Women spend around 200 million hours a day hauling clean water around, and just 16 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to it in their homes. WaterVest is a wearable bladder designed to lighten the load, allowing users to carry several days' worth of water for a family in a single trip.

The reusable WaterVest costs around the same as a heavy-duty plastic bag to produce, and is made from recyclable plastics. It is designed to evenly distribute the load across the user's body and comes as a one-size-fits-all vest, with the idea being that it can be filled to match the wearer's comfort, be they big or small.

At full capacity, the WaterVest can transport 40 liters (10.5 US gal) at a time, which the developers say is enough for a family of four for four days. It self-seals to prevent contaminants entering the supply, and can be filled and emptied without the use of utensils.