5 Best Ways To Make Coffee When Camping

Around the middle of the 15th century in southern Arabia, now known as modern-day Yemen, the Yemenis discovered that roasting coffee seeds and then brewing them creates a magical drink known as coffee. Since spreading over the centuries to the rest of the Middle East, Africa and Europe, most humans have practised the morning ritual of starting their day with a nice hot cup of freshly brewed coffee. However, just because you've decided to set up temporary shelter in the wilderness for an extended period of time (also referred to as camping), doesn't mean that you aren't able to continue this sacred ritual. But does this mean that you are condemned to tolerate the inferior version of instant coffee, allowing your palate to suffer the mild yet also sour taste of dehydrated coffee crystals just because you decided to go camping? No, and we won't allow it, which is why we've created a guide on how to make coffee when camping, more specifically, the 5 best ways to make coffee when camping.

Quick Links

1. Cowboy Style
2. AeroPress Style
3. Coffee Pot Style
4. French Press Style
5. In A Bag Style

1: Cowboy Style

Cowboy coffee (also known as six-shooter skink, brown gargle, arbuckle's and jamoka) involves making a coffee on horseback while firing a gun into the air - not really. It involves the simple process of making a coffee with a kettle or billy over a fire. This simple way of making a coffee with limited resources was served with every meal if you were a cowboy - and now you can be by following these simple steps. What you will need is a kettle or billy, water, a cup, coffee grounds, a camp grill, a campfire and about 4 minutes of your time.

• Once you've got a campfire going and have placed down the camp grill, fill up your kettle or billy with water and put it on the grill.
• When the water starts boiling, take it off the heat and let it cool for just under 6 minutes.
• Then add in your coffee grounds (the amount depends on your taste) and give it a good stir.
• After letting the coffee sit for 2 minutes, give it a stir and then let it sit again for about another minute.
• Give it a final stir, and when you notice all the coffee grounds have settled at the bottom, it's time to drink!

2: AeroPress Style

The AeroPress style is pretty much the modern-day equivalent of the cowboy style but way more convenient. Basically a combination of a French press and a pour-over, the AeroPress style is an easy and quick way of making an authentic American-style coffee when camping. What you will need is a kettle, water, coffee grounds, a fire and an AeroPress coffee maker.

• Start by adding 2 scoops of the grounded coffee into the larger tube of the AeroPress.
• Let them soak until blooming (you'll start seeing bubbling) and then give it 30 seconds.
• Pour in hot water until the chamber becomes full and then give it a good stir.
• Put in the plunger, wait 1 to 2 minutes and then slowly press down, and there it is: you have a delicious cup of coffee ready to go!

3: Coffee Pot Style

From 1486 right up until its end with the French Revolution in 1789, the St. Germain's Fair in Paris made history when it first introduced a curiously interesting object in 1672 that was known as a 'silver coffee pot'. However, it was admired for its beautiful craftsmanship and not for its function, as the West wouldn't discover the coffee craze until the early 1700s. But once Gabriel-Mathieu Francois D'ceus de Clieu introduced coffee to the French colonies in the 1700s along with some beans to grow coffee trees, they were hooked. Although recent history suggests there already were coffee trees in the Western Hemisphere before then, but this is neither the time nor place to get into that heated coffee debate. Here's how to use a camping coffee pot to make a delicious cup of coffee when camping, and all you'll need is a coffee pot, grounded coffee, a cup, water and a campfire.

• Begin by filling the bottom compartment up with water to the marker.
• Then fill the portafilter with grounded coffee, put it together and then place it on the fire.
• Wait until it starts to boil (you'll hear it) and then take it off the heat and allow it to steep for about 3 minutes. Then it's ready to go!

4: French Press Style

At the risk of sounding like a Francophile, we are talking about the French again, but this time it's another great way to make a delicious cup of coffee when camping out in the bush: the French press (also known as caffettiera a stantuffo, cafetière à piston, cafetière or coffee plunger). Fun fact for coffee aficionados: the French press was originally patented in France by Jacques-Victor Delforge and Henri-Otto Mayer in 1852, but the style we know and love today was actually patented in America by Giulio Moneta and Attilio Calimani in 1929 because it included a spring to seal the filter. But enough with these incredibly exciting, fun and interesting coffee facts - we have a cup of coffee to make! You just need some water, ground coffee, a campfire, a cup, a kettle and a French press coffee maker.

• Fill up the kettle with the water and place it on the campfire.
• Once it is boiling, pour it into the French press coffee maker and then add in the ground coffee.
• Attach the plunger and lid and then let it steep for about 3 minutes, although you can wait longer if you want a stronger coffee.

5: In A Bag Style

If you've ever made a cup of tea with a tea bag and thought "is there a method where I can make a cup of coffee while camping this same exact way?", then this next method is for you. The idea for 'coffee bags' first came about by Thomas Sullivan in 1908 but the world didn't want a bar of it for some reason. It wouldn't be until around the '60s and '70s when specifically hotels, motels and restaurants frothed the idea and combined it with instant coffee. However, we're going to show you the proper way to make your own with grounded coffee as we're sure you don't want to offend your taste buds with the depressingly dull taste of dehydrated coffee crystals. All you need is a kettle, water, a campfire, a cup, grounded coffee, butcher's twine and a basket coffee filter.

• Start by laying the basket coffee filter out flat and then filling it with a scoop of the grounded coffee.
• Carefully tie it together with the butcher's twine and then cut it so you still have a tail to hold onto (like a teabag).
• Then fill a kettle with water and place it on the fire until it starts to boil.
• Once boiled, pour the water into your cup and place in your coffee bag and let it stoop for a few minutes, just as you would when making a cup of tea.

Find The Best Way To Make Coffee When Camping At Anaconda Today

And there you have it, you are now an expert in 5 ways of making a cup of coffee when camping - time to get brewing! Make sure you also check out our Adventure Centre for more helpful tips and exciting destinations that you can visit with your friends, loved ones and family. If you liked our 5 Best Ways To Make Coffee When Camping article, then you might also like some of our other articles for awesome destinations and tips such as:

• Ultimate Guide To Easy Camping Food Ideas
• The Ultimate Camping Essentials Checklist
• The Ultimate Guide to Pre-Made Camping Meals
• Safety Tips For Pool Toys & Inflatables

Find your local Anaconda store and check out our extensive range of camping coffee makers for your next outdoor adventure