Tea versus Coffee

O.K. Forum memgers(and those just visting) I have been a coffee drinker for years, but when I pack my BOB I have read that I schould use TEA insted of Coffee . can anybody tell me why?, And if you are recommending Tea, what kind seeing that there is about a thousand different types. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Coffee will cause a greater loss of body liquid than tea and could contribute to dehydrate you faster. Especially if your source of water is limited. In that case a nice cupper of tea (with sugar) is prob better.

Being hard on the coffee meself, I'd ofcourse recommend you to stick to a combination and judge for yourself depending on the situation you might find yourself in.

I like both tea and coffee but when I tell a coffee drinker putting together a BOB I recommend tea because of the taste of freeze dried. If you like freeze dried or instant coffee use it since you can get it in single serve packs and small jars. The only reason I have tea in my pack is as a moral booster and that’s best done with something you like. I don't know of any other reason and if there is another maybe some one will enlighten us. As far as what kind grab a few of the sampler packs and find your favorite flavor.

Being a coffee abuser at one time (10-12 pots per day x 8 years), my stomach won't allow anything stonger than 2 scoops making 12 cups. I like my coffee but tea comes in convenient bags and is much easier to use in the field. When I can find coffee in individual bags, I'll use them because I still like my coffee in the morning.

I use maxwell house singles when I hike. They are, essentially, coffee bags, steeped like tea. Not the best, but, its better thqan nothing.

Tea and coffee are packed as much for cultural habit as anything. Both have the stimulant caffeine and various pros and con health issues from blood pressure to wiping out free radicals. Coffee is supposed to be diuretic, but between police officers of Old Bald Guy's generation, caravanseri on the Silk Road and naval petty officers with permanently crooked forefingers and thumbs for cups I wouldn't stay up nights worrying about it. I figure some dietician working next door to the labrats who conjured magnesium fire starters and solar stills came up with this. You also have the options of cocoa, various powdered ciders, fruit drinks etc. The tradition of strong cowboy coffee was both as a simulant and to mask pretty bad water. And thats what modern drinks also provide. Teas are actually pretty simple. You have green, black and oolong. All are from the same plant and there are countless varieties. You can get in more trouble with herbal teas. Pack what you like. A BO situation is no time to try Chai tea on an already stressed system.

Thanks to all, I guess me and old bauld guy will stay with our coffee. Thanks again.

I think the thing with tea in a survival kit is the ritual involved in preparing it (proper billy tea that is, rather than dropping a tea-bag in a cup) gives you time to stop and think.

Tea is supposed to be stored in the 'fridge and consumed in a tall glass over ice (no lemon or sugar). I do pack a few bags of "regular" and green tea, just for my wife. I tried coffee bags and can barely stomach the taste. For my emergency stash I put some freeze dried in a small ziploc, squeeze out most of the air, then put that in a vacuum bag and suck-seal it. If I have the room I stick in a little gizmo that sits on top of my cup (actually an insulated mug with lid). You put some coffee in the little filter-basket thing on the bottom, sit it on the mug, and pour boiling water into it. Water drips thru the basket, real live coffee drips in to your mug. I also have a big ole mug with a built in coffee press, that works pretty well too, but is a real pain to clean...

I am thinking about wrapping up a dose of coffee grounds in a paper filter and tying that closed so I can dip it into hot water in my cup & have real coffee, in the field, come "Tea Time"!

Let us know if that works!!!

Lipton Tea comes in bags that are formed from mesh tubes. You could probably unclip the single closing clip, dump the tea, add coffee, and restaple them closed... voila! coffee bags!

Sue

To avoid the diuretic effect I use decaf coffee bags from Folgers. Not as good as fresh brewed but more palatable than instant. I don't need the caffeine boost, and just have them in case I need to have something hot. They are sealed as well and so should keep at least a couple of years in a kit.

The British SAS claim that coffee will DEHYDRATE you while tea will hydrate you. Having said that, they both pass right through me, but tea gives me the feeling of having a full stomach.

Coffee for me please.....medium to strong, black, no sugar. Like someone else said, tea is to be served "iced", as in "iced tea with lemon please".

The only time I drink hot tea is when I have a cold (don;t ask me why). I'm afraid if I drink hot pekoe tea too often, I might develop a British accent (not that would necessarily be a bad thing).

