The Beautiful Cup

[Lynn Tramper]

"Real coffee is black."

WORD

[Lynn Tramper]

1.Scatter used toilet paper in an appropriate area – bushes or brushy areas work wonderfully.

2. Do NOT scatter used toilet paper on rocks or rocky areas. If you are above tree line, pack used toilet paper with you until you get to a zone with living flora.

3. If you are in an impacted campsite, walk a long way from the site before scattering.

4. Never dispose of used toilet paper in a river or pond!

5. Don’t be lazy. Do the very best you can when you scatter your used toilet paper

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I have to agree with a previous poster, I've tried VIA instant and it's the best instant (Taster's Chice a close 2nd).

But I still prefer SENSO bags for better tasting camp coffee without too much fuss. Remember, mornings are when groups like to polish of breakfast quickly, pack up and hit the trail. Time is of the essence.

[Rick Dreher]

Via suits my tastes compared to Java Juice, although JJ makes more per packet. You might prefer JJ to Via if you like a winey, tangy backbone to your coffee. That's not how I generally roll, but JJ remains leagues better than everything on the market that's not Via.

I somewhat prefer the Via Italian roast to the Columbian, but Costco can't seem to convince themselves to carry it. Lowest price wins anyway, since they're not that different.

cheers,

Rick

[Travis Naibert]

For those who like Starbucks Via but don't like how much it costs or the small packaging I have created a homemade hybrid that is only a little messier, cheaper, and tastes about as good (maybe better).

Combine 3 tbsp turkish or extremely fine ground coffee and 2 tbsp of cheap instant coffee in a small tupperware. Shake to combine. Add 1 tbsp to 12 oz of boiling water. Stir or shake, depending on container. Let sit for a minute. Drink good turkish-like coffee with only half the sludge.

Feel free to adjust the proportions of real to instant coffee to suit your tastes, but you really don't need much real coffee to get decent taste. My method makes 5 cups, which is three days for me (first afternoon, two cups a day following).

[tom duffy]

It is a disposal coffee drip filter. A piece of waxed cardboard holds the teabag paper pouch over your cup. At 10cents a paper and 2g you can show off on a weekend trip…. but not really a long term option.

http://www.prezzycoffee.com/shopping//product_img/1268275191-369641_2.jpg?r=1652798450

[Scott Chandler]

I think Starbucks VIA French Roast is the best compromise out there. It's as darn close to the real thing as you're going to get, it's lightweight, it's easy to brew, and there are no leftover grounds to deal with.
On a side note, I like my coffee to stay hot enough I can drink it at my leisure, but I hate the weight of a thermal mug. GSI sells a thermal mug that weighs in at 3.2 oz. I had a slightly lighter one, but it leaked all the time and the GSI is solid. VIA and GSI have elevated my backcountry coffee experience to something I look forward to every morning.

[Rob Lewis]

I used a 1 gallon paint strainer, the kind that you stretch over a paint can. Cut a large enough circle to fit over the top of your drinking vessel with an inch or two hanging over. Make your coffee or tea Cowboy style then, place the circle of strainer over your vessel and secure with rubber band. Pour your beverage in the cup and the strainer is fine enough to stop everything but the liquid. It weighs almost nothing. Just wash it off, shake it dry and throw it in your food bag.

PS… It also make for a good strainer for your Platy water bottle. It keeps the larger crudlets out to speed the purification process.

[Steofan M]

I put either coffee grounds or loose tea into a Tuffy Steeper from The Tea Spot. It is made of silicon and packs flat. You need to wash it clean after use or the coffee smell may not come out.

[Michael Cockrell]

Your local Peet's Coffee & Tea has "#3 tea sacks" to put your loose tea in. their like large tea bags. Come in 100 count per box. Better than buying pre-bagged tea, as the looser the tea, better the leaf expansion.

Also, the two Trader Joe branded 100% Columbian instant coffee is VERY good also. One is organic.

[Gary L. Thompson]

I take cold brewed concentrated coffee or Starbucks Double Shots.
The cold brew Toddy system works; I have one but don't use it as it's simpler to just mix the fresh ground coffee with cool water in a container the night before and then pour it thru a filter the next day. I use a large Melita cone filter but you can use a regular coffee maker. Just pour the mix directly into the filter basket and let it filter into the pot.

Cold brewing takes a about 50% more coffee. for hot brewing I use 2 tablespoons of coffee per six ounces of water. With cold brew I use 3 tablespoons per six ounces. This makes good strong coffee. It is delicious cold or heated. To make concentrated coffee I go to 12 tablespoons per six ounces of water and then add add three parts water to one part concentrate. The concentrate will last for at least three days as long as it doesn't get over 65 degrees F. Many people claim it will last longer but I think it degrades. Bear in mind I like my coffee strong; most people could dilute the concentrate five to one and be satisfied.

Starbucks Double Shots also rock as a quick, tasty and easy way to get your caffeine fix.

Cowboy coffee only in an emergency.

Hope this helps you get your buzz! Gary

[Urs Stotz]

A nice article but there is one simple missing and UL way in this article.
Prepare the coffee direct in a cup likewiese a turkish coffee.
I use my Snow Peak Titanium Single 300 Cup (single wall) for this.

