Who said you can’t have your favorite morning rituals on a camping trip? If you are a coffee lover and worry about getting your regular shot of caffeine while camping, fret no more!
Here is a list of all you need to take with you to avoid losing your coffee addiction while away from home.
1. Coffee beans
What can be better than the smell of freshly-ground coffee in the morning, while sitting at your tent and enjoying the views of nature? That cup of coffee prepared by boiling water on the fire would taste like the best thing you’ve ever had.
There is no way you can prepare a quality cup of coffee without having freshly roasted beans at your disposal. So make sure to bring a bag of your favorite coffee beans with you when you go camping. Otherwise, you will have to deal with a stale supermarket, or even worse, instant coffee that your camping mates will treat you to.
It might seem crazy for some people, but you can’t skip this step if you are a true coffee lover. Plus, it is a lot easier to bring a bag of beans than lug around some bottles of iced or cold brew coffee bought in your local shop. It’s just not the same thing as freshly coffee on the spot.
2. Manual coffee grinder
A portable coffee grinder is a gadget that needs to be on your packing list if you prefer freshly ground coffee beans. If you search for camping coffee grinders online, you are bound to find a multitude of options. However, you will have to consider a few factors before choosing the perfect option for outdoor use.
Coffee grinder size is one of the most important factors for camping trips. If you are going on a hike with your backpack, you need to keep in mind that you will have to fit multiple things in it.
Most of the manual coffee grinders are lightweight and compact so they can even fit into your pocket. However, if your backpack space or weight carrying capacity is limited, you may consider grinding your beans and home and taking your pre-ground coffee in a small Tupper or a Ziploc bag.
On the other hand, if you spend more time at a camping site rather than hiking, you don’t have to worry about the weight.
3. Coffee maker
When choosing a coffee maker for camping, sturdiness, and size are the two most important factors to consider. You don’t want it to break easily or weigh a lot if you spend most of your time hiking or carrying your backpack all day long.
Luckily there are various options of coffee makers suitable for camping that you can easily take with you. Aluminum Moka Pot that you can place directly over the fire is one of those options. It does not weigh much and depending on its size it can make a few cups of coffee at a time.
The plastic Hario v60 cone or the metal Kalita Wave filter are also good options to make pour-over coffee during your camping trip. Just don’t forget to take a bigger mug to place under the filter where your coffee will drip into. A lightweight metal mug that you can also use for cooking something over the fire serves this purpose very well.
If you prefer your coffee strong, a handheld espresso maker will make you happy. In just a few seconds you can enjoy a shot of caffeine that will wake you up in no time.
4. Coffee filters
If your coffee maker requires paper filters, you have to remember to bring them with you. Luckily, filters take the least amount of space and barely weigh anything. Just make sure to take a few extra ones in case you decide to have some more coffee stops.
There are reusable coffee filters out there made of metal or cloth for those who are conscious of the environment. You’ll just need to research the options suitable for your coffee maker.
5. Water heating source
You need to think of how you are going to heat your water for your coffee. If you are planning to cook food during your camping trip, you’ll probably take a small camping stove with you anyway, which will serve for heating water for your coffee.
Depending on the type of stove you choose, you might find this experience a bit tricky. Hiking won’t be easy if the cartridges weigh a lot, so you need to consider weight and size before choosing your preferred camping stove.
If you want something light and with a fast boiling time, canister camping stoves are a great choice. Alcohol-burning stoves are also known to be super lightweight and affordable. Wood-burning stoves are a perfect choice for those who don’t want to carry fuel supplies.
6. Drinking water
If you are serious about coffee, you probably know the importance of water to coffee flavor.
When you are staying on the camping grounds, good quality drinking water may not be available, let alone camping in the wild, where finding a drinking water source can be even more challenging. So before you go camping, calculate how much water you need to bring so it is enough for your drinking, cooking, and coffee-making needs.
Of course, carrying multiple bottles of water on a hiking trip may be quite challenging, so if you are planning a hike in the mountains with natural water springs, you can perfectly use the spring water to brew your coffee.
Another alternative to lugging bottles of water around when camping in winter is melted snow that you can use for preparing your coffee. Obviously, you would have to be mindful of the snow you use. It would be best to collect it from trees or plants rather than the snow other hikers or animals tread upon.
Indulging yourself in freshly brewed coffee while camping is a nice luxury to have. Just remember to pack everything on this list and enjoy your trip to its fullest!
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