The Best Ways to Make Coffee While Backpacking and Camping
There is nothing like a hot cup of coffee while enjoying the view from your campsite. This is especially true on a chilly mountain morning when you need a little pick-me-up to get you going for the miles ahead. Fortunately, there are many ways to brew up that cup of joe. You can surely find a method that will work for you out of the best ways to make coffee while backpacking and camping listed below.
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1. Instant Coffee
How to Brew:
Add the grounds to a specified quantity of hot water and stir until it dissolves.
Pros:
Lightweight, easy, and simple
Cons:
Doesn’t taste the best
Instant coffee is certainly one of the best ways to make coffee while backpacking if simplicity and weight is a priority. You don’t need any additional equipment, just a camp stove and some water. Another perk is not having to pack out any used coffee grounds, which can be messy business. However, if you think of yourself as a connoisseur of coffee, you might not appreciate the flavor. It’s hard to find an instant coffee that stands up to the smoothness and richness of a fresh brew.
Our Favorites:
2. Cowboy Coffee
How to Brew:
Boil water, add coffee grounds, then reduce heat to a simmer. Grounds will start to sink to the bottom. Let sit for 2 to 4 minutes, then pour into coffee mug, careful not to disturb the grounds at the bottom.
Pros:
Easy and doesn’t require any tools or special grounds.
Cons:
Doesn’t taste the best and can leave grounds in the coffee.
The oldest method in the book for brewing up coffee in the backcountry is the cowboy method. While not many would list it as the best way to make coffee while backpacking, it will do in a pinch. It requires practice to get it right, so over time your experience with the cowboy method will improve. If you have patience the ability to tolerate a few lousy cups of coffee in the morning as you perfect your craft, you’ll nail down the perfect technique after a few trips.
3. Tea Bag Coffee
How to Brew:
You brew tea bag coffee similar to how you’d brew tea. Place the bag in hot water and let it steep until it reaches your desired strength.
Pros:
Simple, lightweight, and easy to pack out the used grounds.
Cons:
Might not taste as good as a typical cup of coffee.
Tea drinkers have it made with how easy and portable their favorite beverage is. Well, coffee drinkers don’t have to be jealous anymore with teabag coffee varieties! All you have to do is drop the bag in hot water and let it seep. The bag prevents grounds from escaping and soiling your cup of comfort.
This method provides a better taste compared to instant coffee since the grounds don’t have to be manipulated to dissolve in the water – it tastes more similar to the coffee you have at home. Plus, packing out used grounds is simple and mess-free, just dry out the bag and put it in your trash pocket.
Our Favorites
- Wildland Coffee
- Chamberlain
- CRU Kafe
- Alternatively, you can use your favorite coffee from home and fill your own tea bags!
4. Pour Over Coffee
How to Brew:
Set up pour over device on top of your mug. Slowly pour hot water over the pouch until mug is full.
Pros:
Tastes more like a typical drip coffee, lightweight and easy to pack out.
Cons:
Requires a steady hand and some technique.
If you’re looking for a taste similar to what your drip coffee pot makes at home, one of the best ways to make coffee while backpacking is the pour over method. Much like how a Mr. Coffee would work, you pour hot water over the grounds and let it drip through the filter. It leaves the grounds behind, so you get a smooth and familiar cup of coffee. The only downside is the potential to make a mess and burn yourself if you’re not cautious with the pour.
Our Favorites:
Use Your Own Grounds With a Pour Over Stand:
5. AeroPress Coffee Maker
How to Brew:
Place bottom half of the device on top of the cup. Place a filter on the bottom of the device, then spread a layer of grounds. Add hot water and stir, giving it time to sit. Then use the plunger to slowly force the water through the grounds and into the cup. Watch a video here.
Pros:
A rich, smooth coffee flavor.
Cons:
Heavy, requires more set up, and has the potential to break.
The best ways to make coffee while backpacking for premium coffee flavor is an aeropress. It works like a combination of a pour over, French press, and pneumatic press, resulting in a rich and smooth flavor. However, that taste comes with it’s setbacks. The set up required takes up more space in your pack and is much heavier than the previous methods. You also run the risk of the device malfunctioning or breaking on the trip.
Find the AeroPress here!
6. Espresso Pot
How to Brew:
Fill with espresso grounds, set on stove, and boil. The coffee drips from the spout into your mug. (directions will vary by device)
Pros:
Great for people who prefer espresso to coffee, bold and strong flavor.
Cons:
Heavy and takes up a lot of space.
For the backpacker where a simple cup of coffee just won’t do it, a travel espresso pot might. You can get your fix of caffeine by bringing one of these on the trail with you. You can place the pot on your camp stove, heat up the water, and wait for your mug to fill up. The downside of this method is that it requires a bit of set up and gear. If you’re an ultralight backpacker, you’ll be hard pressed to justify bringing one of these along.
Our Favorites:
7. Camping French Press
How to Brew:
Spoon coarse grounds into the bottom and drizzle a small amount of water, wetting all the grounds for “blooming” and sit for 30 seconds. Then fill the container with hot water and stir. Sit for 4-8 minutes, then press down the plunger to separate the coffee from the grounds.
Pros:
Creates a deep, rich tasting coffee.
Cons:
Requires thorough cleaning, more equipment, and more effort than other methods.
French press coffee has been growing in popularity the last few years and for good reason. This method of making coffee creates a rich, deep tasting coffee without impurities that may come from using a drip machine.
A typical French press uses a glass carafe. Needless to say that is not ideal for backpacking. A camping French press is made to be more durable and lightweight. In fact, there are some camp stove attachments that allow you to convert your stove into a French press! However, that doesn’t make it perfect for backpacking. It still takes a lot of effort to clean and brew, and the extra equipment may add unwanted weight to your backpack.
Our Favorites:
Camp Stove Attachments
Leave No Trace Reminder
Before you head out to the backcountry with your coffee grounds in tow, we want to remind you to always obey the leave no trace principles when it comes to your coffee. Please pack out your coffee grounds rather than dumping them in the forest.
“Why pack them out? Coffee grounds naturally decompose and make a great fertilizer!”
That’s certainly true and it’s an excellent idea to add used coffee grounds to your compost or garden for these reasons! However, in the backcountry it’s best for you to pack them out with you.
Coffee grounds have the potential to be toxic to dogs when consumed in moderate to large quantities due to the high levels of caffeine. Due to the tasty smell of coffee, dogs are likely to eat grounds if they come across them. This means dumping your grounds at camp can be dangerous to the pups that our fellow hikers bring with them on backpacking trips. Not to mention the harm it may have for wild animals in the area as well.
In addition, coffee grounds are food and we want to always dispose of and store food appropriately when camping in the backcountry. The smell can attract bears and racoons to the area, and we don’t want these critters hanging around campsites. It can be dangerous to fellow hikers as well as the animals themselves.
Photo by Thom Holmes on Unsplash
