USMC-Pilgrim
Semper Fi Pilgrims!
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Portuguese (Porto) May-Jun 2025
Thanks for the recommendation. I picked one up yesterday at REI and am "testing" it now.
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Thanks for the recommendation. I picked one up yesterday at REI and am "testing" it now.I have this mug, too..it's been occasionally used as a dog dish...
I love coffee, and I take the starbucks instant packet with me-- but on longer trips where I couldn't find coffee and sometimes no tea (southern africa), I was very happy to have caffeine tablets. I get rocking headaches without caffeine. Yes, I know I'm addicted.Since I intensely dislike coffee, if I feel the need to get a boost to early morning energy, I take a caffeine tablet. I go by the motto: "It's the caffeine I need, it's the coffee I can do without".
Sorry buddy, those little packs are the most horrible coffee ever. I have a little ultralight stove. I pack some fresh coffee and a coffee press. It is heavenSo at home I don’t even drink coffee. I also rarely rise early… but on the Camino, well, it’s different.
I look forward to the myriad of better suggestions surely/maybe to follow.
So back in 2005 my mother introduced me to Cafe con Leche. It’s now a Camino staple for me. I look forward to the temporary addiction available at every bar/cafe you will ever go to. It’s also a social thing… everyone almost always wants their coffee and when you sit together and get some, it’s fun.
But what if you like to wake up early to walk? Like I’m talking about before the sun comes up. I met some friends last year on the Camino who loved to get out before dawn.
See the thing is, nothing is open. No early morning coffee before a hike, which to some I imagine sounds kinda crazy. Remember, this is people who like to wear headlamps and walk early in the morning, before the rest of the world wakes up
So what do you do to get that fix?
Well, last year I learned about the instant packs of coffee available at most mercados, even the little ones. I believe they are manufactured by Nestle, think Nescafé. Some of these even come with sugar and cream…
So if you carry a few of these around, in the am, before the sun comes up, you can get your coffee before you bail. With some caveats.
Let’s hope wherever u are staying has a microwave and mugs. Not always the case.
But for sure they will have hot water coming out of the tap… yes, desperate people sometimes require desperate measures.
Also, sometimes the stores only carry the decaf versions! Gasp. So I have substituted instant cappuccino instead.
I started walking every morning about 6 a.m., and faced the problem you describe. I drank Red Bull first thing, to tide me over till I could find a cafe open at the next stop!So at home I don’t even drink coffee. I also rarely rise early… but on the Camino, well, it’s different.
I look forward to the myriad of better suggestions surely/maybe to follow.
So back in 2005 my mother introduced me to Cafe con Leche. It’s now a Camino staple for me. I look forward to the temporary addiction available at every bar/cafe you will ever go to. It’s also a social thing… everyone almost always wants their coffee and when you sit together and get some, it’s fun.
But what if you like to wake up early to walk? Like I’m talking about before the sun comes up. I met some friends last year on the Camino who loved to get out before dawn.
See the thing is, nothing is open. No early morning coffee before a hike, which to some I imagine sounds kinda crazy. Remember, this is people who like to wear headlamps and walk early in the morning, before the rest of the world wakes up
So what do you do to get that fix?
Well, last year I learned about the instant packs of coffee available at most mercados, even the little ones. I believe they are manufactured by Nestle, think Nescafé. Some of these even come with sugar and cream…
So if you carry a few of these around, in the am, before the sun comes up, you can get your coffee before you bail. With some caveats.
Let’s hope wherever u are staying has a microwave and mugs. Not always the case.
But for sure they will have hot water coming out of the tap… yes, desperate people sometimes require desperate measures.
Also, sometimes the stores only carry the decaf versions! Gasp. So I have substituted instant cappuccino instead.
My son is a US Marine aviator and seriously "addicted" to his coffee. When he was flying in Iraq he would put instant coffee crystals inside his cheek. I can't imagine doing this myself but...it's an option!So at home I don’t even drink coffee. I also rarely rise early… but on the Camino, well, it’s different.
I look forward to the myriad of better suggestions surely/maybe to follow.
