First Ascent Instant Coffee Review • PaddlingLight.com

After hearing about First Ascent Instant Coffee blasting into space to quench the thirst of decaffeinated astronauts aboard the International Space Station, I decided to order some up from REI. I figured if it was good enough for astronauts, it’s good enough instant coffee for canoe and kayak trips.

REI had three flavors: Alpine Start, Dirty Chai Latte and Instant Coconut Creamer Latte. The Lattes came with five instant packages and the Alpine Start came with eight. Each cost $9 at the time of this review. You could also buy a bulk bag of 30 servings of Alpine Start.

I’m an on again and off again drinker of coffee, but I do like it. To build up my street cred, in the past one of my expeditions was sponsored in part by Java Juice, a now defunct liquid instant coffee. Typically, I’ll make my coffee using an AeroPress. It makes a good cup of coffee with minimal waste and fuss, but I don’t like to deal with it in the backcountry. When I saw that astronauts would be drinking First Ascent, I figured I’d give it a try. It might be better than MiO Energy Drinks, which come in a small container that you squeeze into water for a shot of caffeine. I’ve been using MiO on my trips lately.

How does First Ascent Instant Coffee taste?

Out of the three First Ascent Instant Coffee flavors, I like the Alpine Start the best. It’s something that I could see myself bringing on future paddling trips. Considering that I typically drink my coffee black, I’m not surprised that the Dirty Chai Latte and the Instant Coconut Creamer Latte didn’t appeal to me. They were okay, but I wouldn’t buy them again for myself. On the other hand, if you like those types of drinks, you’ll probably like those flavors.

I think that First Ascent Instant Coffee is a solid choice for paddlers and backpackers or any backcountry users who don’t want to hassle with making coffee in the backcountry. I’ll be taking the Alpine Start on my next trip.

Get it at REI.