YAWN: one night in nature

Abstract: This project got inspired by Alastair Humphreys‘ book ”Microadventures. Micro adventures are small escapes from daily life which should be ”short, simple, close to the home and cheap” as Humphreys writes. For me, the epitome of micro-adventures is staying one night out in nature - an activity that shouldn’t afford a lot of gear, knowledge, money, or time and should be accessible for everyone. Focusing on sleeping outdoors, the general research includes the history of camping, and wild camping today as well as market research of today‘s camping gear, materials, and aesthetics of outdoor equipment. A main finding of the research was that today’s outdoor community can be exclusive due to their social media presence but also due to the high price of outdoor products and the aesthetics of outdoor gear. This might hold especially people back who never tried sleeping outdoors before. Focusing on the target group of beginners and intermediate campers, the aim was to create a product that symbolizes the last push for people to finally go on a micro adventure. The product should help to stay overnight in nature a well-working experience. The result is a bundle that contains a hammock, a tarp and a woolen blanket. The products are less technical than common outdoor products and easy to set up which makes them especially suitable for beginners. The colorful design questions nowadays aesthetic standards of outdoor products and brings playfulness into a world of functionality. The products are integrated into a renting system which makes an overnight stay in nature accessible to more people.