How to Make Coffee While Camping

Love camping and coffee, but can’t stand instant coffee? Not to worry...spending a night under the stars or on the road to your next destination does not mean you have to resort to a subpar cup of coffee during your trip. From the camping classics to the latest gear, you have plenty of options for brewing high-quality coffee while away from home. We’ve compiled a list of the easiest and tastiest coffee-on-the-go essentials!

Portable Pour Over

If pour over is your brewing method of choice, you can still have it while you’re camping – no glass coffee makers are required. Kuju Coffee’s disposable, single-serve pour overs can be made right in your mug. If you are looking for a more traditional pour over option, Wacaco’s compact and portable Cuppamoka uses paper cone-shaped filters that leave the extracted brew perfectly clean every time.

Coffee Brewing Bags

Steeped coffee is exactly what it sounds like – coffee grounds that are steeped in a bag just like tea. If you’re backpacking, this brewing method will save valuable space and weight in your pack. Compostable packaging makes Bixby Steeped Coffee bags a great option for camping.

Aeropress

Lightweight, compact, and easy to use, an Aeropress is one of the best ways to make coffee while you’re camping. Our Aeropress brewing guide shows two easy ways to produce a great cup of coffee with this device!

The AeroPress is durable, lightweight, easy to clean up, and makes an excellent, consistent cup of coffee each time. Just throw it in your backpack and you can be your very own barista right from the campsite.

Nanopresso

An on-the-go espresso machine that makes actual espresso – as opposed to just strongly brewed coffee – may sound impossible… but Wacaco has done it with their Nanopresso. If you’re an espresso junkie who loves to travel, this compact, powerful espresso maker is a must. It weighs less than a pound, requires no power or extra equipment, and still somehow manages to produce more consistent pressure than what most home espresso machines can deliver.

French Press

The easy brew process of the French press makes it another popular choice for making coffee while camping. (Pro tip: follow this French press brewing method to avoid a muddy or bitter cup of coffee.)

Percolator

The humble percolator is a camping classic. Though they have a reputation for producing bitter coffee, you can still make a great cup if you stop the percolation process around the 5-7 minute mark.

Camping Pot or Kettle

To use any of these brewing methods, you’ll first need a way to heat up your water, whether that’s over the campfire or on a portable stove. Any pot will do, but camping coffee aficionados often like to invest in a simple camping kettle for faster heating and easier pouring.

Ember Travel Mug² + Ember Car Charger

Packing up and traveling to your next destination early in the morning definitely calls for hot coffee. No matter how far your trip is, the new Ember Car Charger paired with the Ember Travel Mug² will guarantee that your coffee stays at your ideal drinking temperature for hours on end. With a three-hour battery life, Ember Travel Mug² is perfect for when you want to take a morning hike with a warm cup of coffee in hand.

Making great coffee in the great outdoors is possible! You just need the right brewing gear and your favorite Ember Mug². A stunning morning view doesn’t hurt either.