Cowboy Coffee

I wasn't too worried about food on our semi-circumnavigation of Lake Michigan. I could be fairly content eating convenience store sandwiches for ten days.

But I was worried about coffee. Convenience store coffee is OK now and then, better (just barely) than nothing, but it is nice to have a cup of real (strong) coffee either first thing in the morning or after a long day's ride.

I fretted about this. I am committed to traveling light, and bringing a French-press pot did not seem very light.

But then I stumbled on the concept of "cowboy coffee." (I wish I could remember where in metaverse I found it. Googling "cowboy coffee" will turn it up.) Cowboy coffee is simply coffee made in a pot without filters.

The basic principle of cowboy coffee is that coffee grounds settle if given enough time. The challenge is giving the grounds enough time to settle without letting the coffee get cold. (You can't keep heating it, because the convection currents keep the grounds stirred up.)

I used more water and coffee than normal, to give a little room for sludge at the bottom of the pot. I used six heaping tablespoons for about 1.5 quarts of water (maybe, although I didn't measure carefully--I just filled my pot). This made enough for two large cups of coffee and a little extra to put in Jon's thermos.

Bring the water to a boil (using a catfood can stove, preferably), dump in the coffee, stir it in to be sure the coffee isn't just floating, and then (here's the secret) put the whole pot into some kind of insulator. I used an insulated lunch bag, but since the trip I have fashioned a foam sleeve that should work nearly as well while taking up almost no room. (Traditional cowboys just sink their pot in the sand.)

Then, let the coffee sit. Five minutes? Ten minutes? I don't know. Enough time for the grounds to settle.

Carefully pour the coffee off the top, and voila! Quite good cowboy coffee.