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 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 3 smaller cups (we were able to stretch it to 4 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.