If you’re the type of person who wakes up and looks forward to their first (and second or third!) cup of coffee every morning, it’s not something you’ll be willing to sacrifice when you’re camping. Many people swear the experience of drinking coffee in the morning is even more pleasurable when it’s done while camping. You’re outside in the fresh air surrounded by nature, able to sip your cup of coffee in peace. If all goes as planned, there are probably a few things better if you’re a coffee drinker.
Though some things are out of your control while camping – the weather, how peaceful your environment might be – one something you can control is brewing a quality cup of coffee. It takes a little planning, but if coffee is an essential part of your day when camping, you’ll be thrilled you invested the extra time and money into bringing along the equipment you need to create the perfect cup of coffee.
The simplest option for brewing coffee while camping without worrying about expensive or elaborate equipment?
- Light your campfire first thing in the morning and boil water over it
- Put a single coffee bag in a coffee cup and pour your boiled water over it
- Brew and steep the coffee for two to three minutes
- Remove the bag, burn it in the campfire, and sip your coffee!
It’s simple, and as long as you’ve chosen a quality brand of coffee, this method is going to yield at least a decent cup of coffee. For most people, this is good enough and gets them through the few days they are camping.
However, there are ways you can make the coffee experience even better, even if you are hundreds of miles away from your nearest barista.
How Can You Brew the Best Coffee While Camping?
One of the best ways to make an outstanding cup of coffee when camping is to use a French press. French presses yield a strong cup of coffee that truly captures the taste of quality coffee grounds. The French press is a lightweight item you can bring along on a camping trip that makes things more complicated than a coffee bag, but not nearly as complicated as using a percolator or other coffee machine.
With a French press, you merely pour boiling water over coffee grounds, let it brew, and then use the press feature to separate the properties of the water. Voila! The perfect cup of coffee. The French press creates such good coffee that many people use it when they are home and have access to all of their other coffee brewing methods.
Many press devices tend to be made of fragile glass – something you don’t want to deal with when camping. Several presses are designed to be sturdier and great for camping. Some of our favorites include:
Stainless Steel Java Press
Coffee lovers adore this press because it has double-walled construction that keeps your coffee piping hot. It holds 33 fluid ounces of water, so you can make coffee for several people or have enough for yourself if you plan to drink it all through the morning. It comes with a sleeve that prevents burns and helps to insulate coffee.
Check it out on AMAZON.
Snow Peak Titanium French Press
This French press is one of the most durable options on the market. You can make a single cup of coffee with it, and it’s a great lightweight option. We love it because it makes brewing quality coffee easy for campers who need to hike longer distances to their campsites.
Check it out on AMAZON.
Coleman 10-cup Portable Propane Coffeemaker
If you prefer drip overpress, this is an excellent option for camping. This coffee maker is similar to the one you likely have at home. It can produce up to 10 cups of coffee and runs on a standard propane cylinder. You can even upgrade the coffeemaker to include a stainless steel carafe to avoid worrying about broken glass when brewing your coffee.
Check it out on AMAZON.
GSI Outdoors Stainless Percolator
This has been a famous coffee maker among campers for a long time. Percolators produce quality coffee without much effort from the maker. They are available in a variety of price ranges depending on how many cups of coffee you want to make. This GSI option offers sizes that range from 8 to 36 ounces.
Check it out on AMAZON.
MSR Mugmate Coffee Filter
For a simple, cheap coffee brewing option, try the MSR Mugmate Coffee Filter. This is the most convenient coffee brewing tool on our list, and you can get it at a rock bottom price. It’s a small, lightweight tool that allows you to make a single cup of coffee and features reusable filters that sit in the container and allow the coffee to brew. It weighs less than an ounce, so it’s perfect for those who don’t have much space or can’t add much weight to their packs when camping or hiking.
Check it out on AMAZON.
One Last Tip
In addition to having the right tool for brewing your coffee, there’s one additional issue that’s arguably the most important when it comes to brewing the best possible cup of coffee: the beans. The quality of your coffee beans has the most profound effect on the result.
Bad beans equal bad coffee, hands down, and no brewing method can alter this face. You need to brew quality beans in the best way possible with the methodology and tools to produce the best possible cup of coffee. It is possible to ruin good beans. However, it’s not possible to take bad beans and make them good. This means you need to start with the best ingredient and work from there.
The most severe coffee drinkers view drinking their coffee while camping as an experience and might even invest in better quality beans than they’d use at home for their time away. Consider this special treat a great way to make the most of your morning cup of coffee while you’re in the great outdoors.
