Coffee on the trail

“Does anyone make coffee on the trail? Need some tips on lightweight coffee. I lug around an old aluminum perculator on short hikes, but its too bulky and heavy for longer trips.

The only other options I know of are campfire coffee, where you just steep the grounds in water and let them settle as best you can, or those coffee singles bags you dip in water like tea bags.

Am I missing something here, or are there other options?”

“I use the coffee singles bags, and let them steep a long time. If you do, it tastes a lot better. An insulated mug would probably work best for that method.

There actually are French presses made for backpacking. Campmor sells one here. Can't vouch for how good a job they do.”

“That's where I add weight. Pack an small metal expresso maker that works well with my stove. Picked it up at a kitchen store, but saw one in the grocery store today.

If you don't like intense caffine, you can just reduce the coffee you put in.”

“I just use the Folger's coffee singles . . . they're light, taste good (much better than instant), and you can't beat the clean-up compared to other methods.”

“there's like ...200 instant coffees.....carry multiple faves
or make a filter out of just about anything. i've used socks and bandanas.
a couple pinches between the cheek and gum is good for a 'elluva jolt”

“I have a Medic Alert bracelet that says "Caffiene by IV or you'll lose me." I drink 10-15 cups a day at my drawing board, and can cut that down to 5 or 6 bping.

Coffee on the trail: I use a $3 microwave tea ball that I got at the supermarket. Little mesh and plastic thing with a snap-on top and a short handle. Scoop fresh grounds out of your baggie, stick it in a cup, pour boiling water in and wait 5 minutes or so. Jiggle it a coupla times if you want. For a second cup, just dump the grounds into your trash bag and repeat the process. REI and EMS both make similar items, higher priced for the bping crowd. During the day, I munch on chocolate-covered espresso beans that I mix in with my gorp.”

“coffee; foldgers singles is the only way to go. i put 3 bags in 2 cups of water....juuuuuuuuus right”

“Thanks, I guess I'll stick with the singles for now, but I really like Steiny's tea ball idea, especially since I like to grind my own beans sometimes.”

“MSR makes a mesh in-cup 'pour through' filter. There are paper ones, as well. I've tried a lot of different metods, but I like this best. Good coffee and minimum weight. You need a coarse grind of coffee.

At least it's not instant coffee, or half and half, like a lot of the tea-bag style ones are.”

“whats a caffine mesh ball gofor these days”

“tried the coffee bags....went back to a lexan french press....makes truly wonderful coffee and is worth the few extra ounces imho....”

“Folgers Coffee Bag Singles”

“I tried Steiny's idea, and it does work, but if you like your coffee strong, you really need two of those things. My grocery has them for $3. I tried camp coffee at home and I could get the grounds to settle to the bottom, and it tasted great. Then I tried it at camp and the grounds wouldn't settle. Was yukky. So I'm still trying different things.

At Campmor, I saw these cotton drawstring bags that can be used to put ground coffee in and then boil in the pot like camp coffee. They were $3 for three, but it is easy to make my own, so I may try that. That way I can make coffee for me or for me and a friend (or husband). Steiny's mesh ball is more for just one person.

I've used the Maxwell House filter packs for a boiled 25 oz of water and it works good, but it isn't like using your own ground coffee.”

“I used to bring along a cheap, plastic single cup brewer that fits over the coffee mug. Didn't brew it strong, but it worked. I say "used to" because I quit about a month ago. Now I have no vices and am a total lame-a$$.”

“Hey Artex - I'm not sure you've shaken all your vices - you're still posting here!

For coffee - I do what stratdewd does.”

“Give it some time, Artex. I've quit coffee many times!
;-|

BUT you play in a band, which is much cooler than having vices.”

“Cowboy Coffee is the way to go, especially with a group.

Here's all you have to do. Boil your water. Dump in ground coffee, let boil for as long as you wish (longer = stronger obviously). Remove from heat. Drizzle cold water over the coffee (this causes the grounds to settle to the bottom). Pour and enjoy. Sounds crazy but it works.”

