How to Make Coffee in the Backcountry: Gear and Methods

[Emylene VanderVelden]

Bahaha! I will drink stale coffee, but I draw the line at moldy coffee. My dad is Dutch and their method for strong coffee is to leave it in the pot on the wood stove to heat for about 24 or more. It’s a bit like syrup and tastes like…. burning tar. I also draw the line there.

[David P]

Emylene, That Dutch method sounds pretty potent. As my mom would say “it’ll put hair on your chest” x^D

It’s kind of like a “reduction” like you would make with medicinal herbs. Since I’m part Dutch (thx mom) I may have to try that actually… I wonder if reduced enough you could bottle the syrup, bring into the field and just add hot water to reconstitute? Mebbe taste yucky though…

Newest Starbucks flavor (coming soon)

“Burning Tar Dutch Latte”
(spoken unintelligibly fast) Common side effects include stunted growth, heart palpitations, uncontrollable shaking, excessive sweating from palms, and lifelong insomnia. Do not consume if pregnant or nursing. Keep out of reach of small children and pets.

[William Chilton]

It sounds rather like mırra.

[Tom K]

“They are ground so that they are still grainy, unlike Turkish coffee, which is more like a powder.”

The times I was served mirra in Lebanon, they pounded the beans in a large brass mortar with a brass pestle just before brewing to ensure freshness.  But that was over 50 years ago;  now they probably buy it preground in bags(cynic in me speaking here).  Either way, half a demitasse is enough to make sure you don’t fall asleep behind the wheel on the way home.

“Common side effects include stunted growth, heart palpitations, uncontrollable shaking, excessive sweating from palms, and lifelong insomnia.”

But at least you’ll die with a full head of hair.

[Greg Mihalik]

Another nod of the head to Café Bustelo instant –

$12 for 72 packets is $.17 per packet and it takes 2 packets for a 12 ounce cup.  The pre-portioned packets provide a consistent strength, are much cheaper than Starbucks Via,  and in my opinion produce a better cup of coffee.  Not as good as home brew, but excellent on the trail, or on the road.

 

[James Marco]

Does anyone perk coffee anymore?

[Mina Loomis]

We sell enough of the enamelware perk pots at the REI I work at.  But those aren’t backpacking-weight gear.  I do often have to explain to our younger shoppers how a perk pot works–they aren’t familiar with them.  I haven’t seen one small and light enough for backpacking.  Plus you would have to let it simmer long enough to finish percolating, so maybe more fuel than just boil water, soak, and strain.

[MJ H]

I remember perked coffee. It wasn’t very good.

[Roger Caffin]

Filter (or plunger – same thing).
But I find the coffee beans themselves play a very large part in how it tastes, perhaps more so than how it is brewed.

Cheers

[James Marco]

Well, I had an old circa 1950 aluminum perk pot I used for camping for many years. It cooked everything from coffee to macaroni and points in between. The built in strainer was great for cooked veggies. It didn’t fry so well, though. It weighed in around 10oz all told and held about 8 cups. Back in those days, canister stoves weren’t. WG stoves were painfully heavy. A small cake-cooling rack, cum grill (around 4oz), over a wood fire worked well. Anyway, it made excellent coffee. But breakfast was a two hour affair.

[Jeff B]

In this 2025 update you are missing one of the best/lightest pour over options, which is the Munieq Tetradrip. Polypropylene model Weighs 0.5oz and packs down flat. I use it with #1 filters as I have them on hand since I use the Hario  V60 for my everday at home brewing. Also tried the GSI Javadrip, cleanup was a pain, and packing it inside my cup was annoying. The Tetradrip is better with a filter. On longer hikes requiring resupply, you can buy k-cups and cut them open and take out the grounds. 2 cups is about 20g and enough for a good pour over.

I found double wall mugs are a waste of money and weight. The UL Toaks Mug (lighest titanium mug on the market) with some thin foam cut to wrap it works just as well and is lighter. Double wall mugs only save about 5F of temp in the time it takes to drink the cup.

[Michael K]

Great post. To add to your list: I use the Restrap coffee dripper. It packs flat, weighs 40g, and is made of plastic, so I also use it when I travel as my Miir flat pack dripper would get me stopped at airport security. https://us.restrap.com/products/coffee-dripper

[Brad W]

The Java Drip at 11g is for me the most simple, lightest option for real coffee on the trail. I use it with a #4 cone filter for easy cleanup. Of course you have to figure the receiving mug into the weight-I use the Toaks 550ul(54g) for this. It’s what holds the Java Drip, filter, grounds.

[baja bob]

GSI Java Drip and paper filter with GSI grinder provides a full pour over setup under 8 ounces. The grinder is not the most efficient, but it’s compact and gets the job done if you don’t want use instant or preground. The only failing of the grinder is the knob on the grind handle is too small.

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