Review: GSI Personal Javapress

If you’re still begrudgingly sipping on sub-par coffee when you’re on a multi-day hike, this is going to be your new favourite piece of gear out on the trail.

Quick specs

Price: R695 (at time of writing)
Volume: Approx. 600ml
Weight: 306g
Dimensions: 109mm x 106mm x 155mm

The GSI Personal Javapress works like any other French press, but it’s made from lightweight, BPA-free, shatter-resistant Infinity polypropylene that will hold up to years of life outdoors. It comes with an EVA sleeve that keeps the coffee surprisingly hot for 10–20 minutes.

The plunger has a silicone ring around the outside which virtually eliminates coffee “blow-back”, making for a mud-free cup of coffee.

The GSI Personal Javapress with silicone-sealed plunger for a perfect trail brew.

The kit includes a 500ml mug made from the same polypropylene as the press and also has its own EVA sleeve. We found the mug to be a bit large, but perfectly useful otherwise.

The GSI Personal Javapress holds about 600ml, so you can get two fairly big cups of coffee out of it, or three smaller cups (we were able to stretch it to four at a pinch).

If you enjoy filter coffee, this is an absolute must-have on multi-day hikes.

Available at Drifters and Mountain Mail Order.