Summer is always peak travel season, whether they’re big vacation kinds of trips or local and regional weekend excursions. I’ve lost track of how many overnight trips I’ve taken in Nacho the Van over the past few months. When I road trip in Nacho, whether for mountain bike adventures or trail-building events, there are several non-negotiable items that I bring … my bike and gear (helmet, shoes, etc.), plenty of water, and stuff to make coffee. Here’s what I’ve learned about making good coffee while traveling …
Coffee is the first thing I pack when gathering items for a trip. I usually pack a separate tote for coffee and everything I need to brew. It’s one thing if I’m serving coffee for a lot of people, but when traveling alone, here’s what I bring:
bag of coffee
hand grinder
brew method and filter (e.g., Kalita wave and filters)
scale with a timer
water kettle
camp stove and fuel (with 1-2 extra fuel canisters)
thermometer to monitor water temp
cup to drink coffee out of
I’ve written on this before, but I now carry this whole list in my Stanley 10qt lunch box. I keep everything (minus the coffee) in it at home. When I pack for a trip, I’ll add a bag of coffee to the lunch box and then place it in a tote.
Ok, so what does this all mean? My coffee tastes amazing, whether at home or on the road. The temptation on trips is to take shortcuts. Most people probably don’t use a scale with a timer or measure and monitor water temperatures. I do. Why? Because I want to make a spectacular cup of coffee each time. You see, you can have a bag of fantastic coffee, but if brewed improperly, it can taste like the old stuff found on the shelves at your grocery store.
Years ago, I heard someone quip about camping when he said, “Why would I camp? I mean, why would I intentionally reduce my quality of life?” While he was joking, there is a sense that we reduce our quality of life a tad when we camp. Sleep is never as good as at home, especially when it gets cold at night. You don’t have access to all the comforts and conveniences of home. However, coffee is the one thing you can brew well, no matter where you’re.
First, I recommend gathering everything you need to brew coffee on the road. The list that I shared is not pricey at all. Even my scale with a timer costs $10; my camp stove was $14, and so on. While I splurged on a quality hand grinder, before that, I used one I snagged on Amazon for $13 for years.
Gather what you need, and keep it all together while in storage at home. Create a packing checklist to ensure you don’t leave something when preparing for a trip. As a result, each morning, you can fully expect and anticipate a spectacular cup of coffee. In two days, I’m heading to eastern Oregon to ride for the weekend. It’s Wednesday, and I already have my coffee stuff set out. I can’t wait to ride and explore. I also can’t wait to enjoy coffee each morning at 8,000 feet.
Now it’s your turn.
