It started as an idea written in a notebook. Eventually, the idea won a $7,000 award for entrepreneurship. Then it took Kickstarter by storm, raising nearly $95,000 in 30 days.

The idea? The SHEL: Essentially an all-in-one shelter that wraps around your hammock, eliminating the need for a bug net, tarp, underquilt — even a sleeping bag.

The SHEL, short for “shelter,” was started by East Idaho native Caleb Lystrup, who is currently attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and working toward a doctorate in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in carbon fiber processing. He started the company Khione Outdoor Gear — “Khione” meaning the Greek goddess of winter — with his fellow student, Casey Messick, who was born in California but raised in Hong Kong and is working toward a master’s degree in advanced materials science. Together they are hoping to build a product that makes camping as easy and enjoyable as possible.

“We know that when people try out the SHEL, they’re going to be excited about it, they’ll tell their friends about it,” Lystrup said.

Lystrup was born in Idaho Falls and raised in various communities around southern Idaho. Eventually, the family moved to Pocatello, where both of Lystrup’s parents are from.

Lystrup lived in Pocatello for four years while in elementary and middle school. After that, he and his family moved to Las Vegas, but they still have relatives and friends in East Idaho.

“I really miss Pocatello,” Lystrup said.

Lystrup, who said he “always wanted to be an inventor,” got his undergraduate degree at BYU and was later sponsored by Zodiac Aerospace in his studies to complete his doctorate. Lystrup is still working on that degree while trying to get his business off the ground.

Lystrup said he got the idea for the SHEL when he was camping one time. That idea eventually became the SHEL, which won BYU’s Student innovator of the Year Award in March 2017. He and Messick won $7,000 at the time and then launched the Kickstarter campaign, which reached its goal of $15,000 in an hour and 35 minutes. The campaign had nearly $95,000 by the end of the 30 days.

Lystrup said they did spend money on marketing, but almost all the growth in the Kickstarter campaign came organically — people telling other people about it.

The Kickstarter “was very, very successful,” Lystrup said. “We were very surprised at how well it did.”

That money has helped launch Khione into another world. Lystrup and Messick started off with a tiny budget, borrowing Messick’s parent’s sewing machine to make the initial prototype. BYU’s Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology then provided them with an office and mentorship.

“BYU is awesome,” Lystrup said. “They do such a great job with entrepreneurship.”

In addition to starting Khione, Lystrup is doing extensive research with carbon fiber. Lystrup jokes that he works all day and then goes home and works all night.

“We spend all our time working and then working some more when we get home,” he said.

Lystrup’s excited about his future and has been recruited by three aerospace companies, but he says he will keep working with Khione after his graduation and he’s looking forward to building a team to grow the business.

Right now, the company is working on getting all 580 of its Kickstarter backers their SHELs by January — in time to test out their winter durability.

“We want to make sure the backers are super happy. We want to nail it on the first try,” Lystrup said.

The SHEL is intended to be suitable for all weather.

“You can camp in cold weather, rainy weather, snowy weather,” Lystrup said.

But it won’t protect you from porcupines — or bears — so be sure not to keep any food in the SHEL.

“It kind of resembles a bear taco,” Lystrup said, referring to the shape of the SHEL.

The best part about it is that it eliminates the need for so much other gear. And it only weighs 20 ounces, so it won’t weigh down your pack.

“It uses the best materials available,” Lystrup said. “It will help us trap our body heat and keep us warm. … The geometry of the SHEL traps a thin, 1-inch layer of air underneath the SHEL, and that becomes extra insulation for you.”

Survivalists have also been a fan of the SHEL because they can easily store it and put it in their 72-hour kits — basically everything you need for a major emergency or disaster.

“People who are preparing their 72-hour kits really like the SHEL because it’s so light you can store it with three day’s worth of food in a backpack. And they know that whatever happens, they’ll be fine as long as they can find some trees,” Lystrup said.

Andy George, a professor of manufacturing engineering technology at BYU and Lystrup’s Ph.D. supervisor, said of Lystrup, “I think it’s a mark of a good engineer to be easily excitable about a lot of topics and that fits Caleb perfectly. He’s put a lot of energy into his school work, enough to impress his faculty and potential future employers. Yet he’s also fully invested himself in this new product, putting in all of the hours for initial research and marketing and now product development.”

Outdoor enthusiasts interested in pre-ordering the SHEL can do so www.khioneoutdoorgear.com.

The SHEL is $179 — which Lystrup says is less than a really good sleeping bag. If you order now, your SHEL will get shipped out with the SHELs of all the Kickstarter backers.

Eventually Lystrup would love to see his SHEL in retail stores all over the place.

“We want the SHEL to be everywhere,” Lystrup said. “We want to see it in retail venues. I would love to see it in REI. I’d love to see it at Sportsman’s Warehouse, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart even.”

According to an article written by the BYU student newspaper, Universe, the president of the interior design company Alice Lane Drew James served as a mentor for Khione through the Student Innovator of the Year process and she thinks the project will go a long ways.

“I envision Khione carving out a strong foothold on Amazon and other digital retailers, and then eventually developing a brand that will be recognized and sold across the country in physical locations, like REI and Scheels,” James said in the article. “I think this will be the first in a long line of products from them.”

More products in the Khione line are in the works.

“Our goal is to make people’s camping experience as awesome as possible,” Lystrup said.

More information on the SHEL can be found at khioneoutdoorgear.com, on Facebook at Khione Outdoor Gear and on Instagram at @khioneoutdoor.