We're always on the lookout for new and innovative survival products, and sometimes we're truly amazed and baffled by what we see. Today is one of those days, because we just found out about “Somnambula”.

Somnambula—appropriately named after somnambulism, the medical term for sleepwalking—is a type of “multifunctional extreme clothing” that can be re-configured into anything from a vest to a sleeping bag. The product was developed by survival instructor Gleb Skorobogatov, who became popular for his Ukrainian-language survival video series Adapter Project (some of which are available with English subtitles).

A photo of Skorobogatov wearing the Somnambula.

The video below was released just a few days ago, as the very first demonstration of the things Somnambula can do:

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According to the video description, Somnambula is essentially a tube of stretchy cotton fabric, with a number of strategically-placed zippers. These zippers allow Somnambula to be worn in “about twenty ways” including a vest, coveralls, hoodie, sweater, balaclava, head-to-toe sleeping bag, or even configurations that resemble a kilt.

Skorobogatov demonstrating fire-starting techniques in one of his Adapter videos.

From a survival standpoint, it's certainly wise to use gear that can be re-configured for a number of different uses, so we can see the value of this design from that standpoint. Skorobogatov also claims the Somnambula is lightweight, compact, and warm—all good things. However, we'd say his statement that it looks “extraordinary and trendy” might be up for debate.

These images and the video above give us a sneak peek at this creative apparel design, and Skorobogatov plans to unveil more details about it with the launch of a Kickstarter project in the near future. According to one interview, the Somnambula has already been in testing for several years, and has been worn extensively by Skorobogatov's friends in the field.

So, from what you've seen so far, would you be interested in adding a Somnambula to your survival kit? Or is the design a little too “extraordinary” for your tastes?

Written by Patrick McCarthy