Camp coffee is one of the delights of camping. It could be the chilly mornings outdoors with a cozy warm cup, or the caffeine boost before a day of adventure, or maybe it’s the thrill of bringing the comforts of home to the wilderness.
The best ways to make coffee while camping:
- Portable pour-over coffee maker
- Steep bags or submersible filter
- Percolator
- Heat up cold brew
Read on for some ideas and tips for how to make camping coffee.
Pour-Over Options
If you have a kettle or pot, you can heat your water over the campfire or on a camp stove. A collapsible pour-over coffee maker is a great option for those who need something lightweight and portable.
Some options are made from silicone, so they don’t take up much space and can be washed easily. Keep in mind you will have to carry filters with you.
Other collapsible options come with fabric filters that can be reused (though you will have to rinse them thoroughly and clean-up might be difficult). All of these options are lightweight and pack small.
You can also check out pour over mugs if you are willing to carry the extra weight. In this case, you won’t need to bring filters, and you can use your insulated mug for all drinks, soup, or water.
Steep Your Coffee
You can buy coffee in bags just like tea, which may be your ideal method for camp brewing. Or check out a submersible filter that you can fill and place in a mug to steep. With these methods, you don’t have to carry (or remember) your filters.
You can always put your coffee in a sock and pour water through! (Though it’s probably a good idea to buy a coffee sock and not use one of your own, no matter how rugged you may be.)
Use a Percolator
For old-school delicious camping coffee, use a percolator. These may require small filters, but you can make an entire pot of coffee at a time. Similar to an old-school espresso maker, hot water is forced through a small basket of grounds at the top of the pot.
It takes a little while to percolate coffee because you will have to heat the water enough to force it up through the grounds, though you can make a nice strong brew.
Keep in mind percolators take up a lot of space and will have to be cleaned each time. Not an ideal solution for backpackers.
Bring (or Make) Cold Brew
If you don’t want to wait for water to boil over a campfire, why not bring along some cold brew and heat it up? You won’t have to wait for your coffee to steep, and you can even drink your cold brew during the day for a cooler treat.
You can make your own cold brew if you bring along a brew bag and let your cold brew steep all day while you are out hiking or adventuring–then just heat the next morning.
