For many people, a good cup of coffee is part of a day outdoors, whether that is at the campsite, on a road trip or halfway through a trip. The tricky part is that on the go you have no kitchen: no fixed tap, no coffee machine and often no power socket either. Yet good coffee without a kitchen is perfectly doable, if you know which ways there are and what you bring at a minimum. In this overview we list the options, look at making coffee without power and cover what you bring in terms of beans, water and cup.
The common thread is simple: choose a method that suits how you are out and how much you want to lug along, and make sure you have the basics with you. We keep it practical and without big promises; the goal is that afterwards you know how to make a cup of coffee on the go that is worth it.
Why coffee on the go is tricky (and can be simple)
Coffee on the go often feels more complicated than it is. At home everything revolves around a machine, a fixed water supply and power. On the go all of that falls away, and then good coffee suddenly seems like a problem. In practice it comes down to a few basics: ground coffee or beans, hot or at least clean water, and a way to bring the water and the coffee together.
Once you look at it that way, it becomes clear. You do not have to recreate a kitchen; you only have to arrange the three basic steps in a way that works on the go. How you do that depends on where you are and what you have with you. Someone with a campsite and a burner has more options than someone who wants to travel light and fast, but in both cases a good cup of coffee is achievable. In the following chapters we go through the ways, from the most compact to the variants that take a bit more equipment.
The ways to make coffee without a kitchen
There are several ways to make coffee on the go, and they differ mainly in how much you bring and how much effort it takes. Some methods are very compact and aimed at a single cup, others are handier if you make coffee for several people or are at a fixed spot. Below we describe the main forms, with the hand press as a commonly used option for on the go and then the other methods in brief.
The hand press (espresso on the go)
A hand press is a compact device with which you manually apply pressure to hot water that is pressed through ground coffee, similar to the principle of an espresso. The advantage is that it is small and light, needs no power and gives a concentrated cup of coffee. For anyone who wants a strong cup on the go without carrying much, this is a popular choice.
You do need hot water for it, so in combination with a way to heat water. The hand press itself is easy to clean and takes up little space. That makes it a sensible option for anyone who travels light, makes coffee alone or with two and values a compact solution that fits in a backpack.
Other methods in brief
Besides the hand press there are other ways to make coffee on the go, each with its own trade-off:
- a simple filter method where you slowly pour hot water over ground coffee, handy and light but you need filters
- a press or pot system where coffee steeps in hot water and you then separate it, pleasant for several cups at once
- instant coffee as the most compact emergency solution, where you only need hot water and nothing else
Which method is handiest depends on how you are out. If you travel light and alone, something compact fits; if you are at a fixed spot with more people, a method for several cups is more pleasant. Which coffee method works best on the go is therefore not a fixed outcome, but a choice you tune to your situation and to how much you want to bring.
Making coffee without power
An important given on the go is that you often have no power. The good news is that many ways of making coffee need no power at all, because they run on hot water and hand strength instead of a machine. The core then shifts to the question: how do you heat your water without a socket? That can be done, for example, with a burner or another heat source that you bring.
Without power you deliberately keep it simple: a way to get water hot, ground coffee or instant coffee, and a method to bring the two together such as a hand press, a filter or simply instant coffee. The fewer parts, the more reliably it works in a place without facilities. This plays a role not only at the campsite or during a trip, but also in situations where the power goes out at home and you still want a hot drink.
Because making coffee without power calls for its own approach, especially if you also want to be able to do it for a power outage at home, we have a separate overview for it. If you want to go into this more deeply, read the overview about making coffee without power, on the go, at the campsite and during a power outage. The idea of being prepared for situations without power fits more broadly into putting together an emergency kit; how you approach that belongs in the overview about emergency kits and preparation.
Coffee on the go, at the campsite or on the road trip
Where you make coffee largely determines which method is handy. At the campsite you often have a fixed spot and a bit more room, so you can opt for a method that takes a bit more equipment or works for several cups at once. On a road trip it is more about convenience and speed at a stop. And during a trip every gram counts, so then you win with a compact solution.
