WHEN OUTDOOR enthusiasts Tavis and Amber Malcolm took their 10-week-old son, Morrison, nicknamed Mo, on his inaugural camping trip in 2018, they bundled him in everything they could find to keep him warm. But he was clearly uncomfortable. “That’s when I thought about making Mo his own sleeping bag,” says Tavis, who spent the summer in the family’s Denver garage sewing prototypes from two down throw blankets and a zipper. By Labor Day, Mo and the sleeved sleeping bag were ready for their next adventure. It was a hit.
Encouraged by the success of that “Baby Mo” sleeper, Tavis quit his job, whipped up lightweight bags through fall and winter, and launched Morrison Outdoors on Kickstarter in February 2019. The following April, he received an order for 800 bags from REI and moved the family operation to Albuquerque in June. REI remains a wholesale customer, along with Scheels and MEC Outdoors, but the bulk of the company’s sales comes from its website and Amazon.
In addition to sleeved sleeping bags for adventurers of all sizes, Morrison Outdoors sells T-shirts, hoodies, rainsuits, and headwear for the youngsters; clothing and hats for adults; and outdoor bathroom kits, diaper bags, and backpacks.
The company’s trade-in program offers 20–40 percent credit for used gear. “None of our bags are wasted,” says Tavis. Meanwhile, an appearance on Shark Tank in May raised their profile and brought thousands of new customers.
The company’s success, however, is due to the infant who wasn’t quite warm enough that spring night seven years ago. “Mo’s the reason Morrison Outdoors exists,” Tavis says.
Purchase Morrison Outdoors products on Amazon or at morrisonoutdoors.com.