The Kuju Journal

You probably already know that coffee is not only a great source of caffeine and energy, but also can produce some of the most amazing flavors known to man (maybe an exaggeration). But did you know that one single serving of black coffee is only one calorie? Or that decaf doesn’t necessarily mean zero caffeine? 

We’ve put together a list of 20 facts about coffee that you should know so that the next time you’re sitting around a campfire telling stories, you can show off your knowledge about the most popular beverage in the world.

We recently sat down with outdoor writer and adventure photographer, Luke Kelly who hails from Hudson Valley, NY as part of our Ways to Wander Q&A series. In this interview we dive into Luke's journey in photography and outdoor travel. From starting with a phone camera to do doing speaking engagements about his photography and selling his pieces, Luke is an inspiration for those looking to turn their love for the outdoors into more than just a hobby. Fun fact: Luke was one of Kuju's first official Ambassadors! All photos in this article are by Luke Kelly.

Can you tell us a little about what you've been up to lately and where your journey with photography began?

Hey Justin, I just wanted to start by saying thank you for the interview, and congrats on all the successes that Kuju has had over the years. I'm a big fan of your coffee, and I take it on all my backpacking trips.

So currently, I'm on a 2 1/2 month road trip across North America. I'm roadtripping out of my old Hyundai Sonata, visiting the National Parks, hiking and camping every day, and trying to improve as a nature and travel photographer. It's been awesome so far, and I'm enjoying living in each moment.

My journey with photography was really born out of my love for travel. I started traveling right after high school, on a trip to Alaska with my best friend. It was my first time backpacking or camping, and I knew pretty quickly that I was hooked. I dedicated the years following that first trip to traveling as much as possible, and to having a lot of different experiences in my 20's. I always had an old camera with me, as well as my phone just to take pictures and document these trips that I was going on. It was always about traveling first, and taking pictures second. But over the years, I slowly started to realize that I had a knack for photography--and more importantly that I really enjoyed it and loved taking pictures of these beautiful places I was visiting--so in 2016 I decided to invest in a good camera and start taking photography a little more seriously. I'm self-taught, learning as I go, and hopefully I get a little better with every trip. But at the end of the day, I still think of myself as a traveler first.

What keeps you motivated with your photography work?

It's all about passion. When you genuinely love doing something, and you feel called to it, it's not work. You could do it forever and not get bored of it. That's how I feel about travel and nature photography, because I truly enjoy experiencing new places in the outdoors, taking photos, and then sharing that with other people. When I'm traveling like this, I've never once had to motivate myself to go out and shoot. I'm just always psyched to go out and do it, because it's what I love. And my mindset has always been that if you're lucky enough to find what you're passionate about in life, you owe it to yourself to go all in.

I also recently started a business around my traveling and photography, selling prints and calendars, and speaking publicly about the things I've learned from travel. That's been incredibly rewarding, just to be able to share my passion and start to build a little business around that. I hope that people get something from it, whether it's a nice photo to hang on the wall, or some motivation to just get out there and really go after whatever it is that you're dreaming about. So again, it's passion and loving what I do that keeps me motivated.


What is your best adventure planning tip?

I would say that my best adventure planning tip is to always be prepared for the worst-case scenario, and to expect that things will eventually go wrong when you're traveling. I tend to err on the side of caution and overpack a little bit for backpacking or mountaineering trips, because at the end of the day, you never know what's going to happen. You want to be ready to deal with whatever comes up. What I learned from my time working as a commercial fisherman in Alaska, and from some other trips to remote places, is that there's always going to be some amount of risk involved in adventure-type activities. You can't get rid of that risk, but you can do everything in your power to minimize it, and to safely enjoy the outdoors. So I take safety really seriously.

What do you find is the most enjoyable way to explore your favorite National Park?

For me, my favorite way to enjoy the National Parks is to drive in, and then spend my time there doing single-day and multi-day hikes. I like to tag a few summits and try to see the wildlife. I always have my tent with me, which allows for a lot more flexibility for where I'm going to stay. Some of my favorite parks are Glacier, the Grand Tetons, and Yosemite. There's never going to be enough time to see it all in park, so I just pick out a few trails that I think I'll enjoy and do my best to explore and enjoy them.


What is the last thing you read or heard that had a profound impact on you?

