10-Minute Cowboy Coffee
A little traditional knowledge about making 10-minute cowboy coffee.
Knowing how to make traditional cowboy coffee is beneficial for any camper or woodsman. Historically speaking, it was a universal skill on the frontier. Coffee has been a part of American culture since at least the 18th century. Men like Daniel Boone, Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, Charles Goodnight, and countless others, certainly boiled up a dark cup of coffee after a long day. I doubt it is a stretch to say that I’m the only one who still enjoys a hot cup of coffee on a camping trip.
As you might imagine, the frontiersmen who drank so much coffee mastered this daily chore. As a result, they would have figured out lots of tips and tricks to make their coffee better and faster. One source that offers some tips about making cowboy coffee is Richmond Hobson’s book Grass Beyond the Mountains.
I’ve written about this book in several posts on this website because Hobson’s blend of experience, communication, and practicality make the book both enjoyable and educational. For those of you who don’t know, Hobson and his partner Pan Phillips started a cattle ranch in unmapped territory in Canada in the 1930s. The book recounts the hardships and struggles to establish what would eventually become one of the largest ranches in North America. It really is a great story of perseverance and determination. For those interested in wilderness living, it also offers some tips and tricks from a man who lived it. One tidbit of information is how he became a master at 10-minute cowboy coffee.
During their trek through the wilderness, Hobson took on responsibility as the crew’s cook. As a result, the coffee-making duties fell to him. It didn’t take long for him to master the art of making cowboy coffee. In his own words, “I had become a 10-minute coffee expert.”
Fortunately for modern campers, Hobson clearly describes his craft. The following excerpt comes from his book.
“My system was as follows. Upon arrival at camp, I jumped off my horse, completely ignored the rest of the outfit and their routine camp-arrival conversation, caught and unpacked the kitchen horse - average time two and a half minutes. Now get this trick, you packers and campers, if you haven’t already learned it. Here is where the big secret of ten-minute “coffee time, you tramps” comes in.
“I reach into one pack box and produce two handfuls of finely cut pitch-pine shavings, and a few small pitchy sticks, cut the day before. Setting this incendiary material in a small pile within five feet of the kitchen, I strike a match, and collect limbs from under near-by trees. By the time I run back to the fire with a lard pail full of water, the fire is going full blast. Average time for bringing java pail to boil - four or five minutes. Thus ten-minute coffee.”
Again, Hobson was doing this daily over months. He perfected his coffee-making craft in the wilderness and shared it through his book.
One of the great things about these types of traditional skills is that they never change. People today who want to make cowboy coffee in the woods can apply the same techniques. Today you can certainly substitute a stove and get even faster results. In areas with fire restrictions, you will have to do this. However, if you’re able to have a fire and want to go the traditional route, this proven 10-minute cowboy coffee method might help. Put it into practice and you can enjoy a hot cup of black coffee like frontiersmen have for hundreds of years.
Saddle up and ride along on this frontier adventure.
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