If you've ever owned a multitool or a Swiss Army knife, you know there's nearly limitless options for the tasks you can use it for. Well TrailHungry, the finalist team from University of Portland wants to bring that kind of multi-functionality to a backpack insert.
Adam Babuka, TrailHungry's team leader and inventor of the UKA, was inspired by his time living out of a backpack while doing relief work in third-world countries.
Read on to learn more, including multiple lists of the UKA's uses, prototyping development that has included hundreds of iterations, and why they deleted their list of inspiring inventors.
1. What is your invention?
TrailHungry's backpacking invention is called the ŪKA (YOU-Ka), the ŪKA is a patents-pending, multi-functional hard-sided container that slips inside most hiking backpacks.
The ŪKA is an All-In-One Device:
7 or 14 Gallon Gravity Water Filtration Device
Camp Pail
Rugged Backpack
Sturdy Camp Stool
Camp Cook Table with Cutting Board and Deployable Legs
And So Much More….
2. Where did you get the inspiration for your invention idea?
For more than 10 years, Adam Babuka, MBA, Founder and Inventor of TrailHungry LLC, lived and worked in 30 countries (Uganda, Sudan, Nepal, India, China, etc.) while traveling with a hiking backpack. Adam’s experience doing relief and development inspired him to design and develop multi-functional backpacking equipment that is rugged, capable, and versatile.
This inspired Adam to create the ŪKA system, a light-weight, multi-functional device that provides lots of benefits:
Largest capacity gravity water filtration
Solves camping related ergonomic issues
Lots of clean, dry storage
Takes up very little space
All-In-One device
3. As you prepare to pitch your invention to judges, what are you most excited about sharing?
We are incredible excited for the future!
TrailHungry's ŪKA is a Backpacking Hero! The ŪKA's patent-pending, stackable, industry leading design gives homeowners, campers, disaster relief workers, and military personnel the capability of having 14 gallons of clean water, without pumping or squatting. This is a big deal!
TrailHungry has been refining their design for over 4 years, with over 100 design iterations, several patents-pending, and conducted over 200 interviews and demonstrations.
The ŪKA's competitive advantage is more than water filtration. It is a All-In-One device
7 or 14 Gallon Gravity Water Filtration Device
Camp Pail
Rugged Backpack
Sturdy Camp Stool
Camp Cook Table with Cutting Board and Deployable Legs
Furthermore, TrailHungry's Founder and Inventor, Adam Babuka, MBA, is flying to North America's Largest Outdoor Sports Expo in the Denver, Colorado on June 18th-20th, 2019 to network and seek partnerships with major backpacking brands, such as: Gregory Mountain Sports, Jansport, Kelty, Marmot, Arcteryx, etc.
We are super excited for the future!
4. Who are your invention heroes?
We made a huge list of invention heroes... but we deleted them... because all of them had many traits in common.
They are the futurists, thinkers, tinkers, builders, and hustlers (those who never stop dreaming, moving forward, or believing that anything is possible).
They are visionaries, adventurers, creators, risk-takers, designers, dreamers, innovators, pragmatists, idealists, and problem solvers. They believe that ideas are powerful and that the word "No" is only a speed-bump to accomplishing their dreams.
They know that rules-do-not-apply to them and choose to make new paths for others to follow.
They are persistent, tenacious, eternally optimistic, champions over self-doubt, know that "failing fast and failing often" is life; and most often, they hardest working people in the room.
They are wise, often keeping their ideas private until they receive patent protection and often becoming knowledge experts in several fields of study.
We have many invention heroes... but these amazing traits...make us want to be more like them.
5. Tell us about your team. How did you connect with one another and how do you work together?
The TrailHungry Team is made up of:
Adam Babuka, MBA, Founder and Inventor of TrailHungry LLC: Adam lived and worked out of a hiking back in 30 countries, over 10 years. He also worked at the IRS and Daimler Trucks North America.
Amanda Hughart, MBA, Senior Associate Brand Manager at Reser's Fine Foods: Amanda has launched over 70 new products and manages all Reser's potato salad products nationwide. Seven years ago, Adam and Amanda met while he was leading a Young Professional Small Group at their church, they have been great friends ever since.
Our Third Team Member is TBD
6. What is the most important thing you want the judges to understand about your invention — what will set you apart from the competition?
The ŪKA Systems Competitive Advantage:
There is no multi-functional backpacking equipment on the market today
Solves many camping related ergonomic issues
Provides the most clean, dry storage in the industry
Largest capacity gravity water filtration device in the industry
Takes up minimal space
New product category
Patents-pending engineered design
Rugged, capable, and versatile
Smooth exterior for quick and easy placement and removal
The ŪKA's New Engineered Leg Design:
Requires fewer parts
Requires less labor
Cheaper rotational mold design
Quicker leg deployment
Increased stability
Decreased weight
TrailHungry is ready to launch immediately - but we only need a small influx of money to start manufacturing.