Camping coffee in Colorado, from the trailhead to the tent

Quick answer: the best camping coffee for Colorado

For a backpacking trip, pack instant coffee. The National Coffee Association says instant suits camping because it is shelf-stable and needs no equipment, and it asks for water at about 80 °C, roughly 176 °F. That is below the boiling point even at 14,000 feet, so altitude does not hurt it. Use 1 teaspoon for every 6 ounces of water. Five Colorado roasters make instant from their own roasts. For car camping, bring a French press or start cold brew the night before.

Why instant works at altitude and brewed coffee struggles

Water boils cooler as you climb. Wikipedia's high-altitude cooking article puts the boiling point at 197.4 °F at 8,000 feet and 193.6 °F at 10,000 feet. Brewed coffee wants hotter water than that: the NCA's French press guide asks for 93 ± 3 °C, about 194 to 205 °F. At 10,000 feet and above, a pot at a full boil falls short of that range.

Instant coffee skips the problem. It was already brewed and dried at the factory, so all it needs is to dissolve, and the NCA's suggested 80 °C sits below the boiling point even at 14,000 feet, where the same article's table gives 185.9 °F. That makes it the steadiest cup at a high camp. Our guide to high altitude coffee brewing covers what to change when you do brew.

Colorado-roasted coffee that travels well

These are the trail-friendly formats local roasters list on their own shops, as summarized on our profiles and checked on September 27, 2026. They are local favorites we list; a listing does not mean the roaster is part of the club.

The NCA explains the two ways instant is made. Freeze-dried instant is frozen at minus 40 °C to form granules. Spray-dried instant is sprayed into very hot air to make a powder, which is then steamed to form granules. OZO's is the freeze-dried kind. The glossary has a short entry on instant coffee.

Car camping: French press and cold brew

With a cooler and a camp table, you can brew. Two methods need no paper filter and little gear.

A camp French press

The NCA's French press numbers: 1 gram of coffee to 10 to 16 grams of water, water at about 93 ± 3 °C and about 4 minutes of steeping, with a coarse grind like rock salt. At a high camp, take the kettle off the moment it boils and keep the lid on while it steeps, since the water starts cooler than the recipe wants. The glossary covers the French press in brief.

Overnight cold brew

Cold brew does not use hot water, so altitude does not touch it. The NCA's ratio is much stronger: 1 gram of coffee to 4 to 5 grams of water, coarse ground, steeped at room temperature or cooler for about 12 hours. Start a jar after dinner and it is ready at breakfast. The result is a concentrate, which the NCA says is meant to be diluted with water or enjoyed with ice, and the NCA notes cold brew can be served hot as well. See the glossary entry on cold brew.

Packing ground coffee for a trip

Ground coffee fades fast. The Specialty Coffee Association's Coffee Decoded column says whole beans stay fresh for about three weeks after roasting, while ground coffee is fresh for about an hour after grinding, because the gas that protects the aroma escapes in minutes. For a weekend, grind at home the morning you leave and seal the grounds in a small airtight container, or carry whole beans and a hand grinder. For a longer trip, instant is the better bet.

Pack out what you pack in: used grounds, filters and empty instant sleeves go home with you. Our guide to storing coffee in Colorado covers the heat and cold a bag meets in a car and on a porch.

Coffee for the days you are home

A good camp cup starts with a good bag at home. The Fourteener Coffee Club sends a 12 oz bag from a different independent Colorado roaster each box, every 2 or 4 weeks, for $16.99 a bag, whole bean or ground. First bag free, you pay $7.99 shipping on that first box, and you can skip a box when you are away on a trip, or cancel anytime. Set up your plan.

Camping coffee questions

What is the easiest coffee to make while camping?

Instant coffee. The NCA says it is shelf-stable, needs no equipment and dissolves in hot water: 1 teaspoon for every 6 ounces, with water around 80 °C.

Does instant coffee work at high altitude?

Yes. Instant is already brewed, so it only needs to dissolve, and the NCA's suggested water temperature of about 80 °C, roughly 176 °F, is below the boiling point even at 10,000 feet, where Wikipedia puts it at 193.6 °F.

Which Colorado roasters sell instant coffee?

Huckleberry Roasters, Loyal Coffee (Ridgeline), Middle State Coffee (Finca Rosita), OZO Coffee (freeze-dried) and Dark Heart Coffee (Dawn 2 Dusk) all list instant coffee made from their own roasts.

Can I make cold brew while camping?

Yes. The NCA's cold brew uses coarse grounds at 1 part coffee to 4 to 5 parts water, steeped at room temperature or cooler for about 12 hours, so a jar started at dinner is ready by morning.

Sources

• National Coffee Association, Instant coffee (suited to camping; shelf-stable; 1 teaspoon per 6 ounces; about 80 °C; freeze-dried at minus 40 °C and spray-dried)
• National Coffee Association, French press coffee (1:10 to 1:16; 93 ± 3 °C; about 4 minutes)
• National Coffee Association, Cold brew coffee (1:4 to 1:5; about 12 hours; coarse grind; concentrate to dilute)
• Wikipedia, High-altitude cooking (197.4 °F at 8,000 feet; 193.6 °F at 10,000 feet; 185.9 °F at 14,000 feet)
• Specialty Coffee Association, Coffee Decoded: What is freshly roasted coffee? (about three weeks for whole beans, about an hour for ground)
• The roasters' instant coffees, steeped bags and concentrate: our roaster profiles, from each roaster's own shop, checked 2026-09-27. The 176 °F figure is our conversion of the NCA's 80 °C.