So you love your coffee? As a fellow Melbournian I love coffee, and a really nice coffee at that! You know, something like a Soy Cap gets me grooving. But when it comes to bikepacking does this luxury fall out the window? Well no, there are many ways to make some nice coffee while out on the road and even brew your own, to make that perfect cup!
When it comes to coffee prep and maximum enjoyment you can buy the most amazing coffee machine when you are at home and make some really tasty stuff. But is this all sacrificed when you hit the trails for backcountry adventures? It depends on what you are like, but when bikepacking the making of coffee becomes more challenging. As your main priorities are maximum efficiency, ease of making the coffee and utilising all of your space on bike. So you have to find that nice balance. For super easy coffee Instant is recommended but if you are one for enjoyment and amazing tasting coffee then you may have to take up some space for nicer equipment to make that perfect cup.
Before we jump into the coffee makers and your bikepacking coffee kits. Lets first talk about the a popular way in which to make coffee.
Cowboy Coffee
You could brew cowboy coffee in a pot then make it drinkable by using a tiny lightweight reusable filter over your mug. For a simple method for making coffee that works rather well when it comes to bikepacking.
I surveyed many bikepackers, asking them what they do for coffee when bikepacking? Do they have a mini coffee maker? I thought it would be cool to see what others are doing when it comes to coffee and bikepacking. In this blog post we are going to talk about all the different ways people make coffee while out exploring on their bike. Keep in mind that I asked specifically for bikepacking as this requires smaller equipment due to the limited storage space so all these suggestions will work when bikepacking with minimal storage space which is great! If you are bike touring then you also have no worries. So sit back, grab a coffee! Oh, wait maybe you need to read this post to figure out what you are going to get to make a coffee…. Oh, sorry don’t mind me!
Instant/Decaf Coffee
This is rather straight forward there are many instant coffee options out there. Just boil up some water in a bikepacking stove and add to a cup and you are pretty much done.
Folgers Instant
Coffee is a touchy subject and each person has different tastes but these two instant coffee options seem to be the most popular when it comes to bikepackers taste buds. Folgers is a good coffee, even for instant. Dissolves perfectly. Good with milk/water and hot/cold. Great price and value! It has some great reviews on Amazon and you can get a pack of 1 x 226 grams for $4.94
Starbucks Via Instant Coffee
Starbucks is another popular option with bikepackers when it comes to instant coffee. They have many different flavours to choose from. Made with the same 100% arabica beans, Starbucks VIA Instant offers the same Starbucks coffee in an instant. 1 box include 8 packets. From $14.96
For me I am more a barista style coffee guy! You know that really fresh tasting stuff? And they require some kind of coffee making contraption.
Bikepacking Coffee Setups and Makers
Some of the options include french press and other press method coffee makers, then you have grinders and other cool coffee makers too.
AeroPress Go
The AeroPress Go gives you the same capabilities when it comes to making coffee as the original AeroPress, but in a smaller travel friendly size, making it a great choice for bikepacking. I was going to include the original in these options of coffee setups but there is no need with this little ripper. It is able to make remarkably delicious American, espresso, and cold brew style coffee. The AeroPress Go is optimized for traveling, camping, or just going to work by making it convenient and easy to take your AeroPress with you. Its smart design ensures that you will never be without delicious AeroPress brewed coffee wherever you go. Priced at $31.95 on Amazon.
