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• Author: Calipidder
  I need a good cup of coffee to start my day. At home, this is generally in the form of Peet’s Ethiopian blend, or if I’m lucky and have recently been to the city, something picked up from Blue Bottle. On the trail, however, I’ve sacrificed quality for convenience, usually packing along the Folgers singles. While they are the most convenient and lightweight option I’ve found, they’re just nasty. They provide the much needed morning coffee fix, but I don’t enjoy my morning cup like I do at home.
  
  There are other options for lightweight trail coffee and I generally carry a selection of them all when backpacking. Java Juice is pretty good, and there are some instant espressos that are palatable when mixed in hot chocolate (Trail Mocha). There are actually all kinds of coffee equipment made for backpackers, but I’ve found them to be too heavy or too messy for my simple, lightweight style of cooking and backpacking.
  
  But I have good news to share. Would you believe that it’s possible to have the coffee of your choice with the convenience and weight of the Folgers singles? I recently ordered a bunch of summer supplies from PackitGourmet and decided to try out a new method that was inspired by one of the products on their site. I’ve tried it a few times at home and can’t wait to get it out on the trail. I know that this summer, the lure of that first cup of Peets will drag me out of my sleeping bag on even the coldest mornings.
  
  
  Calipidder’s Backcountry Coffee Technique
  
  Equipment:
  
  T-Sac Bags, available at PackitGourmet
  Freshly ground coffee of your choice
  1/2 tsp measuring spoon
  Stapler
  Ziploc bag
  
  
  
  Preparation:
  
  In order to maintain the freshness of the ground coffee, it is best to prepare these bags right before heading out on the trail. The grounds will go stale if the bags sit around too long. That’s probably one of the reasons why the Folgers bags are so terrible.
  
  
  1. Using a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon, take a single T-Sac and fill it with ~2 Tb of grounds. Since the opening is small, I found that a smaller measuring spoon was about the right size to fill without spilling.
  
  
  2. Do not fill the T-Sac all of the way. The bottom of the sac is gusseted and can stand up on its own. Make sure you’ve expanded the bag to fit the grounds. You will want some extra space for the next step, as well as room for the grounds to expand and allow water to filter through.
  
  
  3. Fold the top over a few times so that the T-Sac is sealed. Then, add a few staples to keep the folds closed. Make sure there is still some extra space in the bag for the grounds to expand. They should be loose and move around when you shake the bag. But don’t go with too few grounds - unless you LIKE your coffee weak!
  
  
  4. Store your hike’s supply of these little bags of goodness in a ziploc bag that has had the air squeezed out - this will keep the coffee as fresh as possible on the trail.
  
  
  5. On the trail, just put a bag in your mug and add the hot water. Let it steep for about 4-5 minutes, just like you would with a french press at home. It helps to use your trusty titanium long handled spoon and stir or compress the bag a bit, especially if you like to squeeze every last drop of deliciousness out of your grounds.
  
  
  6. Enjoy!
  
  
  I love the quiet peaceful mornings when backpacking in the Sierra, but I know they will be even better this summer now that I’ll get to enjoy them with a good cup of coffee. I think I’ll go make a cup now…
  
  Originally posted on http://calipidder.com

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