Climbing Respirator
According to the Global Burden of Disease study 1.6 million people died prematurely in 2017
as a result of
indoor air pollution.
Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2020)
People tend to be relatively less aware of the fact that indoor air quality could get bad enough to be harmful.
For climbing, we use climbing chalk to increase friction and dry our hands. Though the indoor climbing gym gets foggy because of the chalk dust when the gym is crowded, people scarcely wear the dust masks/respirators due to the stigma and lack of knowledge.
I designed a specialized respirator for indoor climbing, considering climbing culture and climbing moves.
To overcome stigma through exercise culture
There is a stigma that a mask is for either sick people or bank robberies - to hide their identities.
However, in the case of some exercises like cycling, wearing a mask has different images and meanings - for protect them from air pollutants and to show their identities.
Stigma
of
Hiding
Identity
Way
of
Showing
Identity
Showing identity from one's back
Climbers tend to show their identities through their backs as they usually are facing the wall while climbing. Through their shirts, chalk bags, ribbons on their hair, and tattoos on their backs. Gaining insight from there, I designed the mask in a way that it could be a way of showing their identity and sense of belonging.
Valve
Disposable Filter
Washable Band
Specifically designed for climbing moves
