MULTI-USE SURVIVAL PACK

Project idea

It’s a certain global grief, the sight of thousands of people losing their homes due to all sort of crisis, from war to earthquake or any other natural disaster. These people are forced to leave their home and try to find shelter in the middle of a desert, plain or jungle, or lots of them cross their borders to seek refuge in another country. Hard situation of living or travelling on foot causes a vast number of death among women and children, as just we could remember recent painful perish of innocent Syrian children all over the news. As a tiny humanitarian act, we could supply some simple, quick and affordable features for people in crisis to at least decrease their suffering.
There are all sort of survival boxes available, both commercial and as aid packs, but they all come with a useless containing box. The designers had this idea to design a multiuse box, which could be used as a shelter besides being a suitcase. The box is a folding cube, containing necessary survival accessories, such as blanket, drugs and first aid supplies, clean water, fire making accessories, flashlight, and canned food which could be carried easily and be used as a shelter with both ground cloth and cover.

Project description

This project is to design a multi-use suitcase, with survival supplies inside, which the package itself works as a shelter in size of an average human with his/her belongings. It could be distributed by humanitarian organizations or could be dropped down from a helicopter in urgent situations. The design is considered to be used by any survivor of war, or any natural disasters. The suitcase size is 90*42*20 cm which could be packed 2 times bigger with additional personal objects inside, and 90*90*230 cm as a shelter which they could keep their belongings inside. The prototype is created with cost of a hamburger in designed city.

Technical information

The box sizes are 42*90*20 cm in packed situation, and it would provide a 230 cm long shelter and 90*90 face. As we consider average height of a man 170cm, they could keep their belongings inside with them. The whole prototype box is made of just 3 cardboard sheets and a 250 cm cheap nylon roll and a cost of hamburger.
The package could be manufactured by any humanitarian organization in any part of the world and for any people from any race or culture. They are designed to be distributed and stored easily by their cubic form. In the emergency conditions it could be dropped down from a helicopter, and its parachute could be used as the coverage when it is obtained. As the box is folded in modular proportions, it could be used for personal belongings after deliverance, and if they overload the box, it could be packed 2 to 3 times bigger.

Prototype cost: tree 120*90 Carton sheets = 4 € / 9m2 Nylon sheet = 2 € / strap = 1.7 € / total: 7.7€ (price of a hamburger were the design happened)

Material: Canvas or Oilcloth, tent fabric or nylon sheet / prototype: Carton and nylon

Co-authors

Designers: Ghazaal La’li, Arash G Tehrani