Michael Egan

The aim of this project was to create a truly sustainable bamboo product for the Yunnan Province, in Southern China.

With the region and material set, the main consideration was sustainability. Of the four pillar industries, two—tobacco and mining—are in decline. Eco-tourism offers the most promising future for the region and its rural population.

The concept evolved from a discussion of how to accommodate tourists in a bamboo forest. This led to the invention of a fastener designed to secure temporary seats or hammocks for visiting explorers.

The Yunnan rope tightener comes with a bamboo canister and rope. All materials are native to the Yunnan Province, and together they can be used to tie off tents, hammocks, or seats on the bamboo stalks as tourists walk through the countryside.