Hiking NewZealand.com Tip 5 – Cowboy coffee

Here is an aromatic tip in a series of helpful hints for hikers that will make life safer and more comfy in New Zealand's outdoors.

Nowadays it seems like a lot of us cannot last 24 hours without a decent coffee - instant coffee just does not seem to do the job.

This can present problems when heading off into the hills for a few days, miles away from your favourite café.

Don’t despair, we have a solution and it does not require a fancy Italian stove top coffee pot to make the daily fix.

Our suggestion - try it "cowboy style".

Simply put your fresh coffee grounds in the bottom of the billy (pot with wire handle) and pour the required amount of just boiled water over the top.

Tap the side of the billy a few times with a spoon (not sure what this does, someone told me it breaks the surface tension - yeah right).

Then go outside of the hut or tent and make sure there is nothing above you - low flying aircraft etc.

Start swinging the billy around and around a complete 360 degree circle (vertically). I go in both directions about 10 times each.

Be careful when you bring it to a stop, you might spill some! This is not as hazardous as it sounds, but do take care all the same.

After the spin the grounds will have settled to the bottom of the billy, so you can scoop out your fresh espresso.

A quick boil (5 seconds) will sink any rogue floaters you may have. Using a fine grind (espresso) can also help the grinds to settle quicker.

Warning

Do not attempt this if you are not a confident swinger, if you get cold feet halfway through the manoeuvre you might end up with a pot of hot coffee over your head and chances are you will be a few hours away from medical care!

Also check the handle on your billy first! Attempt cowboy coffee at your own risk and perhaps perfect your swinging technique with cold water at home first.

No worries now mate.

Hiking New Zealand and Active Earth New Zealand are all about taking small groups hiking and trekking around New Zealand. We get off the beaten track to many places in National Parks that no other companies (and few individuals) ever get to. Sometimes we stay in simple lodges with good facilities, but more often we sleep in mountain huts or bush-camp far away from civilisation.

Safe tramping and a special thank you to our cowboy model Daniel Murphy - any chance to get on his horse for this show pony.