By Leo Donkersley
I have different reasons for wanting to be in nature. Sometimes, it's to spend a night under canvas. Other times, it's an early morning with a wonderful mist lying low over the forest. Or it's simply roaming with my dog. He loves the freedom of the woods, and I love seeing his tail held high.
And other times it’s quite a simple desire really - just get out, make a quick fire, and have a brew, as us Englishmen say! I just want to find a nice spot and make a cup of tea or coffee.
While I do love a good cup of tea, most of the western world runs on coffee—so let's stick with that today.
Enjoy the moment
At home, making a hot drink is a mundane routine for the most part. Water from the tap, click the kettle on, throw in a teabag. But it is different outdoors. There, it becomes part of the experience.
You find a spot worth spending a little time at. Gather some firewood. If you’re like me, you’ll be listening to the birds and watching them move through the trees - that knock-knock of a woodpecker always has me looking for it.
Even something simple like preparing a drink feels different when you’re away from the everyday stuff.
This is important. It is a small reminder that we don’t need a big adventure to feel nature. Sometimes it is good enough to be in it.
Brewing coffee outdoors with simple equipment
Sure, I can bring coffee in a thermos. Sometimes I do exactly that. But the real pleasure is making coffee out in nature.
Good coffee. A small foldable wood stove or a fire box. And my favourite kuksa. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – coffee tastes better in a kuksa!
We have plenty of clean, beautiful lakes here in Lapland, but clear water isn't the same thing as safe drinking water. For a simple coffee trip, my advice is to bring enough drinking water from home, so you don't have to worry about the water quality on-site.
This is what I bring with me
- Coffee and enough drinking water.
- A coffee pot to boil the water in.
- A small foldable wood stove or fire box, when conditions permit fire-making.
- A kåsa or favourite cup to drink from.
- Sugar, for my part.
Always check current fire bans and local regulations before lighting a fire or using a wood stove. Choose a suitable spot and extinguish it properly before you leave. If you aren't allowed to build a fire, a thermos is a great alternative.
Take it a little easier
I really want to emphasise the importance of slowing down. We are all conditioned by the pace of modern life. We are a results-oriented society, and the steps to that result have to be worked through quickly and efficiently, because time is always of the essence.
But Mother Nature works at a different pace. She rewards us when we slow down — unless, of course, we're pushing for the summit of Everest! There's that old saying about it being the journey, not the destination, that matters. For most of us, that's sound advice.
Take the simple act of building a fire. We take time to gather the right amount of wood, choosing twigs and branches of different sizes and preparing the larger pieces before we begin. Too much wood too soon can smother a small fire, while too little may leave us without enough heat to boil the water.
So take it easy. There's no rush.
Over time, these little routines become part of what draws us back outdoors. Familiar things—a favourite cup, a familiar patch of forest—become part of the experience.
Something as simple as a short walk in the woods, boiling water and adding coffee (and sugar, for me. Lots of sugar!) becomes a ritual you look forward to repeating.
Want to find your own favourite cup for your coffee break? Take a look at our Casström Masur Birch Kåsa.