The situation thus steers the choice. It is not a matter of a single best method, but of what suits the place and the moment. Many people therefore do not have a fixed setup, but tune their approach to the trip: light and compact for a hike, a bit more extensive for a camping weekend. Camping itself calls for broader preparation than just the coffee; how you approach a camping trip belongs in the overview about camping and wild camping.
For the concrete details per situation, with the considerations for a hike, the campsite and a road trip, we have a separate overview. If you want to see that explored further, the overview about making coffee on the go during a hike, at the campsite or on a road trip will help you on your way. Use your own situation as a starting point and choose from there.
What you bring: beans, water and cup
Whichever method you choose, the basics stay the same: coffee, water and something to drink from. How you fill in those three largely determines how pleasant it is on the go. With the coffee you make a choice between fresh beans, pre-ground coffee or instant coffee. Fresh beans give the most flavour but need a grinder; pre-ground coffee is a pleasant middle road; instant coffee is the most compact and the least hassle.
With the water it comes down to two things: clean water to brew with and a way to get it hot. On the go that often means you carry or refill water, and have a burner or other heat source with you. How you carry water and how much is a topic in itself; for that there is a separate overview about carrying water on the go where you find the considerations.
And then the cup: a sturdy, well-insulating cup keeps your coffee warm longer and is at the same time your drinking cup, which saves on what you bring. A few practical points to think about when packing:
- the form of coffee that suits your method: beans, pre-ground or instant coffee
- clean water and a way to make it hot
- a sturdy, insulating cup that also serves as a drinking cup
- as few separate parts as possible, so it stays reliable on the go
The more you bring things back to these basics, the easier it goes on the go. A setup with many separate parts works fine at home, but on the go you win with simplicity.
The RFG coffee solution in brief
RidgeFront Gear offers coffee gear that suits use on the go: compact, usable without power and aimed at a good cup in the places where there is no kitchen. The starting point is functional and clear, so you choose a solution that fits in your backpack and does what it is meant to do.
If you are looking for a compact way to make a strong cup of coffee on the go without power, a hand press is worth considering. You can browse the full range, including what else you need to make coffee on the go, at the coffee on the go. Use the considerations from this overview, method, power, situation and what you bring, as a framework to decide what suits you best.
Conclusion
Good coffee without a kitchen is mainly a matter of bringing it back to the basics: coffee, hot water and a method to bring them together. Which method fits depends on whether you have power, where you are and how much you want to bring. A compact hand press works for anyone who travels light; at the campsite something more extensive can be more pleasant, and for a situation without power you deliberately choose as few separate parts as possible.
It helps to try out your setup at home once before you bring it along, so you do not face surprises on the go and know how much coffee and water you need. Start from your situation, keep it simple, and even without a kitchen you make a cup of coffee that is worth it.
Frequently asked questions
How can I make coffee on the go?
Making coffee on the go comes down to three things: coffee (beans, pre-ground or instant coffee), hot or at least clean water, and a method to bring them together. That can be done with a compact hand press, a simple filter method or instant coffee. Which approach is handiest depends on how you are out and how much you want to bring.
How do you make coffee without power?
Making coffee without power is perfectly doable, because many methods need no machine but run on hot water and hand strength. You heat your water with a burner or other heat source and then use a hand press, a filter or instant coffee. The fewer parts, the more reliably it works in a place without facilities.
What do you need at a minimum for coffee on the go?
At a minimum you need coffee, clean water with a way to make it hot, and a cup. In the most compact form that is instant coffee and hot water in an insulating cup. If you want more flavour, you add a method such as a hand press or a filter, and possibly pre-ground coffee or fresh beans with a grinder.
Do you want to be able to make a good cup of coffee on the go without a kitchen? Browse the selection and choose a solution that fits in your backpack.
