A camping trip isn’t complete without your favorite food and drinks. And that includes coffee!
But the last thing you want to do is lug a coffee maker with you to the campgrounds. And many campgrounds don’t even have electricity access, so you wouldn’t be able to plug it in.
Luckily, there are some tried and true ways to make coffee, even when you’re enjoying the great outdoors.
Blain’s Farm & Fleet has five different ways you can make coffee while camping.
Make camping coffee the classic way with a percolator. Used for generations, a percolator is a reliable and easy way to make coffee on your camping trip.
A metal tube is connected to a metal basket, which is filled with coffee grounds. The bottom chamber is filled with cold water, which is brought to a boil. The boiling water percolates up the tube and into the basket of coffee grounds.
You can use a percolator on a campfire or a camping stove.
Another classic way to make a cup of joe while camping is by using the cowboy coffee method. It’s simple—just add coffee grounds to hot water.
The coffee grounds don’t dissolve in the hot water. But there are a few ways around getting grounds out of your coffee mug.
You can use the clean cup method, where you place the grounds in a cheese cloth or bandana. You can also use the scoop top method, where you skim the coffee grounds off the surface of the water.
Instant coffee is the easiest way to have coffee while camping. You don’t need any sort of coffee grinders or other equipment. While methods may vary by brand, generally you make instant coffee by stirring a packet in water.
The individual packets are easy to pack for hiking or a day of backpacking. While it might not taste exactly like the home-brewed stuff, it’s an easy way to have coffee on your camping trip.
Coffee brewing is simple with a French press. Plus, you’ll still get plenty of flavor.
This method is more suited for RV camping or car camping, where you can bring a glass carafe with you. However, there are some French presses that are more durable and suitable for tent camping.
To use a French press, simply pour the coffee and hot water into the press and stir. Using the mesh filter, squeeze the coffee grounds down to separate them from the water. You’re left with a pure, hot cup of coffee.
Finally, another a great option is to make coffee bags to take with on your camping trip. Just like a tea bag, you drop the ground coffee into a hot mug of water and steep it until ready.
To make your own, take a coffee filter and lay it flat. Fill it with your favorite freshly ground coffee, and tie it closed with butcher’s twine, leaving a bit of extra twine.
Boil the water over a campfire or camping stove. And then let the coffee bag steep for about one to three minutes. Remove the bag, and enjoy a cup of coffee. It’s that easy.
Even when you’re camping, you can enjoy many of the amenities of home.
For more camping tips, visit our Camping Blog.
