I can remember the weekend after we installed the tent on the roof of the Land Cruiser we headed off with absolutely no comfort to discover the mountains of Gran Canaria for a camping weekend. We started just for one night to try out how it is to sleep in a rooftop tent. We didn’t have not much stuff, only table, chairs and we even borrowed a gas stove from friends. We just used one of the cooking pans of our kitchen.

Now after a year we purchased some campimg equipment. Like gas stove, camping cookware and dishware. Hammock, barbecue and even a dutchoven we can now proudly call our own.

Actually we don't need much to be happy. Being in nature, chilling in the hammock, having barbecue and campfire is one of the best reasons to feel happy.

Thanks to our rooftop tent of Frontrunner we can always spent a spontaneous outdoor night when ever we feel that we need some timeout.

Unfortunately nowadays it’s quite difficult to find a right place for making a campfire, because in many places It’s not allowed making campfire, which is right. Because in the mountains on the Canary Islands exists a high risk of wildfires due to the increasingly reduced number of rainy days we have. Every year it is raining less and the dryness in the interior of the island is getting worse. It’s so sad, because even here we clearly feel the climate change.

Only at some places at the the coastline it’s still possible, where we sometime take the chance having a lovely campfire.

At the end of August of this year we traveled for a long weekend to Fuerteventura. And we were happy like kids to try out our new purchase, which was the 4Fire-Hexagon Set of Fennek. With this set we can not only enjoy a barbecue but also a campfire, because it contains a fire bowl and a grill rack, which is super easy to install and doesn’t take a lot of space. Since we don’t have a big van and our space is limited another important feature is that in a removed condition it’s very small.

On that weekend we had barbecue on both evenings. First evening was just bratwurst with self-made potato salat, which I prepared already at home and the next evening we dared a little more with a fresh grilled seabream and a delicious Pazanella-salat.

I love outdoor cooking. That’s why I’m always searching for new recipes to try out. Unfortunately open fire cooking is often with meat, so I would be very excited to get some great vegetarian or vegan outdoor cooking recipes from you. So let me know if you can recommend something.

The whole setup of the fire bowl and barbecue rack is quick and easy. We just need 5 minutes and afterwards everything is very solid and you can even easily move it around.

To light up the fire for the barbecue we always lighten up some carbon briquettes with fire wool.

When we have finished the barbecue, we take the rack away and put 2-3 firewood sheaths on the embers of the charcoal, which will take the whole evening to burn down.

Then the cozy time of the evening can start. With a glass of wine, watching the campfire under the starry sky is simply the most beautiful. There’s nothing more exciting, no Netflix series can keep up with. There’s something calming, almost meditative about it. We can sit in front of it gaze into the flames and listen to the crackling, without talking, get lost in our thoughts or having a deep talk about our dreams and goals. Because in those moments we feel grounded and very close to ourselves so it’s always a good time to reflect. And when we are even allowed to spot a shooting star, I am the happiest little girl in the world.

On Thursday we just came back from a 5-day trip from Lanzarote, what I will surely share with you later. First I’m looking forward to see all the beautiful moments we hopefully could capture with the camera. Cause in the end it's all about collecting memories instead of things.

In this sense, have a lovely Sunday,

Katy!

Pics by Daniell Bohnhof and Look2 Ocean

Text by Look2 Ocean