Without my morning coffee, I’m just like a dried-up piece of goat. - Johann Sebastian Bach
Camping should be an extension of your life at home.
Sure, you might trade out a few of your everyday luxuries for the allure of the wild, but some things shouldn’t be traded.
For many campers, coffee falls into that category.
Whether they need that first cup of coffee to wake up or they just love the smell of coffee brewing in the outdoors, campers have found a lot of ways to bring coffee along with them on camping trips.
While there are many coffee-brewing systems available, they are not universal to every camping experience. Identify the overall goals of your camping trip and the amount of time and effort you’re willing to put into making coffee.
Likewise, establish how many people you will be making brewing for. Enjoying your morning cup of coffee on a camping trip can get ruined if everyone in your campsite unexpectedly wants you to brew for them as well.
Here are some factors to consider when selecting the right system for making coffee on a camping trip:
How much time are you willing to put into brewing coffee during the trip?
Some systems take no time at all. Others take up to 15 minutes from start to finish.
If time is a factor on your trip, make sure you don’t end up stressing yourself out over time spent making coffee.
How much extra weight are you willing to bring on the trip?
If you’re car camping or canoe camping, weight probably isn’t an issue. If you’re backpacking, then you might want to bring as little extra weight as possible.
Deciding on your weight limit beforehand will help you choose the best system for brewing coffee while camping.
How many people are you bringing coffee for?
If you are just bringing coffee for yourself, you have a lot of options. If you’re making coffee for a group of people, you might need to think this decision through a little more.
Some coffee brewing systems only brew one cup at a time, but others can brew a few cups at a time. This will tie into how much time you’re willing to spend making coffee each morning.
How much are you willing to spend on your campsite coffee brewing system?
Some coffee brewing methods are super cheap, but they might not yield the quality of coffee you want. Others make a great cup of coffee, but they’re a little expensive.
Decide how much is too much to spend on coffee while camping. To get the most bang for your buck, you can also look for a system that is great for the campsite and great for at home.
Once you’ve thought through your coffee-related camping goals, it’s time to decide which system will be best for you. To brew fresh coffee at your campsite, you will need to heat water until it’s boiled.
You can do this over the campfire instead of on a stove if you’d like to. Just be aware that it takes a long time for water to boil on a campfire. Heating water on a camp stove is much quicker.
To learn more about camping stoves, check out Best Backpacking Cooksets.
Best Ways to Make Coffee while Camping
Here are a few options to make sure that you get the best cup of coffee while camping. These options are listed from the easiest to the most complicated.
1. Pre-made Coffee
This might seem like cheating, but it’s the easiest method of preparing coffee while camping. You won’t be able to have hot coffee easily this way, but you’ll still get your coffee fix.
Coffee drinks like the Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso are easy to pack and don’t require heating or refrigerating. This makes them great for car camping or canoe camping.
They can be a little heavy for backpacking, but it might be worth the weight if you just want easy coffee or if you’re not planning to pack a stove.
If you’re car camping or canoe camping and have an ice chest with you, you could also bring a pre-made cold brew.
You can either make your cold brew at home and bring it with you, or you can buy a pre-packaged cold brew to bring in the cooler.
2. Instant Coffee
Instant coffee has gotten a bad rap as the gourmet coffee industry has grown. Some instant coffees are pretty good, and they’re the most lightweight option for bringing coffee on a camping trip.
Little packets like the Starbucks VIA instant coffee or the Folgers Classic Roast instant coffee are a great lightweight option for making quick coffee while camping.
The only significant consideration is that you will still need to boil water to brew this coffee. Just pour hot water into a cup, add the instant coffee, and stir. Done!
3. Cowboy Coffee
Cowboy Coffee is a little tricky, but it can still be good when done right.
You just have to perfect your method. If you’re already bringing a pot and stove on your camping trip, then your only added ingredient will be ground coffee.
Be aware: this method of brewing can end up leaving grounds floating in the coffee. If you’re wholehearted opposed to getting some coffee grounds in your teeth, this is not the method for you.
If, however, you like the idea of sitting around a campfire and having a rusticly brewed cup of coffee, this could be exactly what you want.
Directions to make cowboy coffee at your campsite:
- Bring the water to a boil, then remove it from the heat source for about 30-60 seconds to let it cool a little bit.
- Add 2 Tbsp of finely ground coffee for every 8oz of water in your pot. Pro tip: bring measuring cups or figure out your ratios with your cooking equipment before leaving for the trip.
- Stir the grounds into the water.
