Last Updated on February 1, 2022
How to Make Coffee While Camping
“What there is to ask more of a campfire while looking at the stars and taking slow sips of coffee in my favorite blanket. Life is truly incredible.”
– Nick Offerman
Coffee has become such an integral part of our life that we constantly seek it even while traveling, camping in the forest, hiking in the mountains, or even a thrilling hot balloon ride.
A cup of joe not only makes us experience the moment in a meaningful way, but you can also feel a gush of an extreme energy boost both mentally and physically.
Another minor reason people prefer coffee in a camp is that the tasks and activities in a camp are rigid and taxing in the body. Coffee fuels our body to go through those tasks faster and help them save time.
We can brew many types of coffees in a camp, such as instant coffee(no brainer), cowboy coffee, coffee in a bag, etc. Even portable coffee makers are used to brew a cup of joe in the camps.
However, the possibility of having a delicious and mouthwatering coffee is close to 5% (if you have the necessary equipment with you, which is rare) as most of them are tasteless; there are ways to prepare a good cup of coffee.
Here are some common ways you can brew coffee at a campsite:-
Instant Coffee
Instant coffee is the best and easiest way to enjoy a cup of coffee in the woods and out of technological civilization. It is small, underweight, easy to pack, which makes it ideal for camping. Although, the major drawback of instant coffee was that it doesn’t taste as epic as it should. You can call it purely bland taste wise. However, there have been a lot of creative flavors of instant coffee invented till then; therefore, it’s not as poor as it used to be.
The making process of instant coffee is as simple as it can be; you only need to put an instant coffee in a mug and pour some hot water into it. Then, wait a bit till the instant coffee powder disappears and dissolves completely.
Instant coffee is drunk mostly in camping, hiking, traveling, hot air balloon ride, skydiving, boat riding, backpacking, and bike tours.
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Cowboy Coffee
This is the most applied method of coffee brewing in camp sides since the early 21st century. Cowboy coffee is basically a french press coffee without a filter. Furthermore, it’s simple to prepare as all you need is warm water and finely ground coffee.
The result of this mix gives us a bold and flavorful cup of coffee.
Equipment-wise, this is the most manageable method while camping imaginable as all you need is a campfire and a pot/kettle. Although the coffee grounds don’t dissolve in the water at all, resulting in the cleaning process becoming more burdensome, making this method less favored for hot air balloon rides, skydiving, boat riding, backpacking, and bike tours.
There are various methods to prepare a fine cup of coffee utilizing cowboy coffee. Here they are below –
The Eggshell Method
The required ingredients needed for the eggshell method are a coffee pot/kettle, finely ground coffee, hot water, eggshells, campfire, and cold water(which is needed after brewing the coffee).
The first step is to fill our pot or kettle with a good amount of water and place it in the grate over your fire, not in an open fire. By doing that, it makes it easier to grab the pot or kettle.
Step two, we break the eggshells and slowly sprinkle them into our finely selected coffee grounds. We have to blend the eggshells adequately with the grounded coffee beans, as just sprinkling them at the top is a complete no-no.
The eggshell consists of albumin, which is coagulative in nature and aids in holding the grounds together, keeping them separate from the cup.
Next, when our water reaches a boil, we put the mixture of eggshells and ground coffee into the pot/kettle and keep in mind not to stir.
You wait until the water boils again, rapidly remove it from the fire, and set the pot/kettle aside.
Wait 3-5 minutes till the ground coffee reaches the bottom of the pot/kettle and carefully pour the coffee in a mug/cup, and voila, your cup of a raw and cold cup of eggshell coffee is ready.
The Clean-Sock Method
The required ingredients needed for the clean-sock method are a coffee pot/kettle, finely ground coffee, hot water, a coffee sock or a muslin bag or a regular yet clean sock and a campfire.
The process is the same as the eggshell method minus the eggshells till you boil the ground coffee. Place a mug or cup in a comfortable place after the water is boiling like lava; pour your coffee in the sock or bag, filter the coffee grounds, and land it straight to the cup.
The Stirring Recipe
The ingredients needed for the stirring recipe method are a coffee pot/kettle, finely ground coffee, hot water, cold water, and a campfire.
This variation of this cowboy coffee is a lot closer to the style of the coffees, which are regularly prepared beforehand. So, as usual, we will boil a quarter amount of water of the size of the kettle/pot.
You have to keep the observation mode on 100% and keep track of the water till it boils up. We immediately remove the water and put it in the corner till it cools off, and let it sit there for 0.5 minutes to 1 minute. Wait patiently until the temperature hits 200 degrees Farhentine, considered the most preferred temperature for coffee brewing.
Once the temperature is perfect, we add coffee in the warm water, which is cooled off. We stir it for about 15 seconds. Now we leave it for 2 minutes, and then we start to stir again.
After the second stir is complete, let it sit another two minutes yet again. By this method, your coffee will take an extra amount of time to steep, giving all those delicious oils trapped inside your beans to dry off.
After another 2 minutes, your coffee is ready to be sipped.
Clean Cup Method
The ingredients needed for the clean cup method are a coffee pot/kettle, cloth coffee sock, cheesecloth, or bandana, finely ground coffee, hot water, cold water, and a campfire.
- Step - 01: Boil the water adequately.
- Step - 02: Reduce the heat to the nill.
- Step - 03: Place the finely selected coffee grounds inside the cloth.
- Step - 04: Place the kettle/pot.
- Step - 05: Lower the heat to steep the coffee beans.
- Step - 06: Pour the mixture into a cup and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee.
Sink Down Method
The ingredients needed for the sink-down method are a coffee pot/kettle, finely ground coffee, hot water, cold water, and a campfire.
- Step - 01: Boil the water adequately in a kettle/pot.
- Step - 02: Reduce the heat to the nill and add the coffee beans to the kettle/pot.
- Step - 03: Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer.
- Step - 04: Observe the coffee beans till it hits bottom after a couple of minutes.
- Step - 05: Notice carefully. If they don't, you should drizzle some cold water on the top to assist them in sinking to the bottom.
- Step - 06: Finally, pour the mixture into a cup and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee.
Scoop Top Method
The ingredients needed for the scoop top method are a coffee pot/kettle, a spoon, finely ground coffee, hot water, cold water, and a campfire.
- Step - 01: Boil the water adequately in a kettle/pot.
- Step - 02: Reduce the heat to the nill and add the coffee beans spoon to the kettle/pot.
- Step - 03: Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer.
- Step - 04: With the help of a spoon, skim the coffee grounds off the surface.
- Step - 05: Notice carefully. If they don't, you should drizzle some cold water on the top to assist them in sinking to the bottom.
- Step - 06: Finally, pour the mixture into a cup and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee.
Cowboy coffee is drunk mostly in camping, hiking, traveling.
Coffee in a Bag
We are so convenient to the notion of a classic teabag that the idea of a coffee bag isn’t so ridiculous at all. In addition to that, there have been a lot of various flavors available for the consumers. Initially, it was bland, just like instant coffee; however, new startups are trying to make it worthwhile taste-wise and enriching in flavor.
This is far the simplest one to make as you only need to boil your water and pour your water into the cup. Then, place the coffee brew bag inside the cup and steep until it matches the boldness you desire, and you are done.
Coffee in a bag is drunk mostly in camping, hiking, traveling, hot air balloon ride, skydiving, boat riding, backpacking, and bike tours. Coffee bags are preferred over instant coffee by those who don’t want to go through with a brewing apparatus.
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