You go for the landscape first. The Pyrenees in the north, sharp and quiet, where tracks disappear into forests and the air feels cleaner with every kilometre. Then, the land softens as it rolls south through vineyards, olive groves, dry stone walls, before finally breaking open along the Mediterranean, where light, salt, and history sit side by side.

But it’s the people who make it stick.

Catalonia has a strong sense of identity. Not loud, not performative—just present. You feel it in small conversations in a bar de poble (village bar), in the way food is prepared without fuss, in the quiet pride behind local traditions. This isn’t a place built for tourists. It’s a place that lets you in slowly, if you pay attention.

For someone who travels to understand, not just to see, it works.

You can follow old trading routes into the mountains, park up beside a forgotten monastery, or sit with a winemaker who’s been working the same land for generations.

There’s space to move, but also depth if you stop.

Catalonia offers both: distance and detail. And that combination is rare.

Is it then surprising that after a day exploring backcountry trails, we rolled into Capmany to find a restaurant and let the day’s events settle into something we could actually hold onto?

The tracks had led us down out of the Albera foothills, tyres dusted white, the heat still shimmering off the bonnet. Capmany didn’t announce itself. It simply appeared. Stone walls, a church tower, the low hum of a place that had been here long before anyone thought to write about it.

We parked without much thought and walked in, following instinct rather than a map, until we found Cal Ferrer. A restaurant built into arched foundations. Five tables outside on the pavement, a few more inside a bare-bricked room.

Modern, yes. But no theatrics. No menu engineered for passing trade. Just honest food that belonged to the land we’d been driving through and wine that hadn’t travelled far at all. The kind of place where conversation sits low, where time loosens its grip, and where the day, dust, distance, small discoveries start to make sense.

This is where we found it. A simple, remarkable dessert. Creamy cheesecake, served with a spoonful of jam. Luscious. And, to my surprise, crustless… a quiet win for anyone with gluten intolerance.

That detail stayed with me. Because it meant this wasn’t adapted. It wasn’t reinvented. It had always been this way.

And that’s the thing about places like this. Recipes don’t change much.

To put the icing on the cake, so to speak, if you have a GROVE or Omnia oven and are prepared to sacrifice a little gas, you can pull this five-ingredient dessert together wherever your wheels stop turning for the day.

Treat the recipe below as a practice run at home. Then downsize the ingredients for travel and the oven you use.

Tristan Brailey has made this more than a few times. It never misses.

Serves 8-10
Cook time 25-30 min
Equipment Large bowl, whisk, springform or round baking pan (or Omnia silicone baking mould, as in the photo)

Ingredients:

1 kg Philadelphia (or any other cream cheese)
360 g sugar
7-8 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
some brown cane sugar (for a slightly caramelised crust)

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Using a whisk, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.

Line a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan or round baking pan with butter, oil, or enough parchment paper that it extends past the edges of the pan. This will help you remove the cheesecake from the pan later on, and will prevent it from sticking. (You can use a smaller pan for a higher cheesecake but may need to bake longer so that the center isn’t too runny.)

Bake on the centre rack for about 25-30 minutes (in the Omnia: for about 30 minutes at medium-low heat.

Note Because of the smaller size of the mould, I used a lesser amount of the cream cheese mixture). The cake will rise quite a bit but don’t worry, it will settle when it’s out of the oven.

Let it start to cool gradually by leaving it out on the counter. After an hour or so, move the cake to the fridge to cool completely. Let the cake cool fully before taking it out of the cake tin. After a few hours in the refrigerator, your cheesecake should be chilled enough to cut. (I recommend making this the day before you want to eat it, as it really benefits from a night in the fridge.)

Enjoy with a glass of sherry!

The post Capmany Cheesecake: A Village Recipe That Never Left the Empordà Hills appeared first on overland-europe.

Will it fit in the car? A slightly superfluous question: It’s an accessorised Eurobox.

LxWxH: 40 x 30 x 27.5 cm and approx. 4.7 kg.

It plays nicely with other standard Euroboxes, so yes, it’ll slide neatly into 4x4s, vans and trucks. Not just that, it stows the vital bits and bobs you need to prepare and eat your meals. One box. Everything in one place.

Well, that’s the theory. So what have I learned?

