Our story began in San Francisco in 2020. 

I had worked as a designer and metal fabricator for 15 years, creating high-end residential and commercial projects. When the pandemic hit, I suddenly had time on my hands and a stronger pull than ever to get outside. I’ve always chased the outdoors: mountain biking, snowboarding, camping, backpacking. But when I started looking for places to go, every park was closed except one: Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth. Completely exposed, I knew that if I was going there, I’d need serious shade.

At the time, I had a 2018 Chevy Silverado. Side-mounted awnings weren’t an option. I didn’t have a roof rack, and I didn’t want the hassle of pop-up canopy. I wanted shade anchored to my truck, something I could use over and around my tailgate where I’d spend my time. 

I started looking for hitch-mounted shade systems and was surprised by what I found: just a handful of flimsy, poorly designed attachments holding small round patio umbrellas. Nothing built with the vehicle in mind. Nothing suited to the way I wanted to use it, so I built my own. I found the largest patio umbrella I could, 15’ x 8’ and fabricated a custom hitch for it.

The rectangular shape was a game changer, providing coverage over the truck bed, extending behind the tailgate, or rotating perpendicular along the side, something a round umbrella simply can’t do. 

I took it to the desert for five nights, solo. I cooked under it. Slept under it. Moved it as the sun shifted. And I loved it. People stopped to ask where I got it. That trip was the seed for HUMBRA.

In June 2021, we launched the original hitch mounted canopy and sold it for more than two years. It wasn’t perfect and had some clear limitations, but it struck a chord with consumers and proved the concept. During that time, we listened to every customer we spoke to. I took careful notes on what worked, what didn’t, and where the real pain points were.

That feedback became the blueprint for the Firefly.

We started development in early 2023 and spent more than two years refining every detail. The Firefly’s asymmetric cantilever design delivers greater reach and versatility. Linear edges enable flexible sidewall configurations, while its streamlined profile enhances wind resistance and integrates seamlessly with your vehicle. 

Manufactured in Europe with premium materials, the Firefly is optimized for pickups, the most popular vehicle on the road, but works equally well with SUVs, Jeeps, side-by-sides, and short-roof vans. It’s modular, serviceable, and built to integrate with your vehicle in ways a pop-up or side-awning never could.

That balance of quality, design, and versatility is what sets the Firefly apart. And we’re not stopping here. New attachments and configurations have been tested and are already in development to take the design even further. While some details are still under wraps, our mission remains exactly as it was on that first trip to Death Valley: to create high performance, vehicle integrated shade systems that work every time, anywhere you take them.

-Kevin Craford
Founder, Humbra