planetary design ovrlndr french press and coffee beans

This website is reader supported, and we use affiliate links for products we love. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. It helps us pay for stuff like web hosting (and camping gear, of course!) Learn more here.

There’s nothing like a relaxing morning at camp with a hot beverage.

But making coffee while camping can be frustrating, as it’s hard to control the variables that go into making a good brewed drink in the field. Cleaning filter parts with limited water is a hassle, and disposing of used coffee grounds can be tricky.

If you want the freshest camp brew without spending time and effort on setup and cleaning, we recommend using a french press. French presses excel in the great outdoors. They’re battery-free, straightforward to use, and simple to clean, making them the ideal travel companion for any camping trip.

In this post, we’ll talk about our favorite camping coffee maker and share a few reasons we think it’s the best insulated french press for camping.

What is the Best French Press for Camping?

The best camping coffee maker is the Planetary Design Ovrlndr. It’s an all-in-one travel coffee press and insulated coffee mug solution that’s perfect for making coffee on the go. 

This is the best french press coffee maker because its thoughtful design makes it stand out from similar products.

The smart filter system does a great job of separating coffee grounds from the brewed coffee, and its double-walled vacuum insulation keeps drinks hot for hours. With this french press, you don’t have to worry about your drink being cold or full of sediment.

This coffee maker is a good size for carrying in a backpack or stowing away in your camp kitchen. So far, it has stood up to all the abuse we’ve thrown its way.

Our Favorite
BruTrek OVRLNDR Travel Coffee French Press, 24 fl.oz Capacity
4.0
$48.00

Looking for the perfect coffee maker for your next camping trip? The Planetary Design Ovrlndr is lightweight and compact, small enough to fit in a backpack. This system is straightforward to use and makes flavorful coffee with minimal cleanup. It’s the best French press for camping.

Pros:
  • Easy to clean
  • Little to no sediment
  • Portable and tough
Cons:
  • Finicky bottom seal
  • Plunger issues
  • Leftover water in bottom
Buy on Amazon
10/14/2024 09:10 pm GMT

Planetary Design Ovrlndr Product Specs

  • Brews 24 fluid ounces of coffee (or tea!)
  • Bottom is removable for easy cleaning
  • Snap-on lid prevents drinks from spilling while traveling
  • Double-wall vacuum insulated body keeps drinks hot for hours
  • Stainless steel plate on top of the plunger prevents grounds from escaping the filtering screens
  • Available in 6 colors

Upsides of the Ovrlndr French Press

Our experience with this travel coffee press has been mostly positive, and we’ve found the benefits outweigh the downsides. Let’s talk about what we like about this french press:

Easy to clean

The removable bottom on this model makes cleanup easy. Whether we’re using this french press at home or on the trail, it’s easy to unscrew the bottom and swish used coffee grounds into a trash bag or sink strainer.

Little to no sediment

The fine screens and stainless steel cover on the brew plate lets you enjoy your coffee without muck in the bottom of your cup. Each piece of the brew plate comes apart, so it’s easy to clean grounds and oil out of the screen.

Portable and tough

The all-in-one french press and insulated travel mug design makes the Ovrlndr the perfect solution for enjoying brewed drinks on the go. It fits in the cup holder of our Jeep, and the snap top lid prevents leaks and spills on the trail.

making coffee with the best french press for camping. green mug that says take me to the trail.
Camping and coffee. Name a more iconic duo.

Downsides of the Ovrlndr French Press

While this Planetary design french press meets most of our needs, we’ll be the first to admit it’s not perfect. Here are a few things to know before you buy one:

Leftover water in removable bottom piece

The design of this travel coffee press features a removable bottom, and the chamber retains a small amount of water. The idea behind the design is the remaining water helps you clean out the leftover coffee grounds.

However, in real life use we’ve found the amount of water left in the bottom isn’t enough to swish out remaining coffee grounds. If having water in the bottom of the press is a problem, consider the Steel Toe design instead of the Ovrlndr.

Finicky bottom seal

If not cleaned regularly and screwed in just right, the seal in the removable part of the french press can leak.

If you make coffee in low light conditions or in a hurry, make sure the removable bottom piece is screwed in straight so the gasket prevents spills.

Plunger issues

The brew plate sometimes traps air and forms a seal. The trapped air can make it difficult to fully depress the plunger or pour coffee.

We’ve found moving the plunger up slightly releases the seal and corrects the minor trapped air problem that sometimes happens.

How the Ovrlndr Compares to Other Camping Coffee Makers We’ve Used

We tried two other camping coffee presses before we fell in love with the Ovrlndr:

  • Coffee Gator Insulated French Press
  • GSI Outdoors JavaPress

The Coffee Gator is heavier and not as portable as the Ovrlndr, and doesn’t keep coffee hot as long. Like the Ovrlndr, the brew plate comes apart for easy cleaning. Despite fine screens on the brew plate, we noticed more sediment in the bottom of our coffee cups with this press.

GSI JavaPress is lightweight, easy to store, and provides decent coffee ground filtering. It doesn’t keep coffee hot as long as the Ovrlndr, and isn’t as easy to clean. Because this coffee maker is made of plastic, it’s not as durable as the Coffee Gator or the Ovrlndr.

Tips for Using the Ovrlndr French Press

To get the best performance out of your Ovrlndr, keep it clean. The brew plate screws apart and each piece is removable, so keeping it free of coffee grounds and oil build up is easy. We wash ours with mild dish soap and rinse it thoroughly.

To prevent sediment in your coffee, use a coarse grind to allow the brew plate to catch all the grounds. We keep a manual coffee bean grinder in our camp kitchen to get a good coarse grind without electricity.

We heat our water to 195° and brew 3 tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee for 5 minutes, but you may need to experiment with the brew time and amount of coffee depending on your tastes.

Final Thoughts

The Planetary Design Ovrlndr is a good camping coffee and tea maker that’s both durable and portable.

If you’re looking for a sturdy, well-designed, and easy to clean travel press that makes great brewed drinks and stands up to just about anything you throw at it, we recommend giving the Planetary Design Ovrlndr a try.

Stay Connected

Sign up below to be notified when we have a new post or video!

Similar Posts