What might look like a small toy village is actually a set of tiny houses used for camping and protection during music festivals in the United Kingdom. Podpads are designed to be a fun, comfortable and secure solution to the less attractive aspects of camping. They are rented out at various festivals for around 350 GBP or $550 a week and can be purchased as a guest house or child’s playhouse.
Designed and developed for Glastonbury Festival 2005, the podpad will stand up to the most severe of weather conditions. They are comfortable, weatherproof, cool, soundproof, secure, and safe with optional extras available to increase comfort. They are also a possible solution to a group base camp, on-site storage, as well as live-in accommodation.
The podpad is designed to accommodate two adults comfortably on either a double or twin beds. In exceptional circumstances, they can accommodate a family of three. The podpad is 8 feet by 6 feet with a wooden floor and a fitted carpet. They have raised beds with mattresses, shelving, windows with curtains, a mirror, light and a 12V socket. Podpads are also solar powered by a panel outfitted as a sunflower on the roof. This can be used for low usage items such as charging cell phones, laptops and iPods.
Podpads are usually offered for camping and festivals in small groups called podcamps, and also come in scaled up versions called the Luxpad, the Bunkpad and the Octopad. The Luxpad is 10 feet by 8 feet and has a higher roof, more storage and 240v power. The Bunkpad is the same size as the Luxpad and offers bunkbeds for families. The Octopad is a 16-foot octagon with a low roof. It’s supported by a center pole and can accommodate a large family or group.
Photos courtesy of Podpads, Rockness and NME
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]