Camping in woods is surely a wonderful experience in a person’s life. Whether you are fond of adventures or not, camping is something every human being loves. When you wake up in the morning listening to the birds chirping and cool breeze hitting your senses, something essential is still missing from the scene. What is that? The answer is coffee. A cup of warm and perfectly brewed coffee is exactly what you need to warm up.
Be it night or daytime, a cup of coffee can always make you energetic and when you’re sitting around a campfire the joy gets multiplied. As true as it is, camping without beer for many people will look like a few hours of sitting in woods with no fun and entertainment at all. Same goes for coffee lovers who start their mornings with a sizzling cup of coffee. Getting out of the warm cocoon of your sleeping bag and then gulping the sips of coffee down your throat turns your morning in the woods a happy memory.
You don’t need to worry about the availability of a coffee maker or electricity as we are here to guide you through ways to brew the best coffee while camping.
Before We Start
Now that you understand how the process of brewing a perfect cup of coffee and (obviously) drinking it can add flavors to your camping experience, you must know the things and ingredients you require to brew coffee anywhere outdoor. Make sure you have all of these following essentials before you head out for camping.
Coffee Beans
Needless to mention you will have to carry coffee beans as per your requirement. Keep in mind what kind of coffee you want to drink and how many cups you will be making so that you carry the right amount of carrying beans.
Manual Coffee Grinder
Considering the fact that there won’t be any electricity at your camping location, you will need to carry a manual coffee grinder that you can term as a camping-ready coffee grinder. Always carry a coffee grinder that is easy to carry and is durable, and has a ceramic burr so that the coffee’s original aroma and flavor can be retained.
Heat Source
To save yourself from any trouble, you can use the campfire to make coffee for yourself but it’s normally too hot. If it is feasible you may also carry fuel powered burners to make coffee.
Clean Water
This is really important. Carry as much as clean mineral drinking water required for your water intake and coffee making.
Metal Coffee Pot, Cups and Sweeteners
The coffee pot is needed to serve the coffee to your camping partners. You may also carry sweeteners, cream, or milk if you like.There are several ways you can brew the best coffee when you are out for camping or anywhere else outdoor. We are featuring the four easiest ways that can get you coffee just like you want it. Choose whatever way is feasible to you.
1) Cowboy Coffee
Originally used by cowboys on the trail, this method is now popular with campers and adventurers who head over to woods. It is not a recipe rather just a method to boil coffee grounds to brew coffee over a campfire. Many campers refer to cowboy coffee as ‘camp coffee’ as it is gaining popularity among the campers.
The original method is quite simple, you just to need heat up water in a pot, put some coffee beans in it, wait for sometime until the liquid turns darker and pour the coffee in your cup. It might taste bitter to you if you’re not a fan of dark coffee.
We recommend you another method. Boil some water in a pot and remove the pot from heat to cool it down, add coffee grounds and stir it. Stir once again after a few minutes and serve yourself a perfectly brewed cowboy coffee. It will taste much better if served immediately.
If you are planning to head over to woods for a night or two of camping, you must learn how to make cowboy coffee.
2) French Press
French press is a coffee maker that allows optimal extraction of the flavor and aroma of your coffee. It pushes the grounds to the bottom when you are ready to serve the coffee. Initially developed by an Italian in 1929, the French press went through some changes in the following years and people all over Europe began to use it. Later on, it began to catch on in America too.
In 2012, the CEO of Starbucks said that the best coffee a coffee lover could have is the one made by a simple French press at home. Using a French press and making your coffee by it, you will have to make some efforts. Either you can grind your coffee grounds at your camping site or you can grind the grounds at home and carry them in an airtight container to save time. Pour your ground coffee into the French press and pour some hot water into it. Stir it a bit and press the plunger to push the grounds and serve hot coffee in cups.
The French press is the best way to make coffee that smells and tastes like original. After all, it is an easy and a fast way to get yourself a steaming cup of coffee for your early mornings and midnight sessions at camping. Just don’t forget to carry your favorite French press when you are packing for your camping.
3) Pour Over
Now that you know two popular and great ways to make yourself a coffee at camping, get to know about the Pour over method that is gaining popularity these days. It’s surely the easiest way to make coffee for both indoors and outdoors.
Without any doubt, it requires some great effort but the outcome will always be a cup of coffee you can always remember. There are a few steps that you need to bear in mind, don’t mess with any of the steps or the taste of your coffee can get compromised.
For an extraordinary pour over, grind the beans with medium technique. You will likewise require some coffee filters so the coffee grounds can be placed in it. Place the brewer over a carafe and line it with a dampened paper filter which will expel the oils in the coffee. Gradually pour water over coffee grounds in the filter so coffee dribbles into the carafe underneath. Simply lift away the brewer and empty your handmade coffee into your mugs.
The best part about pour over method is that you get to enjoy each and every step of the process. This coffee making method is perfect for solo travelers or solo coffee drinkers, but not for a group of people or couples whether you are inside or somewhere outside. You just cannot resist the natural flavor and aroma you get to enjoy when you make coffee using this method.
4) Tea Bags
Nothing could be as common as tea bags, they are used at homes, offices, restaurants and everywhere else. The tea bags for coffee do the same job and can get you instant coffee which tastes really good. A tea (coffee) bag is made of coffee grounds.
If you don’t want to carry any equipment or tools for coffee, you could just keep a few of these tea bags to enjoy the coffee while you’re camping in the woods. Even when you’re at home and don’t want to dirty the French press or coffee pot, you could make yourself a steaming cup of coffee with this coffee bag. Moreover, if your office doesn’t offer a coffee spot, you can take coffee bags to your work as well. Sounds good, eh?
Pound your most loved brand of coffee on the finest setting, empty the grinds into a tea bag, seal the bag, to drink it, you should simply heat up some water, pour it over the bag. It’s not as good as French pressed or drip coffee, however, it absolutely gives you the kind of instant coffee you need when you wake up all lazy in the morning.
Undoubtedly, these self-made portable coffee bags not only save your time but also save you from extra efforts and give you a cup of tasteful coffee in a few instances. You can always make these coffee bags and store them in a jar or keep some for yourself inside your drawer at work. And if you have a coffee lover friend, you can add a nicely dressed jar or box of these coffee bags with a letter ‘Made with love for you!’
So, whenever you plan a trip to woods for the camping adventure, don’t forget to keep these coffee tools, manual coffee grinder and ingredients otherwise you will be missing on the chance of drinking coffee around the bonfire and under the trees when the cold breeze is in full swing.
Be it the French press, Cowboy coffee, Pour over method or tea bags, choose whatever is feasible to you and make yourself all prepared for a perfect coffee experience in the woods.
