Forget the instant coffee. Forget the Folgers. Forget the sludgy, over-extracted Cowboy coffee made directly in your thermos. Now that we’re deep in third wave coffee, there are a ton of fantastic options to make great camp coffee while enjoying your favorite outdoor activities.
While a great coffee experience has many factors, starting your morning with an awesome cup of coffee—even when camping—is easier than you might think. Our guide on How to Make Great Camp Coffee will cover the basics for making amazing coffee, a Brewing Guide to help you figure out the best method for you, our favorite outdoor coffee gear and accessories, and finally our best tips and tricks for keeping you caffeinated in the wild!
But first…the TL;DR for those who want a quick answer
For the coffee connoisseur: You’ll do whatever necessary to make great coffee outdoors. We recommend: Aeropress and Handground grinder.
For the coffee addict: You need it caffeinated. And you need it now. We recommend: Swift Cup Coffee, some of the best instant coffee available.
For the caffeine addict: You just need caffeine. At any cost. We recommend: Caffeine Pills.
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Refresher course: what matters when making coffee
Let’s break it down by what’s most important when brewing great coffee. There are really just three variables, and dialing them in will get you leaps and bounds closer to the perfect cup of coffee whether you’re at home, at the campsite, or on top of your next summit. The variables are 1. Coffee to water ratio 2. Grind size and 3. Brew time
1. Coffee to water ratio
The #1 easiest way to get a better cup of coffee! Measure your coffee before you head out. Here’s a table to break down how much coffee you’ll need to bring, depending on how many ounces of coffee you want.
| Water | Coffee |
| 6 oz. (1 “cup”) | 1 tbls/10g |
| 12 oz. (2 “cups”) | 2 tbls/20g |
| 24 oz. (4 “cups”) | 4 tlbs/40g |
2. Grind Size
Don’t fret if you don’t own a $2,000 burr grinder! Cause guess what: your favorite local coffee shop does. Because consistent grind size is crucial to proper extraction, it’s a better option to have your local shop use their commercial-grade grinder to grind your coffee ahead of time than bringing an inconsistent hand grinder along (even Chris Baca, former Barista Champion, says so).
3. Brew Time
Proper amount of brew time depends on your brew method, detailed in the Brewing Guide below, but here are some rules of thumb.
| Aeropress | French Press | Pour-Over | Percolator |
| 2-3 minutes | 4-5 minutes | 3-4 minutes | 5 minutes |
Check out: How to Plan a Backpacking Trip
Brewing Guide to Make Great Camp Coffee
Here are four convenient methods that make great camp coffee.
Aeropress
Our first brewing device and gateway drug into becoming coffee connoisseurs.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Durable
- Portable
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Needs filters (but you can buy a reusable one)
- Has multiple parts
To Brew:
- Boil water. Place the plunger in the chamber to the number “4” and turn upside down.
- Once water is boiling, let it sit briefly – shooting for about 200F.
- Add coffee to chamber. Pour just enough water to fully saturate the grounds, and let sit for 1 minute. Fill the aeropress, stir, and let sit for 1 more minute.
- Screw on cap with filter, flip onto a mug, and slowly press the plunger down, should take 20-30 seconds.
You know what goes great with coffee? Yoga! Check out 8 Inspiring Yoga Instagram Accounts
French Press
An awesome entry-level brewer.
Pros
- Very simple brewing
- Reusable metal filter
Cons
- Slightly bulky
- Hard to clean out
To brew:
- Boil water. Add coffee to French Press, and just enough not-quite-boiling water to fully saturate the grounds. Let sit for 1 minute.
- Fill the rest of the French Press and let sit for 3 minutes.
- Slowly press the filter down and pour.
Our favorite camping french press, is from Snow Peak. And our favorite camping french press on a budget is made by Thermos.
How about a healthy snack to go along with your coffee? Emily’s Citrus Cashew Bliss Balls
Pour-over
A Barista’s wet dream.
Pros
- Looks cool
- Portable
- Easy clean up
Cons
- Hard to pour slowly/control flow
- More complicated brewing
To brew:
- Boil water. Rinse paper filter with water. Dump out rinse water.
- Add coffee to rinsed filter. Pour enough water to fully saturate coffee grounds.
- Let “bloom” for 30-45 seconds. Add remaining water slowly, evenly covering the coffee grounds. Should take about 3-4 mins to brew.
