Drinking coffee on a cold morning right before a hike is one of the best experiences every hiker should enjoy. However, what if you need to hit the trail but you cant to enjoy your brew on your hike? What is the best way to enjoy coffee on your next hike?
You can drink coffee on your next hike and can enjoy delicious hot coffee by using an insulated cup, instant coffee and a bottle, or taking your time with some delicious pour over coffee.
These three options are drastically different and it depends on if you want to prioritize speed and convenience or taking it slow and smelling the coffee grinds as they mix in with the nice and hot water. Below are my three favorite ways I’ve been drinking coffee on my hiking trips and the different brands you should definitely check out.
How To Drink Coffee on a Hike
Insulated Cup
One of my favorite ways to drink coffee on a hike is to bring an insulated cup. For this you would need to brew the coffee at home or at your lodge before you head out on your hike. This will give you the freshest tasting coffee. This helps keep your coffee nice and hot during most of your hike. There are many insulated cups to choose from so you can buy smaller ones that are enough to hold your coffee. You can get an insulated cup that has easy to access sliding lids.
The biggest downside to bringing an insulated cup is the added weight. Since they are all made of metal and have internal layer of metal they add on extra weight. I’ve accepted adding on the extra weight to my pack due to the large morale boost I get when I sip on some nice hot coffee during a cold morning of a hike.
Instant Coffee
The next way you can bring coffee on your hike is probably the most convenient. You can bring instant coffee that mixes with water. With this method you don’t need to boil water. Just pour the instant coffee pouch into your water bottle and shake. I’ve brought instant coffee for those days where you just don’t have the energy to wake up earlier and boil water to make a cup of coffee. Some days you might be a bit late and this works wonders.
The biggest downside of instant coffee is that its not as flavorful as a cup of freshly brewed coffee. There isn’t the magical aroma of coffee from the coffee grinds mixing with the hot steaming water. I think the trade-off of instant coffee is worth it at times and on certain trips. If you want to be minimal and carry less items then this is probably the best solution for you.
Pour Over Coffee
The third way you can bring coffee on your hike is one of my favorites. You can buy pour over coffee pouches. These pouches have pre-ground coffee and a genius holder to allow you to easily brew a fresh cup of coffee. These were a complete game changer when I first discovered them. This is the best of both worlds having a very convenient way to brew fresh coffee with very easy cleanup. This is now my go-to method to bring coffee on a trail. I will usually either use an insulated cup or a collapsible mug to drink my coffee.
Pour over coffee will give you the aromatic sensations of a delicious cup of brewing coffee. The smell alone will wake you up and boost your morale. Since the coffee is already grounded for you, all you need to do is open the pouch, place it over your mug and pour hot water. The pouch keeps all the grinds in one place so clean up for your mug is fast and simple. I always bring a few of these on all of my camping trips.
Our Favorite Coffee to Take on Hikes
Kuju Coffee
Kuju Coffee is premium pour over coffee that is very easy to make. The coffee is single origin from Ethiopia with flavor notes of citrus, blueberry and honey. Kuji coffee is very convenient and eco-friendly.
You just need to take your mug, have hot water ready, and pour over their single-serve filters. This coffee is an absolute must have on your hiking and camping trips. The aroma and taste is fantastic.
Kuju Coffee Premium Single-Serve Pour Over Coffee on Amazon
Waka Quality Instant Coffee
Waka Quality Instant Coffee is a medium roast instant coffee made from 100% arabica beans. This is a high quality instant coffee mad without additives that are free dried to give you the best aroma and flavor.
This Waka instant coffee is really easy to make, all you need to do is add water and stir. The resulting coffee has a delicious flavor that is very well balanced. There are hints of citrus in the flavor notes. These are tossed in my pack for all of my trips!
Waka Medium Roast Instant Coffee on Amazon
Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee
Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee provides exceptional coffee. The Veranda blend is the lightest roast coffee that have a nice notes of malt and baking chocolate. You can get fresh tasting coffee in an convenient package.
Having these in my bag have been a life saver on mornings where I just don’t have time to heat up some hot water. These are delicious with cold or hot water as the flavor is rich and full.
Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee Blonde Roast Packets Veranda on Amazon
Final Thoughts
Having a nice cup of coffee the morning of your hikes is such a great moment. The smell of hot coffee mixed with the scent of the morning dew on the trail is one of my favorite times before starting a hike. That first sip of coffee and the ability to drink your coffee on the trail is such a treat to have. Being able to use either instant coffee for a quick and convenient way to get coffee is great. Bringing coffee is just the beginning but there are also ways to take food camping without a fridge.
Using an insulated cup to bring some freshly brewed coffee is also another fantastic option, and my favorite when camping is to use pour-over pouches of coffee. As a coffee lover I have mixed all three options into all of my camping and hiking trips. Enjoy your next hike with your delicious coffee!
