Camp coffee

Jaker_cc

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Location
San Antonio, TX
I’m so terrible at making coffee at camp it’s not even drinkable. I’ve tried it on a flat top stove, tried it with my MSR stove, tried it on the fire always tastes bad. How in the heck do y’all make good camp coffee and what method do y’all use?

Help me stop disappointing my hunting partners.
 
I grind it (dark is my favorite) at the store at Percolator size grounds, boil water, pour it through a plastic strainer or coffee filter filled with the grounds.

Or Starbucks instant (many flavors) when going light.


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Being way back in the mountains is no excuse for bad coffee.

lightweight Hario V60 into my insulated Sea to Summit cup. Coffee is whatever I happen to be fond of at the time (Tandalacoffee.com, I’m the owner and roaster). If I need to go lightweight I’ll grind before leaving. Otherwise I have a small hand grinder for fresh ground coffee.

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I’m so terrible at making coffee at camp it’s not even drinkable. I’ve tried it on a flat top stove, tried it with my MSR stove, tried it on the fire always tastes bad. How in the heck do y’all make good camp coffee and what method do y’all use?

Help me stop disappointing my hunting partners.
Do you backpack in or truck camp?
 
For a base camp and making coffee for a group, about the only real option is a percolator. Link below. To get good coffee with a percolator you need to understand what they do differently and adjust your coffee accordingly. The water is in contact with the coffee much longer than with a typical brewer so you get a much greater flavor extraction. If using old, very dark roasted coffee the over extraction will really highlight the poor flavor of that coffee. This can lead to very bitter coffee. If you don’t want it too bitter, use a more coarse grind of a fresh coffee. Edit: also try to use a burr grinder. It produces a more even grind. A blade grinder results in many very fine pieces along with the larger desired size, and those fines produce a more bitter flavor.

 
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In camp I use a old Starbucks insulated French press. Out on day excursions, use a Jetboil French press set up. Grind fresh right before you leave and good to go for any length trip. Life is too short for *hit coffee. Will be trying the Trader Joes mentioned earlier too....
 
For instant I like the G7 3in1 coffee from Vietnam, the Maxim from Korea, or the Black Rifle when they have it in stock. All of it tastes good. The ones from overseas are good for having a coffee latte that is instant or if you prefer something with a mild sweetness already mixed. I prefer coffee black but the other stuff is not bad at all. I tried it after talking with coffee people who hike the PCT, CDT, etc

Otherwise I just make cowboy coffee with a light roast as I want the most caffeine possible from a small brew. I have been tempted to get a grinder and press and give it a try.
 
I stopped bringing the jetboil on archery elk hunts last year. I got my coffee fix with either starbucks via mixed with cold water, or a couple handfulls of chocolate covered coffee beans. I read somewhere that guys will pour the instant coffee straight into their mouth and chase it down with water. I tried that for the first and last time this past season. . . Yuck!
 
I stopped bringing the jetboil on archery elk hunts last year. I got my coffee fix with either starbucks via mixed with cold water, or a couple handfulls of chocolate covered coffee beans. I read somewhere that guys will pour the instant coffee straight into their mouth and chase it down with water. I tried that for the first and last time this past season. . . Yuck!

Easier and much much cheaper to just gulp a Walmart caffeine pill, about 3.5 pennies per equivalent cup. Starbucks Via is 1730% more expensive per serving.
 
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