Traveling is amazing. There’s nothing quite like getting on the road or on a plane and immersing ourselves in new places and cultures. Planning our travels, however, can be a daunting task requiring us to make some important decisions. How long are we going for? What do we bring? What do we leave behind? Before you know it, you’re lugging a fifty-pound suitcase with you wherever you go. So, do we leave our creature comforts behind, or sacrifice breaking our back carrying all our luggage?
We have great news for you! One travel accessory will make it, so you don’t have to choose! Introducing the hands-free travel cart HipStar™! This travel gear is designed to literally take the weight off your shoulders. The uniquely designed system acts like a trailer and balances the weight on two wheels and attaches to your hip, giving you full hands-free mobility while carrying a light or a heavy load behind you.
The HipStar™ is a project of our passion in striving to help people achieve full mobility with only the power of two legs and accomplish physical feats they never thought possible – no matter if they’re young or old. It will be an affordable way to make travels more enjoyable.
If you are on-the-go, you need a versatile and convenient way to lug all your gear when hiking, camping, or simply traveling from one place to another. That's how we invented HipStar™ - a light collapsible cart that makes it easy to move heavy items over any type of terrain hands-free with little effort and can be used as a backpack or bike trailer depending on the needs of its user.
In designing the HipStar™, the goal was to create a unique product that is MULTIPURPOSE, COMFORTABLE and most importantly, DURABLE.
The HipStar™ is the culmination of an extensive research to develop a light, collapsible cart that makes it easy to move heavy items hands-free over any type of terrain. The HipStar’s versatility allows it to be used as a cart, backpack, or bike trailer depending on the needs of its user.
The HipStar carts are a perfect fit for a wide range of travelers - from outdoor lovers to military personnel and globetrotters, or anyone who just wants to go for a short stroll. This is the perfect solution for anyone carrying heavy gear to take the strain and weight off your body, so you can focus on being on the move.
Not to mention senior citizens, physically impaired people, or people with back problems - it will breathe new life into their adventures all while reducing unnecessary physical stress.
To conquer more uneven terrain like ravines, rivers, or even stairs, the cart converts to a backpack in seconds simply by folding the wheels and handles, and extending the shoulder straps. The rigid yet lightweight aluminum frame conforms to your back and helps keep it straight while distributing the weight.
In this mode, the entire weight of your luggage or gear is balanced on two wheels joined by a single axle. The handles of the cart attach to your hip by way of a unique harness and actuators, minimizing the stress on your body, and allowing you to move the load simply by walking forward. The actuating handles and harness also minimize any jolting of the load generated from walking.
The angle between handles and frame can be adjusted, so the HipStar accommodates a wide range of weights, and by keeping a bag’s CG not only above but slightly ahead of the wheel axle, the HipStar's overall stability is increased. It eliminates pushback force created while walking or running that would overturn the cart. As a result, a bag’s weight is supported almost entirely by the frame with wheels, and the user applies only the pulling force to generate movement. Combined, both the unique placement of the center of gravity and the HipStar's harness make it nearly impossible for the cart to turn over.
Important distinction is in the harness design and the ability of the frame to amortize the inertial pushes and pulls related to walking or running, allowing the user to pull the cart smoothly with no body restraint.
The upper design allows the user to adjust to fit based on height. The handle-strut angle is also adjustable depending on the load weight, harness height (waist height), and distance from feet to wheels, all of which assist in relieving the stress from the load, allowing the user to walk or run without interference from the cart.
The adjustable harness that comfortably attaches the telescopic handles to the user’s hips.
Brakes would slow down or stop HipStar in case of going downhill, or any unpredictable movement or falling.
Two-way shock absorber rods minimize the uneven inertia generated by the user when walking or running, allowing for smooth movement, further reducing stress and minimizing user effort and exertion.
The aluminum frame is light yet strong enough to hold substantial weight, and the large wheels help traverse a wide range of terrain.
