A while back, a WeatherPod® customer posted a video that stuck with us. In it, a MiniPod® sits on a porch through snow, rain, and slush, not protecting a kid or a dog, but a stack of delivery boxes. "Pod hack," the caption read. "We're keeping our packages safe from snow, rain, and slush this season by using our mini pod as a weatherproof home for all of our deliveries."

It wasn't the use case we designed the pod for. It was better. It got us wondering what else fits in 36 inches by 36 inches. Turns out, quite a lot.

The MiniPod® was built with one job in mind: to give the smallest sideline attendees, be they kids or pets, somewhere comfortable to sit. But weatherproofing doesn't discriminate. Rain, wind, and cold get blocked out regardless of what's sitting inside, be it a toddler, a dog, or a delivery from three days ago. Here's a list of all the ways we've come across to use a MiniPod Deluxe.

Kids and Pets

1. Picnic eating spot. Shaded and bug-free, so nobody has to stand guard over a plate of crackers.

2. Dog park shelter. Somewhere dry to wait out a passing shower instead of shivering under a picnic table.

3. Solo hideaway. A quiet little world for a kid who just wants a book or a nap, zipped up and out of the sun.

Weather Protection for Stuff, Not People

4. Package guard. The hack that started this whole list. Keeps deliveries dry through snow, rain, and slush until someone's home to bring them in.

5. Firewood storage. Stays dry through a rainy week, no soaked tarp required.

6. Grill and propane cover. Rides out a storm without anyone hauling the whole setup back into the garage.

7. Frost protection for plants. A night of cover for potted plants and seedlings when an unexpected cold snap rolls in.

Everyday and Seasonal

8. Dry candy station. Keeps the Halloween bowl dry at the end of the driveway, rain or shine.

9. Renovation tool storage. A dedicated, weatherproof spot in the yard instead of clutter on the garage floor.

10. Camping vestibule. Keeps a cooler or gear bag dry and off the wet ground overnight, no extra tent needed.

We made the MiniPod® Deluxe to be a small, clear-walled pod for kids and dogs to have a place to sit on the sideline.but our customer's porch video proved the point better than we ever could: a pod that keeps out rain, wind, and cold doesn't care what's inside it. A toddler, a dog, a stack of boxes, a cord of firewood, it's all just cargo to a MiniPod®.

That's the upside of building something simple and weatherproof. Someone will always put it to work in a way you never expected.

Ready to Put Yours to Work?

The MiniPod® Deluxe is back in stock now in black, just in time for whatever job you assign it next.

Shop the MiniPod® Deluxe →

If you found this interesting, check out:

• Why Coaches, Trainers, and Sideline Pros Are Pod People
• The Last One Standing Was Grandma
• Dad Lore in the Making: The Sideline Stories Kids Don't Appreciate Yet

Check out some of our other pods:

• Side-by-Side™ 2-4 Person Pod, for when the whole family needs weatherproofing, not just the smallest one
• DomePod® Mesh 6-8 Person, for the bigger version of the bug-free picnic idea above
• MyPod™ XL, for the solo human who wants their own weatherproof job assignment too

Watch on our YouTube:

• Which MegaPod Is Right For You? | MegaPod®, Plus & Deluxe Comparison 
• What Makes WeatherPod #1 
• Game Day Forecast: Frightful! Beat the Chill with WeatherPod® 
• MegaPod™ Folding Instructions