by Rebecca Burn-Callander - Tuesday, 12th August 2008 -

As fuel prices continue to rise, the family cheap package holiday is now not so cheap. Festivals are an obvious alternative, and for the environmentally minded among us, they also come with a much-reduced carbon footprint.

One entrepreneur to cash in on this newfound green festival pound is James Dunlop. He founded Myhab, an environmental camping firm, last year.

These pods are a godsend for anyone who finds tent-life unbearable. But they are also made from recycled plastic and reinforced cardboard, sleep two, and are “very comfy,” says Dunlop.

“Firstly, they’re raised off the ground, so you’re not churning around in mud. There’s a double foam mattress – we’ve had a lot of positive feedback about those. And they’re well-ventilated with two-way access: no tent sweats!”

And, for the middle-class festival-goer who cannot be without his/her laptop for a whole weekend, Myhabs also feature a lock-up for stashing valuables, and you can personalise your pod by designing an avatar online. These are printed out and stuck onto your Myhab “so you can work out which one’s yours when you’ve had a few,” says Dunlop.

Eco-habitation meets luxury camping experience! No wonder the festivals are queuing up to feature the myhab. The 24-year old Dunlop has secured nine festivals so far this summer, making £200,000 in his first year’s trading.

Dunlop takes an average 80 Myhabs to a festival and punters pay £240 for the whole weekend. This may seem steep, but Myhabs do come with serviced showers and toilet facilities. Anyone who’s ever been to a festival will know that such luxuries are all but priceless. “We should do £750,000 next year,” he says. “And I’m exploring other applications for the Myhabs. They come flat-packed and only take ten minutes to assemble. They could be invaluable in areas like disaster-relief.”