Ultralight Coffee Options

"Sorry, I've been reading a lot of Dr. Seuss lately."

Funny, for a moment there I thought you were channeling the Idester.

craig, you're a legend

> Its more about the act of producing a damn good cuppa at 11000 feet.

I get that totally. My opinion is that if a damn good cuppa is what you're after, forget ultralight. Bring a french press. Bring some UHT cream, too.

I think the reason the Nido tastes better the day after is because it has a chance to actually dissolve together and possibly there's a little bacteria action to transform some of the proteins or sugars. I make Nido yogurt on backpack trips all the time. It still tastes a little bit like powdered milk, but it's so much better tasting with my breakfast than instant milk.

For coffee, I've found if I dissolve the Nido with a little cold water, then pour in the hot coffee, it comes out much better. It doesn't dissolve in hot water. It forms disgusting protein clumps.

For years, I used a mini GSI lexan French Press, which makes a great cup of coffee, but I got tired of cleaning out the grounds into my trash bag. (I choose not to use the scatter method with the grounds.)

Then I saw Ryan's Flash Review #3 and the Sili-Dripper Coffee Brewer.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/flash_reviews_no_3.html#2

I decided to give it a go. Not the lightest product @ 2.8 oz, but it packs small and fits into my GSI Infinity mug (with room still for paper filters and ground coffee), makes an excellent cup of coffee and is a snap to clean up – just squeeze the filter to get the last drops of goodness out of the grounds and into your cup, carefully lift the paper filter with grounds into your trash bag and give the filter a quick rinse.

In order to get my wife into backpacking she had three requirements; a light weight backpack, a warm/dry/comfortable place to sleep, and fresh ground coffee in the morning!

My solution for her coffee is to grind double (she like 2 cups) servings of beans, and fill loose leaf tea bags. Then keep them all in a ziplock bag, that way they stay dry and fresh.

These tea bags are made of the same material as regular tea bags, but are empty and designed for those who want to use loose leaf tea. One place to buy these bags is from Teavana.

The bags are tall enough so the top can hang over/outside the mug, fill the mug with hot water, put on the cover (if you have one, and brew it like one would tea. When your done brewing pull the bag out, put it in your garbage bag. NO coffee grinds in your mug, you use your preferred coffee. Everybody is happy.

She also uses single server sugar or honey packets and those single serve half-n-half creamers ( we raid a coffee shop or deli to get these), they don't require refrigeration.

Via is tolerable, but not the same as fresh brewed— definitely better than no coffee at all. I made a cone shaped filter holder from Seal A Meal bag material to fit a Melita #2 filter and that has been the lightest option for me. The part I don't like is the wet grounds and left over filter. For a short trip I've just hauled them out with my other garbage. I guess a cathole burial would be okay.

See http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=44546

+1 for instant coffee pre mixed into a breakfast latte/shake, as well as the espresso coffee beans. I've even mixed plain beans into a breakfast trail mix that contained chocolate, nuts, and fruit. Craisins work very well here. I might go with dark chocolate chips in cooler weather and M&Ms type candy in the summer to avoid melting issues.

On another forum, I found recommendations for Mt. Hagen instant coffee. I get mine through Amazon.com's Subscribe and Save program to reduce the cost. We took this for a fly-drive-camp vacation. Even my coffee-picky hubby was happy drinking it-black, even.

For short rips I sometimes carry ground coffee and use an organza party favor bag. They are about the size of a tea bag and often are sold as packages of 6 at "dollar" stores. That is a cheap enough experiment to toss if it doesn't suit one's tastes/needs or just to gift to fellow ounce weenies. Normally, I just can't be bothered with dealing with the grounds while backpacking.

I've used this method for over 60 years backpacking. It always tastes great. could it. be the wood smoke?

Interesting thread with a few options I haven't seen before.
I am a coffee tragic. I have to taper off my caffeine intake before each hike to avoid headaches. I can tolerate Via – almost. My preference would be for a full espresso (but the machine is too bulky and certainly not ultralight).
Until recently have always used an MSR Mugmate (18g, 0.63oz) with pre-ground coffee. I heard about the MontBell OD Compact Dripper on BPL and am now a convert. [http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?p_id=1124510] It makes good filter coffee, is re-usable and weighs just just 6 g (0.2oz). There's no bag or disposable filters to dispose of, just the coffee grounds. I use two cut down straws to balance the filter on my mug, but you can make do with sticks, or use chopsticks if you carry them. The straws are so light they don't even register on my scales. And the coffee is great. .
I don't have a problem with pre-ground coffee as long as you keep it airtight. Back in 2008 lightweight grinders were discussed on BPL [http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=12146&skip_to_post=89053#89053.] Using an Olde Thompson disposable mini pepper/spice grinder was suggested. I couldn't buy the small size one from Australia, so I have no personal experience with it, but the poster said it worked well with coffee beans. The large size disposable mill was said to weigh 3.2oz

The starbuck VIA is available in 4 flavors: Columbia, Veranda, Italian, and French Roast. The first two are lacking in "flavor" but the later too if find quite good –

It does take two packs in a standard 450 ml cup to make a decent cup of coffee. No residual grounds, no cleaning no fuss

jody

I take ground coffee with me in a plastic bag and use a bandana. Boil water, put tablespoon or two of grounds in center of bandana, swirl around the pot for a bit and done. Coffee particles make it through, but generally full size grounds do not. And, the bandana dries out pretty quickly.

