adventure family after adventure family bought, used it, loved it, and shared it. Week after week our community of like-minded families raising their children out on the trail grew and grew. Three years later we’ve sold almost 10,000 Trail Magiks to nature-loving families across the world. I still run our @trail.magik Instagram to this day. Tag us on your next Trail Magik adventure and we’d love to share to continue inspiring others!
Our Family Today
A family businesses powered by community
These days, you can find me hybrid-homeschooling our 3 young children in a little seaside town called Capistrano Beach and working on Trail Magik. We’ve used the Trail Magik most days the past 6 years hiking down to the beach with a toddler, a backpack full of snacks and a surfboard or two. Most weekends you can catch us heading to Joshua Tree, Yosemite, the Sierras, Mammoth… exploring all of California’s natural beauty. Once a quarter we’ll head to Utah, Idaho, and Montana to see family, hike new trails, backpack into hot springs…all with our 3 kiddos by our side.
We started backpacking with our kids as babies, and I miss those days. The newborn days when my babies were first born and I’d wrap them up in my wrap or sling carrier. Equally I yearn to feel those last days carrying my boys in the Trail Magik. One day on the trail, it was the LAST time I picked up my son Gus. A few years later there was a LAST time I picked up my son Kelly. Soon there will be a last time I’ll pick up my daughter Maeve. And it takes my breath away thinking about the need to carry them, to hold them. During the adventures it can be so tiring. As my husband always says “backpacking with kids is hard. The Trail Magik just makes it a little bit more manageable”... its just all part of the fun we choose to prioritize.
My hope for you reading this, is that you cherish your days of using the Trail Magik. Because speaking from someone who is almost finished with those “in between” days—you’ll miss it. I promise.