Contributors to this thread:
Ok... For me coffee is a staple at elk camp. But I really get sick of instant coffee! However, I don't want to percolate a pot on the camp stove b/c of time and clean up blah blah blah. Does anyone have any instant coffee brands out there that don't taste like crap? Or a method that I am not thinking about that requires minimal clean up?
I splurged on Starbucks instant coffee last year, and was not impressed. I’m all ears
Starbuck's VIA
Dark Timber Vapor Packs
Black Rifle Instant
Folders makes some single packs with a string attached like tea bags have, just boil water and ya have it .
Brotsky's Link
Dark Timber Ascent Packs.
I ground fresh beans at home, pack in air tight plastic bags. French press. Only have to boil water in camp.
When I'm hunting I shift from wanting a good tasting cup of Joe to drinking it for the caffeine only. Grin and bare it. It's about hunting w/o a headache. So instant it is.
X2 on the caffeine only aspect. But I recently started getting the Starbucks vias packs in the darkest. And it's pretty damn good for what it is.
You can always get your favorite brand and make your own teabags, or get teabag coffee. I'll drink it at any temp, so often if I do the teabags I'll throw it in a water bottle then it'll be brewed real good after the first mile.
Nescafé instant coffee that is sold in most stores. I believe it is Cafe Classico. Started drinking it in November of 2011 on a hunt down in Texas and now enjoy it daily. Never have like the flavor of Starbucks.
I hate instant coffee. Folgers or Dark Timber packs are both good. Just heat up water and put the tea bag thing in the water for a minute or two and your done.
I have a Jetboil Flash, they sell a French Press as an accessory for $10 or so, works perfect, fresh coffee no cleanup in the same time it takes to make instant
Two Starbucks via packs and a hot chocolate package in 16oz of boiling water does it for me. Gives me the giddy up and go in the morning.
Another French press user. So easy, even a bowhunter can make great coffee!
I have a plastic insulated one from Montana Bistro (I think) that weighs virtually nothing and is a big mug with lid you can drink from while hiking in, if you want.
Otherwise Via dark roast. I've tried almost all instant coffees. Most are like tea. Via is not.
X3 on the Folgers bags. Would like to try the dark timber, looks like a nice system on the western Hunter shows but thier $2.50 a cup. I’m too cheap
I could drink the VIA Columbian daily. 2 packs in 16 oz.
I'd like to try the French press thingy with my jet boil but it seems just a bit yuppie-like and GG might make fun of me.
I enjoy a strong cup of dark roast to get me up a mountain. Maletas are light weight, make great coffee, come in 1 or 2 cup sizes. Better than starbucks instant with slightly more steps.
french press makes great coffee but is still a pain to clean out when you do not have running water. A #2 cone style paper filter is an easier cleanup just boil water for good coffee. If all you want is caffeine then 5 hour energy gets you going but not peeing so much.
Tioga Rise
I roast my own coffee for home but when hunting I want convenience. This is my favorite instant. It also mixes well with cold water.
I ditched the coffee in camp when I started backpacking if I’m in a base camp I deal with the percolator if backpacked in 3/4 scoop of pre workout for the caffeine and we’re off like a herd of turtles.
Lost Arra's Link
I have not seen Tioga Rise in any local store
Cowboy coffee... just dump more coffee in the pot along with more water on top of the old coffee every morning no filter and heat it up.
I love the percolator in camp. Nothing beats real coffee. If I’m packed in then Via is good nuff. Never tried the French press but have threatened to get one now for years. Maybe when I grow up ;^) I always have some sort of powdered “energy” drink mix with me as well for those days I just don’t feel like boiling water. “French Press= yuppie” C’mon Nick, have you met Lou? The guy prob has a “yuppie” mounted on the wall in his cabin somewhere... ha
Starbucks Vias and Black Rifle instant packets aren’t too bad. I’m a far stretch from being picky about my coffee though.
I too like the Folgers "tea bag" style the best.
Dark Timber gravity packs for me. Best I’ve found so far for convenience. Way better than any instant.
You could not pay me to drink that over priced, yuppy, half burned crap at Starbucks! Instant for me in the mountains, or a percolator if I am in my trailer. I like Folgers the best! If weight isn't to big an issue, bring along a flask of Baileys caramel to liven it up a bit:)
Get a press like several others have said. I finally piked one up this last year and have not been disappointed.
Nescafe Dark Roast or Colombian. I don't mind the fancy name brand ones but they cost at least twice as much. Not worth it to me.
You can get Cafe Bustelo instant packets (like the Starbucks version) for about 1/6th of the cost. I get them at King Soopers for $0.89 a 6 pack. I plan on never purchasing Starbucks again. I find that they taste just as good. At those rates you could load up and fly an elk to the moon.
Trader Joe's instant packs are decent.
