Yeah, Via. Perhaps larger problem is that coffee in the PNW is so good that when touring or traveling in the wider US, we just don't make coffee stops the way we do here. The stuff is awful. Saves money! Sort of like traveling in Germany and then coming back here and tasting the nasty stuff they call beer here. Not worth the calories.

I use instant coffee and a Trangia to heat the water. Using water off the boil improves the taste compared to boiling water.
There is quite a difference in the quality of instant coffees. Standard Nescafe, Blend 37 and the fancy versions (eg Alta Rica) seem to be much better than Gold Blend or cheaper supermarket labels.
It is really hard to find small jars of good instant coffee in places where coffee=beans.

I like to make a large mug of coffee to wash down a bread roll from yesterday afternoon then pack up and get going ASAP.

Totally agree!

I've used Via since it came out....on backpacking, canoeing, motorcycle camping and bike trips. I fit the whole thing in my kettle - Via, cup, fork to stir with...since I drink it black thats all I need. Now if someone made powdered Bailey's.......

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smartcafe-Ho...8067421&sr=8-2

This looks pretty good to me, and gets good reviews.

I have made coffee with my foldable ortleib coffee cone. I love my ortleib coffee cone and have collected sticks from all over north america to use as supports.
A friend and I had a coffee makin' contest this past summer - Me with my Ortleib and he with some portable camping coffee press. All the judges asked for more Ortleib coffee and my friend went off and sulked

Zeppinger, that's the exact little espresso thing I got at a Vietnamese store and use. I have two of them and use one at work. I love how small and durable they are. They are also very cheap. I only paid about $3 each for mine.

IIRC, it was just the stuff he used at home in his drip coffee maker.

I bought one of these because it looked kinda cool. No surprises, it doesn't work very well. It's awkward, difficult to use, and kind of bulky.

I also have a few of the Vietnamese coffee pots, but I don't know if I can handle the coffee without the ice and condensed milk, it just seems wrong.

I'm about as coffee snob as they get, but I just rough it when touring. I figure even mediocre coffee is better than no coffee.

And don't get me started on tea, I won't touch tea touring because I know I can't do a decent job of brewing it (If anyone mentions a bag, I'm leaving).

Sleeping bag. See ya!

What's the point of an Ortlieb coffee filter holder vs just a paper filter secured with a clothes pin? You still gotta use a paper filter, fiddle with sticks, then clean up the Ortlieb, vs dip the clothes pin filter and throw away. No clean up, no fiddling.

A clothes pin filter is the simplest, cheapest way to make a great cup of no grinds coffee when on tour.

A funnel, cone filter and ground beans from home. Works for touring, backpacking, trips to my parents and other coffee barrens. I had one of those red thingys too, the funnel works better.

+10 Star Bucks Via. I use it for backpacking. I use to carry ground coffee and a small cone filter but the Via is far less weight,space,hazel, and tastes great.

three pages of ideas...
https://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/...eywords=coffee

EDIT: hmmm. OK, maybe one page. Not sure that a
Moving Comfort Vixen Bra A/B Cup - High Impact

qualifies, no matter what color it comes in...

The best way by far for me is grounded plunger coffee in an insulated cup made by "smartcafe" which has an its own plunger handle that slides inside and stays in whilst drinking, the cup is also designed for tea leaves also if your a tea snob.
These cups to my opinion are the "best" invention of mankind yet also simple and very versitile.
I can send a photo and were to buy one if your keen.
My cup is about 3 years old and gets Hammered every day ;-)
Coffee is not an addiction it's a "lifestyle"
Cheers
Sam

My preferred way for making coffee on tour is a Melita coffee cone with a cloth cone filter. The cone can clip to the outside of a bag (using a carabeaner), and when you finish brewing the coffee you can dump the grounds and rinse the filter. The cones are cheap, I think I paid $4 for mine and the filter about the same.

I really like making coffee with a Moka Pot (stovetop espresso maker). I even have the GSI camping version that needs a mug to "catch" the coffee, in lieu of the typical reservoir. It takes up less space in the bag, but even then, I feel like it takes up too much space. So I save it for short out-and-back tours.

My wife is a coffee fiend, so any trip planned with her must involve coffee. Car camping we just bring the percolator I inherited from my parents and that works great. When canoe tripping she went along with Taster's Choice instant.

We are doing the FANY Ride this summer, and we will be on our own for breakfast each morning, so she is insisting that we have a way of making coffee. I don't want to lug a stove capable of simmering and a percolator, so I've been experimenting at home. Cowboy coffee followed by filtering seems to be the best bet.

