Dehydrated/Freeze-Dried Backpacking Meals

[Backpack Hunter]

I would be interested at the right price point. Quite frankly, the Mountain House meals are getting pretty expensive over the counter never mind some of the smaller companies offerings.

 

[Curtis C]

5. Pendleton.............

Randy

I Like You

 

[Zoo Keeper]

Simply, YES.

I would consider Heather's Choice if it wasn't for the cost from the non-GMO, grass fed, organic, snake oil BS.

 

[sneaky]

Simply, YES.

I would consider Heather's Choice if it wasn't for the cost from the non-GMO, grass fed, organic, snake oil BS.

Too bad it's sound science and not BS. You don't have to buy it, but to knock something that's healthy because you don't like the price isn't cool.

 

[sneaky]

The Campfire meals out of SLC are pretty tasty and lower sodium than MH. THeir pulled pork with rice is really really good. Bought some at the hunt expo for $5 apiece.

 

[sneaky]

Just looked up their shredded beef with bbq sauce and rice. 340mg of salt 14%dv per serving. Pork and rice is 18%dv per serving on sodium.

 

[Wetwoodshunter]

1. Bacon Mac&Cheese
2. Chicken teriyaki w/rice
3. Beef stroganoff
4. Scrambled ham & eggs
5. Chicken pot pie

I think these could all be awesome and easy to make.

 

[Peterson3030]

I'd be more likely to buy them if they had less preservatives and less starch/gluten.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[GoodToGoGuy]

I was thinking about saving up and going with the Heathers Choice meals. They look pretty good and in a compact package too!!

 

[gobbler1662]

I weened off mountain house 3 years ago. Up to last year I was buying thrive and mixing up my own meals. This year I started just taking left over meals my wife had cooked and started dehydrating them. And wow what a difference just like eating at home. So far I have, chili, taco soup, potato soup with ham. Sphagetti with meat balls, chicken Alfredo, fried rice with ham. Now every time she makes a dish I make sure after a couple nights I snag it for the dehydrated.

 

[Buglebrush]

I weened off mountain house 3 years ago. Up to last year I was buying thrive and mixing up my own meals. This year I started just taking left over meals my wife had cooked and started dehydrating them. And wow what a difference just like eating at home. So far I have, chili, taco soup, potato soup with ham. Sphagetti with meat balls, chicken Alfredo, fried rice with ham. Now every time she makes a dish I make sure after a couple nights I snag it for the dehydrated.

How do you know how much water to add? Is there a formula you use? My wife is an amazing cook, and I need to start doing all my meals this way.

 

[boom]

HC is expensive. I might try to buy a dehydrator to supplement. I can cook.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

 

[Jtelarkin08]

Im trying my first go at dehydrating something tonight. Made chili. Figure ramen noodles and chili would make a pretty good meal

 

[sneaky]

How do you know how much water to add? Is there a formula you use? My wife is an amazing cook, and I need to start doing all my meals this way.

You just have to weigh them before and after you dehydrate them. Add back the difference in water weight and you're good to go.

 

[Short on cache]

I make my own and its not hard at all if you have a dehydrator. The downside is that dehydrated stuff takes longer to rehydrate than freeze dried stuff does. I pretty much have to put the meal in my pot and cook it with the water rather than being able to pour water in the bag and let it sit like mountain house. I make shepherds pie that tastes awesome!

 

[RustyHazen]

I was just going to mention the same thing. Reconstitution times recommended for Heather's Choice are more than double Mountain House. Maybe not a deal breaker, but definitely a consideration for a lot of guys. When your wiped out at the end of a long day on a bivy hunt, the last thing you feel like is waiting longer for dinner.

 

[boom]

How many of us has eaten crunchy chili Mac? Show of hands.


Sent via Jedi mind trick.

 

[steve anderson]

2 years is ok. A couple of paleo choices would be great

 

[bourbon]

Yes, please....no more sodium!

One thing that I think is important with reconstituted meals is choosing something that results in the end product being similar to what it would be otherwise. What I mean is creating meals that are intended to be "runny" or "gloppy" like gumbo or soup. My preferred back country meal is chicken gumbo because the consistency is what I expect when eating gumbo so it goes down a lot easier.