Unfortunately, natural disasters can often leave many people homeless and in desperate situations where they may be lacking in food, water, and electricity. The first few days of these situations are often the harshest, and often people die from the aftermath of a disaster just as much as from the disaster itself. For this reason, it is critical that there are recourses available for people after a large disaster. That is what this backpack, entitled the “First Few Days” backpack aims to do – provide a way for people to get clean water and electricity after a disaster.
Essentially, the idea behind the First Few Days backpack is only to help people survive until better aid comes. The backpack is worn as a backpack until clean water or electricity is needed, and then it is changed over into a chest pack.
Water is filtered by pumping it through an “ultra filtration” system. A simple hand pumping system is used, and while the water is being pumped, electricity is generated. This electricity can be used to charge a phone to call for help, and the backpack even includes the use of a USB port to charge these devices.
While the water is not %100 clean, the system is really only to help people survive until they can find the aid that they really need.
The inspiration for the backpack came from news headlines that appeared when Hurricane Sandy hit. The headlines described people looking for electrical outlets that worked in order for them to be able to charge their mobile devices to call for help.
The backpack could even be used in the future for military purposes, rescue teams, and even airlines in case of an emergency. We should see this device start to be available in the very near future, and hopefully it will help save a number of lives!
