The Deerslayer's Wife
Embracing the Hunting Lifestyle
Camp Coffee 4 Ways
Those of you who partake of God’s greatest gift, the coffee bean, truly understand that all of God’s wonders are made more spectacular by the smell of fresh coffee brewing. Mornings and coffee go together. Mornings at a hunting camp absolutely MUST include steaming cups, mugs, or insulated carafes of coffee.
If you can be the one who provides the goods to bleary-eyed hunters, you will surely be crowned “Caffeine Queen”, “Empress of the Life-Giving Serum” or some other appropriate moniker. Who wouldn’t want that?
No matter what the circumstances or conditions at your hunting camp or ranch, it’s always possible to have a steaming cup of joe on hand for yourself AND for the sad-eyed hunters who didn’t bring their own. Basically, all you need is a heat source, a receptacle, good water, and ground coffee.
If you have power available at your hunting ranch or camp, you can set up any standard drip coffee maker, espresso machine, or whatever floats your boat. I have to admit that I have difficulty considering an espresso machine or Keurig to be in the spirit of roughing it at the hunting camp but that’s just me.
There are times when electricity may not be readily available, though. This is where you will need to be creative. Percolator coffee is one great alternative for a larger group of coffee drinkers. A propane camp stove or even a campfire will provide enough of a heat source for a good-sized pot. Percolators come in a variety of sizes to accommodate small to larger numbers of cups. I’ve purchased several. It’s worth spending a little bit more for a better quality one. The inner workings can be quite flimsy in the cheaper ones. Percolator coffee will take a while.
A French press is another choice that works if you don’t have access to electricity. It can produce several cups of coffee using just a heat source to boil water (propane stove or camp stove, or a campfire). It works by steeping the grounds in boiled water for two or three minutes in a carafe, usually glass or plastic, and pressing a plunger down through the water, separating the brewed coffee from the grounds. I like this method because the apparatus is relatively small and easy to transport. It makes about three cups of coffee. It doesn’t take much time, just enough time to boil some water (You will need a different pot in which to boil the water) and about 2-3 minutes to actually brew the coffee. A glass carafe may be difficult to lug around because it’s fragile. Look for one made of stainless steel if it’s a concern.
Finally, I found this little guy at World Market. It collapses flat when not in use, uses a small cone paper filter, and only requires the amount of time that it takes to boil enough water for a cup of joe! It’s a nice alternative to a Keurig. It’s a great way to prepare one cup at a time if you’re the only coffee drinker in camp. I love mine and use it all the time. Deerslayer doesn’t drink coffee so it’s perfect for our outings when it’s just the two of us.
It seems funny to me that, after years of participating in the hunting camp tradition, one or two hunters will wander up, bleary-eyed, looking sad and lost, with an empty coffee cup in hand. I am always glad to fill a cup for the poor souls. I have started to keep all the accouterments on hand (sugar, raw sugar, artificial sweeteners, Half n Half in tiny little prepackaged one-serving containers that don’t need to be refrigerated, as well as powdered creamer). I always have milk as well in the cooler or fridge. I try to keep insulated cups with lids on hand that hunters can take with them out to a blind. Yeti has really good ones that keep coffee hot for several hours. Other companies have jumped on board with less expensive, perfectly good models. Glad to help.
The Deerslayer's Wife 