I am going on a personal backpacking trip soon and my traveling companion and I love a good cup of coffee in the morning. It got me thinking about all the ways we could make our morning cup of joe happen in the wilderness. Apparently I am not the only one - there are over 20 products on the camping market just for making coffee! Here are many of the ways you can wake up with a cup:
1) Coffee bags. These are similar to tea bags, where you just pour boiling water over it and let it steep in your cup. It is a convenient lightweight option, but does not provide the strength and flavor I like.
2) The camping percolator. Makes great coffee, is great for a group or more than one cup drinkers, and is easy to do. It is bulky to carry in a backpack and sometimes the pot handle ends up poking you in the back! Plus, it can be a little bit of messy to clean out the coffee grounds, especially camping where there may be limited water. Make sure the grind of the coffee isn't too fine.
3) Espresso makers. These you set on your camping stove and in a few short minutes produces a nice strong cup of back-country espresso. These are reasonably priced ($24.95 for a 4 cup, $19.95 for a one cup from REI) and are small and lightweight. I know people who own one and wouldn't camp without it. Somehow this just seems a bit too froo froo for me, though. Plus, it is one more thing to carry in your backpack. I also imagine that unless you use one of those espresso pre-packaged pods that places like Starbucks sell, it is probably also a bit messy to clean. And not everyone likes espresso.
4) Press pots - There are Lexan (a hard non-breakable plastic) press pots and individual mug European presses. The press pot makes great coffee, and if your camping companions don't like coffee, they can just as easily make their own hot drink, since all that is required is boiling water. The Lexan pot, though, is not ideal for backpacking (see percolator). The individual press mugs and thermos are insulated so ideally your coffee stays hot, and can double as your mug for tea, soup or cocoa later (the press is often removeable). It does have that wet-compact-coffee ground mess to clean up. You do have to wait 5 minutes for it to steep before pushing the plunger, and this can result in a less hot cup of coffee. With some of the thermos style mugs, too, you have to unscrew the lid each time you want a sip, and this is not only more time consuming but allows heat to escape at each sip.
5) Cowgirl coffee: You boil the grounds in with the water for a few minutes. To get the grounds to settle you let the pot sit for a couple minutes and then tap the side of the pot with a spoon. Daring campers can try centrifugal force - where you spin the pot in a large circle with an outstretched arm. Gravity keeps the lid on as you spin the pot. This makes good coffee, but is quite messy to clean up and sometimes you get fine grounds in your cup.
6) Coffee cone. You can make a great cup of drip-style coffee with a paper filter and an inexpensive, lightweight and small plastic coffee cone. All you need is boiling water and you can make a cup to your own strength. This also can be slightly time consuming, and in cold weather the coffee doesn't stay super hot. You can use a bandana or clean sock as a reusable filter.
7) Instant coffee. Not the best tasting, but easy, lightweight and after all, you are out "roughing it" Mix in some cocoa and powdered milk (or better yet, non-dairy creamer) and you will have a delightful back country mocha.
Whatever your preference, there is a method for you. Enjoy that coffee as you sit in your Crazy Creek chair looking at the beauty of nature around you. Ahhh! -- deb
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I also hear there is a concentrated liquid coffee called Java Juice that is considered very good and lightweight. It can be diluted with hot or cold water.
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