Englewood Dad's Design To Make Camping 'Easier For Parents'
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - An Englewood dad is sewing his way to creative success. In a small garage behind his home, Tavis Malcolm spends hours creating a little sleeping bag he hopes will be a big hit.
"It's one of those products that was just born out of a necessity," Malcolm, founder of Morrison Outdoors, said.
The father of an almost 1 year old loves to go camping. He wants to pass on that passion to his growing family.
"I grew up camping. I'm an Eagle Scout," he said. "It was never a question of 'if' I'm going to take my kids camping, it's just 'how.'"
After his son, Morrison, was born, Malcolm said he and his wife began looking for sleeping bags for babies. They found a few, but were disappointed by the options.
"There's really not a lot out there that's specifically designed for infant sleep that's safe to use," Malcolm explained.
That's when the young dad put his creative skills to work. Using a 1970s Singer sewing machine he got for free, Malcolm created an insulated, adjustable sleeping bag designed for kids as young as three months to 2 years old.
"This is the part that's patent pending," Malcolm explained as he showed CBS4's Kelly Werthmann one of the bags. "The arms connect together [with a snap clasp] to act as swaddle wings for young babies who need to be wrapped tight."
Malcolm said the unique sleeping bag does not include coverage for a child's head, as that wouldn't be safe.
"The collar is fleece, and it's very snug so young babies can't slip inside and suffocate," he added. "That's a big concern."
Malcolm and his wife spent months testing versions of the sleeping bag with their son, Morrison. He's the sweet baby the company is named after, and who unknowingly provided inspiration for his dad's project.
"The zipper goes from the bottom up," Malcolm explained. "That way you can change a diaper really easily without having to take the baby all the way out."
"It seems like that's an important feature," Werthmann said to Malcolm.
"Yes," he replied with a smile.
Malcolm launched a Kickstarter campaign earlier this month and already has pledges from thousands of people around the country.
"The response has really been unbelievable," he said. "We totally thought, at first, that we were the only ones that kind of wanted this."
As of Wednesday, Malcolm is just shy of his $10,000 fundraising goal that would allow him to take his product to a professional manufacturer. He's anxious to get out of his garage and out to a campsite and hopes his creation will help other families do the same.
"Our mission as an organization isn't to make sleeping bags," he said. "It's to make camping with your kids easier for parents."
To learn more about Morrison Outdoors, their products and how to donate, visit: https://kck.st/2tEUpVj.