Camp Coffee?

Codger_64

Codger_64

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I've always made "cowboy coffee" or some variant thereof. Either free-floating the grounds in the pot and settling them before the pour, or tying up the grounds in coffee-maker filters for less mess. But I have been looking at other methods recently including the MSR "Mugmate" which caught my eye. It is basicly a fine mesh cup that sits in the cup and contains the grounds for pour-over and steeping. Sorta like an old fashioned tea egg. I've use the folgers' singles bags and they are ok. Never tried the Starbucks VIA coffee. Hate every instant coffee I have ever tried. A caveat is that when I wake up in the morning out of doors, I do enjoy cup after cup of fresh coffee, beginning before I cook breakfast, while I am cooking it, and as a chaser after eating. I am even known to finish the last cup while packing up camp. Has anyone tried the MSR coffee dealio?

Here is a discussion about trail coffee on the Backpacking light forum. Note that if you go there, they definitely have a different mindset, as the forum title suggests. Please, if you post, be respectful of that forum, it's members and staff. The thread is a good read though as members, over years' time discuss their own preferences on coffees, methods of making trail coffee.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi...ums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=17668

Webfind of the $16 +/- MSR Mugmate
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Now back to me. The days of backpacking are over for me and my canoe is my Sherpa, so weight isn't a prime concern. I still don't care to pack along a lot of baggage to have to load, unload, unpack, repack and reload. Breaking camp and casting off in the morning should be a pleasure not an ordeal.

Also, I am not too fond of foo-foo coffee like expressos and exotic flavors and additives. I currently make my coffee in a stainless one quart billy can, usually with spring water to negate the hassle of filtering and treating. One or two gallons of bottled water is not significant weight to my canoe. I've pretty much done away with campfires, mostly using my Emberlit for cooking and a little bit of heating, since my adventuring is no longer in winter, and not a lot of overnighters in the early spring/late fall shoulder seasons.

As to my personal "wilderness ethic", I have no qualms about scattering coffee grounds when I leave camp. I don't leave any trash though like coffee filters or bags or other packaging, plastic or paper. I do carry ziplocks for messy stuff and a trash bag inside a mesh onion sack for garbage. How this will change with the local bear population. Never traveled among grizzlies and blacks before.

So if you make coffee a part of your outdoor experience, what are your preferences in methods and materials?

Michael
 
Hey Codger. Have you ever tried a french press? I am rather new to coffee myself (believe it or not). but, the guys i go hiking/camping with always bring their press. real easy....similar to the cowboy coffee (which i don't mind), except instead of just letting the grounds settle, you press them down with a fine mesh screen.

if you are interested, i could find out very quickly which one they pack in (cuz i'm sure there's a million choices).
 
TPVT said:
Hey Codger. Have you ever tried a french press? I am rather new to coffee myself (believe it or not). but, the guys i go hiking/camping with always bring their press. real easy....similar to the cowboy coffee (which i don't mind), except instead of just letting the grounds settle, you press them down with a fine mesh screen.

if you are interested, i could find out very quickly which one they pack in (cuz i'm sure there's a million choices).
Click to expand...

I've seen them but never tried. And it would require a special container to work? And it would make a cup at a time? Dunno. Tell me more about these Frenchy presses. Any cultural conflict with them and Jamaican coffee? (which I can't afford but hanker for ever since a forum member gifted me some).

On letting the grounds settle, they will do it on their own if the pot is set on a cool surface like a rock or sand. Or if in a hurry, a dash of cool water will drop them right to the bottom. Pour slowly and the grounds in your cup will be minimal if at all.
 
Codger_64 said:
I've seen them but never tried. And it would require a special container to work? And it would make a cup at a time? Dunno. Tell me more about these Frenchy presses. Any cultural conflict with them and Jamaican coffee? (which I can't afford but hanker for ever since a forum member gifted me some).

On letting the grounds settle, they will do it on their own if the pot is set on a cool surface like a rock or sand. Or if in a hurry, a dash of cool water will drop them right to the bottom. Pour slowly and the grounds in your cup will be minimal if at all.
Click to expand...

Yes, you would need the press itself....that's about it, besides the stuff you would already have. you can make as much or as little as you want. usually, you want about 4oz of water for 1 heaping Tbsp of grounds. so, if you want one cup of coffee, you plop in ~3 Tbsp of grounds (figuring one cup is about 12 oz). you get the idea.

http://www.howtobrewcoffee.com/French.htm

oh yeah, my buddy says he just brings a "generic plastic one."
 
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I think the Starbucks Via is much better tasting than the Folgers in the tea style bags.

Bruceter
 
H2Jo

I used to use one of these.
It fits on a Nalgene type wide mouth bottle. If you have a double walled stainless steel bottle, it would work well, and keep it warm.
I used to boil my water, put the grounds in the water, throw the H2Jo and lid on. Then you just drink through the filter. It's easy and not too messy when you are out on the trail.
It does not take up much room at all, since most of the time I'm carrying a wide mouth type bottle anyway.