Well, I personally cannot handle coffee. It upsets my stomach if I have more than half a cup or so.

Most of the time I drink bagged tea like green tea, lemon, Earl Grey, and when I can find it in the store, yerba mate. I think tea is as much a diuretic as coffee, but it is easier on my stomach, so that's why I include it over coffee in my kits.

With all the traveling I've been doing, this is a topic near to my heart.

I put together in my BOB one of my courtesy airline pouches (the kind that they put a toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, some footies, an eye mask, and a fold up comb into) a collection of various liquid amendments that I've discovered over time. Amongst these are a few 1 liter mix packets of Crystal light/Kool-aid type sugar free powdered drink mixes of various flavors. These are quite effective at making less palletable water more palletable again. I've also packed individual tea bags (the kind that come packed in foil/plastic pouches to keep them from going stale), hot cocoa mix (also packed in foil/plastic), instant hot cider mix (ditto), and a handful of coffee bags. Sometimes it is a real challenge to get my hands on these in the states. I usually find them in the courtesy trays in hotels or at conventions or business meetings where all they have is hot water dispensers. I've got some Folgers single serve packs, thought that is not a brand I much care for. However, here in Australia I discovered a gourmet coffee in a bag like this sold over the counter by a company called "Robert Timms". It is a high quality coffee in an italian roast that is at least as good as the stuff I would brew at home. It is also packed in single serving foil/plastic pouches. In addition to all these drink items, I also pack some salt and pepper packets, some sweeteners (sugar and sugar free), some tabasco in a foil/plastic pouch, some taco bell sauces, etc. I've also got a couple of instant soup packets intere. That pouch is fairly well stuffed now.

I've used the old muslin weave tobacco pouches or my handkercheif or even a ripped up clean piece of t shirt as grounds holders for my coffe boiler before, though anymore I just toss in the grounds and add cold water after it is done to settle em to the bottom of the pot. I suspect all of the above will do for loose tea as well.

It is all part and parcel of my philosophy that such conveniences are readily acquired if you've the mindset for it and keep an eye out. As for freeze dried coffee, it is a poor substitute to the real thing, but I've drank plenty of it when that was all there was. I need my caffiene.

The subject is indeed well enlightened by now <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> However, a hot drink - whatever type you choose - will add instant heat to your body. Which is imperative if in a cold climate.

The caffeine in coffee or tea (or soda) inhibits antidiuretic hormone (ADH), the effect of which is to promote water loss by the kidneys. This can lead to dehydration. However, those that ingest caffeine containing substances frequently do build up some degree of tolerance (and for the caffeine addicts, going without can lead to low blood pressure, headaches, irritability, difficulty concentrating, among other symptoms of caffeine withdrawal)

I hate tea and coffee. Powdered Gatorade & Powdered Kool-aid packs gets the nod in my bags. One for sweet, one for salt. Works for me. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

There may be some truth to that diuretic thing. If I am drinking coffee regularly (two to three cups a day), I am consuming about 30 oz of additional liquid, but I have to go about every 10 hours or so, vs when I don't drink coffee in a day, then I only go twice a day. Makes sense I reckon.

Without the caffiene, though, I am dysfunctional.

When a Teabag is burnt, -it really *does* smell just like Mariwanna. A Law Enforcement Officer or "Significant Other" (or Common Joe anybody) can really get their Suspicions up! Based on such Smell alone!.... [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]

Some of us are naturally cranky <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

"...I only go twice a day..."

Enjoy it while you can young man, enjoy it while you can...

I was just thinking...I can't even remember a "twice a day" day! Less than six and I know I didn;t drink enough water!

On second thought.....



This is intriguing. I just have to get this straight:

If you drink plenty, you go every ten hours. If you don;t, you go twice a day.

I need more time to work on this one. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

I thought about that too, but I am still too green with envy to worry about simple math...

Simple math? This was a tough problem! But I got the answer!!!

No coffee = twice a day
Lots of liquids = once a day

Stretch? = twice by 0900 (liquids or not) Might as well drink the coffee

"...But I got the answer..."

Yeah, but how did you define "day?" Twenty four hours, an eight hour work shift, sunup to sundown, get out of bed to get into bed??? The numbers become mind boggling.

"...twice by 0900 (liquids or not)..."

Welcome to my world. That could be a song title...

