It is possible the future of hunting and survival fashion has been written by a group of design students in London?
There have been other attempts at transformer-style outer gear. The Jakpak is one, but it’s really more of a wearable bivvy sack than a tent. A skirt folds down to create a sleeping bag, and a small dome proves shelter for head and shoulders, but it can’t really be called a proper tent.
Then here comes a new one designed by a group of students at London’s Royal College of Art. It’s called a jacket, but it’s really more of a poncho. Maybe the best feature is that it’s made of super light and durable Tyvek with a Mylar lining. The Mylar is reflective, so it provides a heat retainer just like an emergency space blanket.
The designers, who launched a Kickstarter campaign for the project, incorporated collapsible tent poles to move the garment away from Jakpak-style iterations, letting it become a true one-person tent once converted. The wearable garment was designed with refugees from the Syrian conflict in mind, but like all wars, a new concept born of necessity will find their way into the outdoor worl.
In fact, imagine a nice RealTree or Mossy Oak cammo pattern on it. Not only does it make you now an effective and versatile hunter, but you’ll look a lot like a rebel soldier from the Ewok sequence in Return of The Jedi.
Okay, that was a stretch, but how about this: It also converts to a sleeping bag, and the tent configuration is large enough to house an adult and a couple children. The jacket is in fact a little bit more than a poncho: it had pockets that can accommodate documentation, mobile phones, or other personal effects.
Photo credit: Royal College of Art
