I am on the more roughing it side of backpacking when I go out. My pack weighs in at around 28lbs for a 4 day trip. Most accustomed to being out in the backcountry know that isn’t much. Most beginners are going out with at least 15-20 lbs more than that.

So needless to say I don’t bring many “comforts”. In fact, a big part of why I go is to get away from the daily comforts of life and challenge myself a bit. I find a centering that happens when I am alone or in a small group hiking in the middle of nowhere with no agenda other than simply being and communing with God. Centering is a good thing.

Having said that I do have a backcountry pet peeve that drives me crazy: not having decent coffee. There seems to be no good solution for brewing a good cup of joe. You can bring a press with you, but then you are carrying extra weight. You can buy singles of coffee that look like tea bags but they don’t taste great. Instant coffee has always been my nemesis. Until now.

Elise brought me home a sample of Starbucks new instant product VIA.

I was rocked. I loved it. I have never had such a great cup of instant. I’m sold.

I’ll be heading out to Dolly Sods (or somewhere) with a few of my closest friends in Novemeber. We will be roughing it. But we’ll be roughing it with great coffee.

I love solutions to problems.

Keep moving forward,

Greg