Out of The Box

Just like the blue and yellow Swedish furniture brand, BOXIO makes the customer responsible for final assembly. Inside the package: hex key, spanner, and easy-to-follow instructions. Before you can boil some water or fry a sausage, you’ll need a clean workspace and fifteen to twenty spare minutes to put the Cook together.

But this is not rocket science.

At the end of the exercise, you’ve got a black Eurobox with a hinged stainless-steel hob unit, complete with wind shield and a single burner. Lift the hob and you’ll find secure storage for two gas cartridges plus ample room for pots, pans, kettle, herbs, spices, crockery and cutlery.

Finish? It all comes together nicely and you won’t be cutting yourself on any of the edges.

In Use

Let’s be real: When stopping for a coffee break on a long haul, or settling into camp for the night, minimal faff is great for boosting the comfort factor. Stop the car. Pull out the Cook. Get on with hot food and drink.

Be organised. It helps if you don’t just throw loose items into the box because you need to clear the space and ensure the vents are free when you light the gas. Once the Cook is stood on a solid surface and the cavity is cleared, turn on the flow of gas at the cartridge, lower the hob (which conveniently locks in the upright position), raise the wind shield, and light the easy to adjust flame.

Interestingly, the stove is not equipped with piezo spark. But hey, we all travel with the means to start a fire, so there aren’t any excuses for being unable to get a flame. I just feel it would be slightly more elegant if there was only a button to press.

The stove size is big enough to take a frying pan 25 cm in diameter. Enough room for most pots, kettles and popular stove top ovens, such as the Omnia or Hajka—unfortunately, it’s just a bit too tight to accommodate the Grove Grill & Oven.

Depending on where you set the Cook, the Eurobox gives it a firm footing and raises the cooking height—a neat detail I really appreciate—and puts it at the same level as the Wash which, with the optional bamboo chopping board in place instead of the plastic lid, doubles as a work surface.

I love it when things can be combined for increased practicality.

Do I just use the Cook when I’m out and about? No. Frying fish or deep-frying doughnuts is best done out of doors if you don’t want odours lingering in the kitchen. So, the Cook has a designated place under the roof in the garden as well.

Durability

Robust plastic and weatherproof stainless steel. The Cook is designed to cope with knocks associated with bumpy trails and outdoor living. Things can rattle around inside if they’re not properly stowed…use kitchen towels to cut the decibels.

Everything is solid. Of course, it has a gathered a few blemishes but, then again, so has my car. Overland with either and scratches will result. Patina. The surfaces are easy to keep clean and won’t rust.

The gas hose and regulator are approved and good quality.

Verdict

The BOXIO Cook is a tough little kitchen box that just works.

If you’re tired of skeleton stoves that need assembly every time and offer a wobbly footing for bigger pots, the BOXIO Cook is a clean, dependable upgrade. Use it on the tailgate, stacked on another Eurobox under the stars, or inside the van.

Competition

How would you like to take a BOXIO Cook on your next adventure? We’re giving away one brand-new BOXIO Cook this month. All you have to do is click this link before September 30th, 2025, and you might be cooking your next camp meal on the house. Good luck!

From €230 | BOXIO

The post 12 Months Off-Grid with the BOXIO Cook appeared first on overland-europe.

Aside from baking bread in a Dutch oven over an open fire with coals on the lid, conjuring up a lasagne, pizza, quiche, muffins, or pain au chocolat while camping has mostly been left exclusively to the style of oven with the hole in the middle. For more than five decades, this breed of oven has been accepted as the go-to solution, even if it did gnaw at the authentic shape of a cake or pizza.

Dear reader, the days of the cake with the hole are numbered! After three years of development and no less than two hundred cakes and pizzas baked on a gas stove, Eric Tornblad has emerged from his man cave with what seems to be the perfect outdoor baking solution. Perfect, because the brand new HAJKA Oven remains as easy to use as the fifty-something-year-old product which many have grown accustomed to, but with 21st century know-how that respects the authentic shape of the food we love: pizzas are circular, and so are many cakes.

All the space agencies around the world have been shooting what are essentially one-way rockets into space at great expense for decades. They thought they knew it all and nobody deemed it necessary to change what apparently worked… until one day, someone else shot a rocket into space and brought it back again to land on its pad to be used again another day. That’s rocket science. Should we be talking about baking science here?

