One of my favorite new additions to my backcountry kit is not a piece of gear at all, but a good cup of coffee.
I’m an addict, and I freely admit it. I need to have a cup of coffee in the morning before I can do just about anything. And there are few things I love more than backcountry mornings, watching the sun rise with a hot cup of coffee in hand.
Until recenlty, you had four choices for coffee in the backcountry. 1) Crappy instant coffee. It’s just bad. 2) Instant coffee in the teabag form. Also bad and very weak, no matter how long you soak it. 3) French press. Just too big for most trips, imho. 4) Percolator. Same problem as the french press.
Enter Starbucks Via. It’s hands-down the best, easiest cup of coffee available for backcountry travelers. Believe it or not, this is instant coffee that tastes like a real cup of coffee. It’s good! For real. And for a coffee addict like me, it’s a godsend to have along on backcountry mornings.
Downsides: 1) It’s from Starbucks. I know there are a lot of haters out there. 2) It’s kinda spendy.
You can get it at Starbucks, and I know they sell it in the checkout isle at REI. I’m sure it’s available elsewhere too.
Making a cup of coffee during an overnight hut trip in north Tahoe.
