Cocoon Emergency Survival Treehouse Concept

Cocoon Emergency Survival Treehouse Concept

John Moriarty has designed an emergency outdoor survival shelter called "Cocoon". His idea is to provide emergency refuge in a tree by suspending a fabric enclosure from a branch and crawling in.

The design shows a support bag nested within the larger exterior. It appears as though the person sits inside, like in a hammock, and is surrounded by the larger fabric enclosure that keeps out the cold and wet. It is unclear what the specs are but I'd assume the exterior has rain repellency and some type of insulation. There also appear to be two anchors near the bottom to allow the occupant to secure the cocoon against high wind and swaying motions.

I think the best feature is, like all treehouses, that the person is situated in a tree because a significant source of body heat is lost through direct contact with the ground. If a person sleeps on the ground they are exposed to rain runoff, soil moisture, and dew that will wick into clothes and contribute to dampness and heat loss. Ground contact during harsher winter conditions such as snow, ice, and frost can be deadly. However, the suspended tear drop design eliminates all these survival problems.

And, there is the safety aspect: Suspending a shelter from a tree is a good way to avoid ground dwelling creatures (snakes, spiders, rodents, insects, and the like) as well as larger predators. It reminds me of the technique we use to protect our food cache from bears while hiking: we tie it all in a bag and use a rope to dangle it high up in a tree. Perhaps Moriarty can improve on his design by including a block and tackle pulley arrangement that lets the user hoist themselves up to safety after entering the cocoon at ground level.

Overall, I think it is a great idea. For a related design see my previous blog entries: Dutch artist, Dre Wapenaar's, tear drop treehouse and the TreePee Company's latest TreePee Tent.