Who is Eric Tornblad? What does he know about outdoor cooking?

Eric Tornblad is Swedish by birth and an outdoor chef by design. “During my fifteen years as a recipe creator and cookbook author, I have longed for a compact and smart oven that works with my gas stove. Finally, I realised I had to create it myself!”

Let me roll back a little bit. I was first introduced to the HAJKA Oven when Gijs Loning, aka outdoor.guru, sent me his latest video. A few minutes after watching, I reached out to Eric and set up a call.

Eric is one of those people who you interview and suddenly realise it’s going to be difficult to get a question in edgeways—so it’s better to sit back and enjoy the story. His enthusiasm and fact-filled account of research, baking, lab testing, baking, and even more baking, on his journey from an idea to a pretty much finished product, was eye-opening. Who would have known just how scientific this can be? One oven, three heating techniques, and the most advanced materials and coatings. Three heating techniques? I hear you asking. Radiation, convection, and conduction. The combination of all three is what guarantees the perfect sponge cake, baked right next to your tent. Every time.

You know the old adage: A picture says more than a thousand words. So feast your eyes on these “proof of concept” images before I continue…

Hungry? A pizza with an irresistible crispy crust can be ready in five minutes. Lasagne, baked vegetables, bread, fish… ah, the list goes on. And there’s a recipe book to make sure your results are as good as the pictures.

Dear reader, I’m pretty sure you have a smartphone. And I’m also pretty sure it does what all those YouTube videos and reviews say it does, without you knowing exactly how it does what it does. We like results, and if that means our phones can take videos and photos, read and write emails, navigate to lost places, chat with friends, or even record and broadcast a podcast, then we’re happy. We don’t need the intricacies of the magic inside. We just need to know which buttons to press and in which order.

With that in mind, here is a cross-section drawing of how the HAJKA Oven does its magic:

Whilst remaining simple to use, the HAJKA Oven is only as good as it is, because Eric has injected his understanding of how culinary delights are best cooked into your new problem solver. For example, a pizza needs a hot surface and a flow of hot air. That’s why there is a special pizza plate, made in a particular way, from a particular material, so that the crust comes out with the crunch you expect and the cheese is browned just like from your favourite Italian restaurant.

KICKSTARTER

This could very well be the next Zero-to-Hero success story, and you and I, as potential customers, can give this exciting project a leg-up. Eric Tornblad has launched a Kickstarter campaign. Have a look and see what perks he has in store for early birds.

I certainly can’t wait to lay my hands on my own HAJKA Oven and try out some of my favourite recipes… and those in Eric’s books.

HAJKAOVEN.COM

KICKSTARTER

The post HAJKA Oven for the Best Outdoor Pizzas and Cakes appeared first on overland-europe.

While I usually make do with whatever I have at hand—by that I mean my kitchen box essentials paired with a campfire, gas stove, or even a hobo stove—there are also highly organised, stylish all-in-one solutions. Among the plethora of options out there, MOKUBO stands out as a no-compromise choice for outdoor cooking enthusiasts eager to impress a group of up to four guests. And I take the term “no-compromise” seriously!

DESIGN AND FEATURES

MOKUBO was crafted by folks who genuinely love to travel and savour good food. After years of overlanding and the constant search for ingredients, utensils, herbs, spices, cutlery, and other essentials, they wanted to have their cake and eat it too. In other words, they aimed to pull over, set up a kitchen, and enjoy a hearty meal without the hassle.

This striking stainless steel box measures 60 x 40 x 27 cm and weighs in at a solid 31 kg. Yes, it’s a hefty piece of gear, but that’s the price you pay for completeness. Inside, you’ll find everything required to wine and dine four lucky diners.

The quality brands included are impressive. Think Zwilling knives, a Primus two-flame gas stove, WMF cutlery, Sea to Summit pots and pans, Gimex glasses, and Flamefield crockery—this kitchen is decked out with top-notch gear. Plus, to get you started, you have six Ostmann shakers filled with assorted herbs and spices.