So back in 2005 my mother introduced me to Cafe con Leche. It’s now a Camino staple for me. I look forward to the temporary addiction available at every bar/cafe you will ever go to. It’s also a social thing… everyone almost always wants their coffee and when you sit together and get some, it’s fun.
But what if you like to wake up early to walk? Like I’m talking about before the sun comes up. I met some friends last year on the Camino who loved to get out before dawn.
See the thing is, nothing is open. No early morning coffee before a hike, which to some I imagine sounds kinda crazy. Remember, this is people who like to wear headlamps and walk early in the morning, before the rest of the world wakes up
So what do you do to get that fix?
Well, last year I learned about the instant packs of coffee available at most mercados, even the little ones. I believe they are manufactured by Nestle, think Nescafé. Some of these even come with sugar and cream…
So if you carry a few of these around, in the am, before the sun comes up, you can get your coffee before you bail. With some caveats.
Let’s hope wherever u are staying has a microwave and mugs. Not always the case.
But for sure they will have hot water coming out of the tap… yes, desperate people sometimes require desperate measures.
Also, sometimes the stores only carry the decaf versions! Gasp. So I have substituted instant cappuccino instead.
My son has flown refueling jets for the military, but to this day he is still not a coffee addict.My son is a US Marine aviator and seriously "addicted" to his coffee. When he was flying in Iraq he would put instant coffee crystals inside his cheek. I can't imagine doing this myself but...it's an option!
Really???it weighs 104grams.
I heartily concur with your choice of Cafe Bustelo. They also produce a Cafe con leche in same form. Unfortunately it does seem to vary from lot to lot. Most are superb, others not so much but can be fine tuned to your taste with additional sweetener or milk.This is what I have carried before to the Camino. The cup is microwave safe, but if one never plans on using a microwave there are titanium ones available, too. Same with the spork. They make some really nice titanium ones. I like the reusable qualities of the cup and spork, and the cup is 12 oz in capacity. Plenty big enough for a 6-8 oz cup of coffee. I have even carried the cup on the outside of my pack and used it at water fountains along the Frances, keeping a 500 ml bottle full in a pocket of my pack. I don't use up the filled bottle unless I have to. I just use the cup at the fountains. Saves me from carrying the weight of another full 500 ml bottle. I do that when I know I am walking a section with plenty of opportunities to hydrate.
The cup and spork is inexpensive and lightweight and if one decides they don't want to carry it anymore one can just leave them in an albergue kitchen. They will be used.
The Cafe Bustelo is just my favorite brand of instant coffee. Little more edge to it lol.
View attachment 121107View attachment 121108View attachment 121109
Lol!Since I intensely dislike coffee, if I feel the need to get a boost to early morning energy, I take a caffeine tablet. I go by the motto: "It's the caffeine I need, it's the coffee I can do without".
That’s cool.Sorry buddy, those little packs are the most horrible coffee ever. I have a little ultralight stove. I pack some fresh coffee and a coffee press. It is heaven
I suggest letting your dog test it, too!Thanks for the recommendation. I picked one up yesterday at REI and am "testing" it now.
I buy my chocolate covered coffee beans at Trader Joes - a wonderful invention!I just discovered chocolate covered expresso beans about 8 hrs ago..
Ohh Lort...
My caffeine need has a new friend
15 year old Malti-poo. My wife shut down the test before it started.I suggest letting your dog test it, too!
This is what our group did.Well, I did exactly that, getting up before sunrise way before anyone else. Gulping down a cup of water, leaving the house and chewing on some chocolate while drilling through the first miles of the day. Then after maybe 10 kilometres, on some days after 15, I would have my breakfast with Cafe con Leche somewhere and then blend in among those who just started their pilgrim day ;-)
So if it is just early enough my engine can run on reserves in the morning without it feeling as if I was running on reserves.
