How To Make The Best Camping Coffee

If you’re into camping, you’ll agree with me when I say the best part of a camping trip is waking up and preparing your coffee over an open campfire.

In the past forcing down brutal instant coffee was the norm, leaving you with a bitter and strange tasting “coffee” experience tainting your morning. To hell with that.

With limited space + resources and a total lack of respect for instant coffee, how do you make great coffee outdoors?

Today we’ll teach you how to make coffee while camping (coffee that don’t suck!) The luxury of a good coffee on a camping trip will add so much more comfort and convenience to your outdoor adventures.

Similar to a tea bag, coffee bags are a quick and convenient camping coffee solution. Either store bought or homemade, these bags are thrown into boiling water and steep to brew your coffee.

Nothing more, nothing less.

They take up little space in your bag, are easy to clean up, and don’t require any expertise to brew.

Perfect for those who can’t be ass’d with something more involved (however, the lack of freshly ground beans means a slightly better than average coffee)

What You Need

• Coffee brew bags (purchased from major coffee companies like these ones from Folgers)
• If you prefer your coffee (freshly ground), you can also make your own coffee steep bags from scratch.

Make Your Own Coffee Bag

1. Take a standard basket coffee filter and lay it flat
2. Fill the coffee filter with a large scoop of ground coffee
3. Taking same butchers twine, tie the filter closed slightly above the ground coffee
4. Leave a little extra twine on for a tail to hold
5. Cut off excess filter and voila!

Brew With A Coffee Bag

1. Boil water over a fire or stove until it is boiling
2. Place coffee bag in boiling water and steep 1-3 minutes
3. Remove coffee bag and enjoy

We don’t recommend using this method unless you’re the type of person who can’t be bothered with putting in the effort to brew good coffee (if that’s you, I’m not quite sure how the hell you ended up on this website).

#2 – Back To Basics: The Cowboy Method

Any Western movie can attest, there is nothing more iconic than a bunch of cowboys sitting around an open fire pouring the black brew from their piping hot coffee tin.

There is something comforting about a warm cup of coffee fresh straight off the fire. Cowboy coffee is known for its dark, thick texture.

Cowboy coffee is also interesting for its use of an egg to help the brewing process, which helps to coagulate the grounds and float them to the bottom of the pot for easy and filter free brewing. You don’t have to do it this way if it freaks you out a little, but you’re not a real cowboy/girl if you don’t.

What You Need

• Metal (usually Tin) coffee pot (You can even use a general pot/pan)
• 1 Whole Egg
• Ground Coffee (1 large scoop per person)
• Cold Water
• Cheesecloth (Optional)
• Cowboy hat (compulsory)

How To Brew

• Step 1: Pour 1 gallon of water in coffee pot and place over open flame or burner and bring to full boil. At this point its a good idea to put your cowboy hat on, chew a piece of long grass and look like you don’t give a f**k.