Adam Friedrich

Airy Backpack

Airy is a lightweight, water resistant, packable backpack made from upcycled paraglides. By repurposing a single paraglide — utilising its fabric, cords, and bands — 80 to 100 backpacks can be created, giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to waste. Designed for hiking, travel, and daily activities, Airy addresses a common issue found in packable backpacks: a lack of structure. Most packable backpacks tend to be soft and floppy, making them less comfortable and functional. Airy solves this problem by incorporating inflatable reinforcements that use air to provide structure. Design ensures the backpack remains rigid and comfortable while still being ultralight and highly compact when not in use.

Every year, approximately 100,000 parachutes and paraglides are decommissioned and potentially discarded worldwide. Made primarily of durable, high-quality ripstop nylon, paraglides must be replaced after a set period due to strict safety regulations. However, even after retirement, the material remains in excellent condition. Disposing of them results in a significant waste of high-quality synthetic fabric.

10/24-01/25

Guided by: Kim Colin (Industrial Facility) & Maxwell Ashford
Designed and developed at ECAL, Lausanne, Switzerland
Photography: Daniel Martínez