Brewing up a camp coffee while bikepacking is one of my favourite times of most trips. Occasionally I’ll even head out for a quick campout just so I can wake up somewhere wild and enjoy a quiet coffee outside.
I’ve found that the best way to make camp coffee varies depending on the particular bikepacking trip and this means I use different camp coffee making methods from one trip to the next. The three main camp coffee methods that I favour are: using an Aeropress, coffee bags, and instant coffee.
Aeropress camp coffee
For a while, the Aeropress was king. I didn’t have a coffee machine at home, so the Aeropress was called into action nearly every day. In case you haven’t come across one before, the Aeropress is like a mini plunger that used pressure to force water through ground coffee and a filter.
I think that the Aeropress makes a decent cup of coffee and if I have extra room in my bags it’s usually my number one choice for making camp coffee. However, there’s no getting around the fact that it takes up a decent amount of space in your bag – especially if you bring fresh beans and a hand grinder (which I usually do). So the Aeropress definitely isn’t a lightweight option, which would probably count it out for a lot of bikepackers.
The benefits of bringing an Aeropress, at least for me, often outweigh the negatives of the extra weight and bulky lack of packability. I enjoy the extra ceremony of coffee making that comes from grinding your own beans and making an Aeropress coffee, making the resulting brew feel a bit more special.
Coffee Bags
Coffee bags have been around for a while but they have only recently become my new number one choice for making camp coffee. They work just like an oversized teabag, meaning they are incredibly simple to use and incredibly small and lightweight to carry with you.
I say they’re a new favourite because until now I hadn’t found a coffee bag that I thought actually tasted good. However, a local Canberra Roaster whose beans I use in my coffee machine at home recently released their version of the coffee bag and because the taste is familiar, they really hit the spot. I also prefer coffee bags over the pourover parachute bags which have become popular lately. I favour the bags of the parachutes because the parachute is a bit messier and the parachute often becomes submerged in the cup before you’ve completed the suggested three pour-overs, meaning you’re not getting the optimum coffee pour.
One drawback of the coffee bag, however, is that they can work out to be fairly expensive per bag, especially compared to ground beans for an aeropress and instant coffee.
Instant Coffee
Instant coffee seems to be a bit of a divisive topic and people often love or despise it – I’d probably only go so far as to say that I tolerate it, but it certainly ticks a lot of boxes for bikepacking and camp coffee.
The obvious benefits of instant coffee when bikepacking is that it is easy to find, cheap and ultralightweight. You can also easily decant the amount you want to carry. Instant coffee is also the quickest method of brewing up at camp, so if time is a factor then instant is the way to go.
I very occasionally take instant coffee bikepacking, but only when I’ve run out of beans or coffee bags.
Leveling up your camp coffee
The first time I went bikepacking, I carried powdered milk. It does a pretty good job of improving a camp coffee (if you like milk), but it says something about the experience that I haven’t repeated it. Most of the time I carry a small Nalgene bottle of oat milk. These mini Nalgenes have never leaked, are super tough and small enough to tuck into any bag.
I’ve never carried it myself, but a lot of people like to bring a tube of sweetened condensed milk, for coffee and oats. It tastes pretty good but I’ve seen more than one sticky milk explosion in my time!
Obviously carrying a bit of sugar is another easy level up, if that’s your poison.
My final level up tip isn’t necessarily coffee equipment, but a lightweight chair is a great way to improve your camp coffee experience.
I’ve said it in other articles, but if you’re carrying coffee making equipment, you’re probably not going ultralight – except perhaps if you’re just carrying instant. But if you are more of a leisure bikepacker, or dare I say bike tourer, then carrying some extra gear for the morning brew is definitely the way to go.
If you use something different, let me know, I’m always keen to try something new!