Backpack Bed by Swags for Homeless are an innovative design solution to the problem of temporary housing for homeless people. These swag beds provide safe, warm shelter. They are made of a new material, Litetrex, that is durable, fire-retardent, lightweight, and easy to set up. Where the design focus for these beds is largely on aiding the homeless, they have also proven useful in disaster situations for displaced persons.
Swags for Homeless also has an innovative approach to marketing and distribution of the beds by getting the general public involved in supporting their cause. One can either donate a bed to a homeless person for $68 or purchase their own for $220, with all proceeds going to Swags for Homeless.
The Backpack Bed won the PHM Award for Excellence in Innovation in Australia and a Red Dot Award for "Best of the Best" in Germany, both in 2011.
Deborah Turnbull
Assistant Curator,
May 2013
http://www.swags.org.au/backpack_bed_for_homeless.html#
http://www.gooddesignaustralia.com/awards/past/entry/backpack-bed/?year=2011