I am a coffee addict and I normally get up early at home. I brought a bunch of Starbucks instant coffee sachets with me to the Camino. It was nice to brew a cup sometimes. But honestly, I'd be fine without that instant coffee either. At home, I need to do a series of tasks that involve intellectual activities as soon as I wake up, for that, coffee is precious. On the Camino, I just walk. Well, that might be a bit of a zombie walk, I agree, but still perfectly doable until the first open café on my way.So at home I don’t even drink coffee. I also rarely rise early… but on the Camino, well, it’s different.
I look forward to the myriad of better suggestions surely/maybe to follow.
So back in 2005 my mother introduced me to Cafe con Leche. It’s now a Camino staple for me. I look forward to the temporary addiction available at every bar/cafe you will ever go to. It’s also a social thing… everyone almost always wants their coffee and when you sit together and get some, it’s fun.
But what if you like to wake up early to walk? Like I’m talking about before the sun comes up. I met some friends last year on the Camino who loved to get out before dawn.
See the thing is, nothing is open. No early morning coffee before a hike, which to some I imagine sounds kinda crazy. Remember, this is people who like to wear headlamps and walk early in the morning, before the rest of the world wakes up
So what do you do to get that fix?
Well, last year I learned about the instant packs of coffee available at most mercados, even the little ones. I believe they are manufactured by Nestle, think Nescafé. Some of these even come with sugar and cream…
So if you carry a few of these around, in the am, before the sun comes up, you can get your coffee before you bail. With some caveats.
Let’s hope wherever u are staying has a microwave and mugs. Not always the case.
But for sure they will have hot water coming out of the tap… yes, desperate people sometimes require desperate measures.
Also, sometimes the stores only carry the decaf versions! Gasp. So I have substituted instant cappuccino instead.
I found another solution! Damien is right - many people wake up early, rustle their plastic bags and wake up the whole albergue, so it's common to just get up and go in the dark without coffee, sometimes til 10 a.m. That's in addition to lack of sleep from farting, snoring, drunk pilgrims. Luckily, before I left the US I discovered Grinds, a coffee packet like a tiny teabag that you put in your cheek. It weighs almost nothing. It was designed by 2 baseball players who wanted to help break their addictions to tobacco. It's just coffee. Amazon, some grocery stores and convenience stores carry it near the tobacco chew. The mint flavor really wasn't all that bad. I only needed it a few times, but it saved me from headaches.So at home I don’t even drink coffee. I also rarely rise early… but on the Camino, well, it’s different.
I look forward to the myriad of better suggestions surely/maybe to follow.
So back in 2005 my mother introduced me to Cafe con Leche. It’s now a Camino staple for me. I look forward to the temporary addiction available at every bar/cafe you will ever go to. It’s also a social thing… everyone almost always wants their coffee and when you sit together and get some, it’s fun.
But what if you like to wake up early to walk? Like I’m talking about before the sun comes up. I met some friends last year on the Camino who loved to get out before dawn.
See the thing is, nothing is open. No early morning coffee before a hike, which to some I imagine sounds kinda crazy. Remember, this is people who like to wear headlamps and walk early in the morning, before the rest of the world wakes up
So what do you do to get that fix?
Well, last year I learned about the instant packs of coffee available at most mercados, even the little ones. I believe they are manufactured by Nestle, think Nescafé. Some of these even come with sugar and cream…
So if you carry a few of these around, in the am, before the sun comes up, you can get your coffee before you bail. With some caveats.
Let’s hope wherever u are staying has a microwave and mugs. Not always the case.
But for sure they will have hot water coming out of the tap… yes, desperate people sometimes require desperate measures.
Also, sometimes the stores only carry the decaf versions! Gasp. So I have substituted instant cappuccino instead.
Don't count on a cup of coffee before 9. See my reply here about Grinds.As a pilgrim-to-be who really needs coffee in the morning but doesn’t feel the need to be out the door before sunrise - what time will I find places that sell coffee be open? And if I am ever staying at a casa rural or hotel, will I ever have a coffee maker in my room? Just need to set my expectations, please
I should add that I’ll be on the Norte.
