Here in Calgary, one of the number one things folks do on the weekends is leave. We’re a city of notable outdoor keeners (or we would be if it would stop raining!). With the vast Kananaskis provincial park to our west and south, and Banff, Jasper and Yoho National all within easy driving distance, why wouldn’t we?! Even if we’re just driving through to BC to car camp, every camper knows the rush of having to make sure all your supplies are organized to not be left wanting when you’re at site, hopefully miles from most civilization. This is especially noticeable when the thing you’ve forgotten is what you most need (and will most notice) first thing in the morning; coffee.
Camp coffee for me is broken down into how much space and weight I’m willing to spend on it. If you’re in your car and will have adequate fuel for more than just a quick water boil, you have significantly more in the way of options than if you have to carry everything with you on your back for a 5-night trek. Let’s break it down then, from heaviest and bulky-est to smallest and lightest.
The Metal French Press;
Fellow Clara French Press — Coffee Addicts
Weight- 760g
Volume - Large! Good for groups.
This method is fantastic for a week at a lakeshore cabin where you are driving to a home base and not having to move around too much day to day. A thermally insulated French Press is an easy and forgivable method of brewing where your grind size can be less focused, and though a weight ratio is always better to have than not, if you’re a few grams off you’re not too likely to notice. My recommended method of usage for this is to aim for about a 1:17 ratio of coffee to water. I hate looking at this ratio in this format, but love the ratio, because when sized up, it’s 60g per 1L of water which is a very friendly ratio for my brain. I use this ratio nearly exclusively for nearly all not-espresso brewing methods and am generally rewarded with a lovely cup of coffee. Bonus point for camp culture if you can hear this in your head as “60g per 1 Nalgene of water”. Anyway, take said water, bring to a boil, and pour into your French press and coffee grounds. Allow to steep for around 4 minutes and give a good stir. This will cause most of the coffee grounds to sink, though you can use your spoon to fish out floaty guys from the top. Place the lid on top, and only plunge to the top of the coffee bed - for a less silty French press, we’re trying to use the press just as a filter to hold back over eager grounds, not to physically press the liquid from the coffee bed. Ta da! Enjoy your coffee!
The Moka Pot;
Bialetti Moka Express® Stovetop Espresso Maker — Coffee Addicts
Weight - 410g
Volume - For the 3C/150ml version, smaller than a Nalgene, but with that awkward handle
Moka pots are wonderful for many reasons and are the standard for many European households' day to day. They’re easy to use, require no measuring outside of guidelines based on the physical pot itself, and they don’t take any special filters. They also make a much stronger brew than a French press or pour over, which can be diluted to increase the output volume, or used full strength in things like Espresso Martinis or over ice cream as an affogato. I wouldn’t recommend this method for backpacking, as it’s still a bit bulkier than I would prefer, but if you have a camp bin at home that stays packed year-round, investing in a moka pot so you always have your coffee scenario managed without much extra thought is a fantastic solution. To Use; add water to the bottom chamber of the moka pot to just below the pressure release valve. Add enough finely ground coffee to the basket, no need to tamp it down but do ensure it’s well filled and level. Screw the pot together, put it on a heat source and brew away!
The Aeropress;
AeroPress Original Coffee and Espresso Maker — Coffee Addicts
Weight - 184g
Volume - Akin to a thick woolen pair of socks
The Aeropress is where we get into backpack-able sizing, and I am a huge fan for a number of reasons. For starters, the classic version is nigh unbreakable. It’s incredibly easy to use, and to clean as the pressing motion compresses all your grounds into an easily expellable puck, reducing water weight when packing up your garbage to pack out. Though I like to weigh my ground coffee, it’s not necessary to have your weights on point to make a tasty cup as the blend of immersion and percolation techniques used in this brew method make it quite forgiving. The simplest method to use to brew Aeropress is also included in a lovely little information package included with the brewer. To start, add a paper filter to the black end cap and screw on to the body. Add one heaping spoonful (using the provided spoon) of medium ground coffee. Add boiling water to the number 4 marked on the side of the brewer (ostensibly for “4 cups”, though note that sharing is just a suggestion), stir, top with the plunger to stop any pass through, and let steep for about 1 minute. Plunge and enjoy! Be sure you have it resting on a firm, stable surface though!
The Pour Over;
Hario V60-02 Plastic — Coffee Addicts
Weight - 70g
Volume - Small enough to nest in your pot
To be real with this one, I personally choose pour over for all my car camping, glamping, and backpacking trips under 4 days. What I use however isn’t the linked Hario plastic V60 (as good of a choice as it is!) but a silicone collapsible pourover dripper. Whatever you choose, a sturdy, plastic or metal, well-made dripper is a great option for backpacking. I like to pre weigh my coffee for this and tie it up in little bundles in the respective filters so that I use one filter bundle of a known weight per morning. Generally, I do this by having 30g bundles and using my trusty Nalgene both to measure out 500ml of water to boil, and also as my vessel to brew into. Way to go, Nalgene, true star of this blog! Once you have your grounds in your dripper on your Nalgene, gently pour just enough water from your pot to bloom your grounds. Allow to bloom for 30-45 seconds, then continue adding your water, swirling occasionally and being a bit gentle with the coffee bed. This method definitely shows the most improvement from putting a bit of effort into technique, but I also find it the lightest and simplest of the fresh grounds methods and produces enough for two very generously sized morning coffees for myself and my caffeine addict husband. Be sure to let your filter drain and cool fully, then pack out in your compost trash bag. Remember- Pack it in, Pack it out!
And finally,
Instant Coffee;
Weight ~5g per pack
Volume - less than a lip balm
Need I say more?!
Sam James Coffee Bar Pocket Knife Instant Coffee — Coffee Addicts
photo courtesy of Camp coffee Stock Photos, Royalty Free Camp coffee Images | Depositphotos
