Just like many others, Scott King, a master of business analytics student at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, got a puppy (Ollie) to join his family during the 2020 pandemic.
Before getting Ollie, backpacking and camping was a big part of his life, and he wanted that to continue and to share those experiences with his new adventure companion.
Taking dogs to the mountains is like taking kids to Disneyland — they obviously belong there. But he quickly found there was no easy way to accommodate Ollie sleeping at night without either making a mess of the gear inside the tent or making him sleep outside.
“After months and months and fruitlessly searching for a solution, we were so frustrated that my wife was planning to buy some fabric and make a custom solution,” King said. “From there the idea was born.”
To solve this problem, they created the Kings Peak tent, which they are promoting as the world’s first backpacking tent with a separate section in the tent for your dog. It can hold up to two humans and one or two dogs.
“When our prototype arrived, we were beyond excited. Now, after multiple backpacking trips to test it out, we are never going back,” King said. “Ollie loved being in the tent with us, and we have all slept so much better with our own space and knowing he is safe and protected.”
Scott worked through the Hours with Experts program at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute for legal support and advice while developing the first prototype.
He said, “The Hours with Experts program has been invaluable for us, understanding how to protect our intellectual property while not violating any existing patents was very intimidating, but through this program, we received the help we needed. All for free.”
More articles like this in ‘Student Innovation @ the U!’
Find this article and a lot more in the 2022 “Student Innovation @ the U” report. The publication is presented by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute to celebrate student innovators, change-makers, and entrepreneurs.
