Thinking Inside the Box

Big fish, little fish, functional box.

Somewhere along the way, going outdoors became a whole separate indoor activity, with its own specialist vocabulary and surprisingly little fresh air. There’s a certain beauty in the collision between the romance of adventure and the absurd amount of organisation we convince ourselves it requires.

Don’t get us wrong. We love a hobby disguised as preparation for another pursuit. There’s as much, if not more, enjoyment in a late-night discovery, digging, playing, planning, packing and putting things together.

But none of this should stop you simply putting on your coat and heading out the front door.

What recently began as an innocent attempt to organise a few bits and pieces developed into something resembling a major military operation. Measurements, modular systems, interchangeable components and the strangely satisfying knowledge that one box fits perfectly on top of another.

Who knew the freedom of the wilderness could be found in the precise dimensions of standardised stackable storage? Despite having absolutely nowhere to go the following morning.

The humble crate. Once the preserve of warehouses, market traders and record collectors, has found a new audience. People willing to spend an evening comparing seemingly identical storage boxes,

It turns out we’re not alone. In Rostock, Germany, they’ve taken things considerably further.

BOXIO has been busy solving one of humanity’s oldest problems. Where to have your daily constitution. It took thousands of years to develop indoor plumbing. BOXIO managed to put it all in a box in just a few.

What began as a portable toilet has developed into an entire modular system of washing facilities, cooking equipment, cooling boxes and storage. With an emphasis on recycled plastics and regional manufacturing, there’s something appealing about the combination of thoughtful design and everyday practicality.

Not reinventing the outdoors, just making some of its less glamorous moments considerably more civilised.

Once you discover an entire system exists, the temptation is to imagine all the other problems it might solve. A simple afternoon in the countryside becomes a small-scale expedition, complete with catering arrangements, sanitation facilities and a carefully considered loading plan. And that’s before you start creating your own kits, each lovingly organised and decorated with stickers from places you’ve never actually visited. Or places that are completely fictional.

All this to make a cup of tea from the back of the car.

The pleasure isn’t in having everything. It’s knowing that the few things you do need, have somewhere to live, ready for the next opportunity to escape. A little less rummaging around in the shed. A little more time outdoors.

And if you happen to have a large bag of hemp and a dozen biodegradable bags, well, that’s nobody else’s business but yours.

Trek your head.

Gerry Berry

Find out more about BOXIO right HERE.