Coffee drinkers

[Creek Dancer]

I am glad to see this. I plan on doing the same. I am a huge coffee drinker. I take caffeine in every form I can get. I planned on doing the same thing but using powdered milk. Nido is hard to find up here in Maine. I would like to add some form of honey to this mix as well if I could figure out how to get it to mix.

Glad I am not the only one! I dump all the ingredients into a 20 oz. wide mouth bottle and shake. I should add that I use 2 Vias for this amount of liquid. Honey would taste good too, but it might be hard to rinse out of the bottle.

[JAK]

Very cool. Very cool. I am sure you could improvise a re-useable filter. Wonder what alternative uses it might have, filtering tea leaves for example.

Any thoughts on the best light weight grinder that can be used on the trail for both coffee beans and spices?

[surfnturk]

I am glad to see this. I plan on doing the same. I am a huge coffee drinker. I take caffeine in every form I can get. I planned on doing the same thing but using powdered milk. Nido is hard to find up here in Maine. I would like to add some form of honey to this mix as well if I could figure out how to get it to mix.

Try to find some honey powder, which is freeze dried honey w/ a bit of malodextrin. The brand I use is Arizona Farms Cactus Honey Powder. It's dry and light, much lighter that regular sugar.

[JAK]

Sorry I only meant to say very cool once. Editing error. It's cool, but not that cool. :-)

[JAK]

I am a big fan of keeping honey in its natural state. Why mess with such a wonderful thing. I like its natural self-preservation qualities, which makes it good for first aid like sores, and possible the stomach with some cinnamon. Honey is only about 10% water so you don't save much weight by dehydrating it, and it is sense than sugar by volume. Can be used to mix with other goods, like biscuits, to preserve the biscuits and reduce pack volume, and improve taste of course. I think elves do this regularly when travelling. Not sure. Can also premix honey or maple syrup with bacon fat, but that strikes me as more of a dwarf thing.

[Creek Dancer]

Honey. Yummers. Ok, so now you've got me thinking about biscuits! I like to make these on the trail l too. I use the just-add-water variety. I coat the bottom of my cook pot with a little bit of oil, dump in the biscuit mixture, cover the pot and set my pot near, but not in, the campfire to cook the biscuits. You have to keep an eye on the heat though because your pot can scortch easily and ruin the biscuits, which would be an awful shame. I have also cooked them over my stove, but this can take some time and uses a lot of fuel.

[BirdBrain]

I am a big fan of keeping honey in its natural state. Why mess with such a wonderful thing. I like its natural self-preservation qualities, which makes it good for first aid like sores, and possible the stomach with some cinnamon. Honey is only about 10% water so you don't save much weight by dehydrating it, and it is sense than sugar by volume. Can be used to mix with other goods, like biscuits, to preserve the biscuits and reduce pack volume, and improve taste of course. I think elves do this regularly when travelling. Not sure. Can also premix honey or maple syrup with bacon fat, but that strikes me as more of a dwarf thing.

Fully agree with every point. Now how do I get it to mix in a cold breakfast drink. Probably should just use it as a chaser.

[BirdBrain]

Try to find some honey powder, which is freeze dried honey w/ a bit of malodextrin. The brand I use is Arizona Farms Cactus Honey Powder. It's dry and light, much lighter that regular sugar.

Yes, I have heard of this. It loses much of its natural properties in the process. I guess I am just whining at this point. I can't have it both ways.

[aficion]

Cowboy coffee seems the simplest lightest way to go. No additives please.

[polechar]

Has anyone tried one of these? http://www.amazon.com/Cuissential-Sl...ef=pd_sim_sg_7
Looks like it works pretty good if watch the video, I'm not sure of the actual weight though, I think I might have to try this out.

[polechar]

I just read a review that says it is 3.5oz

[BirdBrain]

I just read a review that says it is 3.5oz

Looks interesting. I would jump on it, but have already tried the Melitta version. There are issues with trying to get a good cup of coffee away from electricity. I go for the best I can at home. It will be instant on the trail for me (and sometimes cold).