Whether you’re a travel enthusiast seeking to alleviate the strain coming from lugging your luggage, or a professional looking for a way to increase your mobility while transporting your gear, or taking an excursion to a remote beach, or traveling to the far corners of the world, the HipStar™ is the perfect solution for those who need to bring ALL their necessities wherever their journey takes them.
Sign up for the mailing list to be the first to hear about Hipstar’s launch and pre-order yours today!
A suitcase balances a lot of weight on one axle - the same design used in the HipStar.
Even with a suitcase, you have to hold it and drag it behind you. The HipStar attaches to your hip and leaves enough room behind you so your heels don’t hit it when you are walking or running.
Walking is a series of many accelerations and decelerations - or stop-and-go. Even a small weight will generate annoying push-and-pulls when rigidly attached to your body. The HipStar’s shock absorbers and flexible harness even out those disturbing walking motions for a comfortable experience.
The HipStar folds down into a backpack in seconds, making it easy to climb some stairs or hike up a mountain. The heaviest model weighs only ten pounds. And when you reach flat ground, expand it, attach it to your hip, and you’re good to go.
The HipStar is able to completely collapse, allowing you to store it in your closet, your trunk, or even carry-on on a plane.
Heavy backpacks create a forward trunk lean (rounding of upper back), which causes a forward head posture with extended neck, creating a neck and shoulder pain and make it difficult for muscles and ligaments to hold the body up. After a long day on the trail, even 5 kg (11 lbs.) will feel heavy no matter what you are carrying it in.
1) One pound on your feet equals five pounds on your back.
2) One pound on your feet equals five percent more energy expended.
3) Every one percent of your body weight makes you six seconds slower per mile.
4) Ten percent grade incline cuts your speed in half.
5) Going up slows you down twice as much as going down speeds you up. Every percent of incline adds 15 seconds to your mile pace. Every percent of decline takes 8 sec. off of your mile pace.
The various rolling bags and backpacks currently on the market were designed for use mainly in airports and railway stations – areas with smooth flooring. While wheels help move theses bags on short trips from the house to the car or the car to the hotel, they are practically useless for longer excursions and get stuck when trying to roll across uneven or rough surfaces. Additionally, tourists and hikers prefer to use conventional bags and backpacks because the internal frame and wheels of rolling bags take up valuable storage space and add excess weight.
So what can the travelers do? Rolling backpacks are not a solution, since they lack the shock absorption, balance adjustment, and wheel design to make them appropriate for long walks through the cobblestone streets of old Europe or the rugged terrain of a national park. Leaving vital gear at home is not an option either.
In a professional or military setting, the HipStar™ can be used to transport vital equipment and supplies over almost any terrain by rolling it on the ground or carrying it on the user’s back.
For serious mountain hikers and military use, the HipStar™ comes in a more durable option featuring additional hardware that reinforces the structure and allows for heavier gear to be carried with the same ease and comfort. For the military, a huge tactical issue is Rucking performance (Rucking is the military term for hiking under load). The issue is that soldiers must conduct dangerous missions wearing body armor, carrying weapons, ammo, water, and other heavy gear, putting them at further risk of injury. The HipStar™ can help military operations mitigate this injury risk by reducing the load these soldiers need to carry.
Military personnel will find the HipStar™ useful as a both a tactical and practical tool: on duty, the HipStar™ is perfect for moving heavy gear over any type of terrain; on leave, the HipStar™ can help personnel move their heavy backpacks while traveling. Since they’re not using civilian suitcases, the HipStar™ can help our service members move heavy, military-issue backpacks through airports and rail stations effortlessly by easily transforming into a rolling suitcase by pulling the handle located on the top of the frame. The HipStar™ can also stand on its own using its built-in kickstand — a convenient option when forced to wait in a long line.
The HipStar™ will be available in three versions: Light, Medium, and Heavy-duty. The heavy-duty model allows users to move up to 80 lbs. of gear with only 6 lbs. of force. A serious hiker's backpack can weigh up to 40 lbs or more. When used in cart mode, the user will only need to exert up to 3.5 lbs of force to move the backpack. Medium and light models make the HipStar an affordable solution for everyone.