I recently read The Devil's Thumb by Jon Krakauer. It raises some interesting questions about what climbing mountains and going on adventures can and can't do for your life. I think a lot of people--and I was like this in my early-20's--go into the outdoors because they're seeking something. They want to learn about themselves, and to transform their life in some sort of positive way. Going into nature to find yourself is a theme that's pretty well embedded into the American psyche--from Thoreau to Keruoac. The conclusion that Krakauer reached in The Devil's Thumb is pretty much the same conclusion that I've reached after ten years of traveling--is that to positively change your life, or to find peace, or fulfillment--it doesn't come from anything outside of yourself. Change has to come from within. So reading that has stayed with me.


What is one eco-friendly thing you do every day, and what inspires you to protect the planet?

I think that lot of the damage to the environment is done unconsciously, because often you don't see the direct effects of your day-to-day decisions. When I was in Nepal, and parts of South America--I couldn't believe the amount of plastic. Just plastic bottles everywhere, they were literally burning it in the streets. It was eye-opening. So I've really tried to cut down and eliminate my use of plastic products and bring my reusables everywhere, whether it's my coffee mug, Nalgene, or bags at the grocery store. I also try to make my outdoor gear and clothing go as long as possible. It's really important to me that when I travel, I practice Leave No Trace, so I've been really conscious about my impact on trails and campsites lately, and have done my best to make sure I leave nothing behind but footsteps. Honestly, I'm inspired to protect the planet because I feel connected to the land and the environment. People are a part of nature, and if we're destroying it--we're ultimately destroying ourselves. So it's really important to me that we protect it for future generations and for the animals that we share the planet with.

What's the next adventure you have planned?

Well, I just got back to the Lower-48 from Alaska yesterday. I'm traveling solo--I have my car, tent, and no set itinerary on the road for the next two weeks. I'm writing this from a coffee shop in Washington, about to head up to the North Cascades for the first time. From there, I'll start working my way down the West Coast--visiting the Oregon Coast, Crater Lake, and a lot of the National Parks in California. I'm really looking forward to Yosemite. It's a great feeling to be having new experiences and taking photos every day. And then when I get back home to New York, then next adventure will be growing my business. I'm really psyched for everything that's ahead.

Follow Luke on Instagram @lukekellytravels
Follow his blog: https://lukekellytravel.wixsite.com/blog

Want to be featured in our new Ways to Wander Q&A series? Drop us a line at info@kujucoffee.com and your story may be selected.

Our co-founders had the pleasure of visiting the Snack Nation office in Southern California to tell the story of Kuju Coffee on Brand Builder – a podcast that "brings you the people, stories, and lessons learned from the most innovative brands in the world."

Listen to the Brand Builder Podcast to hear the real deal behind Kuju Coffee and our single-serve pour overs.

If you’ve been following Kuju, you have probably seen one of our videos on How to Make Single-Serve Pour Over or maybe even our Instagram Stories where we brew a cup of Kuju almost every morning.

In these videos, you see us using a kettle with a long spout, specifically used for brewing coffee. It’s called a gooseneck kettle and the long spout makes it easier to control your pouring, making for a very pleasant pour over coffee experience. You can get yourself one of these kettles here.

Making coffee is easy. Making coffee that tastes delicious every single time? That’s a little more challenging. Luckily, our single-serve pour overs make it simpler to yield a great tasting cup wherever you wander. It takes care of some of the biggest challenges when it comes to brewing coffee: grinding to the right size, weighing the right amount and setting up all your equipment.

And as we’ve further developed our products with different coffees like our Fair Trade, Organic Single Origin coffees or our Decaf Lakeside Roast (yes many of our customers have asked for decaf!), we’ve also developed a few key tips that help ensure a great tasting cup of coffee every time you make one of our single-serve pour overs.

This week we sat down with photographer, filmmaker, and author, Jason Hatfield. In addition to being incredibly talented at photography and film, Jason is also an advocate for the environment and climate change. So much so that he and his wife have decided to sell their house and live in a trailer to both help reduce their environmental impact and see more of the world together. See the interview below!

This video shows an alternative way to use Kuju Coffee. This video shows the main method for making Kuju Coffee – single-serve pour over. 

Cold brew coffee is great. It tends to have a smoother flavor than hot coffee and you can drink it even on a scorching hot day. But how do you make cold brew coffee when you're not at home? Our Travel 5-Packs are a perfect solution for making cold brew while in the outdoors, at a hotel or Airbnb, or even at the office!

All it takes is some water and one of our Travel 5-Packs, which can literally go with you anywhere. Why is this great? Because now you don't need a separate container or loose coffee grounds to make your cold brew. You can just throw a Travel 5-Pack in your bag and literally have cold brew anywhere.