Dark timber gravity packs. Boil water in jetboil, pour over gravity pack into a cup. Works and tastes great
French Press. Small, easy clean up.
Folgers teabag style is handy and no clean up. A change from the French or Italian roast that I french press at home but frankly I enjoy the change. If you want it strong, use two bags. Also good price.
Another vote for Folgers tea bags, 2 bags for a large cup are perfect..
I have tried a few, starbucks, dark timber, black rifle, etc. My goto now is Black Rifle Coffee Co. Instant packets and I mix in some coffee mate powder creamer. It's lightweight, delicious, quick and gets the job done. I am adamantly against Starbucks' anti-american rhetoric and refuse to support them. Give BRCC a try, I think you won't be disappointed.
Im a Coffee freak and I think Starbucks via is damn good...might try the black rifle...but want easy and good coffee I have found none better
I enjoy coffee but it goes through me about as fast as I drink it.
DL, nobody owns coffee....you can only rent it. ;-)
french press user here for years, they are awesome, I tried Starbucks instant, its awful
I simply use a plastic coffee cone and bring a dozen coffee filters with me, tastes great and is really lighweight. Plus it takes no time at all making it, just boil water and you have it : https://www.amazon.ca/Harold-2662RD-Coffee-Filter-6-Cups/dp/B01HXGDZGY/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_79_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3BVADPQAKEDC2RBVXD3X
It is
I’ll get booed for this but the Great Value brand from Walmart isn’t bad. Cheaper than the Nescafé and I actually like it better. Kroger has a breakfast blend that isn’t bad either. I’d sample a lot before making a decision.
A little culinary secret. A pinch of salt and a little cinnamon can really improve a crappy cup of coffee. Unsweetened cocoa or a small chunk of dark chocolate tossed into the bottom and stirred-in can also do wonders. Play with it at home, you’ll be surprised what you can do to create your now famous “insert hunting camp name here” Gourmet Coffee.
I typically use the Starbucks instant but I think any instant sucks. I use a french press from time to time which is the best for me.
2 Folgers tea bags and I'm good to go! The longer you soak and then dip the bag the stronger you make the coffee. I can fit a weeks worth in quart freezer Ziploc.
Also a Folgers bag type fan. On all my western trips, breakfast was two packets of instant oats in a disposable bowl and two of the coffee bags in a large plastic cup. Just put the coffee pot on the campstove as soon as you crawl out of the sack, and by the time you're dressed and ready, breakfast is ready to go if you're hopping into the truck to drive a mile to the fence gate or if you're walking from camp you can wolf the oats down and then sip the coffee as you begin the hike. No cleanup needed except to stash the almost weightless cup in the pack when you finish it. That and an apple in my coat pocket and I'm good for the morning.
Instant coffee or dirty water - same thing, wash your socks in it for extra flavor. Got a lot of crap on a hike when I pulled out the press until the guys got a taste. Sorry only brought enough for myself, but if you wait 15 min. I will have some instant when it comes out the other end.
Trying the Nescafe Hazelnut Medium Dark up scouting this weekend. I'll let you know!
I certainly like the Folgers bags. Also, Anthony’s organic instant what you can find on Amazon is a really good instant coffee.
Another vote for the Folgers bags. I'll usually double them up and seems to make a pretty good cup of coffee.
For backpacking instant coffee is the way to go. If truck camping hard to beat presses coffee
Yup, Folgers, two bags for a good cup. A key thing when I'm packed in is using a tin cup for the hot coffee. Would never consider anything other than a ceramic mug at home but at 4;30 am on a cool mountainside morning the warm tin cup in your hands is a nice feeling to wake up with. It's the little things....
Caffeine pill for me in elk camp
I’m glad I don’t drink coffee, this all seems so confusing and difficult! !
—Jim
I’m not a fan of Starbuck’s pricing or their politics. That said I just ordered Starbuck’s via for $0.69 per packet on amazon. I’m sure that’s more than Folgers but it’s also less than some of the “cheaper” brands mentioned ^^^^^.
Great thread. I like to have a small traveler's mug of coffee (and creamer!) every morning, but never wanted to mess with percolating a pot during hunting season. To be honest, instant coffee never entered my mind. Can't stand Starbuck's political agenda, so no way I can buy their product. I saw several posts suggesting Folger's in the bag and Nescafe, so gave them a try. I put 2 bags of Folger's Classic Roast in a small cup...not much flavor. I then tried Nescafe Clasico Dark Roast. I actually thought it was pretty tasty, so I'll be having a cup of that most mornings. Thanks for the suggestion!
I'm with you JTreeman! Sounds like a tough road to hoe! Quick cup of h2o in the morning and I'm off!
I've gotten by with the VIA from strabux but switched to the french press that fits my jet boil. Much better cup of jo.
