lets talk COFFEE!

[Mike Drinkuth]

Piping hot, black as night, and strong enough to knock down a mule.
That's what I want first thing in the mornin on the trail.
How do you make it?
Instant seems smartest (lightest) but how about other interesting ideas here. Instant is so lacking in taste. Anybody see any clever techniques?

[TJ aka Teej]

Instant is so lacking in taste.

Mmmm Instant Maxwell House! A double dose, 3 or 4 sugars, shook up in a Nalgene - that'll get yer banana dancing! Taste? Everything tastes better on the trail!

[Alligator]

My buddy uses the coffee bags (like tea bags) two in the morning to replicate his wife's overly strong coffee. Sometimes he throws in a Carnation instant breakfast.

[Dances with Mice]

Piping hot, black as night, and strong enough to knock down a mule.
That's what I want first thing in the mornin on the trail.
How do you make it?
Instant seems smartest (lightest) but how about other interesting ideas here. Instant is so lacking in taste. Anybody see any clever techniques?

Check your grocery store for Cafe Bustelo Instant Espresso mix. It's a Cuban style coffee imported from Mexico. Rich, smooth taste. Doesn't take much to make a 'coffee strength' cup, but you can mix it as strong as you like. It will get your eyes open and there's no hassle with grounds or bags or filters or all that.

Major chain stores in N. Georgia carry it since there's a significant Hispanic population here. Don't know if it's national or how widely it's stocked. Google yields lots of mail order sources.

[Jaybird]

Mike D:


i like your style: "Piping hot, black as night, & strong enuff to knock down a mule.."

thats my kinda coffee...

my fellow hiker: TeePee has tried the filters, the one-bag-ers, etc etc, even the "NEW" coffee press thats out now....but,
for me.....i'm going with a double dose of instant MAXWELL HOUSE or FOLGERS...

i boil the water...& get a whopping double spoonful of instant cyrstals and........
..."yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-hawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!


i'm ready to hike! (just for sport..i eat a couple of energy bars too.)
NO REASON to ruin a good, strong cup of java with all that creemer, sugar etc........you're on the trail......who needs the "COFFEE WITH A SKIRT" anyway?
hehehehehehe



Jaybird

[chris]

If you want the good stuff, look somewhere other than a tea bag. When I'm spending alot of time in camp (like winter time) I'll grind up a bunch of my favorite french roast (blacker than midnight, lots of PC labels, only $5.99 a pound) and take a cone with some filters. You can buy a cone filter for about $2 and its only real downside it the bulk (it doesn't weigh anything). But, since I have to take my big, 95 liter pack during winter hikes, I've got plenty of room. From a very unscientific poll, it seems that having good coffee in a shelter is the fastest way (next to having a splif) to make friends. Or, atleast, to gain leeches.

[Rick Bayley]

If you want the good stuff, look somewhere other than a tea bag. When I'm spending alot of time in camp (like winter time) I'll grind up a bunch of my favorite french roast (blacker than midnight, lots of PC labels, only $5.99 a pound) and take a cone with some filters. You can buy a cone filter for about $2 and its only real downside it the bulk (it doesn't weigh anything). But, since I have to take my big, 95 liter pack during winter hikes, I've got plenty of room. From a very unscientific poll, it seems that having good coffee in a shelter is the fastest way (next to having a splif) to make friends. Or, atleast, to gain leeches.

Oh coffee, coffee, the things we must learn to do without in the great outdoors - or at least if my lightweight principles are not to be completely thrown out the window. Lucky that instant does indeed taste better consumed in the open!

[ga>me>ak]

Double dose of coffe, pour it and water and let steep in your boot.....for that extra kick

[Lumberjack]

I carry a 4 cup percolator :} some things shouldnt be skimped on...

rei...

[smokymtnsteve]

If you want the good stuff, look somewhere other than a tea bag. When I'm spending alot of time in camp (like winter time) I'll grind up a bunch of my favorite french roast (blacker than midnight, lots of PC labels, only $5.99 a pound) and take a cone with some filters. You can buy a cone filter for about $2 and its only real downside it the bulk (it doesn't weigh anything). But, since I have to take my big, 95 liter pack during winter hikes, I've got plenty of room. From a very unscientific poll, it seems that having good coffee in a shelter is the fastest way (next to having a splif) to make friends. Or, atleast, to gain leeches.

Both at sunrise

[steve hiker]

I use a tea ball. Real easy, just fill half the tea ball with coffee grounds and let brew in your pot of boiling water for a couple minutes.

As to coffee, I carry a few onces of dark roast Community ground coffee (a south Louisiana brand, about as strong as French Roast). Won't touch the weak Yankee stuff.

