If you love your coffee, you will want to enjoy it whenever and wherever you can. You can often get them made at home or office, or you can pick one from your local shops.
But what about when you are out in the wild, say when you are camping? Can you still make good coffee without a coffee maker? How do you make coffee while camping?
You can make coffee while camping using the following ways:
- Aeropress
- French Press
- MiniPresso
- Collapsible PourOvers
- Drip Bags
- Percolators
- Cowboy Style
- Brew Bag
- Instant Coffee
Each style has its own strengths and weaknesses and will need you to prepare at least some hot water.
This article explores how you can make coffee while camping. It will first discuss if you can even do that before exploring all the available options.
Can You Still Make Good Coffee While Camping?
You can easily make good coffee while camping. There are many options to make coffee, even when you are in the wild. The key, however, is to have a way to get some hot water for brewing.
Some of us really care about our coffee and will not accept anything but a properly brewed cup. Instant coffee is a bad idea, nor will you accept any replacement, such as tea or chocolate.
However, being in the wild comes with its own inconvenience. You do not have electricity or a comfortable way to boil water, grind your beans, and make coffee.
You definitely would not be able to pick up a nice cup of Flat White, Cortado, or Americano from your local Barista. Not in the wild.
Fortunately, some solutions can help you make great coffee, even while you are camping. In fact, some of these solutions can even help you make a great cup of espresso-like coffee!
These solutions are usually small, easy to carry around, and do not need electricity. If they do, they usually are battery-powered. You only need to have coffee grounds and hot water ready.
These should not be an issue, as you can easily use a USB-powered coffee grinder to grind your beans fresh. There are also manually-operated grinders. If you are serious about camping, you should have a kettle or pot to heat up some water.
Some methods will also require you to prepare consumables, such as filter papers. But they should not take up much space, and you can carry them easily while camping.
How To Make Coffee While Camping
To make coffee while camping, you can consider using several styles. You can make Americano-style coffee with Aeropress, French press, or collapsible pour-overs. You can also make espresso-style coffee using a Minipresso.
| Style | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Collapsible Pourovers | – Easy to carry – Easy to clean – Cheap – Tastes closest to drip coffee | – Requires filter paper – Requires a cup |
| Drip Bags | – Easy to carry – No grinding needed – Easy operation – No cleaning | – Coffee may not be as fresh – Requires a cup – You may need to carry used drip bags around |
| French Press | – Easy to clean – No cup needed | – May be fragile |
| Aeropress Go | – Comes with a cup – Easy operation – Easy to carry | – Filter paper needed – Cleaning may be a bit hard |
| Minipresso | – Comes with a cup – Easy to carry – Makes great espresso | – Elaborate operation – Cleaning may be hard |
| Percolators | – Easy to carry | – Takes time to make coffee – Hard to carry around – Cleaning may be hard – Requires a cup |
| Brew Bag | – No hot water is needed – No grinding required | – Takes a very long time – Coffee is not hot – Requires a cup – Bag needs to be carried around |
| Cowboy Style | – No special equipment or tools are required – Old school, rustic style | – Coffee grounds are not filtered – It may be hard to get the water to coffee ratio right – Requires a cup |
| Instant Coffee | – No grinding needed – Easy to carry around – Cheap | – May not taste great – Requires a cup |
There are many options for you to make coffee in the wild. In fact, you can easily make many styles of coffee with them. Do not be surprised if we tell you you can make your own espresso shots while camping!
However, do understand that each of these methods has pros and cons. For them to be able to perform certain things, they need to sacrifice another. There may not be a perfect solution, but one that suits you best.
Collapsible Pourovers
With this style, you will be making coffee similarly to using pour-overs. But, instead of carrying typical pour-overs, you will carry a collapsible one.
These collapsible pour-overs are usually made of silicone, and you can collapse or fold them. This way, they become small and easy for you to carry. They are also heat resistant. You do not need to worry about leeching silicones or oils into your coffee.
To operate them, place a filter paper on top, add in your coffee ground, and pour hot water. The coffee should drip into a cup below, and you get to enjoy your coffee!
This method is very suitable for those that enjoy drip coffee. This is because this method makes coffee closest in taste to regular drip coffee. It is also easy to clean and cheap.
The issue with this method is that you will need to prepare your coffee grind. This means you need to carry a grinder. You also need a cup, as you need something to catch coffee dripping from the filters.
Drip Bags
If you do not want to carry a pour-over around but still want drip coffee, check out drip bags. They are pre-ground beans, filter paper, and a holder, all packaged in one.
To use it, you usually tear up the top packaging away, opening up the packaging. You will see ground coffee inside, with filter paper on the outside.
You then pull out the holder tabs in the middle of the drip bag. Next, suspend the drip bag over your cup using the holder tabs. Pour hot water over the drip bag, like in making drip coffee.
This method is great if you want a compact, all-in-one solution to make great coffee. It is also quite affordable, and you do not need to grind your coffee. This means you do not need to carry a grinder.
The issue with drip bags is that the coffee may not be fresh since its pre-ground. You may be unable to discard the drip bags, as not all are biodegradable.
You may need to carry used drip bags throughout your camping trip. You can also try making your own drip coffee bags before you leave.
French Press
With a French press, you will be brewing via infusion instead of drip brewing. You grind up some coffee and add them to your French press mug. Pour in hot water, and allow it to brew.
