How to Make Coffee While Camping? [EXPLAINED]

Even on a weekend camping trip you deserve to wake up to a hot, steaming cup of coffee.

From cheap individual coffee bags to luxury portable espresso machines, keep reading to find out how to make coffee while camping.

What is the Best Way to Make Coffee While Camping?

There are many different hacks for making coffee while camping. Which coffee maker for camping is the best for you depends on how often you go camping, how much coffee you drink, and how strong you like your coffee. There are pros and cons to each of the different methods of making coffee while camping.

There are some coffee brewing products on the market that are made especially for camping.

Convenience is what these products are made for and they usually utilize a design very similar to regular drip coffee except for it is more compact for travel.

It may also be made out of more durable materials since it is made for travel or come with a carrying case.

Here’s a list of the best ways that you can make coffee for yourself in the morning on a camping trip, including a list of the best coffee brewers for camping trips:

1. Coffee Bags.

Just like a teabag, a coffee bag is a single serve of coffee grounds in a bag that can be used to make a singular cup of coffee.

You steep the bag in water for a few minutes for an instant cup of hot coffee. This is a good solution for one or two people, but for a group of people it is not the most cost-effective solution.

A camping knife will come in handy for preparing coffee and other food while camping.

This is not the best tasting coffee either, and most people prefer to have a fresh brewed coffee versus a coffee bag or another type of instant coffee, but because there is no cleanup and it is ready almost instantly coffee bags make a great choice for camping.

It does not take a lot of time to prepare the coffee bag and you can easily slip a few of the bags into your packing, instead of packing a whole coffee maker.

Pros:

• Instantly ready
• Cheap
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Doesn’t taste the best

2. One Cup Drippers

Manual drip coffee tastes great and is quick and easy to make. This is probably the most popular choice for individual/couple campers because one cup drippers are lightweight and affordable.

You can also use any type of coffee you want with these filters, so you have more control over the flavor then you do with instant coffee or a coffee bag.

Drip coffee makers simply use gravity to brew the coffee. You pour the hot water over the filters and the coffee drips down into a mug below. You will have to spend a little bit of money every once in a while to replace the paper filters for your dripper.

One of the problems that is common with this type of coffee maker is that it could overflow, which is why to avoid that you need to pour the boiling water slowly through the filter and not pour it too fast.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Great tasting coffee
• Small compact size

Cons:

• Requires replacement filters

3. French Press Coffee Makers

French press coffee tastes amazing and they don’t need any sort of paper filters, so you create less waste and you also don’t have to spend money buying more filters when you run out.

French press coffee makers may cost a little bit more, but they are worth it for the quality of coffee and the convenience.

They make French press coffee makers for travel and for camping that are incredibly compact and convenient to use.

Pros:

• Great tasting coffee
• No replacement filters
• Compact size

Cons:

• Expensive

4. Stove Pot Coffee Maker

If you are an espresso connoisseur then you will love stovetop espresso makers for your camping morning cup of coffee.

These kinds of coffee makers are great for camping because you put the water in the bottom and put the coffee in a middle layer and then the condensation of the boiling water is what creates the espresso and a top container.

This means that you can place the espresso maker over a fire and wait for the water to boil. Just be warned that if the espresso maker has a plastic handle you want to make sure that that is kept far away from the flames of the fire.

Pros:

• Espresso on the go
• Easy to use
• Great tasting coffee

Cons:

• Not made for camping

5. Portable Espresso Makers

In addition to stovetop espresso makers there are also portable espresso makers available in the market. These gadgets are super handy and easy to use.

They do cost a lot more than some of the more traditional coffee making methods, but they are worth it if you want to enjoy espresso on the go.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Espresso on the go
• Great tasting coffee anywhere

Cons:

• Expensive

6. Percolator Coffee Maker

When it comes to making a pot of coffee for the whole family what we recommend is a percolator coffee maker. These can be made especially for campfires out of fireproof materials.

They are a little bulky which makes them harder to travel with, but for making a large pot of coffee there is no better solution for camping trips than a percolator coffee maker.

Pros:

• Makes a whole pot of coffee
• They make them especially for camping
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Larger and bulkier than a single cup dripper

Conclusion

In conclusion, there’s many different ways to make coffee while camping and which is best for you depends on what kind of coffee you prefer as well as how much money you want to spend.

If you simply just want a cup of coffee, a coffee bag may be the best choice for you because it is cheap and convenient.

If you need to make coffee for the whole family then a coffee percolator is the best choice. For on the go espresso they make portable espresso makers as well as stovetop espresso makers that could be heated up using a fire.

After a good night’s sleep in your sleeping bag, you do not have to go without your good morning cup of coffee on your next camping trip.

There are plenty easy and affordable ways to make coffee while camping.

Thanks for reading!