A few years ago, Camilla Metzler visited South Africa where she was born. She returned to Horseshoe Bay in Canada with a business idea and launched a line of water-resistant, roll-up blankets, called H2Go. The blankets are handmade in Canada of cotton, fleece or Polartec fleece, with a nylon backing. She had seen a similar blanket in South Africa while spending a day at the beach.
An art history major in university, Camilla had worked for a couple of fashion houses and in client relations in the food industry. DC Ventures was created and the first blankets were made. A friend bought one and soon she had sold the first batch. Her first public sale was at West Vancouver Secondary School's Christmas craft sale, where she sold 25 blankets. Another craft sale sold another 20 and Camilla was on the craft show trail. Her big break came at a Vancouver gift trade show. She got into several retail outlets, where the blankets sold for $55 to $160. She also featured in a nationally-distributed gift catalogue and product promotions companies in Toronto and Ottawa. Bulk orders of H2Go blankets customized for corporate promotions are her next goal. The portable blankets roll into a small bundle with a handle that is easy to carry or to attach to a backpack.