I am definitely going to look for caffeine tablets. As much as I love my one morning mug of coffee, it's not the end of the world if I don't get it. But the ensuing headache from lack of caffeine to kickstart my day is unbearable. Hopefully tablets will address this. Thanks.Since I intensely dislike coffee, if I feel the need to get a boost to early morning energy, I take a caffeine tablet. I go by the motto: "It's the caffeine I need, it's the coffee I can do without".
Finding the right Coffee was a bit of a struggle for me on the Camino. I like my coffee strong and black. I did have a fellow pilgrim suggest that Spain has a different coffee culture to Australia. I was served some good coffee. I was served some not so good coffee. I was served some great coffee. I persevered. I survived. There were so many other things to experience on the Camino. The food, the wine, the people, the culture. Good coffee was bonus.So at home I don’t even drink coffee. I also rarely rise early… but on the Camino, well, it’s different.
I look forward to the myriad of better suggestions surely/maybe to follow.
So back in 2005 my mother introduced me to Cafe con Leche. It’s now a Camino staple for me. I look forward to the temporary addiction available at every bar/cafe you will ever go to. It’s also a social thing… everyone almost always wants their coffee and when you sit together and get some, it’s fun.
But what if you like to wake up early to walk? Like I’m talking about before the sun comes up. I met some friends last year on the Camino who loved to get out before dawn.
See the thing is, nothing is open. No early morning coffee before a hike, which to some I imagine sounds kinda crazy. Remember, this is people who like to wear headlamps and walk early in the morning, before the rest of the world wakes up
So what do you do to get that fix?
Well, last year I learned about the instant packs of coffee available at most mercados, even the little ones. I believe they are manufactured by Nestle, think Nescafé. Some of these even come with sugar and cream…
So if you carry a few of these around, in the am, before the sun comes up, you can get your coffee before you bail. With some caveats.
Let’s hope wherever u are staying has a microwave and mugs. Not always the case.
But for sure they will have hot water coming out of the tap… yes, desperate people sometimes require desperate measures.
Also, sometimes the stores only carry the decaf versions! Gasp. So I have substituted instant cappuccino instead.
I think the thread is really about our need for caffeine and like everything else on the Camino we make do with our caffeine fix regardless of shape and form. A cup of tea or a can of coke is also a substitute. Remember many pilgrims who are on tight budgets will group together pilgrims for the sake of an extra euro just to do laundry. Each to their own. As for the coffee coAs a true coffee lover, I would never ever consider instant, instead, I'd rather remain sober for an hour or two on the trail, as I have done at times.
I can't believe that some here seriously call themselves "coffee lovers" in this thread and yet refer to this hideous brew as an alternative.
On my first Camino in 2013, I took along this mini espresso maker plus a pound of premium ground highland coffee.
View attachment 121117
The problem with this was manifold: firstly, the extra weight, and secondly, the compelling need for a hot plate. In addition, I was able to find out very quickly that they have wonderful coffee in Spain. No, I do not mean the "Cafe con Leche", but the Corte, Cafe solo, or whatever it is called.
The thing was extremely practical and I became very popular among early risers, btw
Nevertheless, I left the device at home on my subsequent Caminos and have since managed very well with the simple solution to start walking only at about 8:00 am. At this hour, there is practically always an open bar around the corner...and if not, then I just run an hour without.
With my normal daily walk routine of about 5 to 6 hours, I still arrive very early at the next place. (With the day heat I rarely have a problem, because I prefer my Caminos taking place in the fall.)
If anyone is interested in my Italian Espresso Maker, I would possibly part with this collectible beauty in mint condition and consider offers starting at 100 Euro, the entire proceeds to be donated to theUkraine refugees via the ICRC.
The auction would be conducted publicly and openly in this thread.
If you read the thread you may notice it is actually about the need for caffeine. As with everything else on the Camino much of the time we just make do. Our favourite moments are often sitting on the brow of some hill or on a quiet woodland trail having a 2 course meal of stale bread, chorizo and washing it down with lukewarm water followed by dessert in the form of a cookie or a piece of chocolate. At moments like that we are truly free.As a true coffee lover, I would never ever consider instant, instead, I'd rather remain sober for an hour or two on the trail, as I have done at times.