I agree OldBaldGuy. Something is fishy about his times. I can't go more than 4 hrs w/o a pee break. I think that he's going to pay the piper with a vengeance when he gets a little older.

Hmm, could be. I usually do my business when I wake up in the morning, then again when I get home at night from work. I figure that is my daily cycle, unless I drink three tall cups of coffee, then I usually have to hit the head right after lunch as well, though that does push the evening cycle out a little later.

I've pretty much always been like this. I'm 44 now, and the only real change was when I was in Baghdad I noticed that even though my schedule was the same, the volume was less. Even then I was drinking upwards of 2 gallons a day.

I guess I just have a monster bladder. Go figure <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I would recommend tea over coffee - for the reasons stated already plus tea bags are just easier to deal with. Making one or two sometimes 3 cups with each bag vs. handling grounds.

Another is just personal preference. I like Earl Grey; about 1/2 the caffeine as regular coffee BUT it doesn't make me run to the washroom as frequently and when I am camping I really appreciate that! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Soup bouillon is even better from a nutrition point of view.

If it for a caffine bost then it depends up on how you make the brew. Most Americans just wave a tea bag over the cup when making tea as my British wife tells me. If you make tea like the British or most of the world then you put boiling water over loose tea leaves and let it seep for 15 minutes or so. When go back vist the in-laws in London half a cup of tea will give me more of a caffine boost then 2 or 3 cups of coffee.
But if it is for a warm drink then it is your pick or evne hot chocolate can really boost moral.
cheers

I'd recommend whatever you are used to because that is what your body is used to dealing with and what are are experienced in making. For me that's coffee - I like the instant stuff with milk and sugar, which real coffee drinkers despise. Tea and coffee have roughly the same amount of caffeine so that's not an issue.

The real problem for me is going to be milk. It doesn't keep well, and I've never found a milk substitute I like. When I'm camping I take bought milk in a thermos.

My main alternative in survival kits is beef stock cubes. (Oxo brand.) These are simple to use and don't need additional condiments. You do have to watch the foil packaging doesn't get pierced. I keep them in the house anyway for making stews.

Probably the main reason many kits call for tea is that a lot of them are based on the SAS survival kit. You must remember a lot of so called experts regergitate much that was written by someone else. Without any personal experiance or research. The SAS book was written by a Brit. So tea being the national drink. What else do you think would be recommended.

But there is one advantage that tea does have. It can be made at much lower temperatures. Coffee, even instant requires boiling or very near boiling water to make. While tea can be steeped at room temperatures. Any of you ever made sun tea. While a hot drink may be good in cold weather you can get your caffine fix without building a fire. All it takes is more time. There might be times you can't or don't want to build a fire but need the caffine.

Tea is extremely important in a survival situation. Coffee is not.
In a highly stressful survival situation the brain of the individual may become confused and disorientated and panic may ensue. This will lead to the individual making the wrong decision, which will lead to a situation whereby the survival event is even more difficult to deal with. This will then lead to even more poor decision making with the consequent loss of life of the that individual. Survival ultimately is about making the correct decisions.
In the US army, soldiers are taught not to stop but to continue to be proactive, the assumption being that mistakes can be rectified and survival is assured. The assumption is that inactivity leads to a loss of moral and consequently gives rise to a sense apathy and defeat. This is the supposed flight or fight response to stressful stimuli. US army soldiers drink Coffee. Apparently caffeine is even put in that awful chewing gum stuff which makes you average GI even more hyper. This of course has its downside because I have even read that additives which cause constipation have been added to their MREs. The reasoning behind this I suppose is that it stops inappropriate bowl movements in highly stressful survival situation.
In the British Army the opposite applies but they have a secret weapon call the brew kit. In a highly stressful life threatening situation, the British soldier will sit down and make a nice cup of hot strong sweet tea if time allows and if the threat is not immediate. The act of making a nice cup of tea will allow the individual time enough to assess the situation and make the correct decisions and planning and allow the feelings of panic and stress to dissipate. Consequently this generally leads to a more successful outcome although too much tea drinking leads to a problem called swanning about as demonstrated at Youtube

I've always drunk both tea and coffee, tea always seems to refresh me more than coffee, but there is nothing better on a cold morning as coffee with irish cream, sheer bliss. In fact coffee goes with just about any "additive" well.