I also use Starbucks. Guess I would rather pay more for the good taste and conveinance. I really don't feel like packing out wet grounds. A tiny little package I can handle. I have yet to find another instant coffee that is as good.

Oh, it is horribly expensive, but for a few days in the backcountry, nothing really beats it for portability and ease of use.

Someone pointed out that Via is available in several flavors. I found I much preferred the Italian Roast over the others, so if you've only tried one of the flavors maybe it is worth trying some others. I also double up with each cup and drink it black.

I use to use the MSR mugmate and grind a bunch of coffee. Tasted great but the weight penalty compared to Via makes it a no brainer for me.

As far as the evil of spreading grounds, I suppose if I lugged a bag of organic planting soil in the backcountry that, too, would be inconsistent with strict LNT principles, but neither grounds nor planting soil does any harm to the environment and can only be a benefit.

On a backpacking trip in Chile several years ago I really fell in love with yerba mate. It is a more robust, earthy tea with a decent amount of caffeine, but a mellower caffeine buzz. It is not coffee, but worth a try: http://www.amazon.com/Guayaki-Yerba-Mate-Organic-25-Count/dp/B008234L0C

Via's to expensive and I'm not a fan of the taste. I prefer nescafe's better offerings (the one in the glass jar that looks more like fine coffe grounds as opposed to taster's choice that comes in plastic bottle and looks like mouse turds). It comes in either a dark roast (classico) or a light roast and dissolves completely in hot or cold water.
I keep it in a sandwich zip lock and us an old creamer container as a scoop.

I'm not sure if this was already mentioned, since I didn't feel like reading 5 pages about coffee, but if you like cream and sugar, Trader Joe's has a pretty good instant. It is kind of weak though, so I also bring a small baggie of their Columbian instant and add a bit of that.

UL coffee option- none. weight= zero.

Yeah I know, whats better then a cuppa in the back country? I have used via, as well as some other freeze dried and they do the job although expensive. I have also done cowboy coffee, not bad at all once you get it down. Those single cup coffee filters used with a stick also works well. I am intrigued by the bandana idea, that wouldn't add much weight. Most of the time I find I don't need the coffee, but really want the coffee. Sometimes I just bring via and drink it cold on the trail. But on those fast and light trips I tend to go very minimal and bring no coffee or even cook kit for that matter. But then again on a leisurely trip i will bring everything but the kitchen sink!

If you ever were stuck drinking coffee from a C Rations pack, anything else tastes good. Nowadays I bring the Nescafé Classico. Taster's Choice was fine for the 30 or so years before I switched.

>> Someone pointed out that Via is available in several flavors. I found I much preferred the Italian Roast over the others, so if you've only tried one of the flavors …

Yes. All my very positive comments on VIA refer to the Italian Roast flavor (which I think is the first one I tried, serendipitously).

I am a Via Italian guy myself, but I have't tried the Italian yet. Another one that is good is the seasonal Christmas Blend Via version. Especially if your store is overstocked when the company dictates they stop selling all Christmas Blend products, because you can get them for 1/2 price then.

"If you ever were stuck drinking coffee from a C Rations pack, anything else tastes good."

A big +1 to that!

"Nowadays I bring the Nescafé Classico. Taster's Choice was fine for the 30 or so years before I switched."

Ah, Taster's Choice through a french press is some mighty fine coffee…..

""If you ever were stuck drinking coffee from a C Rations pack, anything else tastes good."

It is liking comparing carob to chocolate, but-
Ah but it brings back memories.

Thanks for all the input and suggestions guys & gals. I've decided I'm going all out and making coffee my luxury item(s).

Here's my setup I'll be bringing, with weights:

Aeropress: 6.32 oz.
Able disk filter: 0.14 oz.
Porlex Mini grinder (upper part and lid only): 4.83 oz.
Toaks Ti spoon converted into grinder handle: -0.01 oz.

Total weight: 11.28 oz. (plus beans)

In addition I have the weight of the stove/pot/mug/spoon but I was bringing all of those items anyways, so this represents new additional weight.

I still have to test the durability of the spoon's role as the grinder handle, and I haven't attached a knob of some sort to make it easier and faster to grind, however it does work as is (ideas for what to use there?) It took a while to form the pentagon shaped hole in the spoon, but I was happy to see it register 0.01 oz lighter on my scale after removing some of the spoon's material :)

I know it's an incredibly heavy system compared to VIA or other instant coffees but I sure am going to enjoy this!

Total weight: 11.28 oz.

That weighs almost twice as much as my shelter.

It weighs about the same as my EE 32F Epiphany quilt.

"That weighs almost twice as much as my shelter.

It weighs about the same as my EE 32F Epiphany quilt."

Oh I realize how ridiculous it is. My base weight is still comfortably under 12 lbs so my pack is still fairly light. This may very well be the only time I carry this system 500 miles… we'll see!

"That weighs almost twice as much as my shelter."

Well, yes, but if you try to strain coffee through your shelter there will be quite the mess to clean up…. :-)