[Moon Monster]

MSR makes a little filter basket that fits inside a shallow mug/cup. Grounds inside, steep in hot water, lift whole basket out of water and dump the grounds in a bag to pack out. Like a press, it gives you direct contact with the grounds to extract the fullest compliment of flavor compounds (but is lighter and has just one piece that packs in your cup), and best of all: you can use your favorite 100% arabica instead of instant or tea bag style robusta bean crap. The thing is less than 3oz and maybe less than 2oz, I forget, because I reluctantly give up coffee when I hike.

[Jaybird]

MSR makes a little filter basket that fits inside a shallow mug/cup. Grounds inside, steep in hot water, lift whole basket out of water and dump the grounds in a bag to pack out. Like a press, it gives you direct contact with the grounds to extract the fullest compliment of flavor compounds (but is lighter and has just one piece that packs in your cup), and best of all: you can use your favorite 100% arabica instead of instant or tea bag style robusta bean crap. The thing is less than 3oz and maybe less than 2oz, I forget, because I reluctantly give up coffee when I hike.

Tried the MSR coffee basket gizmo in 2002 on section hike...NEVER worked correctly....give me a double dose of instant!

I pride myself of being, somewhat, a coffee conniseur...i love my Kenya AA,
Blue Ridge Dark Blend, etc,etc,etc.....but, i'm not taking a brewer, coffee pot, etc,etc, out for a trip....

And anyway...everything tastes better out on the trail (even intsant coffee)




Jaybird

[Moon Monster]

Jaybird, why didn't the MSR basket work for you? I've only used it on the trail once (it was a 20º morning so tree-bark tea would have tasted good), but I used to use it regularly in the office. Worked great, except I could only make 8-10oz at a time. Now, I use a press in the mornings.

[Jaybird]

[QUOTE=Moon Monster]Jaybird, why didn't the MSR basket work for you? QUOTE]

Moon Monster:

Don't know why...we (my 2002 hike partner "TeePee" & I) did everything by the insturctions (u known how hard that is for us "real men"...hehehehehe) & it would never "brew" correctly, etc.

poured my coffee into the mesh basket poured scalding hot water into my titanium mug...even stirred the basket in the hot water a few times....let it sit for approx 3-4 mins.....& it came out like....very, very weak tea.....

ugggggggggggggggggggggggggggh!

give me a double helpin' of Folgers instant (or Maxwell House) & i'm good to go!

........."it's ALL good on the trail!"

[Flatpicker]

Piping hot, black as night, and strong enough to knock down a mule.
That's what I want first thing in the mornin on the trail.
How do you make it?
Instant seems smartest (lightest) but how about other interesting ideas here. Instant is so lacking in taste. Anybody see any clever techniques?

I went in search of a light weight way to enjoy that morning coffee as well. A fellow hiker had a coffee press and I was impressed but thought it was a bit to bulky for longer trips. A web search turned up Cup-pour-ri. A half-ounce coffee steeper. Makes one cup at a time and you can make it as strong as you like by the amount of coffee used and length of time allowed to steep. You can find these at online retailers like REI but if you go to their homepage they will send you 3 steepers for the same price you can get 1 at a retail outlet.


Flatpicker

[Valmet]

I really like coffee on the trail. I have used instant, ok but not the best taste. I now use a lexan coffee press. To me some things are worth the extra weight. The coffee is better and more enjoyable and I can bring any type of coffee I want.

[bam_bam]

I only use a French Press. The 1 cup model. Very small, very light, and has a Pyrex cylinder. I wrap it with a piece of foam and duct tape for packing it. Then, I splurge and get StarBucks "Yukon Blend." No need for boilers, the cylinder is pyrex so you can boil water in it. I get whole beans and grind me enough to last the hike. It produces a very volatile, explosive, early-morning awakening. Even better when you can get fresh mountain water. North Carolina water and Glacier National Park so far has the best water...in my opinion

[azchipka]

I only use a French Press. The 1 cup model. Very small, very light, and has a Pyrex cylinder. I wrap it with a piece of foam and duct tape for packing it. Then, I splurge and get StarBucks "Yukon Blend." No need for boilers, the cylinder is pyrex so you can boil water in it. I get whole beans and grind me enough to last the hike. It produces a very volatile, explosive, early-morning awakening. Even better when you can get fresh mountain water. North Carolina water and Glacier National Park so far has the best water...in my opinion

I to use a french press.......Gotta love a nice cup of coffee with the sun rise and the myst rolls through the valley.......must have coffee

[zammy]

Here, middle east that is, Israel for me, we use what we call "Turkish coffee". it's a strong roast of coffee beans, ground of course.
We boil it gently (2 teaspoons) together with about 150 ml of water and then add sugar for taste. Look for that coffee at Greek , Israeli or any other middle eastern food deli's. Just don't over boiled it (burn) for too long, the moment it start boiling lift it above the flame and simmer it for 10-20 seconds more.
This is as closed as it can get to an esspresso..
I know I'll bring about 2 lbs with me for maildrops.