Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Aeropress, VSSL, Frazy, and more: How to make great coffee while camping

Don't feed or caffeinate the bears, though, please

A woman sitting and drinking a warm beverage by a green tent.
Julian Bialowas / Unsplash

Savvy world travelers know the single most important thing to pack is their passport. Without it, nothing else matters. For most campers, that one most important thing — the crown jewel of every camp load out — is coffee. Some would rather forget their underwear, their best backpacking tent, or their significant other at home than head out into the wild java-less.

There are plenty of ways to brew the perfect cup at home and almost as many for doing so in the wild. Most campers have pretty strong opinions on their preferred method — the right way, if you will — to make the best cup o’ joe. We’re not here to tell you which is best, but we can help steer the ship. Here is our favorite go-to gear for making great coffee while camping (or traveling or anywhere on the go, really).

A hot water kettle pouring water into an AeroPress Go Portable Camping Coffee Maker.
AeroPress

AeroPress Go Portable Coffeemaker

If you’re serious about making great camping coffee, there are two real contenders: A French press or an AeroPress. We like both. But for sheer convenience, ease of clean-up, and overall taste, we give a slight edge to AeroPress, and its AeroPress Go, in particular. We also like how easy it is to adjust the brew strength.

Flat lay of a VSSL Java Portable Coffee Grinder and a cup of coffee on a wooden table.
VSSL

VSSL Java Coffee Grinder

Good, fresh coffee starts with good, fresh grounds (more on that below). Most of us don’t want to pack the electric countertop grinder in our camping backpacks. VSSL’s Java Coffee Grinder is the next best thing. The beautiful design packs down ridiculously small, so it takes up little space in your pack, and the included carabiner makes it easy to stash wherever you need it. When you’re ready to brew, just pop open the handle, and you can have 20 grams of fresh ground — perfect for a single cup — in less than a minute.

Botlte of Frazy Vietnamese Coffee drink over ice in a cup.
Frazy

Frazy Flavored Ready-to-Drink Coffees

If you’re more of a “Trenta latte, extra whipped” drinker than a “double espresso, no sugar” sort, Frazy delivers the goods. The company’s ready-to-go coffee drinks are completely customizable. Start with your preferred flavor — say, Vietnamese Coffee — then customize it with your type of milk and sweetness level. Every bottle comes ready to drink, so all you need to do is pop the top and enjoy. Bonus: No refrigeration is necessary, so they’re backcountry-friendly.

Shop Now

Bottle of Pop & Bottle's Classic Coffee Super Concentrate isolated on a white background.
Pop & Bottle

Pop & Bottle Super Coffee Concentrate

Of course, packing a handful of ready-to-drink bottles of specialty coffee is fine if you’re planning to car camp. But it’s less than ideal if you’re eyeing a trip into the backcountry where space and weight matter. Pop & Bottle solves that problem with a unique coffee concentrate. Every eight-ounce bottle of concentrate makes up to 16 cups of joe. Drink it piping hot, add ice, or customize it with your favorite creamer or sweetener.

Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker isolated on a plain white background.
Wacaco

Nanopresso Portable Espresso Machine

Coffee is fine, but if espresso is your jam, you need a way to make it on the go. Wacaco’s Nanopresso Portable Espresso Machine packs everything you need to make a solid cup of black into a ridiculously compact footprint. Fully collapsed down, it’ll fit inside your favorite water bottle with room to spare. Plus, it requires zero batteries or electricity. Just add coffee grounds, hot water, and less than 60 seconds of elbow grease, and you have the finest espresso shot you’ve ever sipped in the wild.

Box and packet of Death Wish Coffee Dark Roast Instant Coffee against a plain white background.
Death Wish Coffee

Death Wish Coffee Dark Roast Instant Coffee

For decades, instant coffee got a bad rap. But we’re living in 2023, and Death Wish Coffee finally figured out how to actually make it good. Its Dark Roast Instant Coffee is, hands-down, the simplest way to prepare a cuppa in the wild. The packets are ultra-compact and only require adding hot water and stirring with minimal waste and zero prep work involved. They’re even astronaut-approved! But be warned, every packet contains a whopping 300 milligrams of caffeine — that’s more than three times stronger than ordinary coffee.

Stainless kettle heating over a campfire grate.
zapCulture / Pixabay

A few final tips for making great camp coffee

No matter which camping coffee-making option you choose, there are a few universal tips to ensure an optimal brew. These apply to every method, from making cowboy coffee to your camp-friendly French press to a Nanopress.

Use the highest-quality coffee you can afford

Coders and chefs know, “Garbage in, garbage out.” Your final product is only as good as the ingredients you start with. Good coffee doesn’t have to cost a fortune. But, in general, more expensive coffee is usually better quality. That’s why we suggest buying the best quality coffee you can afford.

