Zippelin: An Inflatable Travel Bag Made of Recycled Truck Tarps

dornob — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 07:00:15 +0000

How many times have you lunged toward a familiar-looking suitcase passing by on the baggage claim conveyer belt only to realize it’s not yours? Owning luggage that looks just like everyone else’s only adds another unnecessary headache to the stress of traveling, and then when you finally get it home, it takes up a whole lot of space in storage until your next trip. Now, a novel offering from Switzerland-based company Freitag, which has spent the last 24 years making unique recycled bags and accessories, is looking to change all that. Made of reclaimed truck tarpaulins, the “ZIPPELIN” bills itself as the world’s first inflatable travel bag, with an interior frame made of bike tubes that folds totally flat when deflated.

The main material for the ZIPPELIN is a used tarp, often covered in oversized lettering, which is cut to size to create random patterns. This makes each bag entirely unique, so you never have to worry about mistaking your suitcase for someone else’s. The bag has a capacity of 85 liters (5200 square inches), but when you’re done with it, it rolls up and becomes as small as an article of clothing. Still, this is no shapeless, soft-sided travel bag destined to get beat up during transit, failing to protect whatever you’ve packed inside.

When Freitag first decided to make a suitcase, they experimented with more traditional frames but found that the resulting bags were always too heavy to get through baggage check, even when they were only half-full. Then, the designers had a brilliant realization: they could take inspiration from their favorite mode of transportation and replace the conventional heavy frame with the inner tube of a bicycle, which can be inflated quickly and easily using a standard pump.

“When you are ready to pack for your trip, unroll ZIPPELIN and inflate it with a standard bicycle pump to 30 PSI,” the company explains. “At check-in, remove ZIPPELIN’s wheels. Once you land, re-attach the wheels without tools. Use the lockable double zipper when you need to access the main compartment. To repair or replace the inner tube, just remove it from an easily accessible zipped-up compartment.”

The company employs five tarp buyers, who they call “truck spotters,” to scope out the truck stops of Europe and hunt down the coolest looking tarps. Once they’ve been acquired, Freitag cuts off all the eyelets, straps, and belts and gives the tarps a good washing. They use templates to cut sections out of the tarps, which are ultimately sewn into the ultra-durable and water-resistant ZIPPELIN bags. They’re secured with reclaimed seat belts, and can be rolled on their wheels or carried over the shoulder.

Freitag debuted the ZIPPELIN on Kickstarter, and it’s been such a successful project, they’ve run out of backer rewards before their campaign even ended. That means you can’t pre-order one anymore if you’ve already missed out, but the bag will be available at the Freitag online store eventually, where you’ll be able to choose from dozens of color and design options. Are you “pumped” about this space-saving, environmentally-friendly travel bag?

The post Zippelin: An Inflatable Travel Bag Made of Recycled Truck Tarps first appeared on Dornob.

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Zippelin: An Inflatable Travel Bag Made of Recycled Truck Tarps