Clean up is to simply wipe it out. Rinse with a small amt. of h20.
All the above are assuming we are bivouac\backpaking.
If you have access to electricity or a generator try www.oxx.com Coffeeboxx with some Westrock Coffee single serve pods
Forget instant, I make a pot of percolator coffee as I’m making dinner and put it in a thermos. I don’t want to take the time to cook in the morning. That said, I heat water and preheat the thermos and have an insulated cover for it, and then I wrap it in another blanket or my down vest. Hot coffee ready to go, lace up the boots and I’m ready to go.
Nissan insulated French Press from Campmor. Keeps it hot for about and hour. Not for backpacking.
Not sure why you need to clean it often. Just a few drops of water and throw the grounds out.
I take fresh grounds and cone-shaped coffee filters I use in my coffee maker at home. I fold the edge of the filter over a tall coffee cup so that it sits inside my cup. Put in two scoops of grounds and then pour boiling water slowly over the grounds. Everything is biodegradable and I bury the grounds and filter under a rock. Just like coffee at home with minimal weight.
amarchand..."I simply use a plastic coffee cone ..." That is so absolutely true and it makes awesome coffee. At Starbucks they call it "available in a pour over" and they use the same plastic cone and paper filter and it always taste great ..
My girlfriend recently turned me on to the cone pour-through with some good Peets grounds for camping. I like my French press but this is damn good, and simple.
Those Folgers "tea bags" taste like tea no matter how many I put into a cup. I like a cup of serious COFFEE.
i'm a coffe addict... i percolate mine the night before - it does take a while - the i just heat it up in the morning. it take alot less time to heat it than it does percolate it. not exactly fresh and perfect - but it sure does taste good on the mountain.
Have used the tea bags but have changed over to one of those filter baskets you see hanging in grocery stores. I put ground coffee in a zip lock bag for the trip. Just put coffee in the filter basket, set it on my cup and pour hot water thru it. Started using the he same method at work. Really simple and makes good coffee!
Tried the Nescafe Hazelnut Medium Dark instant packs last weekend scouting, and it was pretty dang good. 2 packs in a 12oz travel mug, and it was dark and had surprisingly good flavor
A ziploc bag with any instant coffee in it and a plastic pop bottle with Baileys. The Baileys makes any coffee enjoyable. The caffeine jolts you awake and the alcohol mellows you out to slow down and enjoy the morning.
"French Press"!? Sounds like a front page title from Cosmo magazine at the grocery. check out.
Folgers singles do the trick if you're practical. You're there to hunt, not fascinate over fancy coffee and presses.
South Farm, do you drink Miller Lite too? ;-)
Thank goodness we have South Farm to tell us what we're there for.
French Press Go Cup. Toss some good grounds in, add hot water, press it down, flip the snap cap open on the top and drink... Don’t feel like shaking the grounds out? Throw some more in and press some cowboy coffee.
Shake the grounds out and rinse it out and you’ve got an insulated mug that you can make instant soup in. And you can screw the top on without pressing it and keep bugs out of it.
Happy to help Midwest! Lately some of these threads really got me wondering just what kind of girly men I'm sharing the woods with...what kind of coffee, what kind of beard, how do you tie your boots? Listen to yourselves sometimes..
...and yet you choose to read and post on them. lol
put your favorite coffee grounds in a filter fold over and staple shut( may need to fold several times). Just throw them in your cup of hot water, stir around, leave longer for stronger coffee.
"I'm a rugged, manly outdoorsman who likes weak coffee and cheap, crappy, watery beer!"
"Listen to yourselves sometimes".
LMAO!
Folgers instant.
It works just fine.
ooh somebody struck a nerve. Ha Ha!
Wow... some of you guys will turn a simple thread about sharing ideas into their own personal tuff guy session. To you tuff macho guys that enjoy a crappy cup of coffee thank you for being sponsored by TUFF and felling the need to tell the rest of us what a bunch of vaginas we are. To the other guys that shared ideas, thank you. I do believe I'll be going with the French press option. Good luck this season to everyone!
jordanathome's Link
Speaking of tuff guys....anyone tried the 2 oz coffee shots that are showing up in the stores now? Like 100mg of concentrated coffeeness. I wonder how bad they suck? It could be convenient in the morning to just throw one back cold and move on to a chew and a bowel movement without spending valuable time heating water..........but the packaging is rather wasteful. I'm such a yuppy puss........LOLOLOL
Heck they even got Shaq pimping out their wares.
Ha... frankly i enjoy sipping a nice cup of coffee and thinking about my plan of attack for the day. And then a chew and a poo. Then up the mountain I go.
Coffee and chew...best laxative on the planet.
Friends don’t let friends drink corporate coffee. :)
“ Lately some of these threads really got me wondering just what kind of girly men I'm sharing the woods with...what kind of coffee, what kind of beard, how do you tie your boots? Listen to yourselves sometimes..”
