The best instant coffee I've tried -- Starbucks Via

I do the same with koolaid and tang. A little more flavour and some added energy seems like a good idea to me too.

Agree on both! VIA is really good instant coffee. I like cream and sugar in my coffee, so three-in-ones are a simple solution, but they're not exactly good coffee. If I hard to make a hard choice, I'd probably pack a powdered latte. Sweet and extra creamy, feels a little more decadent than a regular cuppa joe.

Warning: Don't let anyone wipe your cup out with a baby wipe right before you make you coffee, even if it's yourself because you got no sleep in a tent with three kids all night. BLECK!!! Keep your coffee and your wipes separate. LOL!

Many years ago a friend recommended a 50:50 mix of Tang and instant tea. Sugar, orange flavor, caffeine -- not quite all the basic food groups...

hhhmmmm..... that's either going to be really good or really not good. I had an Irish babysitter when I was a kid. She made us drink tea and toast with marmalade for breakfast. I liked her but I hate tea now, except herbal and chai. Not sure what type of reaction the tea-orange combo would elicit. LOL!

So, what would be a really ideal small item to stow in your minimalist PSK? I would tend toward VIA and a pack or two of sugar (which assumes that I have a fire and access to water). What other item might be worthwhile?

Carrying coffee and sugar separate makes them multi-purpose, and that sugar becomes a more valuable first aid item. SMART!

Instead of something made with hot water? I usually grab a sachet or two of instant koolaid or Tang. You can make both with hot water as well.

or single packets of Gatorade

Use the "flavor packets" from ramen noodles. They are essentially bullion cubes in powder form, store flat in kits, more "shelf stable" in temp swings than cubes, and the powder mixes better in varying temps of water. You can mix them in a plastic water bottle warmed in the sun if that's all you have. I usually also carry Gatorade, Via, and other mixes in my bigger kits.

try the noodle packs first! I bought a bunch of them to see how they would work out for camping and ending up tossing some out.
hot,heavy fish taste or just a flavor that a Midwestern guy found yucky.some have olive oil and the red pepper in their own small plastic packs so you can take what tastes right for you.