Our Story

We started TravlerPack when we became aware of the millions of people who have been displaced from their homes during the Syrian civil war. One of the greatest challenges they face is the weather. The winter brings plunging temperatures and brutal snowstorms, and many refugees do not have the proper means to stay warm.

In the beginning, we wanted to design a sleeping bag to keep people warm. After speaking with refugees about their living conditions, we decided we needed to rethink the sleeping bag. We built TravlerPack as a disaster resilience tool to address basic needs like secure storage and mobility while providing warmth. In the past two years we sewed our first prototype together in a dorm kitchen and negotiated with manufacturers; we tested our bag by spending the night outside in a snowstorm and spoke to refugees and nonprofits across the world; we developed a product that we believe can keep people warm while improving their quality of life and launched a campaign that raised $52,000; and we sent 600 TravlerPacks to Syria.

Since our first distribution in winter 2017, we have followed up with the recipients of TravlerPacks. The feedback has been positive. We know that TravlerPack is making a difference in these people’s lives and we want to continue this impact in the coming winters.

Timeline

A brief timeline has been provided below to shed some context on the project’s progress since the inception in September 2016.

• August - November 2016: Project Inspiration, Research, and Connection with Nonprofits.

• January - April 2017: Prototyping, Manufacturing, and Nonprofit Partnership.

• May - August 2017: Design of TravlerPack.

• September - December 2017: Crowdfunding ($52,000) and Media Campaign.

• January - February 2018: TravlerPack distribution (600 bags) in Idlib, Syria.

• March - August 2018: Redesign of TravlerPack.

• January - February 2019: TravlerPack distribution (400 bags) in Idlib, Syria.

• January 2020: TravlerPack distribution (140 bags) in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon.

• August 2020: TravlerPack distribution (20 bags) in Beirut, Lebanon.

• April 2021: TravlerPack distribution (200 bags) in Idlib, Syria.

• January - May 2022: Crowdfunding Campaign (~$117,000).

• January - February 2023: TravlerPack distribution (2,135 bags) in Idlib, Syria.

• October 2023: Local TravlerPack Production and Distribution (250 bags) in Idlib, Syria.

• November 2023: TravlerPack distribution (1,000 bags) in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon.

• December 2023: TravlerPack distribution (1,000 bags) in Gaza Camp, Jordan.

• January 2024 - March 2024: 3,000 TravlerPack sleeping bags sent to United Palestinian Appeal to support displaced Palestinians.

Our Present Team

Past Team Members