How to make coffee on the trail
There are roughly three ways to make coffee outdoors, from light and simple to a bit more of a ritual. All of them only need hot water from your stove.
Instant coffee
The lightest option, just add hot water. BLÆK makes premium instant coffee and an oat cappuccino with the oat milk powder already mixed in.
Drip bags
Freshdrip filter coffee comes in a single-use bag that you hang on the rim of your cup. Pour water over it, wait a minute and you have real filter coffee. Each bag weighs 10 grams and there is nothing to clean, you only pack out the bag. With the Moss Gear coffee filter bags you do the same with your own ground coffee.
Reusable drippers and filters
If you drink a lot of coffee, a reusable dripper is lighter than a stack of drip bags. The GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip weighs less than 10 grams and is the one I carry myself. The Soto Helix weighs 46 grams, the collapsible Sea to Summit X-Brew 85 grams. The Rubytec stainless steel filter needs no paper at all and the Rubytec Robusta hand grinder is for everyone who wants freshly ground beans at camp.
Kettles and tea pots
For pour-over coffee a spout helps a lot. The Evernew titanium tea pots weigh 110 grams (500 ml) and 130 grams (800 ml) and pour a precise stream.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lightest way to make real filter coffee?
A GSI Java Drip of less than 10 grams with your own ground coffee, or Freshdrip bags if you do not want to clean anything.
How much ground coffee do I need per cup?
A good starting point is about 15 grams of coffee for 250 ml of water. Pack it in a small zip bag and you know exactly how many cups you have with you.