Brew Guide to Making the Best Camp Coffee

On chilly mornings, unzipping your sleeping bag can feel more daunting than the miles you’re about to put in on the trail. Unless you’re the type that relishes leaping out of your tent into the predawn air, you probably need the promise of a warm cup of coffee to lure you out of your warm nest. Fortunately, brewing in the backcountry (or front-country) can be just as easy as brewing in your kitchen—only with much better scenery.

Few experiences can match stealing a few moments of morning stillness on the edge of an alpine lake, coffee in hand, as you prepare for your day on the trail. Here, a guide to brewing camp coffee that’s tasty enough to savor while you watch the sunrise.

Tools of the Trade

Coffee-loving backpacking and camping veterans often have a preferred method and the necessary supplies for caffeinating in camp. If you are new to the outdoors or simply dissatisfied with subpar brews, it can be overwhelming to figure out your ideal balance between flavor, weight, bulkiness, ease of cleaning, and how much waste you'll have to pack out. Here are a few options for you to consider, starting with the most basic:

1. Instant

Though instant coffee isn’t known for winning any flavor awards, it’s definitely the easiest, lightest, and least messy option. If you like to pack up camp fast and don’t want to deal with any extra gadgets, instant coffee might be your best bet. Loyalists swear by Starbucks Via, but keep an eye out for tasty blends outdoor enthusiasts, like Alpine Start.

2. Steeping

If you can't bear the thought of instant, steeping your coffee is your next simplest choice. You can buy pre-made bags of grounds, fashion your own, or invest in a steeper.

3. Pour Over

You can pay $5 for a cup of premium pour over in San Francisco, or you can brew it yourself in camp. All you need is a cone and paper filters (several versions flatten for your pack), but any basic plastic version will work. Pour-over aficionados be forewarned—it can be more difficult to brew a consistent cup than at home.

4. Percolator

A steaming pot of percolator coffee is a campfire classic—just fill the pitcher with water and the coffee basket with grounds and set it over the fire to brew. Ultra-light backpackers usually won’t go for this bulky and potentially heavy option, though it’s a crowd favorite for the classic camping set or for groups.

5. French Press

If you have the pack space or are car camping, a French press usually guarantees a tasty cup. Though there are plenty of lightweight models, the French press is better suited for car camping or bike touring because it’s bulky and you'll also need a mug. Like the percolator, having a press will speed up the process if you are brewing for more than one.

6. Aeropress

If you are into gadgets, loyalists swear by the Aeropress. It’s lightweight and brews a clean, consistent cup. The system uses a cylindrical plunger and paper or metal filters to extract the coffee, preventing the bitterness that comes from over-extracting the coffee. The aeropress produces an espresso-like brew that you can drink straight or dilute.

Written by Charlotte Dohrn for RootsRated and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.