Empa researchers create novel all-in-one shelter
Swiss research agency Empa has explained the workings behind an ‘all in one’ shelter for mountaineers, developed in collaboration with start-up Polarmond and which won a gold award at the Outdoor Friedrichshafen trade show.
It combines the functions of a sleeping bag, sleeping mat and bivouac in one product. The shelter conditions remain comfortable due to a dehumidifying system and a temperature control mechanism.
It allows the user to sleep comfortably at temperatures down to -30°C, heated by the occupant’s body heat.
The great challenge for Empa researchers Martin Camenzind and Matthew Morrissey in terms of thermal insulation was the size of the space. Despite the spacious inner room, the weight of the total system has to be kept as low as possible to make the product attractive for trekkers and mountaineers.
"An inner room of this size is not the easiest option for a product that must be as light as possible," said Mr Camenzind. "It would be more efficient to have the insulation layer in direct contact with the body." Because of several requirements, like this one, which were contradictory, Morrissey and Camenzind initially decided to name the sleeping system "magic tent".
"If you want to find new solutions, you have to think outside the box and look beyond the standard methods," said Mr Camenzind. The scientists developed a sandwich construction for the insulation, consisting of a fluffy synthetic filling with reflective layers, also used in spacesuits.
Polarmond CEO, Walter Krummenacher. "We are very satisfied with our product, but it’s not quite finished yet." The All-in-one-Sleeping System should appear on the market in March 2016.