If you’re on the road in your 4×4 or van, I highly recommend placing the MOKUBO on sliders. Simply open the door, slide out the kitchen, and voilà—cooking made easy! On my last trip, I securely stored the box behind my driver’s seat while travelling and moved it onto the tailgate whenever I was ready to whip up hot drinks or meals.

For those hoping to use the MOKUBO in a garden or fixed location, an optional four-legged stand is available. It even features a shelf for added workspace and a sink for easy clean-up!

NO COMPROMISE COOKING EXPERIENCE

This review isn’t just about listing contents or evaluating their worth; it’s about practical values and whether the “no-compromise” label truly fits.

Like most, I have a fully outfitted kitchen at home where I can conjure up just about anything. Before trips, I usually lay out the utensils and condiments I need every day, taking note of what I use frequently, then cross-check those items with my kitchen box to make any necessary adjustments.

Before my last journey, I decided to switch things up: instead of my typical prep, I cooked exclusively with the MOKUBO for a month. Sometimes inside, sometimes outside. My aim was to see if the MOKUBO could keep pace with my home cooking routines.

Day in and day out, I prepared breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee, and tea—all on the MOKUBO. To give you an idea of its capabilities, here’s a taste of what I created:

• Breakfast
  • Porridge
  • Eggs Benedict
  • Full English: sausages, eggs, mushrooms, onions, bacon, tomato, and baked beans
  • Toast
  • Scrambled eggs with salmon
  • Oatcakes

• Main Courses
  • Antipasti
  • Grilled cheese
  • Toasted cheese sandwich
  • Risotto
  • Pasta: bolognese, aglio e olio, and arrabbiata
  • Gnocchi with sage and butter
  • Mediterranean chicken and rice
  • Beef stew
  • Chicken curry

• Baked Goods*:
  • Cheesecake
  • Cakes
  • Muffins
  • Pork pies

*You might be wondering how I baked when the MOKUBO isn’t equipped with an oven. Great question! I supplemented the MOKUBO with the ever-popular Omnia stovetop oven—because who wants to miss out on a treat while camping? And I have one with me anyway.

GAS

The MOKUBO comes equipped with a twin-flame Primus stove, allowing you to use standard camping gas canisters—one of which is conveniently integrated into the box. However, for our extended adventures through the Alps, followed by a trek into the Pyrenees, I decided to elevate my cooking game by connecting to a GASLOW bottle. Why? Because this six-kilogram beauty means I can cook for weeks without worrying about refills. And if I do find myself in need, topping up at an LPG station is a breeze!

INITIAL CONCLUSION

Honestly, I expected I would miss the comforts of a fully stocked kitchen when I relied on the MOKUBO as my primary cooking solution. Sure, we had tested it on shorter trips before—but let’s face it, when you’re only out for a few days, it’s easy to settle for the basics, like roasting meat and potatoes over an open fire.

What truly impresses me is MOKUBO’s thoughtful design and organisation. From spatulas and tongs to pots, pans, cutting boards, razor-sharp knives, glasses, and a small griddle for making breakfast toast—everything you need to whip up a meal for four is there, in one neat package.

Now, the included herbs and spices are fairly standard, so I did pack a few personal favourites. Still, you could easily make do with what’s provided.

The cleverly designed pull-out drawer on the right offers quick access to all your culinary essentials, while doubling as a handy surface for prep work before dumping it all into the pan.

Using the MOKUBO at home has actually been a pleasure, and it adds a touch of luxury and versatility when you’re out exploring the mountains or parked beside a tranquil river.

Take, for instance, our stop at the summit of Monte Jafferau. We unpacked the MOKUBO and set about making tea. With the kettle steaming away on the tailgate, we had curious passersby stopping to inquire about this impressive kitchen unit.

In the world of mobile kitchens, the MOKUBO truly embodies a no-compromise approach—and it looks fantastic while doing it!

from €2,745 | MOKUBO

Bookmark the page and follow us on Instagram and Facebook if you want to see me prepare each of the above mentioned meals.

Disclaimer: The images of the kitchen and its contents in this article are not your typical pristeen, polished, and clinically clean studio shots. The kitchen bears traces of regular use.

The post MOKUBO takes overland cuisine to new heights appeared first on overland-europe.