GSI Outdoors coffee grinder and a French Press
The GSI Coffee Grinder is compact and if you are the one to by local coffee beans and you need to grind your coffee on the road, this product is a great option. Compact built the grinding arm folds down for packability. Allowing you to enjoy your favourite ground coffee anywhere. It is Rugged and compact design integrates an adjustable ceramic burr grinder and convenient grounds cup provide unequalled brews on the trail. Priced at $37.50
With the Commuter Java Press, you get an amazingly bold flavor of freshly pressed coffee or tea in a convenient travel mug. the Java Press design replaces the intrusive plunger rod and with a nesting inner sleeve that creates an additional wall of insulation to keep your drink hot. You could mount this on your bike on one of the bottle mounts if you wanted to save space. Priced at $29.95
MSR MugMate
The mug mate a classic reusable camp coffee and tea filter. A convenient and eco-friendly solution. This lets you brew up a cup without wasteful and messy paper filters. It’s low profile enough to be stored in just about any mug. Priced at $12.71
COFFEEJACK – The Pocket Sized Barista
This would have to be my favourite! CoffeeJack, I heard about them on Kickstarter, there mission when starting this project was to fulfil there desire for great coffee and helped the environment at the same time. The awesome thing about this product is that it makes coffee shop grade coffee. So you can enjoy the tastes of a cafe in your tent. It smashed the amount of money needed to invest in this idea to get it off the ground and it is doing so well. priced from £73, check it out on Kick Starter
Porlex Mini Coffee Grinder
This is another quality ‘reduced sized’ grinder that works well and is recommended by others for bikepacking. It has ceramic burrs and a stainless steel housing, which not only makes it easy to clean, but more resilient than glass burrs, and produces less static than plastic burrs. It is almost the same size as a salt or pepper grinder. The arm also folds down for packing. Priced at $59.64
SOTO Helix Coffee Maker
This is a collapsible coffee maker for 2 people, that is a inverted cone-shape coffee maker. Lightweight, flexible, high-grade stainless steel with a unique stowing system. When not in use it flattens, requiring minimal storage space. Not the most environmentally friendly solution as it requires you to use one use paper filters. But priced at $16.29
MSR WindBurner Coffee Press Kit
This is a fast-brewing coffee maker to is a add on part for the WindBurner Stove System, Which is sold separately. Available for WindBurner 1.0L and 1.8L pots, these coffee presses turn your WindBurner Stove System into a rapid, windproof brewing machine. The presses feature a durable stainless steel strainer disc and a flexible perimeter gasket to seal out coffee grinds for the freshest, cleanest brew. The whole piece easily disassembles and lays flat for packing with the other components inside your system, so you never have to be without your coffee, whether you’re on the road or on the trail. Priced from $18.85
Italian Moka Coffee Maker
I have met a few bike travellers who use these coffee makers and have had the chance to use one for myself and they are actually pretty cool. You can pick up so many different brands out there. But they all generally have the same design which works. Check out this one on Amazon it has the best reviews. Priced from $27.00
Bikepacking Cups and Mugs
The trusty bikepacking dangle mug! For those of you who are not familiar with a mugs purpose in bikepacking. And where do you store the mug. It often can be attached to the outside of your saddle bag, hence the name. Having a sweet mug handing off your bike looks cool! But don’t they get dirty?
Reddit folklore once said that they take two mugs! One to dangle (for looks) and another stowed away in there bags (the one they actually use for coffee). Two mugs this is genius! Well, I am hoping you picked up on my sarcasm. Yes the mug will get dirty and at this point ‘dangle mugs’ are becoming a meme of bikepacking in a way! But it might be something that is worth sacrificing for those instagram worthy shots.
Titanium seems like a rather popular material choice when it comes to mugs for bikepacking. As they are lightweight, corrosion resistant, Safe: Titanium in a non-toxic metal and doesn’t react with food, Durable: Can handle a bit of rough handling and wont chip like your old enamel camping cup and most of them can be heated directly over a flame.
Snowpeak Ti Hot Lips Mug
This mug has a cool little features with a clip on ‘hot lips’ protection from burning your lips when drinking out of the mug. Important to remember to remove when heating over a fire. The handles flip out for a secure grip and wrap around the mug for compact storage. Titanium mug with HotLips weighs only 3 oz., leaves no metallic smell or taste and will not rust; mug holds 20 fl. oz. (0.6 liter). It is made from a single-wall titanium 600 and you can place it directly onto a fire or stove. Priced at $36.95
Hunt Titanium Ultralight Mug 450ml
Currently out of stock when writing this blog post. Hunt bicycles have there own Titanium mug, which also has a folding handle and made for bikepacking adventures in mind. It also comes with a small soft bag to protect your cup or stash some camping essentials, and has a precision laser etched logo. Priced at $42.00
Vargo Titanium Travel Mug
Lastly there is another Titanium mug that is recommended by other bikepackers and that is the Vargo mug. Made from a single wall construction, it features a cool rim which is said to not burn your lips. Its folding handles, titanium construction, and 450 ml capacity make it large and small enough to go where you do. And only priced at $26.44
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