Our favorite portable pourover is from Snow Peak, for all your camping needs. Or check out the awesome Kuju Coffee Pocket Pourover, no pourover device needed, it’s all included in the sealed packet.
Read More: Local’s Guide to Big Sur, CA
Percolator (aka cowboy coffee)
I know, I know, cowboy coffee gets a bad rap. BUT if having coffee is better than not having coffee (which it is) and you’re in a pinch, at least you’ll be able to brew a cup to get you going.
Pros
- Simplicity
- Makes large amounts of coffee quickly
- Doesn’t require a separate kettle
Cons
- No filter means grittier coffee
- Hard to clean
To Brew:
- Pour 8 oz of water per cup into the bottom of the percolator.
- Put in 1 tbsp of coffee for every cup of coffee.
- Place percolator on stove or campfire.
- Let water boil and “percolate” for several minutes, until it starts spitting out the spout, then remove and pour.
Our favorite percolator is from GSI Outdoors.
See the very latest stuff on our Camping and Hiking Page
And now…some of our favorite outdoor coffee gear
Stoked to make great camp coffee? Make sure you start with the best gear.
Best cook stove
Treat your inner camp-chef to a 5-star cooking experience. With two 20,000 BTU burners (translation: really powerful), stainless steel shell construction, and weighing only 12 lbs, this camp stove is powerful, durable, and extremely portable.
Best kettle
A perfect water-boiling companion to your new favorite stove; GSI makes high-quality products and this kettle does not disappoint. Weighing less than 6 oz, this kettle is ultra-portable, packs down with its folding handle, and easily heats up to a liter of water extremely fast.
Best stove/kettle combo
This thing heats water FAST. With a proprietary blend of isobutane/propane for use in 3 seasons, you can take it with you on almost any outdoor excursion. With a super easy set up, temperature control, and even a push-button igniter, it could not be easier to heat water to make great camp coffee. It even has a French Press attachment!
Best mugs
Our favorite coffee mug. Hydroflask keeps drinks hot for up to 8 hrs, and cold for even longer. From personal experience, Hydroflask is absolutely the best hot/cold mug option. The 16oz. Wide Mouth is our favorite mug specifically for coffee, because it holds plenty of coffee for you adventure-filled day, the Hydro Flip Cap helps keep in the heat, and its slim shape fits easily into any backpack. For more of our favorite mugs, check out Best Camping Mugs for Every Adventure
Once you get your coffee fix…check out our Inspiration page!
Bonus outdoor coffee tips and tricks
Want to take your outdoor coffee game to the next level? Even more tips and trick to make great camp coffee.
Pre-make iced coffee
So you’re heading out for a full day in the mountains. You know you’re gonna need an afternoon pick-me-up after you’ve been hiking/climbing/paddling all day. My go-to is brewing iced coffee, filling my favorite Hydro Flask, and burying it deep in my pack so when that caffeine-crave hits, I’m ready to go.
Bring…instant coffee!?
That’s right. Instant coffee has never tasted so good, nor has it had so many options. This is as easy as it gets to make great camp coffee: all you need to do is add hot water. Here are three of the best new instant coffee offerings.
- Swift Cup Coffee aims to make specialty coffee accessible. They carefully brew the coffee to a flavorful concentrate, then slowly dehydrate the coffee through freeze drying. Swift Cup works with many notable East Coast roasters such as Black and White, Tandem, Passenger, and more.
- Santa Cruz, CA-based Steeped Coffee is changing the instant coffee game by “replacing the need for wasteful pods, expensive machines, and time-consuming brewing equipment.” Completely different from the instant coffee you expect, Steeped Coffee is freshly ground, nitro-sealed coffee that’s roasted in small batches. As easy to brew as a cup of tea, Steeped’s portability, along with subscription option and compostability means you can stay caffeinated wherever, whenever, and for however long you need while minimizing your impact on the environment.
- Co-founded by former barista champion Kalle Freese, Sudden Coffee out of SF begins as hand-pulled espresso, then cooled and freeze-dried. As the OG specialty instant coffee distributor, Sudden uses Equator Coffee Roasters and offers a FREE 2-cup trial (just pay $3 shipping).
Conclusion
Don’t let your weekend getaway mean a break from your favorite addiction. Choose the most accessible option to make great camp coffee for you and get brewing!
