About Us

Selk'bag = Selk'nam + Sleeping Bag

The Selk'nam (meaning “men”) as they called themselves, were nomads who lived in Chile’s austral extreme. This area was previously known as the Land of Smoke and now the Land of Fire, or Tierra del Fuego, due to the numerous bonfires the natives would light at night to ward off conquerors passing in the open seas. Hunters and gatherers, the Selk'nam were characterized by their tall height (5’11” on average), physical strength and toughness in adapting to the most hostile and extreme environments. Their silent resistance to freezing temperatures, fatigue, hunger and thirst won them respect from Europeans and fear from their enemies and neighbors.

The Selk'nam were also highly concerned with their personal presentation. They relished any opportunity to paint their bodies and faces. In fact, the initiation ceremony known as Hain was a defining moment in Selk'nam culture in which teenage males would pass to adulthood through numerous mental and physical tests that could last months on end. These ceremonies were highly secretive meetings organized by adult men who would simulate spirits of the universe with very well-defined figures and personalities. Some of these spirits were believed to have emerged from the depths of the earth and others from the sky. With the help of guanaco leather masks, tree bark, paint over their bodies and other earthly elements, these actors managed to successfully conceal their human condition and emulate the spirits.

Once, at the end of the 19th century, a researcher who was studying the Selk'nam saw one of their men naked in the snow and asked him why he wasn’t cold, stating that people should only leave their face uncovered. The Selk'nam replied: “I am all face”.

The aesthetic essence of this nomadic culture, as the greatest gesture toward movement and resistance to the most adverse weather conditions, of the disappeared Selk'nam tribe, together with the recovery of their contribution to our heritage has been the foundation and concept for the image of this product.

Originally developed in 2005, the Selk'bag Sleeping Bag System was created by Rodrigo Alonso of Musuchouse in Santiago, Chile. Winning regional praise and recognition, Rodrigo Alonso commercialized the Selk'bag working with Lippi Outdoor, a 30-year-old technical mountain gear company also of Santiago, Chile later that year.

In February 2007, the Selk'bag made its debut in Europe at the ISPO sporting goods show in Munich, Germany, becoming a Brand New Award Finalist, a prestigious honor for new outdoor products in the European market.

The Selk'bag made its debut in the U.S. market in August 2008 and immediately became a sensation in the outdoor world. Appearing in the New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, ABC's The Bachelor, and many other publications and television shows the Selk'bag has received a tremendous reception for its innovative design, practical functionality, and performance. Later that year, the Selk'bag was named "Consumer Product of the Year" by Chile Diseno.

In 2009, Selk'bag 3G made its debut with new models for Kids (Selk'bag 3G Kids) and adults (Selk'bag 3G Down), as Rodrigo and company launched Musuc Outdoors with a renewed focus on innovation and fun for all outdoor enthusiasts.

In 2010 the Selk'bag arrived in New Zealand. We invite you to enjoy the practicality and function of this award-winnovativeinning, and fun sleeping bag system.