- Let it sit for two minutes then stir the grounds again.
- Let it sit for two more minutes.
- Drizzle cold water onto the grounds (which will still be floating) and around the edge of the pot to settle the grounds to the bottom of the pot.
4. Moka Pot Coffee
Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love. - Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, speaking about coffee.
Like Charles, I like my coffee strong. So my personal favorite method for getting a caffeine fix while camping is the trusty Moka Pot. It can either serve as an espresso or added with hot water to make a delicious americano.
It also scores points as you don't need a camping-specific model, you can just take the one from your kitchen cupboard. It is not a lightweight option though, so it is more recommended for car campers or RV'ers.
We like the Bialetti Express Moka Pot. It comes in a range of sizes that can brew between 1 to 12 cups at a time. Another good option is the GSI Outdoors 6 Cup Stainless Steel Moka Pot.
The method is similar to what you would do at home.
Directions for using a Moka Pot at your campsite:
- Unscrew the bottom section and fill the water reservoir with water.
- Add coffee grounds to the metal filter basket found in the middle.
- Screw the Moka Pot back together.
- Place the Moka Pot on the stove.
- Wait for the water in the pot to boil and then serve.
5. French Press Coffee
The French press coffee method is where campsite coffee brewing systems start to need specialized equipment.
If you’ve ever made French press coffee at home, the process is the same while camping.
It is essentially the same style of brewing as cowboy coffee, but it doesn’t have the coffee grounds issue because it uses a strainer. You will need a way to boil water, a French press, and coarse ground coffee.
Some models of personal-sized camp stoves come with French press attachments.
The Jetboil Flash Java Kit comes with everything you need to make French press coffee quickly at your campsite. For most other Jetboil models, you can buy the French press attachment separately.
If you already have a stove to boil water and you just need a French press, look for one that is durable enough to withstand a camping trip.
Most camping models of French press will double as home models, but not the other way around.
Directions to make French press coffee at your campsite:
- Bring the water to a boil, then remove it from the heat source for about 30-60 seconds to let it cool a little bit.
- Add water and coffee grounds to your French press pot. Use 2 Tbsp of coarsely ground coffee for every 8oz of water. Pro tip: bring measuring cups or figure out your ratios with your cooking equipment before leaving for the trip.
- Stir the grounds into the water.
- Insert the plunger into the French press pot, but DO NOT plunge it yet.
- Let it sit for about 4 minutes. If you let it sit for less time, it will come out lighter. If you let it sit longer, it will come out darker. Don’t let it sit too long though, or it will start to get bitter.
- Press the plunger down slowly and steadily. Try to make it go straight down rather than at an angle.
6. Pour Over Coffee
Some models of household pour-over coffee brewers will work well at a campsite, but some are a bit too dainty.
If your household model will hold up in the great outdoors, there’s no need to buy a new one unless you’re worried about weight.
If you are worried about weight, consider purchasing the Sea to Summit X-Brew Coffee Dripper. It’s lightweight and reusable, so it’s perfect for lengthy backpacking trips.
The pour-over method of coffee brewing is a bit time consuming and requires a lot of attention, but it makes a delicious cup of coffee.
If you haven’t made pour-over coffee yet, try it at home to perfect the recipe before bringing the whole setup with you to the campsite.
Most directions for home brewing will require weighing the coffee throughout the process.
If you aren’t committed to bringing a scale with you to the campsite, don’t practice a weighing method.
Directions to make pour-over coffee at your campsite:
- Add coarsely ground coffee to your pour-over filter. Use 7Tbsp of coffee grounds to 14 oz of water. Pro tip: bring measuring cups or figure out your ratios with your cooking equipment before leaving for the trip.
- Bring the water to a boil, then remove it from the heat source for about 30-60 seconds to let it cool a little bit.
- Start a stopwatch and start pouring hot water onto the grounds.
- Stop pouring when the grounds are saturated.
- When the time gets to 45 seconds, pour more water into the filter until it is about ¾ full.
- Keep pouring water into the filter as the water level drops. Don’t let the grounds start to get dry.
- You should have poured all of the water into the filter by 2:30-3:00 minutes.
- Let the water drip through the grounds until it stops.
Final Thoughts
Enjoying a cup of coffee early in the morning when camping is one of life's great pleasures.
While there are many coffee-brewing systems available, they are not universal to every camping experience. You will need to identify the overall goals of your camping trip and the amount of time and effort you’re willing to put into making coffee.
Once you've found the best system for your needs, you can wake up and smell the coffee.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.