If the idea of going without your regular morning coffee while camping fills you with apprehension, rest easy. Currently, there are countless straightforward methods to make coffee even amidst the great outdoors.
You don’t necessarily need any special equipment but you will need water, a heat source, and some coffee as a minimum requirement and then you can wake up every morning to the sound of the birds and the smell of coffee.
Use Instant Coffee
One of the simplest ways to make coffee outdoors is to boil some water on your camp stove or campfire, or if you are civilized, boil the kettle, and add it to a mug with instant coffee, and hey presto, you have your morning drink.
It does mean carrying jars of instant coffee with you, which might be heavy and it’s not exactly rustic but it’s the quickest and simplest method. However, if you are a coffee connoisseur and the thought of instant sends you into hives, then try one of these methods with fresh coffee.
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The Cowboy Method
This is a very simple and basic way to make coffee out in the wilds and if you don’t mind the risk of some grounds in your drink then it’s a great option. All you need is fresh ground coffee, water, and a pot for brewing.
Fill your pot with water and place it on your campfire to heat it up. Let it cool for a few minutes then add the coffee directly into it and give it a good stir. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then stir it again and leave for another minute.
The coffee will settle at the bottom so now you can pour out the drink from your pot, being careful not to tip it up too far or you will get a cup full of grounds.
Try a Coffee Bag
These work in much the same way as tea bags and prevent the grounds from spoiling your drink. You can buy ready-made coffee bags to take with you, or you can make your own using a coffee filter. Just fill it with coffee grounds and tie the top off to stop the grounds from escaping.
Then you need to boil your water in a pot over the campfire, dip the coffee bag into the water and leave it to brew for a few minutes before removing it and then your coffee is ready and the bag can be thrown out.
Try a Coffee Cone
If you have a coffee cone, which is like where you put the filter into a coffee machine but stand-alone, you can make a coffee this way. Rest the cone on top of your empty mug and put a coffee filter into it.
Then put your ground coffee into the filter. Boil your water and then start to slowly pour the water over the coffee, allowing it to soak the coffee and drip through into your mug, keep pouring until you have a mug of coffee.
Try a Stove Coffee Pot
If you like to use less of a manual method then you can buy a stove coffee pot, which is a stainless steel coffee maker that sits directly on a heat source. You simply add water in the bottom and coffee in the middle.
As the water boils it passes up through the coffee grounds and you end up with a perfect cup of coffee in the top of the pot all ready to drink. Make sure your pot doesn’t have a plastic handle that could melt on a camp fire and be careful picking it up as it will be very hot.
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Use a French Press
Another very simple device you can take with you for perfect fresh coffee while camping is a French press. They are durable and portable. You just need to boil the water first, add a scoop of coffee grounds into the press, followed by the hot water.
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Allow it to brew for a few minutes before pressing down the plunger which then keeps all of the coffee grounds safely at the bottom of the press so your drink is free from irritating debris. Be careful not to tip it up too much when you pour.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the cheaper and easier ways to make your morning coffee while out camping but they are certainly not the only options. Luckily many coffee makers are now portable and come in small versions meaning it’s easy to enjoy fresh coffee no matter where you might end up.
From a French press to instant, from a stove pot to the crude cowboy method, there is no reason to miss out on coffee while camping.