So, what other option did I have other than to go with a cooler? Well, I could have stowed all the perishables and tins of beer in Stefan’s Snowmaster 56D in the back of his Discovery (and I did for a while), but even that monster of a refrigerator was soon bursting at its seams. On the other hand, I certainly didn’t want to resort to a hard case cooler because I regarded my predicament as temporary and couldn’t foresee any future in owning something that would probably spend the rest of its life taking up space at home and/or being misappropriated to store other bits and pieces.

Hard or soft? Soft coolers have the advantage that they are smaller, lighter and quickly prove their worthiness on supermarket runs during the warmer months. Thanks to the shoulder strap, Elisabeth could, if necessary, also easily carry it from the car to our homely kitchen without any problems.

Let the blind date with my new YETI Hopper Flip 18 Soft Cooler begin.

FUNDAMENTALS

Roy and Ryan Seiders founded YETI in 2006 to make cool boxes because nothing on the US market, at the time, met their expectations regarding efficiency and durability. Since then, they have raised the bar quite considerably and become the brand to match when it comes to keeping freshly caught fish, or other food and drinks, cool when you don’t have access to a power socket. It’s fair to say YETI have learned a thing or two about insulation in the last 18 years and, when it comes to being robust, their products are definitely here for the long haul.

In the US, ice cubes are available almost everywhere…certainly most motels and hotels have ice machines on every floor and, more often than not, it’s free. So refills for the cooler are not an issue. Europe is slightly different: some fuel stations and supermarkets have ice cubes for sale and the prices vary considerably. In Italy, I was paying between €0.99 and €1.92 per kilo. My local discounter in Cologne charges between €1.59 and €1.99 for 2 kilos.

TESTED

It’s July 2024 and the temperatures in the Western Alps range from the low 20s to high 30s depending upon the altitude. Stefan and I agreed to keep meat, dairy and some vegetables (along with several back-up tins of beer) in his Snowmaster, while I put a few bottles of white wine and 12 tins of beer in the cooler along with four kilos of ice.

First of all, the drinks went from ambient temperature to well chilled in no time. But the real proof of concept was that 24 hours later, after being shaken around and standing on the bed of the Quartermaster in the blazing sunshine, the drinks were still really cold and, surprisingly, there was a lot of ice in the melt water. Twelve hours later, the following morning: still ice and still very cold.

To keep the temperature stable for the next 24 hours, I bought a few more cans of beer, discarded some of the melted water and topped up with fresh ice. As my confidence grew, I started keeping things like milk, eggs and other packed groceries in the cooler too. Cheese, salami and an open pack of ham went into a knotted bin bag with the air expelled and were submerged beneath the ice—a watertight plastic box would have sufficed if I’d had some to hand.

After two weeks, thousands of kilometres, the full spectrum of weather, rough offroad trails and plenty of dust and grime, I have added the Hopper Flip 18 cooler to my kit for the next adventure into Pyrenees. The charcoal coloured exterior has weathered nicely and now has a well-used look.

If I could change something, it would be to add a second loop at the base of the rear. This would allow me to secure the cooler with one strap through both loops and the lid could still be opened.

SPECIFICATIONS

The YETI Hopper Flip is available in eight colours and three sizes: 8, 12 and 18. To put the model numbers into perspective, the 18 will hold twenty 500 ml cans of chilled beer with twice the amount of ice. The 8 and 12 can hold eight and thirteen cans of beer respectively.

The 18 measures 45 x 29 x 32 cm (WxDxH) on the outside and weighs 2 kg (empty). Internally, the cavity measures 37 x 25 x 22 cm, and the opening is full size and provides easy access.

The zip is waterproof. In fact, when we drove up to 2,700 m the cooler had inflated due to the changing air pressure…so it’s definitely not going to leak.

There is a carrying handle on each side along with robust hooking points for the shoulder strap. The front and rear have two rows each of four daisy chains for attaching smaller items. There is also a grab handle near the top edge at the rear (which I used to loop through a ratchet strap to keep the cooler in place on rough tracks) – ideally, I would like a similar loop at the bottom so that I could use them together to secure the cooler with a single strap and still be able to open the lid. The main carrying handle is attached to the lid.

