It’s created using bubble wrap, of all things.
For the homeless in rainy Ireland, staying dry while sleeping is no easy task. Even those with sleeping bags can wake up to a heavily soaked bag. That’s why 15-year-old Emily Duffy, a student at Desmond College in Limerick, Ireland, created a new sleeping bag. Not only does it keep the homeless warm and dry, but its metallic exterior helps them stay visible so that they’re not harmed while sleeping in parking lots. “I wanted to develop a sleeping bag that would solve some of the problems with existing cloth bags,” Emily said after presenting her idea at the Young Scientist event.
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Duffy’s sleeping bags, dubbed Duffily Bags, are made with waterproof, lightweight metallic bubble wrap. The bubbles work to help the bag retain heat, and the metallic exterior wicks the rain and dew off the sleeper. It also has a fire-resistant coating for those who sleep near a heat source. Plus, it’s wrapped in metallic, waterproof tape and has Velcro opening, enabling the sleeper to get out of danger in an instant if need be.
“It is lightweight and designed to last,” she said of her prototype bag. “It will last many years and much longer than a conventional sleeping bag.” The bags are helping former homeless alcoholics get back on their feet as well. Many recovering drinkers who have successfully completed Dublin’s detox program are given jobs manufacturing the bags as a source of income and to help give back to the community.
(H/T The Irish Times)
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