Dehydrated meals - any recommendations?

[bamakojon]

If you're looking for something very cheap (and I do mean VERY) but still fairly decent, I've enjoyed the various kinds of Knorr rice sides from Walmart, as well as the 90 second rice pouches. They're only about $1 a piece, so if money is really tight, but you still want to get out there and eat, it's a good way to go. I'm sure Gordon Ramsay would be horrified, but they taste pretty good, especially if you think about how little money you're spending!

 

[Sputnik]

And at the opposite end of the cost spectrum would be something like the harvest right home freeze dry machine. $2400 and you can make your own backpacking meals or preserve food/garden produce. Up to a 20 year storage life, too.
It’s one of those things that might make sense for a large family or someone looking for an alternative to canning food for preps/ emergencies.

 

[Downs]

I'm not a foodie. Food is just something I have to consume inorder to stay alive. I could do so much more if I didn't have to eat and sleep. So my meals tend to be quick and easy. That being said I don't regularly use the freeze dried meals. They greatly increase the amount of water you need to carry, they are calorie deficient, and they are HIGH in sodium.

Basically when the pack says it has 2 servings you'll need to eat the whole thing to get any decent calories out of it. Not necessarily a huge deal when you're riding around in a motorized vehicle but something to keep in mind if you are working your butt off.

A lot of my food comes from a can. Still not healthy by any means but the sodium levels aren't quite as bad and you get more calories it seems like.

I also have to get gas quite often so it's not like I need to carry a weeks worth of food around with me, I can stock up on fresh stuff when I stop in towns to get gas.

 

[RangerBill]

Here are the tasting notes from my recent trip. I made them for my own future reference, so they're 100% my personal opinion. As an overall brand, Patagonia was the best and most consistent.

Peak Refuel Homestyle Chicken and Rice: Very filling. OK taste (6 of 10). Needed longer to rehydrate at 6700 feet. Maybe a little more water. Definitely needed added spice.

Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with Bacon: Maybe better left raw. More like popcorn. Needed longer to hydrate at 6700 feet. Flavor decent (5). Needs Cholula.

Trailtopia Jambalaya: Winner! Excellent flavor (8). Very spicy! Add 50% more rehydration time at altitude. Single size more than enough.

Peak Refuel Beef Chili Mac: Horrible! Like seriously, was something wrong at the factory that day? The only flavor note was smoked chili powder. No amount of Cholula could save this. (2) On the “never again” list.

Trailtopia Beef Stew: Pretty good (7). Added salt, pepper, and cumin. Large portions, easily enough for two, maybe with some added mashed potatoes.

Patagonia Savory Grains (Green Kale + Kamut) and Lemon Caper Mackerel: Excellent! (8) Would even eat at home. Healthiest meal of the trip. Cholula helped. Hearty meal for one, OK for two with something else. Downside is it needs an external container to rehydrate.

Peak Refuel Sweet Pork and Rice: Very good! (9) Just a little sweet for my taste, but really well done. Big chunks of pork. Generous serving. Even a little heat to it. No need to add spices.

Trailtopia Egg Scramble: Did not use. Requires cooking in a nonstick pan, so f**k ‘em. UPDATE: Cooked this up at the cabin and it actually isn't too bad (6). I would consider it if I was planning to do some actual cooking, but if then...why not just bring eggs, ham, etc. and scramble it myself?

Mountain House Pro-Pak Chili Mac: Pretty good flavor (7). Would include again. Cholula helped. Consider adding nutritional yeast flakes for a cheesy note.

Mountain House Chicken and Rice: Decidedly meh (5). Nothing offensive, but not much flavor, either.

Good-To-Go Kale and White Bean Stew: Quite good (8). Huge portion, too much for one person. Needed a little bit of salt and some nutritional yeast flakes.

Tasty Bite Jasmin Rice, Chana Masala, and Lentils: All very tasty (7). Requires dirtying multiple pots, so not ideal for camping. Also, for one, needed to store open bag of rice. OK with cooler.

 

[sterling may]

Mountain house meals with a jet boil to heat the water. Compact and priceless tool. https://amzn.to/3mAVNlb

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

And at the opposite end of the cost spectrum would be something like the harvest right home freeze dry machine. $2400 and you can make your own backpacking meals or preserve food/garden produce. Up to a 20 year storage life, too.
It’s one of those things that might make sense for a large family or someone looking for an alternative to canning food for preps/ emergencies.

Absolutely! I use the Nesco. Love it! I even use it outside any camping activities, e.g. every month I make fruit rolls, and fruit slices. I've made chicken stew, beans, chickpeas, etc. with dehydrated meats for my outings. It does take some time to prepare from scratch and to dehydrate, but I do not mind.

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

Mountain house meals with a jet boil to heat the water. Compact and priceless tool. https://amzn.to/3mAVNlb

I just checked the Jet boil link you posted. Pretty cool. Was looking for something to warm up water during those quick stops (where setting up the propone stove is just a hassle). Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[grubworm]

my wife "dehydrates" meals all the time....

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

my wife "dehydrates" meals all the time....

View attachment 175469

The question is, do you eat it like the good husband you are or ought to be?
Hahaha... just couldn't resist the comment!

 

[PDB]

A good husband is a hero - always takes one for the team : )

OK, I haven't seen anyone mention Expedition Foods.

I actually wrote the MD and complained that their arctic porridge prevented me from sleeping well, I was so excited for breakfast. He also wrote back with good humour.

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

A good husband is a hero - always takes one for the team : )

OK, I haven't seen anyone mention Expedition Foods.

I actually wrote the MD and complained that their arctic porridge prevented me from sleeping well, I was so excited for breakfast. He also wrote back with good humour.

I've tasted Expedition Foods (I shared a bit of my Wise Company and the guest shared a bit of their Expedition Foods). I liked it. I usually bring my own home-cooked dehydrated foods, but also carry a spare pouch or two just in case. I like Wise Company and AlpineAire.

 

[PDB]

Like all freeze dried, it has to rehydrate properly, or any brand is disgusting. I normally reheat it after a good soak if base camping. The arctic porridge is incredibly rich to pile in the calories. I've got some in the truck for emergencies only, but now you've reminded me...

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

Like all freeze dried, it has to rehydrate properly, or any brand is disgusting. I normally reheat it after a good soak if base camping. The arctic porridge is incredibly rich to pile in the calories. I've got some in the truck for emergencies only, but now you've reminded me...

I haven't yet found a quick fix for breakfast (like when it's raining out and you really can't go out there and start up the Coleman stove!) but you really want a hot meal... . Breakfasts offered by Wise Company or AlpineAire are yuk, yuk...
I should perhaps try a different brand.