Camp out in a cardboard tent this summer
Going to a festival this year? If so, the thought of bedding down in a cardboard city may not sound appealing, but I've just heard about a new eco-friendly festival shelter that's every bit as 'luxurious' as a tent...
The 'Myhab' is basically a cardboard tent that will fully degrade after use. It recently won an award at the New Designers Exhibition, and its creator, James Dunlop, believes it could also be useful in disaster relief situations and at big events like the 2012 Olympics. 'But what could possibly be ecologically unfriendly about my humble tent?' I hear you cry...
Well, that depends on how you intend to use it: each year, over 10,000 tents are abandoned and left to clutter the countryside after the festival season. I'm not sure why you'd want to abandon a tent, but can only assume carrying a mud-sodden pile of poles and canvas halfway across the country when you've just enjoyed three days of revelry can't be a lot of fun. Knowing I didn't have to do this would certainly improve my festival experience considerably.
Intrepid festivalgoers will be able to order their dwellings online, and Myhab's team will put them up prior to arrival. They'll cost between £60 and £100, and have such mod-cons as a lockable panel for valuables.
Finally, yes, the Myhab is waterproof. Anything else would be sheer madness, but I thought I ought to make this point clear nonetheless. It is coated both inside and out with a waterproof sealant that's tough enough to 'withstand five days of rain'. Glasto mud? I guess we'll find out in the summer...
