Comments on: Ultralight Backpacking Camp Coffee

By: Mary Ann

Mary Ann — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:32:21 +0000

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

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:20:51 +0000

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

By: William Kemsley Jr

William Kemsley Jr — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:20:28 +0000

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

By: William Kemsley Jr

William Kemsley Jr — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:13:46 +0000

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

By: William Kemsley Jr

William Kemsley Jr — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:09:47 +0000

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

By: brett

brett — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:39:05 +0000

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.

By: » Instant? Um, well, No

» Instant? Um, well, No — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:26:28 +0000

[...] 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. [...]

By: Mike Kretzler

Mike Kretzler — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:11:33 +0000

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.