Thursday, September 25th, 2008...4:31 pm
Ultralight Backpacking Camp Coffee
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Backpacker Magazine emailed me a link this morning to its review of a “field tested” backpacking coffee. It’s instant! Ugggh! My choice is fresh ground Peet’s French Roast or Thanksgiving’s Mirembe Kawomera (Delicious Peace) coffee in a one-cup filter (lightweight and as good tasting as home). To read Backpacker’s review of the instant they are raving about, follow this link.
Be light. Be safe. Be one with the pack.
8 Comments
September 25th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
So, what do you do with the grounds? That’s the question that settled me on instant coffee. While I prefer — and usually drink — fresh drop coffee, I take instant on hikes because I don’t want to haul out wet coffee grounds.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:26 am
[…] I don’t usually drink coffee when I go camping. Sometimes I sponge off of other leaders who are generous and do want to bring coffee along. So, I’m not in a position to offer an opinion on fresh-made, versus dunk-bag, versus instant coffee. Bruce over at lightbackpacking.com is a coffee man and has no problems offering his opinion, though. […]
September 26th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
i used this stuff when going ultralight. it’s pretty decent - stronger espresso flavour than your typical folders/nescafe instant junk.
sure, it’s not even close to making coffee from fresh grind. but for me, i find it’s a compromise i’m willing to make when backpacking for the weight savings and not having the hassle of resposibly dealing with the coffee grounds in camp.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Bruce –
I found your comments about coffee fun. I’m William Kemsley Jr, founder of Backpacker magazine, now retired and hiking most of the time.
If you haven’t seen my latest book, Backpacker & Hiker’s Handbook you would find my section on coffee fun too. I take and have taken for all my life only real coffee, which I now roast from beans I buy from Sweet Marie’s in Berkeley, CA. And there is nothing better than a cup of real coffee boiled up in the morning — for me at least. Check the book out on Amazon where it is getting five star ratings by some top-notch hikers.
Good blog you have.
Best,
Bill
September 29th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Hi Bruce –
Loved your thoughts on coffee.
I’m William Kemsley Jr, founder of Backpacker magazine. And have never taken along anything but real coffee. I roast my own now to French Roast, and boil it up in the morning. Ummmm! Tasty.
Check out my new book, Backpacker & Hiker’s Handbook and what I have to say about coffee on the trail. It’s a lot of Fun!
You have a good blog.
Bill
September 29th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hello Bruce –
I loved your thoughts on coffee on the trail. I too have that passion.
I am William Kemsley Jr, founder of Backpacker magazine, now retired and hiking at will.
For all my life I have carried only fresh ground real coffee on the trail. Today I roast my own to French Roast darkness. Boil up a pot in the moring. Delicious!
Check out my new book, Backpacker & Hiker’s Handbook. It’s barely for beginners. Mostly it for the trail hardened. See the Amazon.com five-star reviews it is getting. And one of the reasons is for what I have to say about things like coffee on the trail.
You’ve got an interesting blog.
Best,
Bill Kemsley
December 30th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
To Mike Kretzler:
What do I do with the coffee grounds? We bury them or toss them in the bushes. Coffee grounds are known to be an excellent organic fertilizer for gardens, so I don’t see any harm in sprinkling them among outdoors. It’s all natural and, of course, the coffee grounds won’t grow into trees so there is no concern about introducing a non-native species.
Thanks for your comment.
Bruce
January 6th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
A question, not a comment… I am looking for advice on the type of long underwear to take when I hike the White Mountain section of the AT this summer. I want a good combination of lightweight, but warm and relatively inexpensive. Any suggestions? Smartwool? Silk? I’ve read some things about the “Icebreaker” items, but they seem pretty pricey.
Thanks!
8 Mile MA
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