Claytor is an avid cyclist and backpacker who spent 16 years pouring bourbon for Dayton locals behind the Century Bar before starting Two Trails with his partner Capretta, who has a design degree and works remotely doing marketing for a staffing agency. The latter became a “van lifer” in 2021. It was the same year she got Journey, her faithful canine companion.
The set of wheels that doubles as Capretta’s live/work space while she’s on the road half the time is a transit work van that she converted to a livable mobile vehicle with help from her father. Van lifers embrace a lifestyle of living and traveling in a mobile vehicle, enjoying the freedom and minimalism of escaping traditional routines.
Home base for Claytor, 48, and Capretta, 39, is a modest house in East Dayton.
Outside the box
At a time when our National Parks are already seeing a crisis of funding coupled with a government shutdown, Two Trails has partnered with The Conservation Alliance, which advocates for the protection of North American wilderness with a coalition of like-minded businesses. Two Trails incorporates the TCA logo on their products.
“They do a lot out in the parks and lobbying for the important bills that protect land,” said Capretta.
Claytor had an early childhood that set him up for a love of the land.
“Until I was seven we lived in an earth home in Montana, a house inside of a mountain. I didn’t have anything out of a box until I went to kindergarten. I was so excited to have a milk carton,” laughed Claytor.
He has twice hiked a 72-mile circuit in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, comfortably camping solo for a week in rural wilderness.
Hikers, bikers, van lifers
The couple’s morning starts between 5 and 6 A.M., feeding Journey and taking her for a walk before making coffee and getting to computer work.
“Journey dictates our schedule. She eats on the 7:00 hour and the 5:00 hour,” said Capretta.
The custom shirts, all designed by Claytor and Capretta, are printed to order in themes specific to locations the couple have visited. They have already built a library of 150 designs ahead of their official launch in Spring 2026 that will take them out in the van to visit potential retail partners.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
“‘Two Trails’ is our paths merging. He’s the bike and hike, and I’m the hike and van life,” said Capretta.
They are printed and shipped from North Carolina and Texas. The shirts are made in California.”
The creative duo also dabble in woodworking, stained glass, and macrame.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
“When we were first building Two Trails, our day-to-day was designing. Now the business is running and we’re making sales, so we have customer service, advertising, social content.”
“I get content ready for the next couple weeks. I spend three or four hours a day on ads,” said Claytor.
A phone dings to indicate a Shopify sale.
“When we’re out and about we’re trying to capture stuff for social for the storytelling part of what we want our brand to be,” said Capretta.
Claytor has YouTube channels where he pieces together content from his days out on trails.
“It’s a lot of computer work, but the whole goal is to be near places where we can take time away from the devices,” said Capretta.
“We take an early afternoon break. If it’s warm out, he’ll go for a bike ride. I take Journey to a park and do my workout there with her. You’ve gotta step away from the screen.”
Building character
Capretta then spends time planning her next trip, a process that involves prepping the van, dehydrating food, and plotting out a map.
“I get an oil change. Get maps of the area. I make sure we have enough days of food packed and ready. I’ll look at specific apps, like iOverlander, where I find off-grid and free camp sites. It also helps me find clean water and showers.
“It’s an adventure of letting yourself get lost and figuring it out along the way. It builds skills and character,” she said.
“I’ve met some amazing people. The first time I went up to the Finger Lakes in New York I met this other single female van lifer. We became good friends and still keep in touch.”
“You’re never bored. There are scary parts when you’re living like this, but they’re few and far between. Sitting out here working, we feel comfortable and at home. Journey loves it. She can sleep in anything from mud and muck to snow.”
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
The van
Chores are a big part of van life.
“We put the bed up. Both chairs swivel around. There is an electric generator for all of my lights and the fan that can blow air in or out. We wired everything.”
Overhead lights are recessed into a wood paneled ceiling. She has solar panels she can pull out as back up to the generator.
The Murphy bed is held up to the wall by bungee cords. Capretta built a platform on the passenger seat for Journey to sleep on. It’s full of her stuffed animal “babies”, which she carries around in her mouth. A desk swivels out and stays in place with magnets. An electric water dispenser sit in the makeshift kitchen.
Back at the ranch
“Here in Dayton we cook quite a bit. We try to live within our means and we want to be healthy. Cooking together almost serves as our date night. We turn some music on and have fun in the kitchen,” said Capretta.
“Sometimes the three of us sit out on the front porch and watch the neighborhood and look at the stars and brainstorm more designs.”
“Entrepreneurship is not 9 to 5. There might be football on the TV, but we have laptops out,” said Claytor.
“Then we cash it in. We’re in bed early,” said Capretta.
Organized chaos
“If you go into someone’s creative space, it’s like organized chaos. That’s kind of what our day’s like. The work behind this comes from us going on a hike, sitting around the fire, playing music and coming up with ideas.”
The couple’s dreams include building partnerships on the road by designing custom shirts for small stores, and having their own Harvest Host land. It’s a program that connects van lifers with a network of farms, wineries, and breweries for free overnight stays, like a gourd barn Capretta stayed on in the Upper Peninsula.
As Two Trails plot their next adventure, the duo talked about how it happened to be Mental Health Awareness Day, a reminder of the merits of getting outdoors and the challenge of staying just connected enough to live a modern life.
MORE DETAILS
About the Author
