Its hard-edged, ruggedized off-road underpinnings are softened up by a host of modern amenities and options ranging from a widescreen stargazing window to a Bluetooth sound system.

The Escapod story started four years ago with a theme that's appeared in the story of many a small trailer startup. Founder Chris Hudak and his now wife Jen, a former pro skier who was recently a finalist on The Amazing Race television show, were zipping across the map racing mountain bikes and chasing adventure. Tired of the all-too-familiar routine of racing home from work, loading up the car with the full bike and camping kit, and losing the battle against the setting sun to arrive at camp after dark, they decided on a simpler solution: a trailer to hold all their gear day-in and day-out, so they could just hitch and go.