“I don't know if I want to go back! It's tempting at times, I must admit. Haven't had a cup for a month now. My band is a one-man, electronic affair, and I don't play out live.. just tweak knobs at my own home studio (which is all on my PC). Don't get as many chicks that way.. :-)”

“I use a one-cup filter holder to fit over my drinking cup. Doesn't weigh all that much.”

“Kleetn, I did try that and the grounds would not SETTLE! So now I have cold coffee full of floating grounds. Yuk! Then even after you drink the nasty coffee, you use water and paper towels to clean the grounds out of the pot. For more than one cup of coffee, there has to be a better way than those mentioned so far.”

“Lyndy, could be your water is not cold enough. A little cold, mountain water makes the grounds settle but doesn't make the coffee cold.

When soloing, like Geobeet, I use a plastic one-cup filter and pour boiling water through the ground coffee.”

“Okay, Kleetn.

I guess I really sound like a coffee addict, huh.”

“I use a melitta one cup filter.”

“The lexan french press works great but the bulk of it bothered me more than the negligible weight.

These things work pretty well and weigh next to nothing. Best of all, there is no clean-up.”

“Yeah, I want to get some of those, violin.”

“Violin, that is pretty similar to what RichB uses, except he uses a #2 cone paper filter that he folds over the edge of a tall mug and anchors with a rubber band. That idea works as well as a lot of one-cup ideas, with little bulk or mess.”

“search past threads for "coffee" lots of good methods”

“I use high thread count cloth to make 2x4 inch bags, fill with fresh ground coffee, tie shut and add to boiling water. Just like cowboy coffee without the grounds.”

“Thanks for the link Violin. Just ordered some of those filters. I'll give them a shot.

To make more than one cup, you could just boil extra water and then make your own sticks to hold the filters.”

“I think it's Melita, that makes something similar to the one Violin linked. You might find them, at the grocery store.”

“Aha ! Here's the one I'm using, these days. I should put this on the 'my favorite gear thread'. I love this thing!

Link”

“or pour cowboy coffee thru bandanna. haha
artex my mom told me only wussies die of natural causes. careful.
ya might want to pik up a couple bad habits to keep it interesting. who had the cigars? (c-mike)”

“coffee...coffee...coffee....

coffee, coffee, coffee, cof”

“I hate coffee. No offense guys.....”

“ban larkwoods! (j/k)”

“i second that ban!!”

“but you forgot the j/k part”

“No need. I'll shutup!”

“ban anyone who hates coffee”

“In that case, I love coffe, just so long as I don't have to drink it, smell it or come near it or contact with it in anyway!”

“Well, yes, we can use some resin paint to help you with that.

You really don't like the aroma of coffee? Are you from Ripley's?”

“Read somewhere that just smelling coffee is good for you, and so is drinking it, in small amounts.”

“Bitpusher, if you find that article, please DON'T post it! :-)”

“I carry one pot on the trail. I make coffee by dumping the coffee and cold water into the pot and heating it up.”

“The Melita involves a little plastic cone to hold the paper cone. It works well but I've had them tip off on unlevel ground. The paper on a stick method (link I posted) takes a little practice. You can't have too much water in your pot or it's too tricky to pour out the trickle necessary to avoid collapsing the filter.”

“i brought coffee last time, but people told me to shut the hell up... so I just bring weed now....Im quieter”

“I got some nice Colombian right here, Artex, mmmmmmm.....smells so good....<slllllurp>....mmmmmm...tastes good too.....first cup is free.....


mmmmm....gooooood coffee....”

“Sick. Ya know the stuff does whole bunches of horrible stuff to your body if you drink more then just a bit. Give me Ice tea and milk. :P”

“Must......... resist.......... bitpusher.”

“yeah, that bitpusher should know better than to push drugs.


coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee”