Pod camping and Pod camping holidays: If you have a site relating to this topic and would like to see it featured here then please email camp@campingmobilehomesholidays.co.uk

I guess the first question for most people will be, "What an earth is a pod and why should I want to go camping in it?" Good question, because until recently I didn't know either, even though Pods have been around for a while.

Pod camping was developed by a couple called Stephen Chai and Nicola Watson who live in Wiltshire, and is alternative camping if you like, the bare bones of a pod being in the wooden structure.  Alternative camping until now has been Yurt and Tipi camping, Eco friendly and nice and Green.  Pod camping threatens to be pretty much the same as the wood to make the pods is usually sourced locally by the builders.

Pods are quaint looking things, and at first glance I thought they look rather like half a large hazel nut shell with holes in for the windows and doors. After giving the subject I came to the conclusion that Pod camping could take off, especially with camping and mobile tour operators in France - after all, Yurt camping has taken off there in recent years so why not Pods?

But first you want to know more about them don't you? The ones I saw all had tiled roofs, and it was explained to me that the roofing material is designed to cut down the noise of heavy rain., which is more than I can say for our conservatory, but that's another story again. The window and the French doors (lockable) are double glazed to reduce condensation and provide sound insulation. The wood used in the construction is a naturally 'warm' material but to provide extra winter warmth the builders have installed sheep's wool insulation inside the walls while a special foil layer under the roof helps keep summer temperatures inside to a bearable level.

All in all this is coming to look rather like "overkill" - why is there a need for such a highly insulated structure when these pods are only used for Spring/Summer camping and occasional use? Is someone quietly suggesting these will make ideal accommodation for those unfortunates who lose their homes in the so called credit crunch I wonder? Or will you wake up one morning to find your village green is covered with Pods occupied by "travelling" families and their big 4x4's parked in the pub car park?

At the time of writing which is a rather chilly 24th Feb 2009 I notice that most of the Pods which are being made are for sale to private buyers, with a few small time outfits dipping their toes in the water to see how cold the leisure industry really is these days - I may be wrong about this but that's the way the Internet searches have turned out, so which is going to be the first major holiday company to place an order and try this new concept out on their customers?

Seriously, If I had a plot of land I would get into offering Yurt camping holidays because I reckon that the outlay/profit ratio is pretty damned good, and because Yurts can last for years and years the eventual profit could be phenomenal if you had a field full of them. Pods though? Slightly more robust I admit, cosy and reasonably good looking so I guess Pod camping could soon be chasing yurts in the popularity stakes.