This is a topic near and dear to my heart. I spent a couple of years working on a boat and learned then that the quality coffee provided by a french press more than made up for the extra steps required to make the it. A paper filter in a drip maker removes many of the oils from coffee and all but eliminates the crema. For a coffee afictionado, a press is the way to go.
The press we used on the boat was the Nissan press. It is nearly indestructible (important on a steel boat) and makes a decent cup. When I got off the boat in 2001, I bought one for myself and continue to use it to this day.
http://www.epinions.com/review/Therm...t_136038878852
About the grind. . . It should be coursely ground, preferably fresh. If you can get a grinder that actually mashes the bean as it grinds rather than spins the blade which cuts the bean, you will help release a lot of the oils in the bean, thus increasing the flavor of the coffee. The water should be just under boiling and it should seep for about 4 minutes.
If you have to pre-grind for camping, well, you do what you have to do. For camping, I just go with the coffee bags. . .
There are a ton of resources on the web on this topic. Enjoy!