Backpacking Coffee: 5 Ways To Get Your Morning Coffee On The Trail
I know I am not the only hiker who needs my morning cup of coffee! The caffeine boost is great for pushing over a tough summit but the morale boost brought on by enjoying an everyday ritual beneath a not-so-everyday mountain sunrise or cozying up to a hot beverage after a cold, rainy day on trail might be more essential. Luckily, there are plenty of options for enjoying a hot cup of coffee on trail.
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Backpacking Coffee Option #1 – Instant
Instant coffee often gets a bad rap but it is also an obvious choice for camping and backpacking. Instant is definitely the simplest coffee option to prepare and, with tons of new options on the market promising a better tasting cup of coffee, you might just find one that you actually really like. Single serving instant coffee packets are my go-to for any trip where I am trying to save as much pack weight as possible because they eliminate the need for any coffee-specific equipment and there are no wet grounds to pack out. I like the Folgers instant packets because they are cheap and easy to find. They aren’t fantastic, (it’s still instant coffee) but definitely drinkable.
Some other popular instant coffees for backpackers include:
Trader Joe’s Instant Coffee Packets – These have cream and sugar right in the packet.
Backpacking Coffee Option #2 – Pour Over
If you love pour over coffee at home you will be pleased to find that it is an easy method to take with you into the backcountry. I found the green collapsible silicone coffee drip pictured above for $1.99 on a Walmart clearance rack but it is very similar to this one on Amazon. It works with cone-style coffee filters that I pre-fill with ground coffee at home and tape closed. Other popular choices for pour over coffee on trail include the collapsible, stainless steel Snow Peak Coffee Drip and the GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip Coffee Maker that weighs less than half an ounce and eliminates the need for paper filters.
Backpacking Coffee Option #3 – French Press
Yes, you can have french press coffee on trail but it probably means more work and more weight than most other methods. I have an older version of this GSI Outdoors Java Press that rarely makes it out on trail. Even though it only weighs a few ounces more that my pour over cone, the press takes up a lot more room in my pack and is difficult to clean.
However, if you are a french press lover looking for a sturdy press for the backcountry, try the Snow Peak Titanium Cafe Press (just 6.3 ounces) or the Stanley Cook And Brew Set. Both of these can also be used to boil water for other purposes so if you are eating commercially dehydrated backpacking meals or freezer bag cooking you can probably leave your pot at home.
If you are using a cook system with an integrated pot, many manufacturers like MSR and Jetboil make a press attachment that can be purchased separately.
Backpacking Coffee Option #4 – “Teabag” Style
Coffee can be made by steeping the grounds similar to making tea. Using this method, you will still have soggy grounds to pack out but no coffee-specific equipment to carry. In my opinion, the results are typically a step above instant but not quite as satisfying as pour-over or pressed coffee.
Some brands, such as Maxwell House and Folgers, make a teabag-like coffee product that is convenient but not always easy to find. You can make your own by spooning your desired amount of grounds into a coffee filter and tying it off with string or unflavored dental floss. Some hikers even use a handkerchief or bandanna to make a pouch for their coffee grounds.
Backpacking Coffee Option #5 – Cowboy Coffee
Google “cowboy coffee” and you are sure to find a wide variety of techniques (some even involving eggshells) as well as some passionate fans of this method of coffee-making. The basic idea is that the grounds are placed in the water with no filter and then either skimmed off the top before drinking or allowed to sink to the bottom. Cowboy coffee has a reputation for being gritty but many will argue that, if done correctly, it makes for a fantastic cup of coffee. This method isn’t quite as foolproof as instant coffee though. It will probably take a few tries to figure out what works for you, however, it requires no advanced preparation or special equipment. Therefore, it might be worth a try if you are traveling long distance or looking for little ways to lighten your pack.
We want to hear about your favorite backpacking coffee! Share your method of choice in the comments below!
