How To Make Coffee While Camping (12 Methods)

There might not be anything better than waking up to a beautiful view and realizing you’ve left the busy world behind. But what if you left something you can’t live without behind, like a coffee maker?

You only make a mistake like camping without caffeine once. Here are our favorite methods to make coffee in the wilderness to help you avoid this problem. Even though it’s pretty close, our list of camp coffee picks is not necessarily in order of best coffee. Instead, these are ordered by how easy it is to get to them.

Look at it and think about how it applies to your own life. Every camping trip is different, so it’s essential to figure out what will work the best for you and your group. Let’s jump right into how to make coffee while camping!

12 Ways How to Make Coffee While Camping

The Easy (And Lazy) Way: Use A Coffee Bag
Cowboy Coffee Method
A One Cup Filter/ Dripper
Single-Serve Pour Over
Instant Coffee
The AeroPress
Make a French Press Coffee
Percolator
Scoop Top Method
Camping Drip Coffee Maker
Use A Hand-Powered, Portable Espresso Maker
Coffee Sock

1. The Easy (And Lazy) Way: Use A Coffee Bag

Coffee bags, like tea bags, are an easy and handy way to make coffee when camping. These bags, which can be purchased or created at home, are dropped into boiling water and allowed to steep before being used to make coffee.

They’re small, easy to clean up, and don’t require any special skills to brew. They’ll fit in your bag without taking up much room.

It’s ideal for individuals who aren’t up to the challenge of anything more demanding (however, the lack of freshly ground beans means a slightly better than average coffee)

2. Cowboy Coffee Method

This is the most traditional way to brew coffee when camping. Canning “cowboy coffee,” commonly referred to, is a cinch. Although this method may not provide the best cup of joe, we appreciate its toughness.

To prepare, boil a pot of water and add your ground coffee. Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes before serving. Pour the coffee carefully into your mug after it has been thoroughly extracted.

Sip your coffee gently if you’re feeling challenging. You can delicately spit out the coffee grounds once you’ve filtered them with your teeth.

Instead, you can skim as much of the grounds as possible after allowing them to settle on the surface. You shouldn’t be concerned if you miss out on anything; you are roughing it.

Many Westerners advocate boiling the coffee and then cracking an egg into it if you’re channeling your inner cowboy. The coffee grounds will be dissolved into the egg’s yolk as it cooks. As a result, it will be much easier to avoid consuming these bothersome grounds.

Aside from a sense of adventure, the only thing you’ll need to prepare some cowboy coffee is a kettle.

3. A One Cup Filter/ Dripper

Manual drip coffee machines produce consistently excellent coffee in a short amount of time. On the other hand, camping necessitates a simple, light, and inexpensive brew method.

If you’re looking for a single-serve coffee that’s smooth and flavorful but doesn’t require a lot of fuss, the Melitta dripper is for you.

Like the Kalita wave or Hario V60, this pour-over method is simple in design and relies on gravity to brew your coffee.

Many one-cup drippers are durable plastic, making them ideal for camping or hiking. If you don’t want to drink from plastic, you can also choose a dripper made of stainless steel, glass, or ceramic.

A stainless-steel dripper will do for a camping trip, but the Melitta dripper will cost you pennies compared to other options (almost).

4. Single-Serve Pour Over

A new fad is sweeping the trails to address the perennial difficulty of transporting quality pour-over coffee to remote locations. It’s been a few years since introducing single-serve pour-over premium coffee sachets like Kuju Coffee, aiming to eliminate instant coffee in the wilderness.

Proving that it doesn’t have to be challenging to be tasty, this single-serving pour-over alternative mixes the convenience of instant coffee with a higher quality coffee brewing method.

Best For:

Campers, hikers, and travelers can’t live without spillover and aren’t interested in sharing. Solo-adventurers or anyone prepared to spend a little extra to enjoy great coffee on the go.

The instructions may differ slightly depending on the type of coffee you use. Still, in general, you will need to attach the pour-over anchors to the side of your mug, pour hot water over the coffee grinds provided, and then let the contents drop into your mug.

5. Instant Coffee

If you’re searching for a cup of joe ready when you are, then instant coffee is for you. While instant coffee has traditionally been used as a last-ditch option, many renowned coffee manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon.

In terms of portability, weight, and ease of use, instant coffee may be the best option on this list. Instant coffee may be just the ticket for campers, backpackers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who are ready to compromise some quality in exchange for convenience.

It’s simple to pack, incredibly lightweight and requires a bare minimum of cleaning. Pour the coffee into your cup, stir it, and then sit back and enjoy the convenience of instant coffee. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Those who prefer instant coffee prefer not to complicate things, so go ahead and pour the ingredients into your cup, add hot water, and stir!

Simple to pack, incredibly lightweight, and requires a bare minimum of cleaning. Pour the coffee into your cup, stir it, and then sit back and enjoy the convenience of instant coffee. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

If you drink this coffee, it’s probably because you want to keep things uncomplicated. With that in mind, let’s not make things more complicated than they need to be; pour the contents of the packet into your cup, add hot water, and stir.

6. The AeroPress

It’s a French press and a pour-over combined into one. With this brewing method, you can get a cup of American-style coffee or even an espresso shot!

Two scoops of coffee should be added to the AeroPress container’s more extensive tube. Allow the coffee grounds to bloom for 30 seconds after being soaked.

Fill the chamber to the brim with hot water. The paddle can be used to stir the coffee. Slowly press the plunger into the chamber. You can adjust the amount of water to your preference.

