Climbing trips are one of my favorite things, and over the last few years I’ve gotten just as attached to starting the day with a hot cup of coffee. So I spent way too many mornings figuring out how to get hot coffee at the crag, and I tested a handful of setups to see what actually works. After a bunch of trial and error, I think I’ve landed on the best way to do it, and I’ll walk you through every option I tried.
To get hot coffee, you need two things: hot water and a coffee system. The two most common systems are instant coffee or a coffee press. I also tried a steeping option, and I’ll share how that went below too.
Getting hot coffee at the crag works the same way it does when you’re camping or backpacking, but there are a few tricks that make it easier. After my last climbing trip I figured I’d share what I learned, along with a couple of alternatives you might want to try. If you’re still building out your kit, it’s worth thinking about coffee alongside the rest of what to bring on your next climbing day-trip so you’re not scrambling the morning of.
Hot Water
It’s really hard to make coffee without hot water, so that’s step one. The cheapest way to get hot water is probably a pot over a fire. That said, it depends on having dry wood and kindling plus a safe way to contain the flames. In a lot of areas open fires aren’t legal, so this isn’t a reliable option.
Instead, you can use a backpacker’s stove to heat your water. After talking to a few friends who run different stoves, I went with the Jet Boil because it has a solid system that still works in the wind.
The system I bought actually came with the coffee press, which seemed perfect at the time. Now that I’ve used it, I have a few reservations that I’ll get into below. A warm drink also does more than wake you up. On cold days it’s a genuine part of how I stay warm while climbing in the fall and winter, so the stove earns its spot in the pack.
Cheapest: Instant Coffee
One of the most common ways climbers get coffee is instant. It’s as simple as dumping a bag of powder into a mug of hot water. I tried three different brands and, honestly, it isn’t as tasty as I’d hope for at the crag. That said, after one to two days of camping the instant coffee starts tasting pretty good.
Pros
- Instant coffee is fast and easy
- You can buy single-serve bags, so there’s minimal to no waste
- It’s easy to pack
Cons
- Many brands have a gritty texture
- The flavor isn’t as good
Most Portable: Steeped Coffee
Steeped coffee works a lot like brewing tea. You drop a bag of steeped coffee into a cup of hot water, and once it hits the strength you like, you pull the bag out and toss it. I’ve grown to really enjoy this one, especially on days when I want to travel light and skip the cleanup.
Pros
- It doesn’t require any equipment to brew coffee
- There aren’t any grounds that get into the water
- Super portable
Cons
- The flavor isn’t as fresh as freshly ground beans
- Can be expensive per cup
Messiest But Good: Pour-Over Coffee
Pour-over coffee is exactly what it sounds like. You have some kind of funnel with a filter in it sitting over a kettle, and you pour hot water over the grounds. It’s really close to how a home coffee machine works, and you can use the same coffee you drink at home.
Pros
- It’s just like your home coffee maker
- It’s pretty easy to make
Cons
- It’s not very portable
- Most systems are made with glass, which is breakable
- Most systems are big, which makes them a pain to carry
- Cleanup is a chore since you have to pack out the grounds
Easy: Coffee Press
A coffee press is similar to a french press, but the press usually attaches right to a camping stove like a Jet Boil (the one I have works on the Jet Boil) or other brand stovetops. Once it’s on the water system, you add the coffee to the water and press the plunger down until the grounds settle at the bottom.
Pros
- Ultra packable and portable
- Full-flavor coffee
- Cleanup can wait until you get home
Cons
- Uses the same water system you may need for breakfast
The Best Way to Get Hot Coffee at the Crag
After running all of these, here’s where I landed. If you care about flavor and you’re happy carrying a stove, the coffee press wins for me. It packs down small, tastes like real coffee, and I can put off the cleanup until I’m home. When I want to go as light as possible, steeped coffee is the easy pick since there’s no gear and no grounds. And instant is still the cheapest, fastest way to get caffeine in you when you just need to move. Whichever you pick, a good stove and a little planning are what actually make it happen, so give it a spot next to the gear that’s worth the weight in your climbing pack.
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Frequently asked questions
What’s the easiest way to get hot coffee at the crag?
Steeped coffee is the easiest since it needs no equipment. You just drop the bag into hot water, wait until it’s as strong as you like, and pull it out. Instant coffee is a close second and even cheaper.
Do I need a special stove to make coffee at the crag?
You need a reliable source of hot water. A backpacker’s stove like a Jet Boil works well because it heats fast and holds up in the wind. A pot over a fire can work too, but open fires aren’t legal in a lot of climbing areas, so a stove is the more dependable choice.
Which method tastes the best?
A coffee press or a pour-over gives you the freshest flavor because you’re brewing real grounds. The trade-off is that a pour-over is bulky and messier to clean, while a press that attaches to your stove stays compact and lets you deal with cleanup at home.
Is instant coffee worth bringing on a climbing trip?
Yes, if you value speed and low weight over flavor. It’s the fastest option and packs down to almost nothing. The flavor isn’t as good and some brands are gritty, but after a day or two of camping it starts tasting a lot better.
