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Dear coffeeholics, may we have your attention? Coffee makes your life complete, is your big love and an absolute highlight of your day? Before you head out for an adventure your worries are how you get your daily dose caffeine, that also performs in taste? Well, we really understand that trouble. For that reason, this guide will help you to maintain your good mood on any outdoor adventures. Moreover, we have learned some really nice advices from a passionate coffee expert when it comes to the preparation.
“I never laugh until I’ve had my coffee” – Clarke Gable
No matter if you are heading out for a sunrise tour, catch the last and first rays of sun with your bivy somewhere up in the mountains, sit in front of your bus at a cozy beach breakfast, recover from an exhausting go at the climbing crag or you just arrived at a peak on a super sunny winter day with your touring skis – in moments like these the yearning for a perfect coffee intensifies. How to brew a good coffee without a great effort to make the moment even more perfect? But wait, doesn’t that mean a material battle? What are actually all the possibilities to make coffee outdoors? No panic – we have figured it out.
all you have to bring with
Seriously? Ground coffee and water!? Well, yes, but consider, that outdoors hot water is not disposable at any time. You can bring hot water in a perfectly insulated vacuum bottle in case you are on a one day trip, like a sunrise or a ski tour. For that purposes, you can either brew or drain your coffee at home and bring it in a vacuum bottle. But if you’re worried about the coffee getting cold during the tour, especially in winter, there are of course other options. There are now relatively small camping stoves that have a small pack size and are very light. Combined, for example, with the world-famous Espresso Maker in an aluminum housing, this offers an option without much effort. Which is again handy in winter: you don’t need to carry water around, you can just melt some snow.
But even if your adventure takes a little longer, there are plenty of ways to enjoy fresh coffee in the great outdoors. Retailers have countless items for coffee lovers, so we’ve picked out our favorites for you.
The crux is the right preparation
Now you know what possibilities you have to prepare coffee outdoors. No matter if outdoors or at home, the right preparation makes the difference. A coffee enthusiast gave us a great insight into what really matters while brewing or filter coffee.
coffee dripper
This is a really convenient and super easy way to prepare the black-brown super drink. All you need is a coffee dripper. Most are made of glass, porcelain or steel. The coffee dripper is placed over a pot. You just need to insert a filter paper. The first step is to rinse the mug or pot with hot water, also the filter needs to be washed. Approximately 20 g of grounded coffee needs to be inserted in the filter and get infused with 60 ml of hot water. The advice of the expert: allow the water to infuse 30 seconds before the residual 240ml of water gets infused in slow circular movements.
french press
An absolute classic is the French press. Ideally suitable for any camping gest is with the Biolite Stove and the fitting coffee press or the press from home. First, the pot needs to be rinsed with hot water – you can heat the water with the camping cooker. Second, 60g of grounded coffee needs to be added in the press and poured with 100 ml of hot water. The expert advice here, to let it simmer for 30 seconds before the residual 900ml hot water gets circling infused. Stir the brew a little bi and put the lit with the filter above the brew. After 4 minutes the filter needs to be slowly pressed down. Ideally is, to refill the coffee from the French press to a vacuum bottle or directly drink the cofffee to stop the further brewing process.
stovetop espresso brewing
The classic Espresso Maker ensures maximum enjoyment. In case you don’t have any water disposable, just melt snow in the lower chamber of your Espresso Maker. The snow/water needs to be heated first before the brewing can start and should be filled until the trigger. A next step will be to softly press the grounded coffee in until the filter is brimfull. After you have ensured, that the bottom and top chamber, in between the filter, are secured together, the Coffee Maker can be put on the campfire. But be careful, this can be a real danger of burning. The Espresso will be finished with the brewing procedure if the coffee flows in a continuous spurt. Put the Coffee Maker off the camping cooker and if possible, cool the lower chamber (still sticking together) with a cold, wet towel to stop the brewing. Now the Espresso is ready to be served, where are the mugs?
Our ambassador Robert Grasegger prefers the Espresso Maker to enjoy coffee at the crag.
Aeropress
Never heard? You missed a lot. Real coffee enthusiasts are already several years equipped with this device. There are special paper filters for the Aeropress. Those filters need to be washed out with hot water before you use the press. Approximately 16g grounded coffee into the filter and put everything in the cylindrical tube. Dash the coffee with 140 ml of hot water. Allow it to simmer for 20 seconds (pre-brew). Infuse the residual 140 ml of hot water and turn to close the Aeropress. Turn it around, over a mug, give it a rest of 1 Minute and let the brewing fun begin: slowly press the coffee in the mug. This method brews coffee in around 2 Minutes.
Andrew Miller (Patagonia) prepares his coffee with the Aeropress.
To sum it up
We have learned a lot about possibilities to enjoy coffee out there in nature. Our favorite methods to prepare a real backpacking coffee are the following:
- coffee dripper
- stovetop Espresso brewing
- French press
- Aeropress
With these tips and tricks from an expert, you will be able to prepare the worlds best coffee somewhere out there:
- the taste depends on the amount of grounded coffee (we have listed in our examples our preferred amount)
- the “pre-brew” is the time you let the grounded coffee simmer with a little bit of hot water for 20-30 seconds
- the ideal water temperature lies between 92° and 96°
- if you don’t have a thermometer, just give the water one or two minutes time before you start brewing
- the degree of grinding should be not too coarsely or too finely
- around 6-8 g grounded coffee per 100ml Water for filter coffee
Our big love ♥ is coffee. The preparation needs to be practiced maybe one or two times, but the result will be overwhelming. The effort to create the best outdoor coffee moment can’t be big enough for a real coffee and outdoor enthusiast, we are sure about that. So get the gear, get the grounded coffee and get out there. ☺
Even more love for coffee can be found just two minutes by foot of our shop in Garmisch: the Café Wildkaffee.
You love to go camping? Learn more about the topic:
→ Bivouac Guide: Rules and tipps for a night at the 1000 star hotel