So much of my life revolves around coffee. Even without thinking about it, I orient my daily routine around it. The first thing that I do every morning is brew a coffee cup using an Aeropress or make a pourover. Later on, I’ll make a manual brew cortado at home with my Rok. But then there’s traveling, road trips, and coffee. That’s a whole different category.

Admittedly, while traveling, I even plan my stops around finding good coffee. That can be hit and miss. I don’t always find good coffee in each and every place I’m driving through. That’s why I default to bringing my own coffee setup. This past summer, during a 4,000+ mile road trip, I was never without good coffee. I packed my travel electric kettle, Aeropress, hand grinder, and a couple of bags of coffee. I was set. I was still good to go if I couldn’t find good coffee driving through the backcountry of Utah or the Mojave desert in California.

Whether we’re riding at our local favorite trails or road-tripping, we all have non-negotiables that we can’t do without. I pack a camera on every ride, even though it’s extra weight. I never want to miss out on a great photo opportunity. Coffee is like that for me on road trips. Nothing ruins the mood more than resorting to some burnt coffee at a place that touts excellent coffee. That’s why we need to plan for coffee on the go.

What then are the essentials that you need for coffee on the go?

1. Coffee (obviously)

2. A hand grinder

3. A way to heat water (Jet Boil, camp stove, travel kettle, etc.)

4. A device to brew coffee (Aeropress, moka pot, pourover, Nanopresso, etc.)

The fun part is there are many ways to brew coffee, whether you’re in a van, on your tailgate at a trailhead or first thing in the morning at your campsite. Experiment and try different ways to brew coffee. Ultimately you want to pick one that not only brews coffee how you like the taste but that it is easy and doable for you.

Now get out and experiment!