Closed cell rubber foam provides good insulation, and all surfaces (inside and out) are protected against mildew. The exterior DryHide^TM shell withstands punctures and UV rays.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR YETI COOLER LONGER

Start with a chilled cooler If you can, sacrifice some ice to get the interior temperature down as far as possible before loading up.

Use twice the ice as contents YETI recommend 2/3 ice to 1/3 food/drink.

Ice temperatures vary When filling up with ice, make sure it is as dry as possible. Wet or dripping ice won’t last as long.

Block ice vs. ice cubes Smaller cubes will chill a cooler and its contents more quickly, but block ice melts more slowly. If both kinds are available, look for a balance between the two.

Air is the enemy The more air you have in the cooler, the faster the ice will melt. Try and fill the space left vacant when you take stuff out with either more ice or even a towel.

Don’t drain the water Once the cooler is in use, don’t tip out the cold water as this helps to insulate the remaining ice. Protect meat and other food from the melt water by keeping them in watertight bags or boxes.

Sunlight = heat Keep your cooler out of direct sunlight and cover with a towel or tarp if there isn’t any shade.

Limit cooler access Every time you open the cooler, warm air gets in and increases the speed the ice melts. Remembering where you put things can help you retrieve items without opening the lid completely.

CONCLUSION

I would never have used the YETI Hopper Flip 18 on a trip if circumstance hadn’t forced me to. Even then, the misconception that it wouldn’t perform echoed in my mind, and I remained apprehensive about subjecting my food and drinks to what I imagined would be lukewarm water sloshing around in a leaky bag.

I couldn’t have been more wrong if I tried. The soft cooler did exactly what it was meant to and kept the contents cold—not cool, cold—for 36 hours. The temperature would almost certainly have stayed cold longer, but I wanted to recharge the ice regularly because I was never sure when we would be coming back down from the mountains again. Nothing leaked out, and condensation didn’t form on the outer shell.

During the trip, the Hopper Flip 18 was subjected to the elements, plenty of dust, and had to endure the journey tied down on the bed of the Quartermaster.

The zips are reminiscent of those fitted to my Ortlieb Duffle (which are also watertight). The Duffle has been in use for five years or so now, and the zips still perform as they did at the beginning, so I anticipate the YETI zips to stand the test of time equally as admirably.

The workmanship is (unsurprisingly) excellent and the cooler’s pedigree is a good indication that it will last for a long time to come.

€340 | YETI.COM

The post Blind date with a YETI cooler was full of surprises appeared first on overland-europe.

Picture this: you want to go on a short (or long) camping trip, expedition, vehicle-supported adventure, or just for a picnic. In fact, picture anything out of doors, where you might need some running water and a basin…something a little more refined than a canister emptying onto the ground—which is an absolute no-no inside a vehicle.

TYPICAL SOLUTION

A typical built-in solution could include a fresh water tank, a grey water tank, a pump, maybe a dedicated battery, some hoses, a basin, a tap, and a cabinet to put it all in. And I haven’t even touched on getting it out of the car/van to use it more remotely.

Anyway, even if we focus on just the fitted and fully equipped cabinet in the back of the vehicle, all the components quickly add up to a not insignificant dent in the wallet, and a watertight assembly will certainly consume valuable time that I’d rather spend elsewhere.

BOXIO ALTERNATIVE

Composting toilets are the first thing that spring to mind when I hear the name BOXIO. But I’ll cover that separately.

BOXIO have taken one of the most popular Eurobox sizes, namely 400 x 300 x 280 mm (including the lid), and neatly packed a five-litre fresh water tank, five-litre grey water tank, tap, basin, hand pump and hoses into its confines.

I’m talking about a product that stacks with my other Euroboxes, provides cold running water from a tank, via a tap, into a practical washbasin, and collects the dirty water in a separate tank. I can use it in the car, in the tent, or anywhere I happen to be. Another benefit of being stackable is that, if you have children, you can simply adjust the height to suit them.

Supplied as a self-assembly kit, the well-manufactured components are a breeze to put together and the required tools are included in the set. There are even stickers to distinguish the fresh water from the grey water tank. The tap folds down when not in use, and the hand pump does not need a battery. To make it even more attractive, the cost won’t break the bank either.

