I need a good cup of coffee to start my day. At home, this is generally in the form of Peet’s Ethiopian blend, or if I’m lucky and have recently been to the city, something picked up from Blue Bottle. On the trail, however, I’ve sacrificed quality for convenience, usually packing along the Folgers singles. While they are the most convenient and lightweight option I’ve found, they’re just nasty. They provide the much needed morning coffee fix, but I don’t enjoy my morning cup like I do at home.
There are other options for lightweight trail coffee and I generally carry a selection of them all when backpacking. Java Juice is pretty good, and there are some instant espressos that are palatable when mixed in hot chocolate (Trail Mocha). There are actually all kinds of coffee equipment made for backpackers, but I’ve found them to be too heavy or too messy for my simple, lightweight style of cooking and backpacking.
But I have good news to share. Would you believe that it’s possible to have the coffee of your choice with the convenience and weight of the Folgers singles? I recently ordered a bunch of summer supplies from PackitGourmet and decided to try out a new method that was inspired by one of the products on their site. I’ve tried it a few times at home and can’t wait to get it out on the trail. I know that this summer, the lure of that first cup of Peets will drag me out of my sleeping bag on even the coldest mornings.
Calipidder’s Backcountry Coffee Technique
Equipment:
T-Sac Bags, available at PackitGourmet
Freshly ground coffee of your choice
1/2 tsp measuring spoon
Stapler
Ziploc bag
Preparation:
(click on any photo for a larger view)
In order to maintain the freshness of the ground coffee, it is best to prepare these bags right before heading out on the trail. The grounds will go stale if the bags sit around too long. That’s probably one of the reasons why the Folgers bags are so terrible.
1. Using a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon, take a single T-Sac and fill it with ~2 Tb of grounds. Since the opening is small, I found that a smaller measuring spoon was about the right size to fill without spilling.
2. Do not fill the T-Sac all of the way. The bottom of the sac is gusseted and can stand up on its own. Make sure you’ve expanded the bag to fit the grounds. You will want some extra space for the next step, as well as room for the grounds to expand and allow water to filter through.
3. Fold the top over a few times so that the T-Sac is sealed. Then, add a few staples to keep the folds closed. Make sure there is still some extra space in the bag for the grounds to expand. They should be loose and move around when you shake the bag. But don’t go with too few grounds – unless you LIKE your coffee weak!
4. Store your hike’s supply of these little bags of goodness in a ziploc bag that has had the air squeezed out – this will keep the coffee as fresh as possible on the trail.
5. On the trail, just put a bag in your mug and add the hot water. Let it steep for about 4-5 minutes, just like you would with a french press at home. It helps to use your trusty titanium long handled spoon and stir or compress the bag a bit, especially if you like to squeeze every last drop of deliciousness out of your grounds.
6. Enjoy!
I love the quiet peaceful mornings when backpacking in the Sierra, but I know they will be even better this summer now that I’ll get to enjoy them with a good cup of coffee. I think I’ll go make a cup now…
Staples? T-Sacs can be sealed shut with an iron… refer to http://www.deborah.ws/?p=283
That’s right – I remember doing that a long time ago with similar teabags, but it didn’t work so well which is why I just did the staple method this time.
That’s interesting. On my Lost Coast Trip my buddy brought along a press attachment for his jetboil, and that was awesome to have fresh good coffee on the trail, but it was messy. My last trip was some instant french vanilla powder, which wasn’t too bad, but obviously doesn’t compare to a good cup of the real stuff.
This is an interesting compromise, though the thought of carrying out multiple soaked “tea bags” is slightly disheartening. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
@Randy – yep, i have that jetboil attachment too, and it IS too messy to clean up, especially in the backcountry. As far as carrying out the wet bags, I have to do that anyways with the Folgers. I squeeze them against a rock and leave them in the sun to dry while I pack up camp – by the time they go in my garbage bag they’ve lost a lot of moisture.
Nice idea I found something similar in the UK that has a drawstring closure. Are the bags re-useable? If so you could use a safety pin instead of staples…
I’m going to try the Starbucks VIA coffee, perhaps tomorrow. I’ll have to give a review on it as well. I like your method though, and will have to try it out.
I was a Java Juice convert until I tried the Starbucks VIA. I have multiple issues with Starbucks in general, but the VIA sachets are SO good. And no grounds to dispose of. It’s a shame they’re so hard to get in the UK outside of London.
Simple: baggy full of coffee, I am not cultured and drink coffee for 1. the caffiene and 2. taste so I enjoy Maxwell house, put 3 big teaspoons in 12 oz cup, boil it, let it settle then GO BABY GO!
Thanks for sharing, say, do you have a twitter to follow?