In trying to tackle the storage function of the design, I decided to start by exploring the design strategy of a Camelbak water booksack. It compensates for the weight of the pack by adding padding on the back and shoulder straps as well as providing clips to secure the pack to the body, minimizing the burden on the person. On the back side of the pack (which touches the back) the padding is broken into 6 equal pads with a separation among all of them to allow for an "air director". In this way, the surface of the pack which touches the back is reduced and there is opportunity for air flow which keeps the back cool.
Drawing from the cooling strategy of the Camelbak, I decide to use their idea of the with the 6 separated pads, and use those as storage compartments for the water. After researching child ergonomics (Ergonomics for Children by Lueder and Rice), I learned that the best way for a child to carry a lot of weight is on the back, strapped close to the body, with the majority of the weight on the lower back hip area. To study strictly the weight distribution of a 1 liter of water on a back pack for a child, I made a diagram which separates the water into 6 parts with (3 rows of paired water packs). The water distrubution is as follows:
Top row = ~0.266 liters total (~0.133 liters per pack)
Middle row = ~0.334 liters total (~0.167 liters per pack)
Bottom row = ~0.4 liters total (~0.2 liters per pack)
To contain the water, I poured the measured amount into ziplock bags, removed all the excess air, and tightly wrapped the ziplock of water to the proper chipboard piece (cut according to the drawing shown below) with Saran wrap. Next I laid the water pack components out onto a supportive chipboard piece and strapped everything together with duct tape. Here are the pictures.
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