MACKINAW MILL CREEK CAMPING CHOSEN TO TEST THE "ICO-Pod"

To defray the cost of the test (beta partners pay the cost of the Pod plus and their own  installation fees which include the construction of a base and our addition of electricity, a small fridge, microwave and inside lighting) our campers were able to rent the pod as a camping shelter.

As a Pod Camper they had the opportunity to pass on their comments and suggestions to help them make the Pod even better.  Our 2006 pod.

THE RESULTS ARE IN:

Shortly after we acquired our POD the designers changed materials for the Icopod to a recyclable plastic.  This addressed the problem that they (and we) found arising in humid, damp climates which was that the cardboard inner walls would become damp and weaken.  In addition they changed the type of sealing/adhesive tape on the exterior to one that is used to patch windsurfer sales.  Our POD, though remaining cozy, had a problem with the sealing tape not sticking.  We chose to not install the optional vents on the top of the POD (as a precaution to keep wind blown rain from entering the icopod).  The lack of vents did make the pod stuffy in hot weather, though the walls did provide insulation against hot and cold weather.  We had a period of extremely heavy rains and damp weather during the summer of 2005 and that in combination with the problem with the sealing tape destroyed our pod.  Our 2006 pod.

Although it remained standing, and habitable, the walls were visibly weakened and began to bow and swell.   A testament to the geometric structure, the icopod, even in this weakened state, was still extremely strong and cozy.
See us building our ICOPOD

This year we offer an updated version that looks identical but that is created from waterproof recyclable materials.   Our new pod features a ceiling fan and vents that makes the pod comfortable in a much wider range of temperatures and humilities. Check out the pod but make your reservation early.  Our 2006 pod.

In the 1940s, R. Buckminster Fuller applied his design and engineering expertise to invent a geodesic structure that could serve as an inexpensive alternative to traditional homes. Using a series of triangular networks, Fuller’s design creates a self-supporting structure with no internal reinforcement. Proponents of the Fuller geodesic model believe that it is still the most efficient and cost-effective construction technique available.

In 1959 R. B. Fuller was granted a patent for a “paperboard dome”. The Pod™, based on a patent-pending design, is inventor and Icosa Village founder Sanford Ponder’s improvement to Mr. Fuller’s original paperboard dome concept. It replaces Fuller’s single-walled folded dome with a much more rigid double-walled structure. The Pod™ is constructed by folding many identical sheets of precision die-cut material together to form an icosahedron-shaped structure. By using a simple icosahedron (a shape being comprised of all equilateral triangles) as the basic structural shape, the Icosa Village Pod™ is much simpler to produce and assemble than a traditional rounded dome shelters. See us building our ICOPOD

In 2001, while viewing a program about the homeless living in cardboard boxes, Sanford Ponder had an epiphany. In what he called “a moment of indignation” he reflected, “If we must live in a world in which people are forced to live in cardboard boxes, then someone should at least invent a better box.” Sanford set out to do just that. Inspired by the pioneering work of R. Buckminster Fuller, Sanford developed the basic and completely unique design for the Pod shelters whose first model is shown here. He spent the next two years perfecting the design for practical use.