Camp Coffee Three Ways
Your ultimate guide to (good) backcountry camp coffee
I have, over the years, merged two of my loves and taken my caffeine addiction into the backcountry. And I will be the first to admit that after a dozen miles of hiking and/or a few nights away from the comforts of home that pretty much any coffee starts taking great… I also believe that there are very few things better than having great coffee in the great outdoors.
I outlined three ways that I get my coffee fix (plus everything you need to follow suit) below.
How to make amazing camp coffee
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before we get started….. the basics
There are three routes to having great coffee when backcountry camping (imo) and I will walk you through them now. But before we get started - even if you are more of a teal/hot chocolate/apple cider drinker than a coffee drinker - you will want to pick up a double walled mug and/or an insulated thermos. These keep your beverage of choice warmer much longer… which you will absolutely want on chilly camp mornings and evenings. I also use the JetBoil Flash cooking system - it is super lightweight and lid clips in a small fuel and lighter so that everything you need is safely secured together. And because I get asked a lot, I included the hand grinder that I personally use when camping (I will want you it is an investment piece).
Pro tip : on hot summer days double walled coffee mugs also keep your drinks cooler longer
Directions:
Gather your pieces and place the plunger inside the main chamber of the AeroPress.
The AeroPress should balance comfortably, with the open side facing up.
Put the paper filter into the cap, rinse and set aside.
Take one scoop of ground coffee (about 14g if you have a scale) and place in the inverted AeroPress. Freshly ground is always best, but we are camping so whatever you have will taste great.
Fill up to the line marked 4 with water just off the boil, stir and attach the filter cap (make sure you have a filer in it).
Wait for 2 minutes. Then, place your mug on top of the inverted AeroPress and flip. Go steady and with confidence!
Plunge gently until you hear a hiss. About 30s.
Enjoy!
Note: If you find the flavour too strong, feel free to add more water making it an Americano instead of an espresso.
Directions:
Put your brewer on top of your mug, add filter.
Wet your filter with hot water. Discard the water from your mug.
Add about 15g (one big scoop) of grounds to filter. Shake to even the bed.
Pour just enough water to wet the grounds. Let bloom(swell) for 30 seconds or until it stops.
Pour the remaining water in an even, slow flow while rotating in concentric circles. Make sure to evenly soak all of the grounds. It should take about 3 minutes for one cup.
Wait until all the water has drained from the coffee into your mug.
Enjoy!
Directions:
Open packet, add to mug.
Add water to taste.
Enjoy
Okay that was a little but silly. But in all honesty the coffee scene has moved to instant in a really big way. I would recommend picking up a variety pack from Verve (a Santa Cruz, CA based coffee hope and roaster - they have them at REI) and doing a coffee tasting on your next backcountry camping trip. Coffee beginner or veteran this is a fun and lightweight mid morning activity that helps you narrow down flavour profiles you enjoy.
I also wrote a blog, years ago, with the help of several coffee experts, about the best and worst instant coffees. Unfortunately a number of these did not survive 2020. If you have a go-to instant coffee - let me know in the comments and I will update this blog post!
*Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission on any purchase made - at no additional cost to you. As always, all ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Thank you for your support!
