Read also:
aldi, bauhn soundbar 2018 office works set top box rover mini rider mower reviews mitsubishi - mrcx370ejsta1 - 370l 3 door bottom mount fridge sabco supadry spin mop and bucket set roger armstrong supreme digital video monitor ra4500 smith+nobel air fryer gerni classic 125.5 titan corded pressure cleaner
Backpack Bed for Homeless
Great thing
I do a bit of charity work and have spoken to rough sleepers who use these swags and they swear by them. I've even handed some out. The design and build is for rough sleepers not campers. I've given them out to rough sleepers who all they had was a piece of cardboard and a thin blanket. They love these things which was the catalyst for the design. A big well done to the designers and manufacturers.
1 comment
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
- Verified purchase
Ergonomically very bad
First let me say that it bothers me having to give this product a bad review, as I know it was originally designed to help the homeless, for whom a backpack bed is a great gift - even one with bad carrying ergonomics. However, this was bought (and marketed) as a camping backpack and it has serious problems. The backpack does work well as a bed (especially with an inflatable pillow and on top of a pile of leaves) and would be a great design if you didn't need to carry it - which is unfortunately what "backpack" implies. Perhaps the shape and par...Read more
allel-ness to the floor makes it look less like you're homeless than an upright standard backpack (though a survey/poll would have to be made to confirm this). However, the ergonomics are so bad that it totally undermines the lightness. I'd say it's in fact dangerous to your back and neck to carry this thing too long with any added weight - which is what one would expect a homeless person to do - or someone going out camping. This is actually fairly obvious simply looking at the ads out there, showing how it sits on the back. The "design award" led me to suspend disbelief and think that it had good ergonomics. The most painful and obvious flaw I noticed right away is the distance between shoulder straps at the bottom - it is only 7 inches (!!!) when it should be more than twice that much. Look at any backpack. This results in the fabric between those 7 inches being raised and painfully impinging on your back. I tried fixing that by cutting the straps and manually sowing them about 18 inches apart, which was quite a bit of work. This improved things a bit, but the support and weight distribution remained terrible, impinging on my clavicle, trapezius and parts of my back, and making me really sore with only the most basic of survival items added to the swag. It seems that the most basic guidelines of backpack ergonomics --available on the internet and known by companies for decades - were ignored, and that no one was consulted in this area. I assume that the homeless were not asked about it either, as it's usually assumed that they are lucky enough to get one and should't look a gift horse in the mouth. The best thing at this point might be to maintain the basic internal features, but re-design the carrying ergonomics and weight distribution, adding some back foam support and a small strap at the chest level joining the shoulder straps; fixing the distance between the straps, and possibly turning them and the backpack to be perpendicular to the floor instead of parallel. This would probably result in a better weight distribution and would certainly be more spatially efficient. The length when parallel to the floor makes you bump against people and various objects, from doors to trees. I will probably cut the shoulder straps off and just put the whole thing inside my hiking backpack.
1 comment
BackpackBed.org B.Backpack Bed for Homeless
Thank you Jonathan - we appreciate your feedback.
The charity notes this review is not for a Homeless model Backpack Bed but a previous social enterprise model sold for personal use; not sold for years.
... Read more
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Simply clever
I was looking for a swag I could carry around as I love hiking and reach good spots. This one is impressivly light! When you compare it to those massiv heavy canvas swags you can only set next to your car. Not my cup of tea.
The backpack is not the most confortable as it isn't reinforced. Anyway you can adjust it and it's good.
I never plan to sleep inside for very long so I never had to worry about condensation. also you've got a window with a net where you feet are. If you open it that would help. You just need to know what you want and...Read more
what you need. I personnaly couldn't find any better for 220 dollars (I get the basic version). I wanted a swag or anything I could carry around and use as a rain protection. And YES the backpack bed makes a good tarp. Not a proper one, as it isn't that flat and one sheet and bag would be flapping on a side. It's easy to imagine by looking at the photos. But it is all I needed: a waterproof fabric with enough eyelet or whatever to tie it. Makes a good shade and rain protection area over my hammock or the roof rack of my 4wd (I use it as a double bed). So light and compact! Also regarding to the reason why it's been created, I admire that product and I am more than happy to give them my money rather than big business company which provides expensiv product but never try to inovate something different.. A light bed easy to carry.
1 comment
BackpackBed.org B.Backpack Bed for Homeless
Thank you Audrey - we appreciate your feedback.
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Find out how Backpack Bed for Homeless compares to other Swags
Know better, choose better.
VikkiQueensland
Adequate
I just spent a week sleeping in mine. We bush camped and spent a couple of nights on a verandah. The biggest problem is the condensation between the swag and the sleeping bag in the morning. Luckily, I could leave it open to dry out. I also added a small self inflating mattress and was very comfortable & warm. I only used the strings to suspend it twice but didn’t really lift the swag that much, which is why I didn’t bother after that. The inner flyscreen meant I could leave the cover open and sleep without worrying about what was crawlin...Read more
g over me while I slept. The bed width is fairly small, OK for a woman but may not be enough for a larger sized man. The bag was very handy for overnight storage of shoes, torch & clothes etc but didn’t hold a great deal when bed inside. We had a 20 minute downpour of rain one night and I was perfectly dry in the morning (other than condensation) I don’t know how it would have coped with a night of rain. Light & easy to store. Condensation could become a problem1 comment
BackpackBed.org B.Backpack Bed for Homeless
Thank you Vikki - we appreciate your feedback.
