As someone who’s been called an outdoor enthusiast, I understand the need for gear that isn’t bulky or awkward, is easy and comfortable to carry, and can be packed up quickly. However, there are people who consider a portable bed not a weekend accessory for the mountains, but an urgent necessity every night of the week. Homeless people can’t carry around a luxurious tent; they need something practical to lug around downtown streets.

That’s why Tony Clark’s charity, Swag for Homeless, distributes lightweight, easy to carry Backpack Beds to Australia’s homeless. The Backpack Bed is “the most awarded sleeping module in the world” and is made from a fire-retardant, windproof, waterproof, mildew-repelling UltTrex Lite fabric. The fabric covers a 6-foot 2-inch insulated foam mattress that sports a space blanket backing for added warmth. You just roll out the backpack into a bed when it’s time to sleep. It has mosquito protection, padded, adjustable backpack straps, and you won’t need to wet it down before you use it.

When it rains or when the sun is too strong to bear, there’s a cover that can be tied up to create a shelter and it’s waterproof with up to 5+ meters of water resting on it. All of this quickly rolls back up into the backpack, weighing a total of no more than 4 kg, or about 9 lbs. Handy for the homeless, and handy for hiking the West Coast Trail and backpacking across Europe, too.

If you want to donate one to a homeless person, you can purchase the Backpack Bed for $68 AUS (roughly $71 US) on the Swag for Homeless website. If you want one for yourself, it’s yours for $199 AUS. You can get something handy for that weekend camping trip, and sleep easy knowing all the proceeds went to helping out those without a home.

[via Gadget Review]

The post Waterproof backpack bed for homeless weighs only 9 lbs appeared first on Mobile Magazine.