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BlueCore | Backcountry Medical Response
Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 11:29AM ;)
watercolor diagram of pack; transparency showing insert
BlueCore reaches the areas where no other response teams can go. BlueCore is an emergency response system designed in reaction to the Haitian earthquake crisis of 2010. A team of backpacking doctors and nurses heads out into rural areas to set up temporary camps and provide medical relief to doctors. Doctors carry easily-recognizable hybrid backpacks that contain emergency medical supplies and enough gear for the team to stay up to 5 days.
BlueCore team members travel in with gear on a vehicle to remote urban areas. From these areast he members set out on foot to isolated rural areas for a multiple-day backpacking excursion. Team members arrive at their location and set up camp for five days where they will assist Haitians with basic medical needs such as minor wounds, GI issues, ulcers, cleanliness and sanitation. The backpack is also able to carry surgical equipment.
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modeled diagram of pack insert; exploded axon
The BlueCore crossover packs are the foundation of the system. Inspired by the efficiency of military gear and the ergonomics of backcountry gear, the hybrid packs have a specialized compartment at the core that houses a removable cylindrical insert containing medical equipment. This removable nested core is a compressible compartmentalized tower that zips apart into smaller segments so that doctors and nurses can work faster and more flexibly under pressure. All BlueCore gear packs out just as easily as it packs in; storage zones within the pack as well as latch points outside the pack allow for an easy trip out.
The process of coming up with the idea of BlueCore crossover pack was extremely fun and interactive. The Haiti studio is a highly collaborative studio that works together to blast through complex problems in order to generate and identify creative design solutions. The process began by strategically mapping out important issues surrounding the situation in Haiti. As we mapped out our ideas we were able to come up with solutions. Groups presented both in small groups and as a whole to critique ideas and brainstorm together. BlueCore backpacking system is based on a fact that resonated with us after a presentation from the nursing department. Part of the presentation displays text messages from Haitians after the earthquake in remote areas that are asking if others know if they are alive. This resonated with us; we set out to create a system that can go through rough terrain to reach people in remote areas and get help to them. BlueCore is based on ergonomic and ultra-lightweight backpacking gear as well as the masterfully-compartmentalized military medic bags.
Stephen Sawyer
Like the idea of using this pack as a whole that can be broken down into colored units depending on the needs of patients and physicians. The fact that it could be utilized by the local population and is highly portable overvarious terrains is another critical contribution. I am unsure if the current gear would contain enough material to last 5 days that's an awful lot to carry on your back.
Christian Powers in Michelle Hogue 
Reader Comments (3)
I was really interested in how compact your unit is and how it makes for easy transportation.
I applaude the thought that went into this project. It is really tough to work with such a small space and have everything organized and easy to access. Well done.
Is there some way that this pack can be even more versatile to accommodate different size loads or even explore how they stitch together to maybe load a donkey down with them.
I appreciated how thought through this idea was. Although, i think a backpack that's approx 50lbs would be far too heavy for someone hiking to carry for long distances. The watercoloring was very nice!