TEST IT

I did. Over and over again. Ok, if you really want to split hairs: it doesn’t have running hot water. But, come on, who cares. I can boil up some water and add it to the basin because there’s a plug to stop the water running away while shaving or doing light washing up. There is even a sieve insert to catch bits of food and other small items before they disappear through the drain and into the grey water tank.

To test BOXIO’s true versatility, I ordered the BOXIO SANITARY set—including the WASH PLUS set which comes with a shower head, a shaving mirror, and some stainless steel balls that make cleaning the canisters a lot easier—pour in some water, add the balls, screw on the lid, and give it all a hearty shake.

However, hygiene needs to be taken seriously and that’s not limited to the tanks alone, but includes the hose from the fresh water tank to the tap. Periodically rinse cleanse the system with a suitable agent (such as Katadyn Micropur Forte) to prevent microorganisms thriving—especially in summer and when the unit has stood idle for any period of time with water in its system.

To use the basin, first make sure there is fresh water in the tank and the pressure release valve on the hand pump is closed. Pump three to ten times until you can feel some resistance, and then open the tap. Voilà.

Tanks can be sealed using the provided caps, so that the contents do not slosh around and leak when you are driving.

It goes without saying that the contents of the grey water tanks need to be disposed of responsibly and not simply emptied on the ground or in a river.

As far as the WASH PLUS set is concerned,

• the mirror is unbreakable and sticks to the inside of the lid
• the shower head easily replaces the neck of the tap—simply pull the neck off the tap body and press home the shower head fitting. The shower head has its own remote on-and-off lever, and the spiral hose will extend to more than 1.5 metres.

VERDICT

Horses for courses. For those who need a practical solution that works in the back of a 4×4, van or boot of a car, and still has the use-me-anywhere versatility, the BOXIO WASH comes with a host of arguments that speak in its favour, including an acceptable price tag of €190 (or €160 in their online shop at the time of writing).

If you want the luxury of a fitted kitchen and bathroom in your car/van/truck, then you’re probably installing a tailored interior with all the amenities you need. But…if you still need an outdoor sink to clean hands or wash veggies before they land on the grill, then this easily stowed box just enhances the overall outdoor experience with a minimum of effort.

The materials used are durable, and the workmanship is good. Considering the overall price, the metal tap (faucet) is beautifully made and has a smooth action for an easily adjusted flow rate.

So, to answer the question I set out at the beginning: yes, this is a well-made, durable and versatile product for a fair price which can provide a useful solution in many instances.

from €160 | boxio.de

The post BOXIO WASH: The mobile wash basin has received a lot of hype recently. Is it really that good? appeared first on overland-europe.

The appropriate pots—900, 1800 and 4000 ml—are sized to allow you to store the stove space-savingly inside.

Minimal ash residue is proof of how efficiently these gasifier stoves burn, and the double-wall construction protects the ground directly beneath from scorching. If necessary, you can use the Titan and Campfire with an alcohol burner—the disadvantage being that you need to carry alcohol with you as well.

With kindling and fire starters packed and stored inside the stove during transportation, my Solo Stove has proven itself on countless occasions and is an indispensable companion on all my adventures.

€55 Lite, €70 Titan, €86 Campfire | solostove.com

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Turned upside-down with the handle attached, the aluminium cover doubles as a small pot—which I have never actually used. Cooking with the stove couldn’t be simpler: fill the tank to about two thirds with white gas (Coleman fuel) and close the lid; put a little fuel in the well at the base of the burner (an eye dropper is useful) and stand on a level surface, replace the windshield, put the key on the jet and turn fully to the right; ignite the fuel to prime the stove. Just before the flame dies down, turn the key to the left and the stove will ignite. Now just wait for it to develop its characteristic roar and you’re good to cook. You might need to practice this little ritual a couple of times.

No frills, well manufactured and highly reliable. I’ve been on a good number of trips with SVEA and still look forward to brewing up some coffee or tea—0.75 l of water for two cups takes roughly five minutes. A pot of water for noodles takes a bit longer, but when I’m settling down for the night, who’s in rush? The following morning, I can start to get ready whilst keeping an eye on some eggs and bacon. Together with some dry food, you have the greatest backpacking solution.

I do own a set of spare parts, but have yet to resort to it. When the time arrives, the key doubles as a toolkit.

€ 130 | OPTIMUS STOVES

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