Here's how to do it:

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Kuju Coffee Travel 5-Pack Cold Brew Recipe

Makes 5 cups of cold brew (2.5 cups of concentrate)

Ingredients:

• 1 Kuju Coffee Travel 5-Pack Pouch (your choice of roast)

• 2.5 cups of cold water, preferably filtered

Instructions

1. Grab a Travel 5-Pack from Kuju Coffee - Depending on how you like your coffee, you can choose between our light (Angels Landing), medium (Basecamp Blend) or dark roast (Bold Awakening). For cold brew coffee, we recommend our Basecamp Blend, Medium Roast.

2. Open & Fill With Water - Tear open the 5-pack and fill with cold water (preferably filtered) up to the top of the bag, approximately 2.5 cups. As you fill the bag, the filters will float up to the top, but you can just push them back down.
   
   
   
   

3. Zip It Up - Zip the 5-pack back up and ensure that there are no leaks.

4. Give it a gentle shake - After ensuring there are no leaks in the zipper, give the bag a gentle shake or turn to fully saturate the coffee.

5. Let Sit for 12-24 Hours - Store in fridge or cooler for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours, depending on how strong you like your coffee. If you’re in a hotel, you can use the mini fridge. If you don’t have a fridge or cooler, then you can also leave it out at room temperature.

6. Mix Concentrate With Water - Since this is a cold brew coffee concentrate, the liquid coffee will be very strong, so when you’re ready to drink, mix 1 part concentrate, 1 part water and 1 part ice.
   
   

Good for up to 2 weeks, but tastes best within a few days of brewing.

Cold brew made with our 5-packs is a foolproof way to make delicious cold brew coffee without the need for extra mason jars or ground coffee. And you can do it while you're traveling or on a trip.

We hope you enjoy this brewing tip and let us know in the comments below how yours turns out!

Be 1% Better. That’s the tagline for 1% for the Planet’s most recent campaign to challenge the world to do more for our planet. It’s a simple idea, and when put into practice, can create real change one company, organization and person at a time.

Since the inception of Kuju Coffee, we have actively chosen to be a 1% for the Planet member. What does this mean? It means we donate 1% of sales (not just profits) to support causes that help support our planet. For us, we’ve chosen the National Park Foundation because we love our National Parks and want to do all that we can to ensure that they are preserved for future generations to come. After all, who wouldn’t love a quick jaunt up Angel’s Landing in Zion?

In addition to our donation, our decision to be a 1% for the Planet member has been part of a broader effort to build the Kuju brand in a better way. We do better by sourcing coffee from a family farm in Thailand that employs former victims of sex-trafficking. Most recently, we’ve decided to manufacture all of our Pocket PourOver products in facilities run 100% on Wind Power. We do these things so that we can do our part in making an impact. We call it Source-to-Soul™...more on that another time.

Even better, we're in good company with some of our favorite brands like Kammok, Peak Design, Sunski, Regrained, Patagonia and more. 

So I want to challenge you. What will you do to be 1% better?

Let us know in the comments below or visit https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/better.

To journeys near and far,
Justin Wiguna
Co-founder

Have you been wanting to try out #vanlife or explore our National Parks in a decked out RV? You're in luck. We've partnered with Tracks & Trails – creators of amazing RV adventure vacations – to bring you some of their best tips to make your RV feel like home, ultimately making your road trip both adventurous and comfortable. See the original post here.

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Vacations are about getting away, exploring new territories, being with the ones you love, and discovering different experiences. But to get out of your comfort zone on vacation, it helps to have a comfortable place to decompress after your day’s adventure. And RVs are the perfect escape. Your RV can feel like your home away from home with just a few simple steps.

Enjoy your coffee just like you would at home – don’t sacrifice that perfect cup

If there is one thing we don’t do while we’re on the road, it’s drink a bad cup of coffee. Most #vanlifers or full-time RVers have figured that out too, and typically opt for a French Press to make a tasty cup of coffee. While very convenient, this tends to get quite messy. One of our go-tos is Kuju Coffee, a high-quality, delicious cup of coffee without the mess! Just place the bag in your mug and pour in hot water. Enjoy your coffee just like you would at home and get your day started, no clean up necessary.  

Unpack your stuff and give everything a home

One of the things we hear most from folks after their RV trip is how nice it was to only need to unpack once! No jumping from hotel to hotel, unpacking and repacking repeatedly. With an RV, you have the storage space to unpack your suitcase – and we highly suggest you do so. You’re more likely to put things away, keeping your RV tidy and organized. If you are going on the road for a long trip, we suggest bringing ways to create more space – basic organizing tools can make your storage space even more efficient.

