Best Coffee For Backpacking and Camping
Some things you just can’t leave behind, even when you’re roughing it! A good cup of coffee in the morning is certainly one of these things. When you are spending several days out in the backcountry, you’ll find yourself craving your typical cup of joe. While you won’t have your coffee pot out or cafe out in the woods, you can still brew up something delicious. Just because you’re not at home doesn’t mean you have to settle for lousy coffee. Below is our picks for the best coffee for backpacking and camping.
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How To Prepare Coffee In The Backcountry
There are plenty of different methods for brewing coffee when you are backpacking or camping. We go more in depth in all of these methods in the post linked here. However, we’ll also provide a quick run down below.
- Instant Coffee – All you need is your mug, hot water, and some instant coffee and you’re in business. This is the easiest way to brew on the trail, but some low quality brands gave instant coffee a bad rep. Not to worry, the brands we list below will make you reconsider your disdain for instant coffees!
- Tea Bag Coffee – Tea bag coffee is brewed just like tea is, by plopping the bag in hot water and letting it steep. This is convenient and easy to use, but it leaves you with a used bag you need to pack out!
- Pour Over Coffee – With a nifty little tool like this one, you can make coffee similar to the drip coffee you have at home. This requires you to carry an extra piece of gear and a bit more work. However, if you usually have drip coffee, this will be the best coffee for backpacking for you.
- Portable Coffee Makers – If coffee is your priority, you can find yourself plenty of travel-friendly coffee makers that you can bring along in your backpack. A travel AeroPress, french press, or espresso pot can easily make the best coffee for backpacking and camping, flavor wise. In terms of convenience and weight, you’d be hard pressed to find a backpacker willing to lug these items around just for a morning cup of joe.
Best Instant Coffee For Backpacking
Best Light Roast
Starbucks VIA Blonde Roast
This instant coffee comes from a familiar brand that made a big name for itself in all things coffee. For good reason – they have a lot of delicious products out there. We like the Starbucks Via instant coffee because it is easily accessible. You can find it in most grocery stores and it won’t break the bank.
At the same time the coffee is smooth, mellow, and dissolves well in the hot water.
Our only complaint about this is that it is in individual packets. This is convenient, but also a bit more wasteful and produces more trash for you to carry out.
Best Medium Roast
Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee
Mount Hagen is a great brand that specializes in instant coffee. It is certified organic and free trade, so you can feel good about buying from them. The minimal packaging also means you don’t have to worry about creating as much waste and you can customize the strength to your liking.
While the flavor of the coffee is strong and bold, it is not bitter or overpowering. Texturally it is very smooth and dissolves fully in the water without any floaters.
Best Bold/Dark Roast
Death Wish Coffee Instant Packets
When caffeine is the name of the game and intense flavors please your palette, give Death Wish a try! These single serve packets pop a staggering 300 mg of caffeine each. You’re going to be soaring through those miles after having a cup of this.
We do warn that this coffee is not for the faint of heart. If you typically drink sweet or flavored coffee, you might find this to be a bit too bold. Fortunately, the brand offers refunds so you can try it risk free! If it’s not the best coffee for backpacking for you, you get your money back, no questions asked.
Best Flavored
Waka Coffee
Variety and fun flavors is what you will find with Waka Coffee, making it stand out among the other more boring instant coffee brands. Some of the flavors they offer include vanilla, butterscotch, dark chocolate, and pumpkin spice for those of us who love the fall! All these flavors with no sugar added.
Each flavor is smooth, sweet, and full. It doesn’t taste burnt or bitter and has a nice feel as you are drinking it. The coffee comes in a bulk bag, so you can customize the strength to your preferences. You should get around 30-35 cups per 3.5 ounce bag.
Best Tea Bag Coffee For Backpacking
Best Light Roast
Baronet Coffee Shop Blend
Baronet takes our pick both for best light roast and best flavored coffee for the teabag variety. These aren’t like most tea bags, they are pods. No string is attached to the bag but you use it the same as you would use a typical tea bag. The unique packaging helps minimize waste and makes it easy to use.
The flavor of Baronet coffee is smooth, aromatic, and full-bodied. There is little to no difference in quality compared to your standard cup of coffee. There is also a good variety of flavors offered, from dark roast, to French vanilla, hazelnut, and cappuccino, there is bound to be a flavor that fits your preferences.
Medium Roast
Wildland Coffee
This coffee was made for backpackers to enjoy while out in the mountains, because a beautiful view calls for a delicious cup of coffee! While there isn’t a whole lot of variety in terms of flavor from this brand, the flavors they do offer are incredible. We prefer the medium roast, which has a smooth flavor with just the slightest hint of chocolate.
The company prides itself in being ethically sourced and tries to minimize the packaging used for the product. However, each tea bag still comes in its own packet.
The one downside to this coffee is it requires a long steep time. For the best flavor, you should let it steep for 8 minutes. By then, the water might be a bit cooler than you’d like.
Dark Roast
Solid Coffee Roasters
If you’re looking for something a bit more bold in flavor, Solid Coffee offers tea bag coffee that holds up against your standard brew coffee. They are long lasting, too. Each bag is double nitrogen flushed to keep it tasting fresher for longer. Perfect if you are reserving them for trips.
This brand also uses responsible packaging, the filters are fully compostable. While we don’t condone leaving your coffee tea bags scattered about the forest, we do suggest you pack them out and toss them into your own compost pile at home.
Coffee Alternative
Choice Organics Coffee Inspired Black Tea
So, this isn’t coffee but bear with us for a moment. This is coffee inspired black tea. While we are typically strict coffee drinkers, this black tea left an impression. It has a soft, relaxing, and unique flavor that is reminiscent of coffee yet slightly more earthy.
These are perfect for someone who wants that comfort and flavor of coffee, but without the jitters and crash of caffeine. Each bag only serves 30mg of caffeine. This is enough to give you a little boost, but not so much that you’ll get the negative side effects of consuming too much caffeine.
Each bag is individually wrapped and the link below takes you to a variety pack that allows you to sample 3 different varieties.
Make Your Own!
If none of the flavors above fit your style, you can make your own coffee tea bags! FIll these empty bags with the coffee you love and enjoy a great cup of joe on the trail.
Best Coffee For Coffee Makers
If you are willing to carry around any of the travel coffee makers we have listed above, then you are able to bring along whatever coffee you typically enjoy. The same is true for the pour over method!
In terms of weight and portability, we recommend using the pour over method, coffee bags, or instant coffee for your morning cup of coffee. You certainly won’t find an ultralight backpacker carrying a french press! However, if having the best cup of coffee for backpacking is your priority, these other coffee making tools are fun options.
Read more about making coffee while backpacking here!
Cover photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