[turtle fast]

I have been using a coffee sock by IMUSA which works pretty well. When I lived in Venezuela, we would use a similar wire circle that had what looked like an old nylon over it (minus the foot funk). Otherwise , I use a GSI coffee filter that attaches to a Nalgene which comes in handy when I ask others if they want some in camp.

[colorado_rob]

I've been drinking and enjoying those SB Via's since they came out, but even at Costco, kinda expensive (about 70 cents a pop, but I usually mix two in a 12 oz cup). finally, there is a competitor; good old folgers, which I hate as regular coffee, now has a product called "Fresh Breaks", "Black Silk" flavor, comes in packets just like the SB Via's. I just tried them, really not too bad. About half the price of the Vias. Taste-tests continue... definitely a different taste, but good and strong and even one single pack works for me.

[turtle fast]

Lately though I have been making Turkish coffee....simple to make and strong. Instead of using a fancy Ibirk for making it I just use my pot. Add coffee, ground cardomom, and water, bring to a boil when frothing remove from heat add sugar put back on heat to froth again (some add sugar at the first boil). You do it two or three times and pour into cup and await the grounds to settle...and it will be mud. Turkish grind is a finer grind than conventional coffee grinds....so if you grind your own the better.

[hootjm]

Trader Joe's instant with the creamer and sugar mixed in tastes pretty good. Comes in little packets, just add hot water.

Trader Joe's instant is the best I found so far. I like it better than Starbuck's Via.

[JAK]

Not sure but I think the sugar helps it settle also, same as with espresso and plain old cowboy coffee. This is the only time I like some sort of sugar vs honey. Honey works great for latte's and chai though. With coffee for latte's or whatever you definitely need to filter or otherwise separate the grains before adding milk as milk makes it harder to separate and filter. Actually I haven't tried honey for settling grains, I just like the sprinkling of the sugar. Sort of a ritual. When using honey with a cold beverage, it will disolve but yeah it definitely takes some stirring. Helps to add the honey to the drink rather that the other way but the colder it is the less that helps and the more stirring or shaking you have to do. What's the cold beverage? Just curious. I like ovaltine but it is usually sweet enough. The UK stuff is different than the US stuff. We get both here in Canada. Honey on snow is a favourite of my daughters on winter hikes.

[BirdBrain]

Glad I am not the only one! I dump all the ingredients into a 20 oz. wide mouth bottle and shake. I should add that I use 2 Vias for this amount of liquid. Honey would taste good too, but it might be hard to rinse out of the bottle.

Tried it with honey today. I was surprised to see how well the honey mixed.
1 packet carnation instant breakfast, 2 coffee scoops instant coffee, 1/3 cup powdered milk, one tablespoon honey, fill 20oz container with water.
Stir well and drink. It was thinner than I thought. Could use more honey, less powdered milk, and maybe another packet of carnation instant breakfast.
I am looking for something with substance. Might even mix oatmeal in.

[surfnturk]

Trader Joe's instant is the best I found so far. I like it better than Starbuck's Via.

What he said.

[tjkenney67]

Has anyone tried one of these? http://www.amazon.com/Cuissential-Sl...ef=pd_sim_sg_7
Looks like it works pretty good if watch the video, I'm not sure of the actual weight though, I think I might have to try this out.

just received mine today from Amazon. This thing is awesome! Excellent quality. I tested it twice this morning. From boiling water with my alcohol stove to clean up with bottled water. Clean up is very simple. I used Starbucks 8 cup compressed packets from the local grocery store. One was an expresso blend, awesome!

It uses number 2 paper filters. This can be replaced with a mesh cone filter for even easier clean up.

I will not go back to instant coffee on the trail... I highly recommend the Slick Drip for hardcore coffee drinkers...