Simple solo overnighter / Nothing fancy, but barbecue and campfire with the X-Fire 19 🔥🌲 ✌️ 🌳

Sometimes you do not need a big plan. No ambitious route, no extreme weather test, no new skill to master. Sometimes a night alone in the forest, a tarp overhead and sausages sizzling over an open fire are enough. That was the whole point of this overnighter: keep everything simple and enjoy every minute.

Setting Up Camp

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I set off in the afternoon, the Tasmanian Tiger Pathfinder packed for one night. The forecast was mild for December, cold enough to see your breath but no rain in sight. Still, I pitched my DD Tarp 3x3 m as a classic A-frame between two trees, with a Bundeswehr elephant skin as a ground sheet underneath. Better safe than sorry, I like a dry camp.

Under the tarp I rolled out the Exped Synmat UL in its mat cover, one of those small upgrades that really makes a difference. It keeps the pad clean and adds a bit of comfort. On top went the Carinthia TSS sleep system: inner and outer in Multicam Black, stowed in the Carinthia Observer Plus bivy bag. Overkill for the temperatures? Probably. But better too warm than lying awake shivering at three in the morning.

Firewood, Fire and Good Food

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With camp standing, I grabbed the Silky Gomboy Outback 240 and the Hultafors trekking axe to process some standing deadwood. That rhythm of sawing and splitting: no stress, no deadline, just you and the wood. After half an hour I had a decent pile, enough to keep the fire going well into the night.

The real lead of this trip was the X-Fire 19. In case you do not know it: a compact stainless steel fire pot that doubles as a grill platform. I set it up, lit the fire and put the titanium grill grate on top. A few bratwurst from the local butcher, turned slowly over the coals. Nothing fancy, but honestly one of the best meals you can have outdoors. No restaurant in the world competes with food cooked over a campfire after an afternoon of physical work in the woods.

While the sausages grilled, I brewed a strong coffee in my titanium French press. Ate with the trusty titanium spork, washed it down with water from the Nalgene and just sat there watching the fire. No phone, no distraction. Just the crackle of the flames and the forest around me.

Why Simple Trips Stay With You

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I think we sometimes overcomplicate our time in nature. Elaborate routes, the latest gear, the perfect photo. But the trips I remember most are often the simplest. A tarp, a fire, a good meal and silence. That was exactly the reset I needed.

The rain jacket stayed in the pack, the pants were comfortable all day, and my Lowa boots handled the forest floor without complaint. Everything worked, nothing broke, nothing was missing. That is the mark of a dialed-in kit.

I crawled into the sleeping bag early, listened to the last embers popping and slept like a rock. Woke up to a cold, misty morning, packed up with numb fingers and hiked out completely recharged. No big adventure story, just a good night in the woods.

If you want to watch the full tour, you can find the video here: https://youtu.be/obgYnK9JcEo.