Brew coffee, even espresso, in the woods? Here's how

Coffee has become a cornerstone of our Northwest lives, with specialty shops on every corner in our cities and towns. That urban brew, though, no matter how fancy, can't hold a candle to a good steaming cuppa joe in the backcountry.

The easiest way to get that java on the trail is to brew it at home and tote it along in a vacuum bottle. This has the added benefit of tapping into a bit of family nostalgia for many of us: One of the fondest memories for many men has to be the first time their dad poured them a steaming cup of coffee out of his venerable old green steel Stanley bottle. It could have happened on a frigid fishing trip on Puget Sound, or on an early morning hike up Mount Si. That was the day the boy felt like a man. The Stanley Classic 1-quart vacuum bottle still offers outstanding insulation for hot beverages, but the new generation of Stanley Outdoor bottles provides the same great performance, in a sleeker, lighter-weight design. Like the Classic, the Outdoor series offers double-walled, stainless-steel construction and a tough, rustproof finish. The streamlined Outdoor bottle lacks the side handle but adds two cups in the lid so sharing is a breeze. The Outdoor series proved perfect for slipping into a backpack, while the Classic is ideal for toting in a boat or car. The Classic 1-quart sells for $32 while the Outdoor 1-quart goes for $40. See www.stanley-pmi.com for more information.

If you prefer your coffee fresh-brewed when hiking, Spokane-based GSI offers a number of coffee solutions. If you want a steaming mug of Starbucks Yukon blend during your hike, toss your favorite lightweight stove into your pack, then add a GSI Lexan Javapress — a French-press style coffee maker.

Available in three sizes, the GSI Javapress is light, yet incredibly tough. The 10-ounce size proved to be perfectly sized for solo hikers wanting a single cup while the 33- and 50-ounce sizes can serve four to eight hikers at a time. I found the 10-ounce press, weighing a mere 8 ounces, a lightweight way to get fresh java while snowshoeing on Mount Rainier. The 10-ounce Javapress sells for $19.95, while the group-sized 50-ounce runs $29.95.

Of course, being Northwesterners, many of us are addicted to powerful espresso brews. Even here, we are covered in the backcountry. GSI's stainless-steel Mini Expresso espresso makers sit atop pack stoves and pump out one to four shots of espresso at a time. The 4-cup Mini Expresso kicks out four flavorful shots during one brew cycle, and with a small 10-ounce box of soy milk, I was able to serve my friends fresh lattes at Panorama Point on Mount Rainier this winter. The 4-Cup GSI Mini Expresso runs $49.95. See www.gsioutdoors.com.

— Dan A. Nelson, special to The Seattle Times

Freelancer Dan A. Nelson, of Puyallup, is a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books. For the purpose of review, gear manufacturers lend products, which are returned after a typical use of four to six weeks. There is no payment from manufacturers and they have no control over the content of reviews. Contact Nelson with gear-related questions at gearguy@adventuresnw.net.