When done, put in the press plunger, and press down to separate the coffee ground from the coffee. You can pour it into a cup of coffee or sip straight from the mug.
The great thing about French presses is that they make great infused coffee and are easy to clean.
You often only rinse it with water to remove the coffee ground, and it should be clean enough for the next brew. Always use the best pre ground coffee grounds for your French press to get the tastiest coffee.
The issue with a French press is they are mostly made of glass. This means they are not collapsible and may be difficult to carry around.
Glass is also fragile, meaning your French press may break as you travel in the wild. You may knock your bag into trees and rocks, breaking your French press.
Aeropress Go
Aeropress is a company that makes a specialized, mobile coffee-making tool. There are two versions of Aeropress, the regular and the Aeropress Go.
We will be focusing on the Aeropress Go here. The reason is that Aeropress Go is the smaller, more outdoor-friendly version. It has a cup, so you do not need to bring one camping.
Aeropress Go also can make Americano-style coffee very well. You first load the filter at the bottom of the main tube before adding in your coffee grind.
Pour in hot water, stir, and allow several minutes to brew. Then use the plunger, and press the coffee out from the main tube into the cup below. Enjoy your coffee!
Aeropress Go’s main issue is that it may be a little harder to clean. You will also need to carry filter papers to use it. You can use a steel mesh filter to avoid using filter papers, however.
MiniPresso
If you are looking for a small tool to make espresso-style coffee, you will enjoy Minipresso.
Start by removing the cup from the top lid. Next, unscrew the portafilter at the top. Take out the mini-basket, and fill the basket with ground coffee.
Tamp the coffee using the bottom of the scoop. Reinsert the mini-basket back, and screw in the portafilter. Unscrew the bottom cap, and fill the bottom cap with hot water.
After you screw the bottom cap back, bring it into a cup. Then unscrew the pump pistons at the center of the Minipresso. Start pumping, and you will see espresso coffee coming out into the cup.
Minipresso may be harder to clean, and the coffee-making process can be a little elaborate. But it is an acceptable tradeoff for what you are getting from it.
Percolators
Percolators function similarly to a Moka Pot but use medium-ground coffee. They also make Americano-style coffee instead of espresso-style which Moka Pot makes.
Percolators are also your typical coffee-making tool used in many cowboy movies. This may give you a rustic feel, and you may want to try it yourself.
Start by opening up your percolator, and remove the ground coffee basket and tube. Fill the empty tank with water. Place a paper filter at the bottom of the coffee basket, and fill it with ground coffee.
Now, close the lid, and place the percolator over the fire. As it slowly boils, the water travels up the tube and drips over the coffee ground. This helps to slowly brew your coffee to perfection.
Percolators are easy to clean, easy to carry around, and make great coffee. The only downside is you need to carry some filter papers around. It may also take some time to make your coffee, as the water needs time to heat up and drip into the coffee grounds.
You will also need a cup. Since it will be burning hot, you can’t sip straight from the percolator!
Cowboy Style
Go cowboy style if you plan to go hardcore and wild with your coffee-making while camping. This method requires no specialized tools, with ground coffee all you need.
Start by heating water over the fire using a pot or steel mug. Once the water boils, pour in the coffee grind, stir with a spoon, and allow it several minutes to brew. Pour into a cup, and enjoy!
The issue with cowboy coffee is the coffee ground. There are no ways to filter them away, so you need to sip slowly to avoid them. Some may use their teeth to do the filtering work and spit the coffee ground out, like a cowboy.
Brew Bag
Suppose you find grinding coffee and boiling water too much of a fuss to deal with when making coffee in the wild. In this case, you may consider using a brew bag.
Brew bags are a way to cold brew your coffee while on the go. The brew bags allow you to carry your coffee as you travel and enjoy them later.
This means you can fill the bag with water, and ground coffee, even before you leave your home. This means you do not need to grind coffee or boil water to make coffee.
The issue with brew bags is you will need to carry them around. They can also be cumbersome since you must carry a bag with water sloshing around.
Instant Coffee
Finally, if you find making coffee in the wild too much of a fuss, you can always turn to the fastest and easiest method. What other faster ways to make coffee but instant coffee?
A cup, hot water, and a teaspoon or two of them are all you need for coffee in the wild. You do not need to carry coffee beans and a grinder. You also do not have to use coffee grounds to think about, nor do you need to clean your coffee-making tools.
The downside? You will need to accept drinking low-quality coffee. People may be divided about this, with some ok, but some swearing never to touch instant coffee. You may need to think about this yourself and decide if low-quality coffee is worth the convenience it brings.
Final Thoughts
No matter what kind of coffee-drinking camper you are, this guide provides the perfect camping coffee solution for you.
Whether you prefer cowboy style, classic drip bags, or a more modern Aeropress, we’ve got the perfect brewing method for you.
With just a few simple steps, you can enjoy your favorite cup of joe out in nature, surrounded by the beauty of the great outdoors.
Alex is a self confessed coffee addict – but he takes his love of caffeine seriously in a completely responsible way. He loves trying new coffees and testing the latest machines and is not usually fan of one button pod machines. Alex is happiest when he is tinkering with settings and milk temperatures to create the perfect cup. When not obsessing over coffee, Alex is a keen musician and plays weddings and other social events (usually fuelled by… yes, you guessed it… coffee).
