How to Make Camp Coffee: 7 Ways to Brew Coffee while Camping

I love my morning coffee even more when I am camping. There is literally nothing like sipping a how brew while watching the morning fog lift from the mountains!

TIP: Always bring a bit extra coffee along while camping. You can offer it to people you meet at camp or on the trail. I’ve never had anyone turn down a cup of coffee and it is a great way to make new friends!

Option 1: Instant Coffee

My secret to making good instant coffee while camping is powdered milk. You just need:

H20 + Instant Coffee + Powdered Milk + Sugar = Morning buzz

I prefer using this method of making camping coffee because it is super quick, requires no extra pot or gadget (weight matters for me!), and I don’t have to clean up any coffee grounds.

On the downside, instant coffee tastes somewhat terrible if you’ve been spoiled by espresso. 😉 I’ve heard good things about Starbucks VIA instant coffee though (you can buy it here on Amazon).

Option 2: Brew in a Filter Method

Put some coffee in a coffee filter
Tie up the filter with some string.
Fill mug with hot water.
Put tied coffee filter into mug.
Let sit until desired strength.

Alternatively, you can get something like the MSR MugMate. You put the coffee into the basket, and put it into a mug of hot water. Then you don’t have to use any filters.

You can buy the MugMate here.

Option 3: Pour-Over Drippers

Several brands make portable drip coffee makers. To use:

You put the dripper over your mug.
Place a filter in the dripper. Some models are filter-less.
Put coffee in the filter.
Pour hot water over the coffee.

A collapsible coffee drip by Snow Peak – Buy Here

This silicon collapsible coffee drip is also cool – Buy Here

If you want to skip the coffee filters, then this reusable coffee filter is great. Buy Here

If you want to skip the coffee filters, then this filter-less drip coffee maker is great. Buy Here

Option 4: Percolator

Also known as stovetop espresso makers, these have been around for a long time. To use a percolator:

Put water in the bottom part and coffee in the middle part.
Screw on the top part.
Put the percolator on your camping stove.
Wait for the water to boil. It will go upwards and push coffee into the top part.
You’ll know the coffee is done when the bubbling sounds stops.

The big pro with this method is that you can make multiple cups at once and don’t need a separate pot for water. It also tastes way better than drip coffee or brew-in-the-bag coffee! However, traditional percolators are very bulky and heavy. Narrow ones might not fit on large gas stoves, either.

Put the percolator on top of the stove or campfire to make the coffee

And the finished percolator coffee!

Option 5: Portable Stovetop Espresso Machine

You’ve gotta love technology when it’s something like the GSI Outdoors mini expresso machine. It basically works the same way that a percolator does, but is more compact. The espresso will come out of the funnel and into your waiting mug.

Option 6: Camping French Press

To use a French press camping:

Put coffee (or tea) grounds in the bottom of the French press.
Add hot water.
Insert the plunger.
Press the plunger down slowly. The plunger pushes all the grounds to the bottom so pure coffee is on the top.
Pour and drink.

You can use a normal French press when camping, but there are ones made especially for the outdoors. They are usually made from stainless steel, so there aren’t any glass parts to worry about breaking. The Jetboil press is designed to work with a Nalgene bottle.

This is the AeroPress camping French press for making espresso - Buy Here

The AeroPress coffee maker is similar to a French press but works in reverse. Buy Here

There is also this cool French press which goes on a Nalgene bottle - Buy Here

The Jetboil French press which goes on a Nalgene bottle – Buy Here

Option 7: Cowboy or Turkish Coffee

I live in Serbia and this is the type of coffee that everyone drinks at home. To make Turkish coffee (aka “cowboy coffee”, you:

Boil 1 coffee-cup’s worth of water (add sugar if you wish)
Remove boiling water from heat.
Add two heaping spoonfuls of coffee, per person. Mix the coffee into the water.
Return the water-coffee mixture to the heat.
The coffee will start to rise as it boils again. Remove it from the heat right before it boils over. Make sure you watch the coffee or you will have a big mess everywhere!

Note that you need to use coarsely-ground coffee for Turkish coffee. The grounds will settle to the bottom of the cup as you drink it. You don’t drink these grounds. Some people even know how to use the grounds to read your fortune!