Hahahahaha!! Yep. I’m a regular Caitlyn Jenner.
After doing some meditation on just what sort of real man I want to be, I'm now starting my morning with two mega scoops of Folgers in a big tin cup of whiskey. Has totally changed my outlook on the day ahead. Carpe diem!
Damn, I have tried a lot of good types of coffee and I can say that it is very difficult to find a truly refined cafe. Because it is bought up in a moment and you have to drink something that is cheaper. But or you have to order coffee from the Internet, although I do not like this method very much because you do not get coffee at the same moment I have been using it for 6 months because I really liked the coffee from
https://zenesco.co.nz , the taste is very invigorating and makes you do everything very quickly. The most important thing is when you do not want to go to work or you fall asleep on the go. This coffee has become my favorite, and do you have a favorite brand?
Seize the day a lot of my buddies add some Baileys and try to walk a straight line lol ?? Good luck Lewis
I use the folgiers instants and they are pretty tasty
I would say somebody has already had too much caffeine to bring up a 1-1/2 year old thread about coffee. LOL
Yup. Lou had the last word and somebody couldn’t leave well enough alone.
Instant SUCKS
If you use the Folgers in the tea bags and get the water good and hot thier not too bad. It’s what I take when I’m backpacking
If you use the Folgers in the tea bags and get the water good and hot thier not too bad. It’s what I take when I’m backpacking
Been using the black rifle instant packets for 2 years now on hunts. Expensive but exactly what original poster is looking for.
Went from Starbucks via French roast to Black Rifle instant. Like Scrappy, 2 with the hot coco, ummm
Coffee Combate, it’s Mexican instant coffee but you can buy it at most grocery store. Best I’ve tasted!
If I can’t perk it, I don’t drink it. I perk great value donut shop. Best coffee out there in my opinion. But, I can live with or without it too.
Bunch of panty wastes on this thread I see. :^)
Normally I use a press, but in griz country I use VIA, Folgers, or Nescafe instant to minimize campsite odors. Of course, if there's a stream nearby, I can dump grounds in it.
Another vote for the folgers tea bags
Cafe Bustello It's so good I have a stash of 10 at all times. While in Mexico my clients prefer it ten fold over all others.
LOL, Don - Bustelo is everywhere here, and works press or espresso machine. Can usually pick up two bricks for about five bucks, so it’s dirt cheap, too!
I’ve tried a lot of different packets, and so far, they all SUCK!!!
I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned it, but the Aeropress makes fantastic coffee with just boiled water, has nothing to break, and comes in a 'go' kit version that weighs almost nothing.
I haven't used it in this manner...but will on my next trip. Don't underestimate the value of a great cup of coffee:)
Buy pour over coffee filters and use whatever coffee you like. I bought a hundred pack a few years ago off Amazon for $12. Every year I supply my brother on our elk hunt and still have 40 left. I’ve used them at home when out of pot filters. My wife couldn’t tell the difference in it and her regular coffee.
WV I quit drinking Donut shop a few years back when noticing a lot of non coffee material in their grounds. I ground beans for awhile and really liked Costa Rican Tarrazu and Tanzanian pea berry from coffeebeandirect.com. In a k cup I like Gloria Jeans Hazelnut. Just a hint of hazelnut without the artificial flavor. I like Wide Awakes donut shop grounds.
LINK, Where do you get those?
Yeah Link. Where do you get it at? lol
Black Rifle steep bags or Kuju pour over for this guy.
One time on a flight I wanted some decaf. All they had was a packet of instant stuff. Decided I would give it a go and was actually super impressed at how good it was. The flight attendant told me no one orders decaf and gave me about 30 of the little packets. The brand is ILLY coffee and it was actually damn good. Not sure about their regular instant, but I am sure it is good too.
You can find them on Amazon, Walmart and several other places but I couldn’t get a link to post for some reason. Copy and paste to your browser.
https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Filter-Hanging-Disposable-Perfect/dp/B07XJNY7XM/ref=asc_df_B07XJNY7XM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=385124825896&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16124281371135011742&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026474&hvtargid=pla-914152951917&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=78831634936&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=385124825896&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16124281371135011742&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026474&hvtargid=pla-914152951917
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mgaxyff-Drip-Coffee-Filter-Bag-50pcs-Set-Drip-Bags-Hanging-Cup-Disposable-Filter-Non-woven-Coffee-Tea-Making-Tool-Drip-Coffee-Filter/597664578?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101006085&&adid=22222222228403393415&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=489870558610&wl4=pla-1112221477137&wl5=9026474&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=139161492&wl11=online&wl12=597664578&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0YON0t7L7wIVQxatBh1tSQotEAQYAyABEgJD-fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds