Are you one of us? Coffee lovers who find special pleasure in a hot cup of coffee in the cool, quiet, early morning, brewed on your camp stove or over the open campfire (if that’s allowed where you are)? Or are you getting ready to venture out with your tent for the first time, nervous about just how you’re going to get that morning cuppa joe? Because there are many features of our daily lives that we forego when we’re camping, but a delicious and hot cup of coffee is definitely not among them!
Before choosing a method, consider a few factors:
- Size and weight of the equipment
- How many people you need to serve
- Speed & ease of brewing
- Ease of clean up
Here at Boyd’s, we’re born in Portland – the Pacific Northwest, AKA the #pnwonderland to those of us who wander out regularly. We’re experienced camp coffee baristas and we’ve got some ideas for you.
CAMP COFFEE MAKERS
Our favorite way to make camp coffee is the small and very light Aeropress. If you’ve never used one, it’s kind of a simplified combo of a pour-over, French press, and a pneumatic press. It gives you very rich, smooth coffee very simply and quickly. Clean up is very easy. Since it only brews one cup at a time, might be rough if you have more than 4 people, though.
The Aeropress is truly ideal for car/truck/van campers and backpackers unwilling to compromise on the quality of their wilderness coffee. Whether you brew with the “official” top-down method or the non-sanctioned inverted method, this little gem brews a great cup of coffee.
Other options that work for backpacking or the car/truck/van camping:
Single-Cup Pour Over Stands
These are lighter and smaller even than the Aeropress and still make a dang fine cup of coffee. The GSI Ultralight Java Drip clips right onto your mug and even has an attached nylon filter. As with the Aeropress, you’re brewing one cup at a time, unless you have a few of these handy dandy little devices. Not quite as quick as the Aeropress but simple to clean. For other options, a quick online search will bring you a variety of devices.
If you love your French Press and don’t want to be without it but realize that glass doesn’t really go well with camping, you’re in luck. Coffee Gator makes an insulated French Press that not only holds up to the rigors of the outdoor life, but also keeps your coffee hot for an hour or so. And with a one-liter capacity, you’re making more than one cup at a time. Great for the car/truck/van camping but probably more than you want to carry on a backpacking trip. Also, clean up is a little messier than our previous suggestions.
Cowboy Coffee
If you want to go really Old School, there’s always Cowboy Coffee, where essentially you’re putting coffee grounds into a big pot of boiling water. Which, come to think of it, is really not too different from the French Press or even the Aeropress. But it’s more. And it’s older. And it’s rugged. Not something you would lug along on a backpacking trip, but it you want to give it a whirl, here’s a link to directions.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
- Make sure you have a great insulated mug! It’ll keep your coffee at the perfect temperature on those cool, quiet mornings.
- For ease, you may want to bring ground coffee with you. If coffee’s not coffee unless you just ground the beans, then bring along a portable hand-crank grinder (which is also great to have on hand in case the power goes out at home).
OUR FAVORITE GREAT OUTDOORS COFFEES
The best coffee for your camping trip is the coffee you most love, right? But if you’re looking for our recommendations, we have a soft spot for two of our blends:
- Good Morning is a smooth, rich medium roast coffee. When you brew this up in camp, you’ll be the envy of nearby campers as its toasted almond aroma wafts through the campground. You’ll appreciate its buttery, sweet cocoa finish as you take in the morning bird sounds.
- Red Wagon is a bold, complex, dark roast. This organic coffee also has hints of burnt orange and Baker’s chocolate. It’s great way to great the day whether you’re high in the mountains or at your favorite national park campground.
A final note: remember to leave only footprints! Please remember to pack out any garbage – that includes coffee grounds and filters! Last thing we need is a couple of over-caffeinated bears roaming the wilderness. 😉
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