COFFEE CULTURE - TRAVEL

How to Make Coffee When Camping

Camping can be a great way to become one with nature, or to have a bit of down time, without the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Coffee is a perfect way to kick-start the morning, whether that’s during the morning rush, or whether that’s taking a seat in your favourite café and watching the world go by, but what does that mean for those camping mornings? Camping with coffee isn’t impossible and it is very easy to incorporate those coffee mornings during your camping trips too. So, how do you make coffee when camping?

Rules to camping with coffee

As with any coffee making processes, there are unsaid rules that need to be followed. These few rules will make the camping with coffee process much easier and will ensure you come out with a delicious tasting coffee each time.

Pre-grind your coffee before you go

If you’re planning on camping for longer than 2 days, then pre-grinding your coffee beans at home and taking it with you in an air tight container will ensure your coffee stays fresh. Making sure your coffee is ground perfectly will make it easier to brew too.

Consider your coffee-to-water ratio

Firstly, don’t forget the water. When making your coffee whilst camping, it is vital to make sure that your water to coffee ratio is weighed out correctly. The recommended ratio to make a great coffee when camping is using 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 8 ounces of water. This ratio will ensure you will wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead.

Don’t boil your coffee

This is vital when camping with coffee. The optimal brewing temperature for your coffee is 93 to 96 degrees Celsius. If the coffee starts to boil, and continues to boil for a prolonged time, then your coffee may develop a burn out taste.

Always clean your equipment

As with any coffee brewing equipment, always clean up after use. This is to avoid any burnt coffee taste when it comes to brewing your coffee the next morning.

Best coffee for camping coffee

The coffee world can be a hard one to navigate, especially when it comes to camping with coffee. So, below are some of the best coffees to take with you on your camping trips to give you great tasting coffee on those camping mornings.

Instant coffee

This is one of the easiest ways of getting great coffee whilst camping. With NESCAFÉ instant coffee, no expertise or equipment are needed to create great tasting coffee. All you need to do is add hot water and stir.

However, before adding hot water, make sure that it is fresh (bottled) or pre-filtered water. This will ensure your instant coffee won’t taste bitter or burnt. Also, be careful not to add too much water to your instant coffee, you don’t want to make your coffee taste weak or watery.

Coffee in a bag

Much like a tea bag, coffee in a bag is another simple and effective way to make coffee whilst camping. Coffee in a bag is not the same as instant coffee, the difference between them is that the coffee in the bag consists of ground beans which are packaged inside a large filter or paper bag.

All that needs to be done to make coffee with a “coffee bag”, is to pop the bag into your chosen travel mug, and then allow the bag to steep for a few minutes.

Pour-over coffee

This way of making coffee will require some equipment, such as a coffee dripper. All that needs to be done is to place the filter over your chosen mug, then add the grounds, then pour over your hot water in a circular motion. Make sure all of the grounds are wet so that they can bloom.

How to make coffee when camping
There have been many experiments over the years that have been trialled and tested to create some of the best and most popular camping coffee makers. Below are 4 of the best camping coffee makers that will make your camping with coffee concerns disappear.

Collapsible pour-over coffee makers

This is a convenient option for those who love to make a pour-over coffee at home. For those who are looking to minimise space but maximise their coffee brewing at the campsite, this is a must have piece of kit.

The way to use them is to simply pop open the silicone coffee maker, and place a filter full of the grounds inside. This is when you need to heat up your water, whether it is in a pan or camping kettle, and then pour it over the grounds. Make sure to allow the coffee to bloom before pouring the water through straightaway, pour the water in a steady slow stream.

Aeropress coffee maker

The Aeropress is a go-to in the camping world. With the Aeropress there is no sacrifice of flavour. The Aeropress is compact and convenient and promises quality coffee with every brew. There are two ways to use the Aeropress, they are known as the inverted and the standard method. The standard method involves placing the AreoPress on top of your cup, filling it with warm water and coffee, placing the syringe-like plunger and then simply pressing down.

The inverted method begins with the AeroPress standing upside down on the plunger, filling this with coffee and hot water, and then flipping it onto the cup to then be pressed.

French Press

This cylindrical pot with a plunger has a built-in filter that presses hot water through fresh coffee grounds. The French Press uses force and pressure to push the coffee to the bottom of the pot after brewing. The French Press is incredibly easy to use and does not take up too much space at all, so won’t be a problem when it comes to taking up too much space in your tent.

Simply add water to the French Press and put the ground coffee into one of the filters. Once everything has been left to steep for a few minutes, the plunger should be pressed down until the brewed coffee has passed through into your mug.

Moka Pot

The Moka Pot is small and lightweight, making it an excellent choice for coffee loving campers. To use the Moka Pot, all you need to do is to simply fill up the lower chamber of the pot with water and to add the ground coffee to the filter basket. Screw the Moka Pot back together and then place over a low heat. When you hear the water started to boil remove the pot from the heat, and you will have delicious freshly brewed coffee.

There you have it, that is the end of our camping with coffee guide. Don’t let camping get in the way of great tasting coffee. If you want to know more about different ways to make coffee, then check out our guide on how to make the perfect coffee, next.

Other articles you might be interested in

Coffee statistics

Coffee can be found in many countries across the world, but despite having different flavour profiles, what are other interesting facts about coffee that we should know?

Find out more
Gifts for coffee lovers

Sometimes buying gifts for those that are closest to us can be a challenge, but if they are coffee connoisseurs in the making, these gifts will be perfect to boost their brewing skills.

Find out more
Best coffee books

Coffee shouldn’t just be something we enjoy sipping on during the day, but can also be something we learn and become inspired from, read all about coffee in these books.

Find out more