Designing for Bikepacking: A Holistic Approach
Loading...
Date
2023
Authors
Sindler, Jesse
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
While playing or engaging in many sports an athlete only demands performance
from their apparel and equipment for, at most, several hours and sometimes for only
several seconds. Often, during these moments of engagement, the athlete is
performing a repetitive set of movements, such as running, lifting, kicking, dribbling, or
peddling in environments that have been curated to be as consistent as possible in
order to both literally and figuratively level the field of play. This consistency allows the
design of the related apparel and equipment to provide for a more shallow set of needs
and jobs to be done. Other sports, by their very nature, demand a greater level of
immersion, both in terms of participation and design. Some even require an entire shift
in lifestyle to participate, sometimes for only a day, but often for weeks and sometimes
months at a time. While engaging in such sports, an athlete’s entire way of being
changes. While any athlete will be experiencing the world in a different way during the
brunt of their physical exertion (and possibly for a brief time before and after), these
particular sports change how the athlete rests, sleeps, and shelters, how they consume
and prepare nutrition, how they maintain their personal hygiene and provide for their
healthcare, how the use and maintain their equipment and apparel and even how they
relate and engage with their environment and other people. Because of this, these
sports require equipment and apparel that is designed with a consideration of the
athlete’s needs during the peak of their physical exertion as well as many other user
moments.
Description
67 pages
Keywords
bikepacking, backpacking, bicycles, environment