Carry on camping!
Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:44:00 GMT
The Lazy Camper makes it easy for festival-goers to get all the tent gear they need
Jacob Hill with some of the kit that comes with his Lazy Camper package
ENTERPRISING student Jacob Hill aims to make life easier for Britain’s thousands of festival goers by taking the hassle out of camping on site. And now he has received an Olympics boost to his burgeoning business.
Jacob, aged 19, is completing the first year of his Enterprise Development degree at the University of Huddersfield and has already received backing for his concept, named The Lazy Camper. He’s a keen festival goer himself and this has helped him spot a gap in the market.
“When you are planning a festival visit you tend just to think just about the price of the tickets. But by the time you have put it all together you have spent about £140 on everything but the ticket, including the camping equipment. Then usually, on the last night, somebody throws themselves on your tent or people and a lot of stuff gets wrecked!” said Jacob.
So he offers an ultra-competitive, easily-arranged package – £55.99 for a single and £95.99 for a double, packed in a special bag that also has space for clothing. Also included is a long list of essential equipment, including sleeping bag, camping stool, mess tin, cutlery, water carrier, a cooking stove, a heavy-duty poncho – and toilet seat covers.
When the festival is over, the gear can be kept or handed over at a collection point in return for a voucher giving a discount on next year’s outfit, according to the condition that the kit is in.
The booming festival scene is Brighouse-based Jacob’s main target – he intends to be present at large numbers of events this year, to market The Lazy Camper in person. But the 2012 Olympics are also a boon. Jacob has been contacted by two London schools which plan to offer their grounds as campsites and between them they could take 1,000 of Jacob’s tent outfits.
He has located a Chinese supplier for good quality equipment – South Yorkshire Scouts have recommended his gear – and Jacob has found cash backing and endorsement for The Lazy Camper from a variety of sources. In particular, the University of Huddersfield’s Enterprise Team – which provides advice, mentoring and financial support to enterprising students and recent graduates – has offered him a Proof of Concept grant.
Jacob added that starting and running a business such as The Lazy Camper is an essential part of his Enterprise Development degree.