Great to hear after a 20min downpour you were dry the tape sealed seams give that confidence.... Read more
Condensation is a natural process that will occur on surfaces where warm and cold air temperatures meet: - The main source of condensation is our breath. - Overnight you can exhale as much as 1 Litre of water. - When the warmer moist air meets the cold air condensation will form. - Condensation can occur in all swags / tents. Condensation can be reduced with ventilation. This is why the homeless Backpack Bed has 3 insect mesh ventilation points. The head and foot vents can also remain open in rain. The charity notes this review is not for a Homeless model Backpack Bed but a previous social enterprise model sold for personal use; not sold for years. Thank you. Backpack Bed for HomelessSimilar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
slortaGreater Melbourne (Outer), VIC
- 6 reviews
- 3 likes
- Verified purchase
Not what I hoped for...
Having recently bought one of these swags for my own use I must say that I was somewhat disappointed by the overall construction of the backpack bed. The bag itself is not really useful as anything except for carrying the bed and perhaps a few other items. I have no idea how one would be able to carry the rest of ones kit, and its design means that it takes the central role of the backpack. A single, heavily rubberized handle is sewn directly to the fabric rather than to any supporting straps, would also lead me to believe that lugging it ar...Read more
ound via this method would not only be impractical but would more than likely result in wear and tear damage to the unit. A lack of fittings at the ends of the bag mean that it cannot be easily fitted with a strap to allow it to be slung in a sideways location. It would have been better if it could have been designed so that it could be easily strapped on to another backpack, or perhaps worn on the front in order to balance out the overall load a person may be carrying. Other issues I have are the flimsy caribiner's, questionable quality of fittings, the overall dimensions of the unit, and the lack of any alternative method of raising the "canopy" apart from tying it to "convenient" located trees, sign posts, etc. A couple of flexible tubes could possibly have solved this issue, and made the unit feel less like a tarp blanket. I had hoped this would be something that would have lead to more convenience, but I could not recommend it above using a simple tent (for a third of the price) or even using the old tarp and blanket method (even cheaper and in the end probably more versatile). The fabric material appears to be of quite good quality. Arrived promptly upon payment. $320 for a poorly designed unit that does not really take into account the other gear that a person may be carrying.Purchased in April 2021 at Charity Wear for A$320.00.
1 comment
BackpackBed.org B.Backpack Bed for Homeless
Thank you - we appreciate your feedback.
The charity notes this review is not for a Homeless model Backpack Bed but a previous social enterprise model sold for personal use; not sold for 7 years.
... Read more
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Questions & Answers
Dawn Gasked
Can you tell me what percentage of donations are used for the backpack beds. Also are these Australian made from Australian products and what is the cost of one. We are wanting to donate but need to know how much needed for each. Thanks
Dawn
1 answer
BackpackBed.org B.Backpack Bed for Homeless
Hi Dawn,
Thank you for your question and for kindly considering making a donation.
To save homeless people’s lives:
- Each Backpack Bed meets 47 international standards for quality and safety (e.g. fire retardancy and water repellency).
- The charity independently lab tests each production to these high standards.
- Our Backpack Beds and the high tech LiteTrex fabric they are made from are designed in Australia and manufactured overseas.
- Unfortunately there are no manufacturers in Australia that can meet these requirements.
- The manufacturing uses specialised equipment such as for the tape sealed seams (like you find on expensive ski jackets) to ensure homeless people stay dry.
- We have had some people on the street use the same Backpack Bed for over 4 years so high quality and product safety are very important to protect these vulnerable people.
- Each homeless Backpack Bed costs $110 including the delivery and program costs.
If you need any further information you can contact the charity on 1300 AUS HELP (1300 287 4357) or [email protected]
Online donations can be made on our website https://backpackbed.org
Thank you again
Backpack Bed for Homeless
Debbie Sasked
Hi,
The reviews of the backpack bed show where improvements are warranted. Will you be improving your product?
1 answer
BackpackBed.org B.Backpack Bed for Homeless
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for your question. Yes, the charity constantly receives feedback from homeless Backpack Bed recipients via a reply paid postcard and pen included in every unit.
The charities Homeless Model Backpack Bed has been awarded 7 international product design awards and the design includes both feedback from users and a balance of cost.
Unfortunately numerous reviews on this site are not for our “Homeless model Backpack Bed” but for social enterprise designs that have not been sold for years.
Rough sleeper usage in urban environments - must follow council rules, keep people safely camouflaged and be easy to use for low levels of literacy are very different to the features requested by “campers”.
Our postcard feedback overwhelmingly is very positive and tells us that the Backpack Bed saves lives.
Thank you
Backpack Bed for Homeless
Debbie Sasked
Hi,
The reviews of the backpack bed show where improvements are warranted. Will you be improving your product?
1 answer
BackpackBed.org B.Backpack Bed for Homeless
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for your question. Yes, the charity constantly receives feedback from homeless Backpack Bed recipients via a reply paid postcard and pen included in every unit.
The charities Homeless Model Backpack Bed has been awarded 7 international product design awards and the design includes both feedback from users and a balance of cost.
Unfortunately numerous reviews on this site are not for our “Homeless model Backpack Bed” but for social enterprise designs that have not been sold for years.
Rough sleeper usage in urban environments - must follow council rules, keep people safely camouflaged and be easy to use for low levels of literacy are very different to the features requested by “campers”.
Our postcard feedback overwhelmingly is very positive and tells us that the Backpack Bed saves lives.
Thank you
Backpack Bed for Homeless
Other Swags
Moondyne Contrail Apex
5.0(1)Kulkyne King Single
5.0(2)Darche King Tourer
5.0(1)
Listing monitored by Backpack Bed for Homeless representatives.
ieatwords.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ieatwords.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.
BackpackBed.org B.Backpack Bed for Homeless
Thank you - we appreciate your feedback.
The charity partners with over 700+ Homeless Agencies in Australia alone who also tell us Backpack Beds save lives.