Check out WTIP North Shore Radio’s, “Pack & Paddle,” featuring Scott from Bull Moose Patrol for wilderness tips you can use on your next outdoor adventure!
Listen as Scott chats with North Shore Radio host, Mark Abrahamson, about how to brew the perfect cup of camp coffee on the trail.
Pack & Paddle: Camp Coffee Transcript
0:00:00.2 Brian: WTIP's new feature, Pack and Paddle, with Scott Oeth is up next. Scott is a Registered Maine Guide, an Eagle Scout, and Minnesota Master Naturalist. He's an instructor for the Okpik National Cold Weather Leader school. He has a passion for paddling, and he joins us now by phone to talk about an essential for paddling: Camp coffee. Good morning, Scott, and welcome.
0:00:26.8 Scott Oeth: Good morning, Brian.
0:00:28.3 Brian: You're joining us under a very high energy situation here, 'cause we have this membership drive going on, so there's a lot of coffee going on around here, and so this is a very timely talk, 'cause we also know that there are a lot of listeners that are out in the Boundary Waters or out on the lakes right now and desperately needing their joe. So what do people need to make coffee when they are out?
0:00:56.6 SO: A lot less than they think. And I see this question come up all the time on online groups or when I do talks or things on that, there's always a question, it's amazing, it comes up more than first aid questions, or how to stay dry, or bugs or bears. "How do I get my coffee?" This is a real priority for people.
0:01:14.5 Brian: It is.
0:01:16.5 SO: There's a lot of different ways. If you walk into an outdoor shop or go online, there's a bunch of different gadgets and gizmos that you can use. I think lot of them work pretty well, but I really prefer things if I'm hiking or canoe camping that are simple, and light and durable and multi-use, and don't take up a lot of space in my pack and aren't prone to break. And I like things that have a little bit of tradition or ritual to them as well, they really make you feel like you're using some skill or you're a little more connected with the outdoors. Honestly, my favorite method is what some people call cowboy coffee or guy coffee. And what you need is a pot, ideally with a good bail or handle on it, and a tight-fitting lid. And you need coffee grounds, and you need a heat source, which can be a fire or stove, and water. So pretty simple, and the process to boil the water, some people put the grounds in first, but I've been told that the heat release... You really wanna boil the water better and it helps the coffee be less bitter. So bring the water to a boil and then pull it off and add the coffee grounds. And the method I like to use is... There again, it's no fun using a measuring cup or a teaspoon or something like that.
0:02:34.7 SO: So I'd heard a fistful for each man and one for the pot is the old time measurement. I like to just make sure my hands are clean, people can see that, but pour out a fistful for each person. I name it off, "Bryan, Scott, Mark," and then throw it in the pot. And then one extra one for ceremony for the pot after you've brought that water to a boil. And then you just set the pot on the side. And some people get very scientific about it to say, if you have the fire just sort of touching one side of the pot, you're creating a recirculating up-flow of water from the bottom around the pot as it cools off.
0:03:07.9 Brian: Only at the edge of the pot then.
0:03:10.1 SO: That's right, that's right. And you just want it warm at this point, the water's already been boiled, the water's already sterilized. And so you let it brew like that for a few minutes, you can kinda check it, but you let it brew and then bring it away from the fire once you think it's fully brewed. But don't... This is the tricky part, this is the part that seems to raise a lot of concerning questions. How do you separate the grounds?
0:03:31.6 Brian: Listen carefully, listeners. How do you separate the grounds?
0:03:35.5 SO: How do you separate the grounds? And there's a lot of old-timers that have different methods they swear by. You can honestly simply just let the pot sit there and the grounds will kind of settle. Or gently stir them and they'll kinda drift down, but it's not perfect. You often end up with a little bit of grounds in your teeth. The cowboys have the perfect coffee filter. They have those big mustaches that just kinda strain it out.
0:04:00.5 SO: Or they'd use their bandana to kinda wipe it off. But you can let it settle, but some people advocate pouring in a bit of cold water into that coffee pot. And I guess that breaks the surface tension is the claim, and that draws the grounds down to the bottom. Other people swear by dropping a pebble into the pot, the same effect. Some people bang the pot with a stick on the outside. I recently heard that in Norway, they kinda bend over and pick up that pot and slowly pull it up and then drop it down quickly, kind of in a motion like you're sawing, or pulling the pull start on your lawnmower or something. But my favorite method, because it really works and it works quickly so the coffee doesn't get cold and it's a great show, is to spin the pot. This is where you want a good pot with a good bail and a tight-fitting lid. Make sure you're not gonna spray anyone or hit anything or check overhead and behind you and stand off to the side. This really does need to... It needs to have a build up and some ceremony. The first time people see this, they think you're crazy. But you start wind-milling it around in full 360s with one arm. So you start down by your waist then kinda swing it and then...
0:05:08.6 Brian: With very hot water in the pot.
0:05:12.0 SO: Very hot water and the grounds in there. You start slowly and you build up speed, and you really get that thing cranking, going full 360 round house. And the centrifugal force drives the grounds to the bottom, and then you carefully set it down. I kinda put my hand on there and make sure the lid doesn't come off. And if you've done it right, it separates the grounds to the bottom and the coffee's still really hot and everyone is very impressed when they get that first cup. It is important still though, is the tester and as an offering to the coffee God, you need to put a little splash in the fire first. And that's part of the ritual, but it also lets you kinda eyeball it, make sure that there isn't any grounds in that first cup 'cause that would spoil your reputation.
0:05:51.9 Brian: There are some clear rituals, and it sounds to me like even some performance art happening there.
0:05:56.9 SO: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So all that said, that's a great way, but there is a drawback, and that is you have to pack in coffee grounds. You have to figure out how to dispose of them. Sometimes, if I'm going really light, or if I'm just out for a day hike, or I'm on a backpacking trip, it is [0:06:10.7] ____, but there are some decent little [0:06:12.9] ____ of instant coffee that they're pretty good. I think you need to sort of double the dose, and sometimes I'll mix in some hot chocolate to make a little mochachino type thing, but you just... Mix it with boiling water. Those are light, there's nothing left afterward, but the cowboy coffee and spinning the pot, that's the A-game.
0:06:32.9 Brian: And do I understand correctly that for people who have been taking notes furiously, but not keeping up, that they can find your tips about coffee-making on your website?
0:06:43.6 SO: Yeah, absolutely. So I blog at bullmoosepatrol.com, name of my guiding company. And there's a section called Smokey Pots where we talk about camp cooking, and there's a post there on how to make delicious camp coffee where I outlined everything we just talked about. And also one where I talk about how to make a little lightweight alcohol stove out of a little tuna can. And that, I found is very nice. You can carry that around, it weights just an ounce or two so you can always have that, a little mini [0:07:11.7] ____ with some natured alcohol and a Ziplock bag with some tea bags and coffee grounds. And that's a wonderful thing just to keep in your pack all the time, whether you're out hiking, you're hunting, you're cross-country skiing, and you think, "Yeah, I can use some coffee or tea or just even to boil some water to drink." [0:07:30.4] ____.
0:07:31.8 Brian: A lot of useful advice at your website, which is bullmoosepatrol.com. We've been talking with Scott Oeth. You can follow his adventures at bullmoosepatrol.com. Today, he's been sharing with us the science, the rituals, and the performance art of making coffee on the trail. Scott, thank you so much for joining us today.
0:07:51.0 SO: Thank you. And good luck with the fund drive.