Freeze dried food for hiking, love it or hate it?

[Karl09]

Hey everyone,

So I recently started experimenting with freeze dried food for my hikes, and honestly, it’s been a bit of a game changer. I always thought it’d be kinda weird or tasteless, but nope, some of this stuff actually tastes pretty decent, way better than those old-school canned meals or heavy bags of instant noodles. Plus, it’s crazy light, which is a huge deal when you’re carrying everything on your back all day.
That said, not all freeze dried food is created equal. Tried one brand that was kinda bland and another that had a weird texture, but when you find the right ones, it’s honestly like eating real food. Also, cooking time is super quick, which means less time messing around and more time enjoying the trail.
Anyone else got some favorites or horror stories with freeze dried meals? I’m curious how you all manage your food on longer trips without going insane from eating the same stuff. Would love to hear your tips or even funny fails!

Cheers!

[chumley]

@Karl09
I, too, just recently switched from carrying canned meals and can report that my favorite option now is Valley Camp's freeze dried Beef Liver Steak with Onions and Fava Beans. People often overlook organs for the unique nutritional requirements that hiking produces, but I've found that there's no suitable alternative. A key to knowing if your freeze dried concoction is truly delicious is if you will eat it at home on a random Tuesday while watching TV and not just when you're stranded in the woods dozens of miles from anywhere. This one passes the test!

[Grimey]

@chumley
I love that Valley Camps meal, too. Goes well with freeze dried chianti.

[toddak]

Easy and tasty (love), bulky and expensive (hate)

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

A couple thoughts:

1) For preparing your meal, I thought that I was the first to come up with this idea. You can use the footwell of your sleeping bag/quilt, or use your puffy jacket as a Koozie when you rehydrate your meal. Makes a BIG difference in texture of meat and noodles. Then I saw an Influencer who does this. He suggested putting your foil pack in a plastic bag just in case the foil has a hole in it.

2) I have tried Mountain House, ReadyWise, Peak Refuel and Beyond Outdoors, in that order.

Peak Refuel and Beyond Outdoors are my favorite brands. Mountain House tastes good, but low on calories, relatively speaking. ReadyWise is more Raman-ish.

Price-wise, the Beyond Outdoors are the best deal when you a BOGO sale. (About $8 per bag.)

The most enjoyable meal I've had so far was when I brought a pound of home-made chilli, initially frozen in a Mylar pouch. It was still partially frozen at dinner time!

But a pound.

[Jackluminous]

I used to depend on those things. They are expensive and bulky but very convenient.

Nowadays I’ve taken to making my own. I don’t have a dehydrator but I can put together DIY ramen and curries with stuff I can get at a grocery store or Asian market. I’ll even have a baggie of fresh cut veggies to throw in. I lose the convenience but what I make is lighter, more packable, just as hearty, and loads cheaper. Google “elevated ramen”.

On longer trips it’s really hard to get enough calories and have room in a light pack using prepackaged dehydrated meals. I’ll do them for a quick overnight though.

I concur with the random Tuesday night TV dinner test. Nothing quite like hauling a meal pouch into the backcountry that accounts for one quarter of your daily caloric needs, only to find it one notch above inedible.

[nonot]

@Karl09

The freeze dried Valley Camp organ meals need a bit of something extra, consider teaming them up along with some grilled gray matter as a side to truly entertain your palate on multiday trips.

[Pivo]

This post was labeled for “hiking”, however I think the OP meant for backpacking. I haven’t tried any of the dehydrated backpacker’s meals.

Before leaving home on my current camp/overlanding trip, I did buy a food dehydrator, not really for my meals, but for MyRudy’s meals. I have been making his dogfood for a few years and I didn’t want to switch back to commercial kibble and canned food. The process was pretty simple, and he seems to like it better than the fresh food. Must be a hot meal with gravy, is what he enjoys most.

[PatrickL]

I used to bring ingredients, pots, and a Coleman camp stove for burritos/pasta/etc. The Pocket Rocket/Mountain House combo is way simpler and takes up a fraction of space. They taste good enough to never go back unless it's a special occasion.

[RedRoxx44]

Mountain House Pro Pak, still have some in the shrink wrap which I hope to use soon. They usually have two servings so enough if you are really hungry for the solol

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

Speaking of two servings, often I can only eat one serving at the time. (Stomach in knots, perhaps all the adrenalin/cortisol built up from the excitement of planning a trip?) So I take a Mylar bag along. (Or a used thick plastic bag that my chew sausages came in. Both seal well.) I shake the two serving pouch nd pour about half in the Mylar bag and prepare that meal. Save the remainder in the OEM pack for next time. Not perfect as far as the mixture goes. But close enough for gov't work.

[azbackpackr]

@TooOld2Hike_EP
I can NEVER eat a two serving one. I always divide them. Same goes for Knorr Pasta.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

As I think about it more, it might not have anything to do with adrenaline for me. A long time ago I could an entire pizza myself. Nowadays, half a pizza it almost too much. Sr. portions, I guess.

[xsproutx]

@TooOld2Hike_EP
Getting older and metabolism slowing down is certainly a "thing" but it's actually pretty common for the first couple days of a hike to lose your appetite/not poop/etc. Part of it can be due to dehydration, which I think a lot of people struggle with even when they think they're doing well, exertion, choice of food, etc. Some of us have a few extra pounds to carry these days (ahem) so it's no biggie but for people who are already quite fit/low weight, you just gotta add the snacks you love (trader joes sour swimmer gummies).

I can NEVER eat a two serving one. I always divide them.

I personally friggin love the peak refuel biscuits and gravy but it's way too much for one meal. That's one I separate everytime and never regret it. I think it's a 1k calorie pouch? So even beating most of the 2 servings that total 800ish

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@xsproutx
I've been working harder at staying hydrated. (Some Naturopathic doctors on the radio that I listen to say "If you're feeling thirsty, you're already dehydrated.)

As I said above, I don't eat much nowadays is it is. But during my few outings, I tend to lose my appetite. (I've hypothesized that I go into Keto quickly.) It's not like my stomach is tied up in knots and I can't eat. But I'm not really relaxed either on backpacking trips. (Worried about wild animals.) Whereas I eat normally at the Christopher Creek campground where the safety of the truck is a few steps away.

I tend to lose 5 lbs in three day outings and start to look emaciated. Before my last trip (my two dayer into the Supes), I started to bulk up, carbo-wise, four days beforehand. That helped. IIRC, I didn't lose weight during that short outing.