I just came across this miraculous contraption and I know I’ve finally found the solution for making coffee on my next backpacking trip. The GSI H2JO. It only weighs 1.8 ounces, attaches right onto any wide mouth water bottle and includes a screened filter for the grounds. All you do is add boiling water and you’re set with no mess to clean and no picking coffee grounds out of your teeth. Sold.
When it comes to coffee I consider myself to have a slightly below average addiction but nevertheless I’m a big fan. I don’t have to drink it every morning, but there’s plenty of mornings when I do. Often (during the colder months) I’m drinking it as much for the morning warmth as for the caffeine. During the summer I’ll usually just drink it on an ‘as needed’ basis depending on how alert I need to be in that first hour after waking. I’ll also sometimes get a cup in the middle of the day to combat those long hours, but I’m definitely not in the ‘can’t function without coffee’ demographic. The caffeine aside though, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t just love the taste of coffee, especially if we're talking about an iced coffee during the summer.
One time when I feel like I need a cup of coffee in the morning is when I’m camping or backpacking. Whether it’s waking up and knowing I’ve got a big day of hiking in front of me or just sitting around the campfire from the night before with some beer-induced cobwebs in my head, there’s nothing like a nice cup of coffee when you’re waking up in the woods.
When it comes to car camping, getting your fresh coffee fix can be simple with the right equipment. There are a number of metal coffee pots that you can put right on your camp stove or fire pit and brew some ground coffee with minimal fuss. But backpacking is another story. When every ounce counts it’s impossible to justify bringing along a coffee pot that can brew and filter the grounds and so I usually end up with no choice but bringing along some instant coffee. Amazingly, there’s a few words in the English language that sum up both how instant coffee tastes and how it makes me feel. I’ll refrain, but let’s just say I’d be perfectly happy to never have a cup of instant coffee again.
I’d be curious to know if anyone has tried the GSI H2JO but I can’t imagine how anything could prevent it from being awesome. Let me know your thoughts in the comments, I’m going to go get a cup of coffe