How To Make Coffee Camping: Guide For The Perfect Camp Brew

1. Cowboy Camping Coffee 

Easily one of the most (in)famous backcountry brewing methods, some might say you don’t know how to make good coffee camping unless you’ve mastered cowboy coffee.

All you need is beans, a grinder, and a fire- or stove-safe pitcher. 

Follow these steps to make cowboy coffee that won’t give you heartburn during camping trips: 

While there are lots of grounds leftover in the coffee pot after you make cowboy coffee, the pot just needs a quick rinse to get rid of them.

Sometimes the dregs of the coffee are enough to rinse the coffee pot out with. 

2. Using A Percolator 

For those who find cowboy coffee too bitter or messy, the percolator is one of the best camp coffee makers for giving a much more controlled brew and nearly no coffee grounds in your coffee cup. 

Get your freshly ground beans, clean drinking water, a campfire or camping stove, and a percolator. Each model may vary slightly, so use the instructions that come with yours to brew the coffee properly.

Here's how to use a camping percolator coffee maker generally, so you have some idea how they work: 

One thing some campers and hikers don’t like about percolators is that you have to deal with the grounds after making camp coffee.

Usually, though, you can just dump them out and rinse the filter basket or wipe out the remaining grounds with a dry paper towel.  

3. Instant Camping Coffee 

Instant coffee is the easiest way to have a cup of coffee in the wild, but you're probably going to be sacrificing flavor and body.

Shop around and try to find your favorite instant coffee brands—ultralight packers like instant coffee sachets for short solo trips.  

The steps to brew instant coffee are easy. All you need is a pot, water, instant coffee, and a coffee mug.  

If you can find a tasty instant coffee, more power to you. Although many manufacturers have made progress getting good flavor into their instant coffee, there’s still something lacking - plus, many instant coffees have additives and additional sugar that you might prefer to avoid in your camp coffee.[4]  

They frequently have less caffeine and markedly reduced flavor profile compared with freshly-ground coffee. The tradeoff is there’s no clean-up except for washing your mug. 

4. Coffee Bags 

Coffee bags work the same way as a tea bags do and can be useful for coffee drinkers. Some manufacturers make eco-friendly, perishable, and/or recycled coffee and tea bag options. 

You can also make your own DIY coffee bags. Here’s how to make coffee brew bags for camping trips without creating too much waste: 

Keep this in a Ziploc bag and take it out when you want to have coffee. Steep it in hot water, and you'll have a camp coffee in just a few minutes. 

5. Using An Espresso Pot (Moka Pot) 

Espresso pots are as easy as percolators, and most models are easier to deal with.

As with most other brewing devices that require equipment, a Moka pot isn’t ideal for lightweight backpackers, but it is perfect for single or small group car camping trips. 

You need coffee, water, a heat source, and an espresso pot. It works in a similar way to drip coffee, and produces steeped coffee that's rough and strong.

Here’s how to make drip coffee at camp with a Moka pot or portable espresso maker: 

The biggest advantage to the Moka or espresso pot is that it’s about as close as you can get to the strength and flavor of espresso at your campsite. You can run water through it without grounds if you want to let it clean itself. 

6. Pour-Over Camping Coffee 

You don’t have to lug a ceramic pour-over filter to make great coffee in the backcountry. Most ultralight backpackers go with foldable, single serving pour overs that allow you to do the pour-over method on the go.

This gives high-quality pour over coffee without the extra weight of a Moka pot or percolator. 

If you don’t mind a few grounds possibly entering your coffee, then you can use these pour-over models without a paper filter. 

Here’s how to use the pour-over method for coffee outdoor while on a camping trip: 

7. Using A French Press 

A traditional French press is probably only viable for car camping and people who don’t mind the extra weight. Glass ones are potentially too fragile for use in the backcountry.  

Luckily, there are mugs and other vessels with a French press built-in. Here’s how to use one: 

8. Using An Aeropress 

The Aeropress is undoubtedly one of the most popular ways to brew high-quality coffee at a campsite or at home.

There are tons of resources to find out how you can manipulate the variables (water temperature, ground consistency, steep time, agitation, etc.) to make the coffee you like best.  

Here’s how to make coffee at camp with an Aeropress: 

Clean-up is easy with an Aeropress, especially if you have a reusable filter. Simply pop out the filter, rinse everything or remove grounds with a paper towel, and you’re ready to brew again.