Coffee…you either like it or you probably haven’t discovered it.
Could I say that I am actually addicted to the stuff? Yep!
Worldwide, coffee is an extremely important part of many peoples day. Some might say that coffee makes the world go round. The coffee bean has been traded for many years.
So as a 4WD enthusiast, why can’t you have a great cup while on a trip in the middle of nowhere? Well, you actually can and we will show you how in a 3 part series. We will be looking at the really basic set-ups, right through to the full blown systems which can be installed in your 4WD or camper.
Now if you don’t like coffee, you might know someone who does and I would really appreciate it if you could recommend them to read these articles and maybe subscribe.
I guess I should start with how I got into coffee. We were photographing an expedition of the Madigan Line for 4X4 Australia Magazine which was an amazing adventure.
Our crew consisted of 6 4WD industry enthusiasts and 3 vehicles, a GU patrol ute, a 79 series single cab ute.
Now regarding coffee… I was past the instant coffee stage, after reaching 4 teaspoons in a cup and finding it just wasn’t doing it for me. So I usually just wouldn’t bother with coffee and would just simply go without.
What I didn’t know was this trip was going to be the time that I realised great coffee can actually be made, quite simply, in the middle of nowhere.
Why not, as people all over the world have been doing this for years.
It was a really good experience as each morning while I was photographing well before sunrise, my mate Dean Mellor would bring a cup of coffee to the sand dune I was shooting on and join me during the best light of the day. This coffee was actually really good. This changed everything and from that trip, I made it my mission to learn how this was done.
Now this set-up was actually quite basic. Deano carried with him a butane gas burner, and a cafetière with the important ingredient, a packet of pre-ground Vittoria coffee.
But I have seen so many set-ups and systems which ultimately create the required result of assisting in caffeinating your day. The good old billy is strongly associated with boiling water to create tea, but how many of you have used this to create an instant coffee? Well you can also create an espresso style coffee by using this boiled water and running it through various systems.
Something I love about coffee is you can create a social event with it. Kind of like a celebration. An example of this is whenever I head to Broken Hill, I usually make a point of dropping in to see a local artist in Silverton, John Dynon at his gallery to have a coffee with him.
I have been doing this for many years. I used to make him a coffee whilst sitting on his studio floor and we have a chat about all sorts of things. I now make them from a full set up in the back of our 79 Series Cruiser, but all these coffees are always created “off-grid” and the moment we create is very similar to catching up with friends at a local coffee shop.
We will be bringing these articles of how you can create coffee in the middle of nowhere in goodtime and amongst other articles. So make sure that you keep an eye out for the up coming articles. I’d love to hear from you about your favourite ways of creating coffee in remote locations, so drop your thoughts in the comments section below.
In the meantime, can I say “Cheers”!
-Michael Ellem
Offroad Images
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