For even easier, the Medaglia D'Oro Instant Espresso is the best and easiest instant type coffee out there. To me, it doesn't have that fake, instant coffee flavor like a Folgers or Maxwell House. I keep a little jar of it at home for when I need a quick cup of coffee.
 
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This is the way my mother used to make coffe . It's like a cloth strainer you put the ground coffe in the striner boil the water and pour into the striner the more ground coffe the stronger it taste . I useally strain the coffe twice . It take a bit of practice but it's well worth the try . Easy to carry . I grew up in Puerto Rico so coffe maker weren't available so we made with what we have . My father still use one and I can remember my sister (RIP) asking for caffe .
 
Also a pour over cowboy coffee fan I recently got one of those aerobie aeropress's with a stainless filter. Really easy, quick to clean, and makes a tasty brew.
 
I appreciate your request to be respectful of the Backpacking light forum.

Less fuss and muss with good yet fast morning coffee at camp ... I've been working on it for a while

Can't give my 2 cents worth because we have discontinued the penny ... but here goes my loonie's worth
First - Taste and fast - no separating these two for me

Avoiding disposable (replaceable $) filters is worthy.

Bulk/weight - well, the best we have found for the job so far (awaiting how this thread unfolds)

As a version of the mug-mate I use a single-cup permanent filter system that I am happy with (<$8 CDN) (use at home and camp). Composting of grounds at home.


Also I have been experimenting with the single brew (this is Keurig but knock-offs are available at 1/3 price) These are designed for pressure flow but brewing over time can be a nice luxury when at camp. Give me patience or give me weak coffee. I am using the single-cup permanent filter system 100%

Also, I do not seek to re-visit the paper towel vs TP debate, but how many campers have actually tried to replace your last coffee filter with TP? Not exactly getting the morning off to a great start with TP, eh? My backup is PT all the way.

All my lessons are learned the hard way, so please take my words kindly as intentioned ...

Susan
 
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Hah! Thanks Susan! Yes, I have been the substitution route myself, on to the bandana from paper towel. What brand is your permanent filter? I don't recall seeing that one.

As to the Starbucks, I have seen a lot of reviews of those but $1 a shot? Is that right?
 
Hey Codger,

Have you ever tried a perculator? Set it on the fire or your Emberlit and let it do its thing.
Get one with a clear piece on top and you can get a general idea of how dark your coffee is for your preference.
If you're not familiar with what I'm talking about I can post some pictures.
You can get one in any size depending on how many people you're with and there is no waste other than the grinds themselves.
It's all I use now, either on my stove at home or over the fire and I drink coffee every day.
My wife just got me a new one for Christmas but honestly I cant tell a difference over the one I have been using for years. Except maybe a couple of ounces...
They are cheap and easy and make a great cup of coffee.
The starbucks instant coffee was given to me on my last trip and it was by far the best instant coffee I ever tried. might be worth goving them a try if you want things really simple.
If you're not caught up in the ultra light gear and just looking for something that works a perculator is cheap enough to give a try and most likely all you will need
I have no problems with cowboy coffee but a really good cup of coffee is a luxury I wont turn down anywhere
 
Oh I grew up in a time and place that percolators were all we had so I am quite familiar with them. And I am not too concerned with weight. That said, I do like to keep my kit to a minimum. Mostly for the convenience of cleaning and packing.

And I neglected to mention that I most often solo these days. Except for Jake my dog, but he doesn't care for coffee.

2wmq9ox.jpg
 
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Hi Michael,

Sorry no make obvious on the filter cup ... when I saw it on the shelf I simply knew it was a solution I had been seeking.

Good morning coffee ... well, it's the best. Good night.

Susan
 
Might be time to go back to the basics?
Its super easy to clean and pack, no?
They make them in all kinds of sizes
 
I have to say that for myself there is a romance to using a percolator while camping. The only reason I even own a percolator is for camping. I love percolator coffee while camping..

I'm being a little repetitive. I am very biased. For me percolator coffee is an essential part of the camping experience. The handle on my little aluminium percolator even folds down for easy storage. It sounds like cowboy coffee is an essential part of the experience for you. So it sounds like one of those drop in strainers might be the ticket for you to have an easier way to enjoy that.

French presses are nice and easy too. I also have friends that camp with those old fashioned stove top espresso makers. It's all about what best scratches that camping coffee itch for you. For me it's percolator coffee just like grandma used to make out at camp.
 
Hey Michael, Jake is just now downloading on dialup! Good Stuff! Super canoe dog in his element big time.

Susan
 
Is Jake an English Setter? I thought I have seen pics of him before but didn't recognize him as a setter so maybe its just the pic...
Handsome Pup either way
 
miltmaldo said:
I use this

1d4938157db1b393867fc5fe1a39c5f0_zps0bb29aac.jpg
Click to expand...

This is a great way to make coffee
You could buy these for a couple of dollars in NYC in mini delis run by Puerto Ricans

Dip it in boiling water and leave for a couple minutes

Backpacking I use the same method
A new clean nylon foot hoes weights nothing and works better as it so easy to clean
Reverse it and rinse it
 
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