Make sure you use a sturdy cup to keep the AeroPress from tipping over when you begin pressing.

7. Make a French Press Coffee

Durable French coffee machines are available. Stainless steel or double-walled plastic containers are perfect for the outdoors. A built-in gram scale and timer make the KitchenAid French press ideal for traveling because you don’t need additional tools to measure coffee or manage steep time.

If you’re using one scoop of ground coffee, you’ll need one cup of water to make one cup of coffee. Allow 30 seconds for the hot water to cool.

While waiting for the coffee to bloom, add half of the water to the press. Pour the rest of the water after one minute. A few minutes of steeping will do the trick.

More than 3 minutes of steeping time will make your coffee stronger. Gently press the plunger of the French Press. Pour your coffee and sit back to relax.

8. Percolator

There are many different camping coffee preparation options besides instant coffee packets and the cowboy approach.

Consider a Percolator. An old-fashioned enamel percolator can be used over a campfire and doesn’t require many extras. You need freshly ground coffee, water, and a percolator.

Cool Portable Technique. As the water is heated, it’s pushed via a tube and over coffee grinds. It returns to the kettle. This continues until the water turns black.

Simple Percolator Brewing. Remove the cap, tube, and basket. Fill the kettle with water and add two tablespoons of coffee to each serving.

To remove the grounds, use a circular paper filter in the Percolator’s basket. Replace the tube and basket inside the kettle and the lid. Heat your Percolator.

You can see the water change from clear to brown with a clear top as it perks. Let your coffee brew for 8-10 minutes without a view. Let the coffee rest for two minutes before pouring to settle any grounds.

9. Scoop Top Method

This is an excellent option if you’re interested in the sink-down brewing method but don’t like the thought of coffee grounds floating around in your cup.

There are many similarities between this method of making coffee and the one detailed above. Bring a large pot or kettle of water to a rolling boil. After then, please turn off the heat and let it cool for about 30 seconds before using it again.

After that, add a couple of coarsely ground coffee scoops to the water and whisk to combine. Allow the liquid to simmer on low heat for a few minutes, then use a spoon to remove the grounds from the top of the brewed joe.

You’re all set to enjoy a cup of cowboy coffee, worry-free, with no more grit in your mouth.

10. Camping Drip Coffee Maker

This is the closest thing you’ll get to a real drip coffee maker without buying one. Besides looking like a dripper at home, this camping coffee maker also functions like one.

Fill the back reservoir with fresh water, place the front filter basket with high-quality coffee grinds, and turn the machine on. After 10 minutes, you’ll be able to enjoy your concoction!

The base of the coffee maker has two legs that rest in front and back of the burner. With this design, you can easily monitor the temperature of your coffee as it is brewing and make necessary adjustments.

It’s possible to prepare tea or hot chocolate in this coffee machine, which doubles as a kettle.

Before purchasing one of these devices, keep in mind that open fires aren’t the best heat source, so don’t count on using this method. They’re specifically intended to sit on top of a camping stove burner.

11. Use A Hand-Powered, Portable Espresso Maker

Manual espresso makers are easy to transport because they are small and lightweight. Espresso can vary from mediocre to excellent, depending on your ability.

To begin, wait 30 seconds after the espresso maker has heated the water to a rolling boil. It’s then time to add the ground coffee. There is no need to tamp your coffee.

Don’t start pumping until the coffee has settled. Pour it into a cup after seeing a rich, brown layer on top. The Nanopresso and Handpresso are two of the most popular travel espresso machines.

We’ve used these a lot, and they’re fantastic. The espresso isn’t as good as what you’d receive from a professional machine, but it’ll do!

12. Coffee Sock

The coffee sock is the following method on the list. Coffee socks are an excellent investment, even if you can use a regular pair of socks.

There are several similarities between this strategy and the preceding one. Afterward, place the coffee grounds-filled socks into a cup of boiling water. Remove your sock and enjoy a delicious cup of coffee after letting it simmer for a few minutes.

This method might be just the ticket if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary to spice up your camping trip. Using a coffee sock will make everyone chuckle, but they’ll also be impressed at how simple this method is.

Cleanup will be more difficult with the coffee sock than with a conventional submerged filter. Turning the cloth inside out and rinsing off the coffee grounds is the quickest and easiest method. Over time, your sock will most likely become discolored but look at it as a memento of good times.

Also Read: 11 Best Manual Coffee Grinder of 2022

Convenience in the Outdoors Is Essential

When making this decision, convenience is the most significant factor. Even while we all appreciate a good cup of joe, you’ll be wishing you’d taken the most convenient route after a few days of lugging heavy coffee equipment through the mountains and dealing with it in a strange environment.

More than only the brewing procedure should be taken into consideration.

Convenience should include everything from how you’ll pack and store your coffee equipment to what additional items you’ll need (maybe to heat the water or as filters) and how much cleanup you’ll need. Think carefully about these possibilities if you’re in an unexpected camp environment.

Conclusion

Several methods exist for brewing coffee while camping. There are less expensive options such as instant coffee or the “cowboy coffee” approach for those who don’t want to invest in the necessary equipment.

Even so, bringing an Espresso maker, French press, or Percolator with you may be worth it if you seek superior camp coffee.

It’s impossible to go wrong while making a pot of fresh-ground coffee in the great outdoors, regardless of how many methods you attempt. Remember that the only thing worse than bad coffee is no coffee, whether you’re traveling into the wilderness or just hanging out with friends over the campfire.