Best overall freeze dried food brands? Ty

SwiftShot

WKR
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Messages
478
Get you some Knorr Chicken and Rice sides from the grocery store it is like 1.50 then a package of chicken. The chicken is the stuff in the pouches like the tuna. I think I am less than five dollars a meal. You can do the Knorrs alfredo and grab some black pepper tuna. That rocks. The knorrs pouches hold up to the hot water so you are fine. I got over the packaged meals a long time ago. Many people that back pack have great meals prep ideas. There is tons of youtube stuff on it.

If you must go prepackages well any of the Good to Go indian or curry stuff is awesome.
 

sargent

WKR
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
Messages
1,265
Location
Pennsylvania
Peak Refuel Chicken Pesto Pasta is my favorite freeze dried meal. It's light, tastes good, uses only 5.5 ounces of water to make, and has over 900 calories. I've tried various Peak Refuel, Mountain House, Backpackers' Pantry, and Heather's Choice meals. The only one I really didn't care for was Heather's Choice Chicken Mole. Remember, hunger is the best seasoning.
 

tbro16

FNG
Joined
Oct 3, 2019
Messages
33
Location
Minnesota
Peak Refuel Chicken Pesto Pasta is my favorite freeze dried meal.
x2. And it isnt close. Its freakin good! The beef stroganoff isnt bad either but that chicken pesto tough to beat. Last trip we joked and thought we could whip up a bag or two, and if served with the right glass of wine our girlfriends would have no idea where it came from. I stock up when I find em at Sierra. Usually $3-4 off each bag
 

hiker270

WKR
Joined
Nov 5, 2022
Messages
528
Peak is my favorite. The granola breakfasts are very tasty as well as many of the dinners.
 

knale87

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 20, 2021
Messages
274
Out of the 4-5 brands I’ve tried, I like Peak the best and they can often be found on sale throughout the year. I plan on experimenting with dehydrating my own meals for this year though.
 

Northpark

WKR
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
1,140
Peak refuel. My favorite is the sweet pork and rice, but the chicken pesto pasta is a darn close second.

I’ve also started making more of my own food though in my dehydrator. Ramen noodles mixed with peanut butter protein powder, some dehydrated green onions, dehydrated carrots, dehydrated chicken, red pepper flakes, a couple packets of coconut oil, a packet of soy sauce makes for a cheap backcountry pad Thai.
 

Venom One

WKR
Joined
Sep 25, 2019
Messages
371
Location
PNW
I've only tried MH and Peak Refuel. Both taste pretty good. The MH seems to have more volume (more food in the pouch), but the PR has more meat, bolder flavors, and seems more hearty IMO.
 

AdamLewis

FNG
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
Messages
92
I mostly DIY it, or just use grocery store just add water packets.

But when I want something more substantial I go with PackIt Gourmet or Stowaway Gourmet. Stowaway's stuff is the best of the dozens I've tried.
 

chizelhead

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 12, 2012
Messages
275
Location
PNW
I would recommend against Mountain House Chili Mac unless you're hunting solo. ;)

Peak and Mountain House has been good like many others have mentioned. For freeze dried pastas, it's easy to add foil packs of chicken or tuna for more protein. I also bring powdered garlic, which seems to high grade almost any freeze dried meal. YMMV though.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2015
Messages
5,941
Another fan of peak. Seems like it all I buy these days. Like some more than others but haven’t found one I don’t like. If there is a downside, it is price. They tend to be $2-3 more per meal than some other brands.
 

GoatPackr

WKR
Joined
Jan 5, 2023
Messages
373
Next Mile.
I try and stay low carb as much as possible. They are more calories per oz than high carb (fluff) meals.
And they taste better than the big name meals.
Heather's Choice is my second favorite. Their smoked Sockeye chowder is my favorite. Their Bison chili is pretty good. I really like their packaroons. Some of their other snacks are pretty good but I'm not much on snacks. Usually some Mediterranean smoked sardines in olive oil or kippered herring if I'm looking for a snack.

Wild Zilla is another brand of meals that are ok if looking for a more healthy meal than the big names.

Kris
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
831
Location
N. CO
I've pretty much tried all the major brands of dh foods and gotta say Peak Refuel is my favorite. The Chicken Pesto with a little instant Idahoan potatoes (Roasted Garlic) is treat after a hard day of hunting.
 
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