I can't believe that some here seriously call themselves "coffee lovers" in this thread and yet refer to this hideous brew as an alternative.
On my first Camino in 2013, I took along this mini espresso maker plus a pound of premium ground highland coffee.
View attachment 121117
The problem with this was manifold: firstly, the extra weight, and secondly, the compelling need for a hot plate. In addition, I was able to find out very quickly that they have wonderful coffee in Spain. No, I do not mean the "Cafe con Leche", but the Corte, Cafe solo, or whatever it is called.
The thing was extremely practical and I became very popular among early risers, btw
Nevertheless, I left the device at home on my subsequent Caminos and have since managed very well with the simple solution to start walking only at about 8:00 am. At this hour, there is practically always an open bar around the corner...and if not, then I just run an hour without.
With my normal daily walk routine of about 5 to 6 hours, I still arrive very early at the next place. (With the day heat I rarely have a problem, because I prefer my Caminos taking place in the fall.)
If anyone is interested in my Italian Espresso Maker, I would possibly part with this collectible beauty in mint condition and consider offers starting at 100 Euro, the entire proceeds to be donated to theUkraine refugees via the ICRC.
The auction would be conducted publicly and openly in this thread.
| Weight | 336 g | 0.74 lb |
I take a thermal cup and 10 coffee sachets Nescafe 3 in 1
I like Paul Messner's videosThose 3-in-1 sachets are undeniably convenient, but most are full of dodgy ingredients (artificially sweeteners, palm oil, emulsifiers, etc.). Just saying.
May be of interest:
I am a fan of the Nestle instant flavoured coffee sachets. When I started working as a bus driver, I found that the availability of coffee is inversely related to the ability to find somewhere to park my bus. So, a supply of sachets and an insulated bottle of boiled water solved my dilemma. I'm packing some for my Camino in May.So at home I don’t even drink coffee. I also rarely rise early… but on the Camino, well, it’s different.
I look forward to the myriad of better suggestions surely/maybe to follow.
So back in 2005 my mother introduced me to Cafe con Leche. It’s now a Camino staple for me. I look forward to the temporary addiction available at every bar/cafe you will ever go to. It’s also a social thing… everyone almost always wants their coffee and when you sit together and get some, it’s fun.
But what if you like to wake up early to walk? Like I’m talking about before the sun comes up. I met some friends last year on the Camino who loved to get out before dawn.
See the thing is, nothing is open. No early morning coffee before a hike, which to some I imagine sounds kinda crazy. Remember, this is people who like to wear headlamps and walk early in the morning, before the rest of the world wakes up
So what do you do to get that fix?
Well, last year I learned about the instant packs of coffee available at most mercados, even the little ones. I believe they are manufactured by Nestle, think Nescafé. Some of these even come with sugar and cream…
So if you carry a few of these around, in the am, before the sun comes up, you can get your coffee before you bail. With some caveats.
Let’s hope wherever u are staying has a microwave and mugs. Not always the case.
But for sure they will have hot water coming out of the tap… yes, desperate people sometimes require desperate measures.
Also, sometimes the stores only carry the decaf versions! Gasp. So I have substituted instant cappuccino instead.
Bottom line its really about the caffeine isn't it so in times of need then why not. Enjoy your Camino Roscoe.I am a fan of the Nestle instant flavoured coffee sachets. When I started working as a bus driver, I found that the availability of coffee is inversely related to the ability to find somewhere to park my bus. So, a supply of sachets and an insulated bottle of boiled water solved my dilemma. I'm packing some for my Camino in May.
Ancient thread but the bump is recognized. 3 days to cafe con leche.Bottom line its really about the caffeine isn't it so in times of need then why not. Enjoy your Camino Roscoe.
I love cafe con leche in Spain, and at home I always use a lot of cream in my coffee; I can not drink it black or only with sugar.I am a fan of the Nestle instant flavoured coffee sachets. When I started working as a bus driver, I found that the availability of coffee is inversely related to the ability to find somewhere to park my bus. So, a supply of sachets and an insulated bottle of boiled water solved my dilemma. I'm packing some for my Camino in May.
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