Portable Coffee Makers: Get a Good Cup of Joe While Camping

One of the best things about camping is being brought gently out of a deep sleep by the sounds of nature. One of the worst things about camping is realizing five minutes later that you would kill for a cup of coffee to help you start your day. For those of you who do not care for old-fashioned "cowboy coffee" there are now options on the market that will put the zip back in your doo-dah!

For the brew by the cup lovers there is the Wagan Personal Mini Coffee Maker, which looks nice enough to have permanently installed in your car. It comes equipped with an auto-stop drip and an on/off indicator light and a 12V plug at the end of a 6' cord, which allows you to set up your coffee station where you please. You can find the Wagan at Target for the low price of $24.99, making it one of the cheapest portable coffee makers available.

If you like the single serve coffee makers but want a little more bang for your buck then check out the Zelco Brisk Brew. This compact device comes with a thermostat and on/off light, washable mesh filter, collapsible spoon, and built in containers for sugar, coffee, etc. The Zelco Brisk Brew also sports dual voltage 120/240V, so you can travel internationally. And everything fits nicely into the travel/storage bag. You can purchase one of your own for only $39.99 at Kmart.

Now if you need to wake up a whole camp and are looking to make a bigger pot of coffee, you should take a look at the RoadPro 12-Volt Coffee Maker. The RoadPro uses standard filters and the carafe locks in place for travel. The 10 cup model has an automatic cut off, so if you need a cup of coffee and can not wait for the whole pot to brew you can sneak a cup. You are going to want to give yourself some time with this coffee maker, as it takes approximately 45 minutes to brew a full pot. You can find both the 5 cup model ($24.99) and the 10 cup model ($39.99) at Cabelas.

For pure quality and a name you can trust the Cuisinart 12V Coffee Maker is a campers dream. This model comes with a stowable chord, a measuring scoop and a charcoal water filter, ensuring the best tasting coffee. The Cuisinart features a Brew PauseTM^TM, so the impatient camper can have their coffee as soon as there is enough to drink. This model alerts the coffee lover to coffee being ready with an audible beep anautomaticallyly shuts off after 2 hours. This gift from the coffee gods can also be found aCabelasas for $49.99 for the 4 cup model, or $99.99 for the 12 cup model.

For the camper who still wants to feel like they are roughing it, or for the camper who is not going back to the car to make a cup of coffee, there is yet another alternative from the name you trust for all of your camping needs. The Coleman Camping Coffee Maker is unique and yet easy to use. This device can be used with a 2 or 3 burner gas stove, boasts a solid steel base and has a swing away basket for the standard filters it uses. This device can be found almost anywhere you would buy camping equipment, or from Coleman.com for the reasonable price of $39.99.

So wherever you are headed for your next wilderness adventure, you can take along your favorite morning ritual without sacrificing taste. A morning in the woods will seem so much sweeter with a good cup of coffee. After all, it is the best part of waking up.