Per my previous post (yeah, I knew people don't read what I put up here much anymore), you can get a good cup of coffee out of a tea bag type brewing process. Case in point:

Here in Australia, a goodly portion of the people who will drink coffee at work usually just use freeze dried. Now I am a big coffee fan, but my tastes are more old school. I can appreciate a latte or mocha, but usually when I go to a coffee specialty shop, I just order either an americano or a plain cup of the coffee of the day. Freeze Dried is survival rations to me. Unfortunately they're not into brewing coffee much here, so I have had to make do for a time with the freeze dried using the hot water dispenser (about 180 degrees F) or go to the corner cafe and spend $4 for a cup that was in my opinion overkill. Fortunately I found a supplier at the local supermarket by the name of "Robert Timms" who makes a fairly decent batch of ground and whole bean coffee, and one method of packaging they use is the teabag variety, with each bag individually sealed in an aluminum/plastic pouch. The grind/roast is described as Italian Expresso style, and it has a tremendous aroma and is quite pleasing on the palate. I simply place one in my 8 oz cup and fill with very hot water. It steeps for maybe two minutes then I remove the bag and it is as good to me as any cup I've made or had anywhere in recent memory. Well, here, see for yourself.

Robert Timms coffee bags

Now I've had my share of the stuff they do like this stateside, like the Folgers and the Maxwell House, and I've never found any of them to be particularly enjoyable, but at least a grade above freeze dried. This Robert Timms stuff is far and away superior to any of the other stuff, and it brews up nice and strong, but not overwhelming.

I reckon it is a combination of using good quality beans, a decent grind, and sealing them up in a decent container. The oils that make good coffee will break down some, but you can save a good portion of the quality if you do it right, at least no worse than how I make it at home without getting too elaborate, and certainly good enough to be really appreciated in the survival pack.

So, the answer is it can be done, and done quite satisfactorily. Sure, the aficianados may criticize, but I don't tend to bring my grinder with me in a survival setting anyways. If tea in a bag is okay for most, then I reckon coffee in a bag ought to do just as well, especially knowing now that someone's figured out how to do it.

One thing's for certain, if I don't find this Robert Timms stuff back in the states, I will be grabbing up as much as I can take with me when I leave, and I'll make sure I'll have a way of getting more sent to me when the time comes.