There are trips that remind you why you started going into the woods in the first place. This was one of them. Together with Flo (@naturabenteuer), Bernd (@rheinlandoutdoor) and Patrick (@Naturedog) I headed deep into the forest for a night under the open sky. No fixed plan, no rush, just four people, heavy packs and the prospect of a campfire meal.
Setting Up Camp in the Moss#
We found a beautiful spot: thick moss on the ground, tall trees as a natural roof and an old fire pit waiting for us. While the others started gathering wood and sawing logs, I set up my sleep system. For group trips I go with the Carinthia Observer Plus as a bivy bag, combined with the Carinthia TSS inner and outer sleeping bag in Multicam Black, a modular system I can adjust to the season. Underneath I had the trusty Bundeswehr elephant skin as a ground sheet and the Exped Synmat UL for extra comfort. One of the guys set up the Poncho canvas tent from Nordic Wolf, fast to pitch and surprisingly roomy for what it is.
For clothing I wore the Alpha Tactical grid fleece from Helikon-Tex over a base layer, the UF Pro P-40 All-Terrain pants and my trusty Lowa Renegade GTX Mid boots. A solid combination for cool autumn temperatures.
Foraging Mushrooms, Filtering Water and Cooking at the Fire#
With camp standing, we went mushroom hunting. The forest delivered: a decent haul that would end up in our wraps later. Few things beat roaming through the undergrowth, eyes on the ground, debating whether something is edible. Always check with someone who really knows their fungi.
We got water from a nearby stream. I filtered it and stored it in the Hydrapak Seeker 3L water bladder and a Nalgene bottle. Filtering your own water in the forest is one of those bushcraft basics that never gets old.
In the evening the fire crackled properly. We heated up the Stabilotherm hunter’s pan XL, heavy to carry but unbeatable at the campfire. The wraps came together fast: tortillas, fried mushrooms, some vegetables and spices. Simple, filling and really good when you sit on a log after a long day outside. I boiled water in the SilverAnt titanium kettle for tea and coffee, ate with the titanium spork, and my Opinel N08 handled everything from slicing mushrooms to prepping kindling.
Around the Fire and Into the Night#
After dinner we sat around the flames, talking, laughing and watching the sparks rise into the dark canopy. Group trips like this have a different energy: you swap stories, pick up new tricks and enjoy being away from everything. Patrick, Flo and Bernd are all experienced outdoors people, so the knowledge exchange alone was worth the trip.
The morning came quietly. We packed up, made sure the fire pit was cold and left the spot cleaner than we found it. That is the only way places like this survive for the next people too.
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If you want to watch the full tour, you can find the video here: https://youtu.be/N7eDcrlyWyg.
