How to Make Coffee While Camping

There’s something very Steinbeck about the idea of getting up with the sun, poking the coals, and pouring yourself a rough, gritty cup of coffee with that delicious aroma to shock yourself awake before a day of doing…whatever it is that John Steinbeck’s characters got up to. Ambient suffering, mostly, I think.

But for some of us, coffee isn’t just a morning necessity – it’s a way of life. And, for coffee drinkers, the idea of making a cup of subpar coffee is borderline sacrilegious if you’ve got high standards.

You don’t have to sacrifice taste for convenience when you’re out in the wilderness, especially now that the market is constantly being updated with new, efficient options for adventurers who like the finer things in life. Like finely ground coffee.

See what I did there? I’m here all week.

I’ve been traveling and exploring the outdoors for a better part of a decade—and drinking coffee for even longer. There are so many ways to make coffee while camping, all depending on how serious you are about taste, convenience, and process. I’ll teach you how to make coffee while camping, whether you’re cowboy camping, car camping sleeping in a tent, or living it up in a campervan or RV.

These are ten of my favorite brew methods for that perfect cup while camping!

1. Instant Coffee

• Pros: Quick, easy, and idiot-proof. Doesn’t require a sophisticated coffee maker
• Cons: Not fresh ground coffee, so the taste isn’t as good as many other methods
• Best for: No-fuss, no-mess morning brews that’ll come out the same even if your brain is still in your sleeping bag

For years, instant coffee has felt like the only real viable option for campers, and that’s all well and good if you don’t mind the taste (but, admittedly, there’s a growing number of brands on the market that are actually putting out some good instant coffee grounds).

Coffee snobs need not apply: we know there’s no persuading you to join the ranks of the instant coffee brigade. But if you want the quickest and easiest possible morning joe, with absolutely no preparation or clean-up required, you can’t go wrong here.

All you need to make an instant cup of Joe is your individual packet of grounds and some water. I like to boil 12oz of water in my Jetboil and add it to the grounds in my favorite camp mug—and voilà! Instant joy! I mean…coffee.

The Best Instant Coffee Brands

Instant coffee has a bad reputation, especially among coffee enthusiasts. As someone who…