Our Founder’s Tips on How to Make Great Coffee While Camping

Now that the weather is getting nicer, many British Columbians are eager to pitch their tents at one of the many campgrounds across the province, we thought we would ask Salt Spring Coffee’s Founder and CEO Mickey McLeod for his tips on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee in the great outdoors.

Invest in quality equipment.

To ensure that you have a great coffee experience while camping, it is worth it to invest in high-quality coffee-making gear. Not only is quality equipment compact, durable and easy to clean, it will also allow you to reliably brew a great cup of coffee each and every time.

Mickey uses an AeroPress Coffee Maker. It’s efficient, lightweight, relatively mess-free and brews a mean cup of coffee. Best of all, it doesn’t require electricity or a heat source other than hot water.

Opt for whole bean.

While ground and instant coffee are readily available, what you gain in convenience, you lose in flavour. Since you’re on vacation, this is the time to treat yourself and really savour the full flavour profile of the bean.

There are a number of compact, high-quality hand grinders on the market that make grinding on the go a breeze. Mickey uses a Timemore Nano Grinder, but a less expensive option would be the Porlex Tall Hand Coffee Grinder, which has the added benefit of being able to fit inside an AeroPress making for easy storage.

Take time to enjoy the moment.

For many of us, drinking our morning coffee is done while we rush to get ready for work, get the kids ready for school and get out the door. While the pandemic may have slowed down this frenetic pace somewhat, Zoom calls, Slack pings and email notifications have filled the void, meaning that our mind is often elsewhere when we’re drinking that first cup.

Camping is an opportunity to reclaim this sacred morning ritual – unplug, disconnect, focus on the natural beauty around us and slowly sip a cup of goodness as the world awakes.

Wherever your camping adventures take you this summer, we wish you safe travels and quality brews. As for Mickey, he and his wife Robbyn will be taking their Westfalia van up to Texada Island for some beachside camping this summer.