Whether you’re deep in the backcountry, casual car camping or enjoying a weekend cabin getaway, we have the perfect morning brew setup to get you up and at 'em before any adventure.

Written by Liz Haas

Traditional French Press:

What it is: Easy and reliably delicious. Ideal for car camping, vanlife, cabin life and every-day sipping.

What it isn’t: Super light or indestructible.

How it works:

1. Optional, but recommended: Warm your French press by filling it with boiling water.
2. Bring a second round of water to boil.
3. Remove boiling water from the stove, and let it sit for 1 minute while completing steps 4 and 5.
4. Pour the hot water out of French press.
5. Coarsely grind 2 TBSP of grounds per 6 ounces of coffee you’d like to make, and add it to French press.
6. Pour hot water over the grounds, and stir with a long spoon or stirring stick.
7. Place the lid on top, and let coffee brew for 4 minutes.
8. Press plunger down to the bottom of the press, and pour your coffee into your favorite mug and/or thermos for later. Do not leave extra coffee in the press, as prolonging the brew time will result in a bitter flavor. Instead, pour extra coffee into a thermos or mug for later.
   
   

*PRO TIP: At higher elevations, water boils at a lower temperature, and it’s better to pour it over the coffee while it’s still boiling. A good brewing temp for coffee is 203 degrees, which, funny enough, is where water boils here in Denver. Try playing with the temp and seeing what happens!

TAKE THE QUIZ: Find the perfect coffee for your taste and desired brewing method!

Mug French Press

What it is: The backcountry camping solution for French press lovers.

What it isn’t: Good for making more than 12 ounces of coffee at one time.

How it works:

Use the same method as the traditional French press above, except you don’t need to pour your coffee into a separate mug afterward. Just don’t wait too long to enjoy your coffee, as it can become bitter when over-brewed.

Pour-Over Coffee:

What it is: Relatively unbreakable. Great for backpacking and other outdoor activities that require you to pack light and avoid breakable glass items.

What it isn’t: Super easy. Well, it is easy to mess up, but if you don’t mind some trial and error at first, you’ll be rewarded with backcountry brews so delicious your taste buds will think you stopped at your favorite coffee shop.

How it works:

1. Boil water and remove from heat.
2. Warm the funnel by rinsing it with boiling water.
3. Add 2 TBSP* of finely ground coffee beans (consistency of sand) for every 6 ounces of coffee you’d like to make to the funnel, and place it on top of your favorite mug.

4. Add enough hot water to saturate grounds, wait 30 seconds, and pour additional water on grounds. Wait till water runs through the funnel, and add more water as desired.

5. Give your coffee a final swirl around in your mug and enjoy.

*PRO TIP: One standard coffee scoop holds 2 TBSP of grounds. Love drinking your coffee out of a ‘mug,’ holding 8-9 ounces of liquid? Make it a heaping scoop, and you’ll be set.

Check out our Ground Shark Starter Kit, complete with pour over funnel, hand grinder and four of our best-selling roasts.

Moka Pot

What it is: The closest thing to good backcountry espresso that we’ve found.

What it isn’t: Light. Or very ‘packable’ for backpacking. (But it can take a beating!)

How it works:

1. Finely grind your favorite coffee beans. For the best espresso flavor, use our Brown Belt blend.
2. Boil water, and immediately fill the bottom half of the Moka pot.
3. Fill the filter basket to the top with grounds, and place on top of the bottom half of the pot.
4. Carefully screw on top half of the pot using a towel or oven mitt. CAUTION: The bottom of the pot will be hot.
5. Place the pot on medium-low heat. Leave the lid open.
6. Watch your coffee bubble into the top chamber until it gurgles.
7. Remove the Moka pot from the heat source, close the lid, and immediately pour into your favorite mug.
8. Optional: Add additional water if you’d prefer a brew more similar to drip coffee than espresso.

WATCH: How to Make the Perfect Stove-Top Espresso

Percolator

What it is: Old school delicious.

What it isn’t: Fast. If you like taking your time in the mornings, this is a great option. If you’re in a rush to chug that first cup o’ joe asap, you’ll lose your mind.

How it works:

1. Fill the pot with your desired amount of water. CAUTION: Do not overfill the pot. Most percolators have a max fill line to help with this.
2. Add 2 TBSP of coarsely-ground coffee beans per 6 ounces of water to the basket, and place it into the percolator.
3. Place the percolator on medium heat until it begins to boil.
4. Reduce heat, and let your coffee percolate (one ‘perk’ every 2-3 seconds) for 10 - 15 minutes.
5. Pour and enjoy.

Cold Brew:

What it is: The overnight oats of coffee, but better, because it’s coffee.

What it isn’t: Great for cold mornings. For the record, you can heat up cold brew, but it will mess with the flavor, so if the next morning looks chilly, we’d recommend you go with one of the toasty methods above.

How it works:

Follow the instructions for easy French press cold brew here. No French press, no problem. You can use the same recipe for any container and use a pour over funnel or other strainer to remove the grounds before drinking.

What’s your go-to camp coffee setup? Favorite everyday brewing method? Worst camp coffee disaster? We’d love to hear your thoughts and stories below.