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. There's really not much between them as far as caffeine content is concerned, both have as much sugar as you want to add, and both provide the slowing-down ritual of making it.

Having served 12 years as an infantryman, I can largely debink the myth of MRE's causing constipation. After eating them day after day, for weeks on end, yes, they do; but, there are hardly ANY units that are totally dependent on MRE's for survival that long, without other types of provisions. They do contain a large amount of calories, and can be eaten one per day, to provide energy, and have been used as such. However, even SF teams are rarely out long enough to subsist solely on MRE's for an extended period of time. Firstly, they weigh quite a bit. And, as a soldier, when it comes to beans or bullets, bullets win hands down every time. If you need to carry enough food for a team of 4 to operate for an extended period of time, you will most likely be foraging as well.
And, coffee & tea, IMHO, are essentially the same. Yes, coffee is a dieuretic, but, in a one cup per MRE serving, it is miniscule compared to the amount of water one needs to choke down an MRE. On top of that, one wouldnt simply stop in the middle of combat to "brew up". Doesnt happen. But, a warm cup of coffee is a HUGE morale boost, no matter where you are. Also, I worked with the Brits once a few years ago, and they were totally hooked on our instant coffee. A rather popular trade item, right behind the M&Ms.I've yet to see a Brit, or any professional soldier, simply stop in the middle of a stressful situation, i.e. combat, to brew a cup of tea. Now, not saying it hasnt happened...but, its kinda hard to light a fire when someones trying to kill you. And, the americans have their kit too. The canteen cup comes with a burner, and you can get hexamine tabs from your supply SGT. We just dont treat it as a cultural "right". But, we do brew up, when allowed. The US army has some of the strictest noise/light discipline in the world. My unit, you couldnt wear a watch without a piece of 100 mph tape to cover the face. So, making coffee at 3 AM was TOTALLY out of the question. In times such as that, we simply put it in our lip like dip, and suffered through

Bentirran, great monday morning humor that. Reminds me of some Monty Python skits about WWI and taking time out in the middle of battle for tea, while the Germans were still shooting the crap outta the ranks. Classy british spoof on the english tea addiction.

Good thing the GIs had their moxie. Otherwise German would be the national language of Great Britain these days. Besides, fighting men aren't paid to think. That's why there are officer ranks, so GIs don't have to waste precious battle time working out strategy and pomp.

I hear ya man. Between the caffeine and the constipation MRE's turn me into a killin' machine. (Rolls eyes)

Hehehe... that bentirran post was funny.

Anyway, I'm not sure if this has been brought up in response to someone saying coffee in a bag sucks, but if you have any asian supermarkets or stores near you check them out for single serving coffee packets. I've tried various flavors from both chinese and japanese companies. They were alright to me, but then again, I'm not a huge coffe drinker. Some come with sugar and non-dairy creamer already mixed in, others come with seperate packages for that stuff. Might be useful for those coffee nuts.

Sorry to say, but it appears that Robert Timms brand won't be marketed in the states. Guess I will have to recruit one of my mates here in Brisbane to keep me connected. Oh well.

I've found recently that I don't mind drinking the Nescafe 100% Columbian freeze-dried on a daily basis. I wouldn't call myself a coffee snob, but I do know good coffee. Given my choice, it would be La Colombe for me all the time (a local company in Philadelphia run by French immigrants), but the Nescafe is pretty good and can be dissolved in cold water, which is easy to deal with in summer. I just drop some in a water bottle with milk and sugar, cap it, shake, and hit the road.

I like tea, but I don't really drink it, except for American-style icea tea with sugar and lemon. Honestly, the best teas I've had were herbal teas from The Tea Box at Takashimaya in NYC.

More importantly, I hate having to deal with the creamer issue. I used to buy a dried creamer made from real milk (can't remember the brand name, think it started with "O"), but I can't find it anymore anywhere near me. I won't drink non-dairy whitener unless forced.

I like my coffee (and hot tea) like I like my women, sweet and creamy.

For sweetener, I've latched onto Domino's "Brownulated" sugar. I like that extra bit of molasses in there, unless I'm drinking the coffee to really evaluate the taste of a particular variety.

Oh, and I also need to make another trip to Tazza d'Oro in Rome near the Pantheon for their excellent coffee and coffee liqueur. I've heard they sell internationally over the Internet, but it's more fun in person!