And just how do you have coffee while camping and constantly on the road? Aside from the obvious answer of stopping somewhere, we have my great-aunt’s coffee percolator. My mother pulled it off the top shelf in the kitchen and said her aunt used to use it all of the time. She also gave me a recipe for cowboy coffee involving a pot, coffee grounds, and a raw egg, but I didn’t quite trust myself with a raw egg and consuming coffee. So… I opted for the percolator.
Campfire coffee (with water boiling for morning oatmeal).
The result? Umm…it didn’t work. Apparently it used to take hours. Or maybe the barbecue just didn’t get hot enough. Vinny and I are very good at finding local coffee shops with good coffee, so we haven’t tried the percolator on the open fire yet, but we will. That is a Smokey-Joe Weber grill, if you’re wondering. It’s so much easier for cooking than an open campfire – in most cases.
I still like the percolator, though. Perhaps I should have practiced it at home. That is one of our many road trip lessons.
Preservation in Pink 
My grandparents still make their coffee with a percolator every day (on the stove). It heats up fast … maybe the barbecue wasn’t hot enough, like you said.
Point well taken about trying something out at home before using it on a road trip. I’m disappointed to see the percolator didn’t work, because I could see using one on my next road trip. I’m pretty picky about the quality of my coffee–nothing is worse than getting a cup at some gas station, pulling back onto the highway….and then taking your first sip of bitter, burnt swill!
Jennifer: Yes, I figure I’ll try it over an open campfire…or maybe I’ll practice on the stove first. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Road Trip Ready: I totally understand wanting a good cup of coffee. I love good, strong, bold coffee and not bitter, burnt swill! I’m sure you could get the percolator to work – let me know the trick!