http://www.tasterschoice.com/p/sample/

Sample single serving coffee packets. Good for survival kits

I thought that received wisdom had it that Tea quenches thirst, Coffee aggrovates it? Bit of a problem for a coffee addict like yours truely, what?

Wisdom also says in a stress situation familiar items help the emotional aspect of survival. Religous texts, teddy bears and coffee can be every bit as valuable as that wunder steel, oversharpened dedicated survival knife. " water can be precious, sometimes more precious than gold." - B. Traven, Treasure of the Sierra Madre

What if my comfort object is an oversharpened wunder-steel survival knife? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Alex

Wisdom must say I'll stick with Folger's singles then. It's a morale booster for me which is very important. Taster's Choice never has been actually "tasty" to me with any product before. I save my Earl Grey for 4 o'clock--> evening morale boosting. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

A good sharp knife and a cup of coffee, what more can a man ask for?
Flogers also makes a single serve coffee bag that I have used, and they make a perty darn good cup of joe

"I thought that received wisdom had it that Tea quenches thirst, Coffee aggrovates it? Bit of a problem for a coffee addict like yours truely, what?"

I've heard that coffee is a diuretic, meaning that it causes you to pee more than you would otherwise. That means you lose fluids by drinking it. I'm not sure tea is any better since I'm thinking it is the caffeine that causes the problem. Tea does have less caffeine than coffee however. But the Decaf coffee bags I use have less caffeine than tea does.

At this point a doctor needs to chime in. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

If water is scarce, then neither caffeinated coffee or tea or hot chocolate are entirely appropriate physiologically since they are all mild diuretics (emphasis on mild in moderate quantities). OTOH, the morale boost and/or pick-me-up and/or warming from the drink can be worth a lot to a survivor. Like with everything, you have to use a little common sense, balance the pros and cons, and do what's best for the particular situation in which you find yourself. Like anything in your survival kit, they are a tool. One to be used when and as appropriate, no different than any other tool. And, water isn't always scarce, either.

There are studies out currently (I will try to find a copy online and link it) that show that caffeinated beverages are not the evil dehydrator they were once thought to be. These studies done in reference to endurance sports showed that resonable amounts of caffeine (1-2 cups before 3 hours before a workout) actually added in hydration! So, resonable amounts of caffeine will not hurt you in a survival situation...

This study is why you can now find more and more drinks and fuels for endurance sports avalible with caffeine.

Phew! For a horrible moment I thorght that the other survivors where going to have to deal with bears, mountain lions and me, caffeineless in the morning...

I've heard the same. Also I am sure there are people who drink nothing except coffee; they never have pure water or similar, but they don't die of dehydration. The body gets good at extracting water from this stuff. You can extract some water from food, too.

Which isn't to say that if water is short you shouldn't drink it neat instead of making coffee with it, but if it is already in the form of coffee then it will do you good. Unlike, say, beer, which you are better off not drinking. Or sea-water or neat urine.

That said, I like my coffee white, and powered milk and creamers are horrible, so I will probably give up coffee if the balloon goes up.

I take the instant packages with me backpacking. In the morning I throw a packet in my instant oatmeal, add water and I have my food and caffeine all in one bowl. YUM!

"I throw a packet in my instant oatmeal, add water and I have my food and caffeine all in one bowl. YUM"

That's interesting.. I think I'll try that soon.. I can't imagine it being YUM though, but hey, who knows! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

It all depends on how much you like coffee <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

Troy

"It all depends on how much you like coffee ."

LOL!! It's the coffee I love!! I was hoping it'd make the oatmeal more tolerable!! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

In truth, I love both (but usually don't use the instant oatmeal, but the steel cut ones).

If all else fails, you can chew the coffee grounds. Don't try that with Taster's Choice. And don't ask me how I know. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

It seems to be a good thing to have on hand for morale, even if I wasn't a big coffee fan. Warm liquids in the winter time can be a huge boost. At worst, I can trade the coffee to the caffiene fiend sharing space in the shelter for some item that would fill my craving (like chocolate).

You love chocolate but not coffee?!?! Man, I love both.. Not necessarily a milk chocolate fan, but a big dark chocolate fan (bitter chocolate).. Which brings up a best of both worlds (close to and probably worse than taking instant coffee straight: Chocolate covered espresso beans!!!) <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Nah, you get to go outside and conduct the initial negotiations. I've seen people having caffiene withdrawl so bad I'd give them even odds if stuffed in a duffle bag with a catamount. If you're one of them, diplomatic details are yours as needed. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I haven't heard the word Catamount since I moved! GO UVM!

That should be interesting to watch. The Bear skidds to halt, mumbles the ursine equivalent of "Sorry, wrong tent." before hightailing it for the tall timber. No one, but no one, family or workmates talks to me untill l have had my first double expresso of the day....

Looks like the sample comes in a neat flip-top plastic container. Depending on the size, it might be useful as a FAK container...hmmmmmm.

I do love both coffee and chocolate. It's just too warm during most of the year in Texas. I miss living in the Midwest when nearly every day was a 'coffee morning'.

Thank you for the link Doug.

I always carry some Folgers or Maxwell House coffee bags camping or backpacking. A free trial is quite welcome.

Buckeye

U.S. only.

Alex

I seem to remember a comic strip... Shoe. In it Roz (the diner waitress) asks Cosmo Fishawk, "How's the coffee taste, Cosmo?" To which he replies, "Roz, it's the first cup of the day. It doesn't have to taste.....it just has to work."

has anyone ever tried the java juice packets? its concentrated coffee extract in a small pouch. i honestly prefer them over the coffee packets or even instant. the only problem i can think of is that if you squish them hard enough they could make a mess of a kit. i haven't had one break yet though.

http://javajuiceextract.com/