1. fill two spoon coffee into the cup
2. fill the cup 3/4 with water
3. mix the coffee in the water
4. put the cup on the cooker
5. heat up on a small flame the coffee (small as possible)

The coffee in the water bubbled up to the top.
There the coffee is swimming on the water as a closed film.
This is the most importest thing, the coffee should never cooking under.
Otherwise the coffee get boiled over, from this kind of coffee you get nervous.
After 4-5 minutes you will see the coffee film will get lifted some,
sometime it get lifted like a bubble.
Now take the cup from your cooker.
Mix all under in the cup with you spoon.
Now there will be some foam of coffee on the coffee' surface.
Siphon this foam with your spoon off.
This foam holds the coffe powder back that it cant sink to ground.

The coffee is ready.

Cheers!
Urs

[Jeffs Eleven]

If VIA was made by any other maker it would be taking over the coffee world.

[Urs Stotz]

I have documented: "boil coffee direct in a cup" on following link:
http://www.outdoorseiten.net/forum/showthread.php?50010-Kaffe-direkt-in-einer-Tasse-br%FChen
This artikel is written in German but with all this pictures I hope it is self-explaining.

Some of the pictures:

The packed cooking set:

The Snow Peak Ti-Single 300 Cup FH find place in the BushBuddy:

The hole cooking set:

3 spoon of coffee:

Fill up 3/4 with water:

Mix the coffee under the water

Boil the coffee slowly on the cooker:

Now you see the coffee is ready:

Importent: Don't boil the coffee under the cooking water, or you get a coffee from them you get nervous.

Mix all under:

Take a way the foam of coffee on the coffee' surface:

Now you can trink the coffee:

Wash up your cup:

Fini:

Regards
Urs

[george baumgardner]

Areopress makes the coolest packable espresso device imaginable. Worth carrying for two or more, one if you are a serious coffee buff. It's like a big syringe, just make sure your cup is strong and wide enough for the roughly two and a half inch device to sit upon. No steamed milk but hey, that's for sissies.

[Chris Schmidt]

Nestle makes a full-fat powdered milk called "Nido". It is sold as baby food and is much tastier than all the non-fat stuff sold in the supermarket. I use it in my coffee and also in a lot of meals. It is great to put a spoonful in with granola, shake it up and have a real bowl of cold cereal in the morning (with the coffee).

[Ken Thompson]

Yeah, I like a little bit of coffee with my cream and sugar.

With a Montbell OD dripper and Nido=bliss

[David Chenault]

As an antidote to Via fatigue (too expensive, just not good enough) I've been using the turkish mini-nalgene method lately, with excellent results. Highly recommended, and in winter (when I'd have the nalgene anyway) it adds almost no net weight.

[Shelley C]

Mike – great article!

These are all good ideas but this post is 8 years old.  Anyone comment on same topic with new ideas?

(I REALLY enjoy cream and sugar in my coffee so half & half substitute ideas welcome also)

[Sean P]

My choice for walking solo is a 1 cup aluminium moka pot that weighs 150g and makes single shots of authentic italian style coffee. I am surprised not to see them mentioned already.

Second choice is a commercial coffee bean bag (essentially a tea bag with ground coffee). Can be purchased in asia and Australasia

Third choice (or for two or more in a party) is the aeropress that makes fine low mess coffee quickly and easily. A bit heavy for one.

All forms of ‘instant’ coffee aren’t coffee, they are ‘brown drink’.  If you want to call your hideous, bitter, processed ersatz drink ‘coffee’ go for your life but if we are talking actual coffee it starts with ground beans, not ripping a sachet.

 

[Peter Necarsulmer]

The best truly practical article I’ve read on BPL in years. And, fun and easy to read in 7 minutes. Please, BPL, more like this on any subject.

[Erica R]

The best truly practical article I’ve read on BPL in years. And, fun and easy to read in 7 minutes. Please, BPL, more like this on any subject.

Yes!

[Frode L]

Nice and instructive article. However, there seem to be some misspellings in the 7 rules:

1. Strong coffee is good coffee. [Yes, correct.]
2. Except for a very few companions, I don’t trust anyone to make coffee for me. [Thumbs up!]
3. Adding sugar to coffee is criminal. [Oh yes, God forbid! Good for life sentence.]
4.Sometimes I add a little milk in my coffee, but Only black is drinkable just fine. [Bold words added. Random misplaced letters deleted.]
5. Adding flavors (like hazelnut and almandine) to an already perfect drink is sinful. [see rule 3]
6. Picking grounds out of my teeth is a serious buzz kill. dessert [Wrong word. Bold word inserted by me]
7. Coffee equals joy. [No doubt!]

If I remember correct, adding stuff, especially white stuff to black coffee (except when turning coffee into “Karsk”) is one of the 8 death sins, or not?

Thanks for an inspiring article!

;-)

[Roger Caffin]

And some people here think I am over the top on coffee!

Cheers

[JCH]

Coffee is the real world water of life.

[Author]

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