Haven't tried Via, but will now!

Speedo

I wasn't going to comment, especially when I saw this thread had reached 3 pages, but heck, coffee is one of my biggest pleasures on tour. So I'll wade in.

I use a Melitta single cup funnel and #2 filters. I like being able to buy stuff at grocery stores along the way. Sometimes they don't have # 2 filters, so when I start to get low I start looking. I've had to use #4's before when I was out and couldn't find #2's. They worked, but were a hassle, and as soon as I found some #2's I chucked the #4's. Finding good coffee can also be difficult. Bigger stores usually have a selection of grind-your-own and it's fun to sample them. I've resorted to Folgers at convenience stores in a pinch. I have to have coffee, right? One of the nicest surprises was finding some really good locally-ground coffee at a little ma-and-pa grocery in Clark Fork, Idaho. I thought I was going to have to drink Folgers for sure, when there it was!

I heat water in my regular MSR pots (the old stainless steel standbys.) I spill a little water when I pour, but I don't want the extra weight of a kettle with a pour spout. It would be nice, but I'm doing fine.

I bring a plastic, insulated travel mug with a lid. It keeps the coffee hot longer (I like HOT coffee) and it doesn't weigh as much as my favorite steel Starbuck's insulated travel mug with lid.

I pack the funnel inside my pots, along with a baggie full of filters, a sponge, the pot lifter, and my Campsuds.

I use a stove which burns unleaded gas, and always make sure I have plenty of fuel so I can drink as many cups of coffee as I feel like (and also have enough fuel for food.)

It's my system and it works for me.

good suggestion

I haven't read through the entire thread so please forgive me if it has already been said.

I have this bodum plastic french press. It is supposed to be a travel mug/press..but i find my coffee turns into sludge if I use it this way. It works great as a press. I would imagine the light weight would be nice for camping. No handles/smaller profile.

After reading this whole thread I still say that my little Vietnamese coffee maker is the best, hands down! Allow me to explain:

1) Its all metal: No plastic taste, nothing to break.

2) There is no filter that needs to be changed: The filter is a piece of metal with holes in it so you can even scrub the thing if you want without fear of damage. I used to carry filters but they would sometimes get wet and become useless. Also, who wants to buy filters all the time?

3) It cost $3: Though I only paid $0.25 for mine in Vietnam.

4) It will never break: The French presses that some people like are nice because they make nice, dark, coffee but as some posters have pointed out, they are often made of glass and require a working rubber seal that is prone to leaking. The Vietnamese coffee makers can make light or dark coffee and wont break, ever.

5) It takes up way less space than anything else posted, except possibly the clothes pin/filter combo. However, with that idea you gotta keep a big pack of disposable filters with you.

6) Use any mug you want. Nothing special

With these things in mind I think you owe it to yourself to spend the $3 and try it out. There are only a few negatives to the coffee maker but its worth pointing out.

1) You have to pour water into it as needed: I usually fill the little cup up three times for a cull cup of coffee. Its not a big deal, especially when camping. The whole process from start to finish takes about 4 minutes. I like to carry a .6 liter Trangia kettle to keep the water hot in while I make the coffee.

2) There are four metal pieces to the maker that, while indestructible, are potentially losable.

3) Since it uses your mug to make the coffee only one cup at a time is possible. However, they are cheap so just buy a few of them so that everyone you camp with has one. Not a big deal.


Here is the link to the coffee maker on Amazon again: https://www.amazon.com/Newstar-Intern...f=pd_sim_gro_5

I haven't read all the comments so far but thought I'd weigh in. I've used Folger's individual bags. Bike camping, canoe camping, backpacking and car camping. They are tea bag like, filled with actual ground coffee. Brew in your cup. I like my coffee and the caffeine hit in the AM. Instant doesn't satisfy me. I've had good luck with the Folger's bags. One caveat - use two bags if you're brewing in a travel mug sized cup; the bag are adequate for 5 or 6 oz standard cups of coffee. I have tried store brand coffee bags - didn't measure up. They actually appeared to be filled with instant coffee and had that "off" flavor characteristic of run-of-the-mill instants.

In response to the Vietnamese coffee maker press pot thing, how do you find it makes a normal cup of coffee. I have a few that I use in the traditional way (with condensed milk, over ice) and I found the coffee to be pretty harsh when taken straight. Is there a secret to getting a slightly less intense brew?

Okay. You've convinced me to try it. It's way cheaper than Via.

Speedo

...plus $5.25 shipping.