Start with whole beans and grind fresh

There’s no denying that already-ground coffee is easier to pack and work with when you’re camping. But coffee starts to go stale rather quickly once it’s ground. For the best-tasting cuppa, we highly recommend grinding your beans fresh right before brewing.

Get the water temperature right

It’s easy just to wait till your water’s boiling to assume it’s ready. But boiling water can (and usually does) actually burn your coffee grounds. The ideal hot water temperature for camping coffee is around 200 degrees. To achieve this in the wild, bring your water to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it sit for about 30 seconds. Then brew your coffee.

Editors' Recommendations

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
How to throw the ultimate fondue party, according to experts
These tips will make your fondue party unforgettable
Cheese fondue potato dip

Want to throw the most memorable and mouthwatering fondue party? If so, let’s begin with the basics. A fondue party centers around a pot of fondue, which generally contains melted cheese or chocolate. It is served with a variety of food items for dipping such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Think of it as a Chinese hot pot, except that the ingredients are dipped into a pot of luscious melted cheese (or chocolate) rather than hot broth.

Fondue parties tend to be retro-style. However, international social dinner themes like the hot pot can be incorporated into a fondue party menu to spice up a gathering. Other than that, a fondue party is a way to reconnect with your loved ones over the dinner table -- perhaps to talk about retro dishes that are poised for a comeback or just the good ol’ days. We know that food binds us together, regardless of our heritage. So if you are looking for great fondue party ideas, here are some tips from professional chefs and party planners to help you throw the ultimate fondue party.

Read more
A chef’s tips for making a dry-aged roast duck recipe that beats your dried-out Thanksgiving turkey any day
Dry-aged roast duck vs dry turkey - the choice is clear
dry aged duck dish

On holidays, there are things that are done for the sake of tradition. Red hearts are strung about, eggs are painted, flags are flown, pumpkins are carved, and turkey is eaten. Turkey on Thanksgiving is just one of those givens in life. The question, "What are you having for dinner" on Thanksgiving day, is never something that needs to be asked. That would just be ridiculous. But what if - caused by some extremely blasphemous flaw in your genetic design - you (gasp) don't care for turkey? What if you've spent your entire life hiding your distaste for this blandest of birds, and your whole Thanksgiving career has been a lie? First of all, forgive yourself. Turkey can be dry and gross and, if we're honest, is probably the least exciting protein out there. Save for, perhaps, boneless, skinless chicken breast. That's why we love a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal. This year, give yourself some grace and step away from the Thanksgiving turkey. Instead, consider duck.
There are plenty of non-turkey Thanksgiving meal ideas out there, and we are completely on board with this trend. From a whole roasted salmon, to an elegant prime rib, to a casual outdoor crab feed, there are thousands of ways to celebrate the spirit of thankfulness that have nothing to do with turkey. But this recipe might just be our favorite. One that still features poultry, but lacks the lackluster tradition just for tradition's sake.
Chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, of esteemed Milwaukee restaurants DanDan and EsterEv, have shared with The Manual their famous dry-aged roast duck as an amazing alternative to a boring turkey this Thanksgiving. These five-time James Beard-nominated chefs are determined to turn your tired holiday table into something deliciously exciting with this recipe, and we are here for it. Their amazing dry-aged roast duck recipe features an easy dry-aging technique to tenderize the meat, develop flavor, and ensure extra crispy skin. The best part is there's absolutely no fancy equipment or ingredients necessary.
Dry aging meat at home sounds like an intimidating process, but all that's really needed is a little extra room in the refrigerator. Dry aging is a process of tenderizing and flavoring meat that helps to develop a far more rich and robust flavor than it would have when fresh. And yes, it can be safely done at home. Refrigerators have built-in circulation systems that will allow fresh air to surround the meat as it dry-ages, keeping it cool, dry, and safe from bacteria.

And while this recipe calls for simply roasting in a regular oven, Chef Van Rite explains that a combi oven works even better, telling The Manual, "At EsterEv, we cook our duck in a combi oven at 378 degrees with 60% humidity. We roast it for seven minutes and then flip it for another seven minutes before letting it rest for 10-15 minutes. If you have access to one, the combi oven really elevates the taste of the bird."

Read more
5 Thanksgiving dinner hacks to make your life a whole lot easier
Make prepping your Thanksgiving meal easier with these tips
Roasted chicken and vegetables

Thanksgiving is wonderful. It's a day we gather with the people who are precious to us and celebrate gratitude, love, and appreciation for the things we hold dear. It's a day we can come together, putting aside our differences, and tell one another exactly how thankful we are for the blessings they bestow on our lives and how enriched we are because of their presence. It's one of the most cherished days of the year. It's also a gigantic pain in the neck.

As beautiful as the spirit of the holiday is, there is much to be done in the way of cooking, planning, and masterfully perfecting the art of a deliciously roasted turkey. It's stressful. So any tips or tricks for alleviating some of that turkey day stress are always tremendously helpful. These are our favorites.

Read more