Bring games!

Sitting around a campfire or relaxing after a day of adventure allows for downtime that we don’t always allow ourselves to have in our normal lives – we always need to be doing something (have you ever been out to dinner and realized everyone in your group is on their phones? Yeah, us too). These times are the perfect excuse to enjoy the people you are with. With an RV, you have plenty of space to bring along some of your favorite games, like the National Park themed Monopoly or the Parks Project National Park playing cards. So put down your phone and engage with your friends or your family. Raining outside? No problem. Hop in your RV and sit around your table. The weather can’t stop you.

Make your favorite meals

An RV gives you tons of options when it comes to cooking meals. If you like cooking over an open fire, you can bring all the tools you need. If the idea of that makes you cringe a little, you can opt for cooking inside instead. Most RVs will have a stovetop and a wide range of cooking utensils so you can cook most, if not all, of your favorite meals. Don’t want to cook at all? No problem! Your RV should also come equipped with a portable fridge for RV and a microwave – which also make leftovers easy peasy!  

It’s National Park Week and we’re celebrating by sharing five of our favorite National Parks along with the point (best hikes), the pour (our recommended coffee for the park) and the pro-tip (tips from friends and ambassadors to help enhance your experience next time you’re at one of these parks). Why do we care to do this? As part of our membership with 1% for the Planet, we donate to the National Park Foundation, so naturally we love our parks and want you to too!

Let’s get to it!

The Park: Yosemite National Park

The Point: Hike Upper Yosemite Falls for a challenging hike, leading up to one of the best views of Half Dome in the entire park.

The Pour: Basecamp Blend – Our most approachable (and popular) blend is a perfect fit for an adventure through Yosemite.

The Pro-Tip: Get there before the weekend to set up base camp and avoid fighting the crowds for a campsite or parking. Bicycles are great for exploring the valley, so bring one if you have it. Otherwise, you can also rent one inside the park.

The Park: Zion National Park

The Point: The most popular hikes are Angel’s Landing and the Narrows. Both offer incredible views, but one climbs upward while the other brings you through the waters of Zion’s slot canyons.

The Pour: Angels Landing – We named this light roast after the Angel’s Landing hike in Zion. What more can we say?

The Pro-Tip: Enter from the east side (Highway 9 from Bryce Canyon or Grand Canyon) for an unbelievable descending drive in the valley that is reminiscent of Jurassic Park. Also, watch out for flash flooding in the slot canyons, especially right after or during the rainy season.

The Park: Grand Canyon National Park

The Point: The Bright Angel Trail is a classic 9.2-mile roundtrip hike offering incredible views of the canyon. Just be ready for a 3000-foot climb on the way back up!

The Pour: Bold Awakening – Bold and filled with dynamic flavors just like the ever-changing sky of Grand Canyon. Our darkest roast is fitting for the epicness of this park.

The Pro-Tip: While more difficult to get to, explore the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to avoid the crowds and experience a more serene atmosphere. The North Rim also has more greenery and flora, so if you’re looking for something a little different, check it out.

The Park: Glacier National Park

The Point: The Highline Loop is the way to go if you can only do one hike during your stay and offers amazing views of the park, abundant wildlife and wildflowers.

The Pour: Ethiopia Single Origin – The fresh blueberry flavors of our Ethiopian Single Origin pairs well with the cool, crisp air of Glacier National Park.

The Pro-Tip: While not an absolute requirement, you’ll want to plan your visit for at least 5 days to get a full park experience. Covering over a million acres, there’s a ton to see in Glacier National Park, and you’ll want the extra time to explore both the West and East Glaciers.

The Park: Joshua Tree National Park

The Point: As a desert, there aren’t as many long hikes like the other national parks. Instead, spend your time exploring areas like Hidden Valley, Barker Dam or Lost Horse Mine.

The Pour: Papua New Guinea Single Origin – Joshua Tree’s vast desert needs a coffee that can taste great in the extreme hot and cold weather conditions. Papua New Guinea fits the bill, as its red oak and dark chocolate flavors only improve in flavor as the coffee cools.

The Pro-Tip: There are over 4500 climbing routes for all different skill levels inside Joshua Tree. If you’re into climbing, bring a crash pad and some friends to experience the park in a different way.

Did we miss your favorite National Park? Let us know in the comments below!