If tea is your morning drink of choice on the trail, you鈥檙e familiar with the waste tea bags can produce鈥攁nd packing out the soggy tea bags is never fun. Instant tea聽has traditionally been a poor alternative for the real thing, but recently a few companies have begun making instant flavors that rival your local shop鈥檚. The following instant teas taste delicious and frequently make their way into our backpacks.
Cusa Tea聽Premium Breakfast Instant Tea ($10)
An instant classic (pun intended), 聽contains no sugar, additives, fillers, or preservatives, and you can鈥檛 over-steep聽it. Simply boil water, dump the tea granules into your mug, pour the hot water in, and watch them dissolve in three seconds. Cusa聽Tea also makes several other flavors, namely green, lemon black, mango green, oolong, and a particularly delicious聽.
Tea Drops聽Instant Organic Rose Earl Grey Tea聽($10)
聽are made from finely ground organic tea, raw sugar, and spices that quickly dissolve in hot water. Tea Drops focuses on reducing waste鈥攁ll its packaging is recyclable and the cardboard tea boxes are聽100 percent biodegradable and compostable.
Copper Cow Coffee Thai Iced Tea ($14)
聽contains everything you need to make five聽servings of caffeinated green tea with sweetened condensed milk. Simply dissolve the tea drop聽in two ounces of hot water, stir聽in one packet of milk, and then add an additional two ounces of cold water and ice and you鈥檙e set to enjoy a nice glass of Thai iced tea.聽
Jaipur Avenue聽Masala Chai Tea Mix ($8)
Made from dry partially skimmed milk, cane sugar, black tea extract, and a spice blend extract, 聽gives you a full-bodied chai tea in minutes. Simply add hot water and go on with your adventure.聽
Alpine Start聽Dirty Chai Instant Coffee ($9)
聽is made from coffee and tea so you can have the best of both worlds. Made from聽evaporated cane juice, organic soy milk聽powder, instant dark fine tea, spices, and arabica instant coffee, this drink will make you think you just picked up a dirty chai聽from your favorite neighborhood coffee shop.