For years and years I've pondered how to make a better traveling coffee maker. The ones I've seen at places like REI and EMS are always big and metal and not very ideal for backpack camping. So it was a surprise today to stumble upon the Brewmug, a handy coffee making apparatus that not only has a sleek design, but comes with some serious designer credentials behind it.

The mug is the brainchild (presumable a brain high on caffeine) of Reg Lake, a pioneer of North American whitewater kayaking, and an early purveyor of outdoor gear in CA. The solution here seems very clever. The brewing part of the mug fits inside the mug itself when not in use, and then a thing called the JavaTube, a polycarbonate plastic tube with a conical fabric filter attached to one end, allows you to put in coffee and pour hot water to make a hot cup of Joe.

This is one piece of gear that an outdoorsy coffee fan like myself can really use.

Filed under: Food and Drink, Gear