Dehydrating Food And Meals For Backpacking Trips And Thru-Hikes

I began dehydrating my backpacking meals earlier than I hiked the John Muir Path in the summertime of 2020.

There have been two large causes for making my meals and meals for backpacking with a dehydrator. To begin with, I used to be trying a zero waste thru-hike. Secondly, I hoped to avoid wasting cash.

After I’m not backpacking, I attempt to decrease my waste as a lot as potential. I needed my imperfect zero-waste way of life to comply with me onto the path.

By dehydrating my meals for my thru-hike, I might reuse luggage from house to attenuate waste and shield the planet that I like to discover. Environmentalism and adventuring go hand in hand. Dehydrating my meals is a part of how I make that occur.

Retailer-bought backpacking meals (test REI) are costly. Particularly when you’re planning an extended journey like a thru-hike.

Take a look at the costs for fashionable manufacturers of pre-packaged backpacking meals.

The prices of those meals add up shortly. Dehydrating your meals helps you save a whole lot of {dollars} whereas nonetheless consuming nicely within the backcountry.

What are the very best meals dehydrators?

In brief, it actually doesn’t matter. So long as it really works, you’ll be capable to dehydrate your meals.

Folks stress out over shopping for the “proper” dehydrator like they stress out over the proper spork. On the finish of the day, what you get will do the job. I purchased a brandless 8-rack dehydrator on Fb market for $80, which labored completely for me. If cash and planet safety is a part of your motivation for dehydrating, then procuring used is at all times the precise selection.

That being mentioned, you possibly can’t go incorrect with an Excalibur meals dehydrator. Their sq. trays maximize cook dinner time and assure to suit as a lot as potential on every tray.

In search of one thing cheaper? The Nesco Gardenmaster could possibly be good for you. Its spherical trays maximize airflow with out compromising your pockets.

Prime ideas for dehydrating your backpacking meals and meals

So let’s get into it. You’ve gotten a dehydrator, and you’re able to cook dinner. The place do you begin?

1) Reduce Fat

The golden rule of dehydrating meals is to attenuate fat.

This implies no oils, no coconut milk, no dairy, and no avocado, which complicates cooking a number of meats. Fortunately for me, I’m principally vegan, so I don’t incorporate any dairy or meat into my meals. This can be a good rule of thumb for dehydrating meals. By making it vegan, you’re minimizing the danger of “what occurs if I do it incorrect?”. Vegan meals has a lot decrease stakes, particularly if you’re prepping your meals a number of months prematurely, as I love to do.

The explanation fat can’t be dehydrated is that dehydrating slowly sucks the water out of the meals that you’re cooking. Fat can’t be absorbed in the identical means as water and find yourself staying within the meals that you just cook dinner. This will make your freshly dehydrated curry a breeding floor for mildew, and that is the very last thing you wish to eat after an exhausting 20-mile day.

2) Temperature and cooking time

Most DIY backpacking guides give detailed outlines of recipes with strict temperature necessities and smart cook dinner occasions.

After following many recipes, I made a decision that except you are attempting to make the very best dried mango you’ve ever eaten, then temperature and cook dinner time don’t actually matter.

I sometimes put fruit and soups in on the identical time at about 150 levels Fahrenheit. After about 6 hours of cooking, I’ll test on every part. Generally, a number of the fruit can be carried out, whereas different items can be hours away from perfection.

Chopping your fruits and veggies in the identical measurement and form will decrease the vary of cook dinner occasions however received’t assure something.

Mainly, the extra liquid the meals you’re dehydrating has, the longer it should take to dehydrate. As an illustration, a soup will take longer to dehydrate than apple slices.

When checking in your meals, particularly meals like soups, chili, and so on., mixing them round on the cooking sheet will assist velocity up the method.

How one can make a tremendous dehydrated backpacking meal

I begin every meal with a stable base. My favorites are small carbs, like, couscous, rice, potato flakes, orzo, quinoa, lentils, and rice noodles. The scale is essential because the smaller the grain, the faster they each dehydrate and rehydrate when you’re able to eat.

As soon as I’ve chosen a base, then I add protein, greens, and sauce.

The sauce is crucial half, as all backpacking meals are actually simply glorified mush – completely different flavors, completely different components, however at all times mush. The sauce brings your mush to life and transforms your meals from a tragic spoonful of glop like in your elementary faculty cafeteria to a do-it-yourself meal of goodness that you just’re excited to eat.

Suggestions and methods for achievement

A whole lot of flavors are misplaced within the dehydrating course of. I extremely suggest over-seasoning your meals. And even including further seasoning to your meals after dehydrating as this can assure that your meals actually tastes like house. I prefer to backpack with further salt, pepper, and sriracha powder simply in case my meals want an additional kick.

The smaller you chop your greens, the quicker they may dehydrate and rehydrate. Small items are particularly essential with further dense meals like carrots and potatoes.

Smash your beans earlier than dehydrating them. I like to make use of a fork to do the smashing. This can velocity up the rehydration course of.

When chopping your fruits and veggies, attempt to lower your produce in a means that minimizes sharp edges. Sometimes, the simplest means to do that is by peeling your produce. Sharp edges can lower holes in your luggage. Rounded edges are tremendous essential in the event you plan to hoover seal your meals.

Evenly unfold your meals out in your tray. A good distribution will assure that your complete meal cooks at a relentless fee.

My favourite DIY dehydrated meal recipes

Chili with noodles

Add noodles to your favourite chili recipe. This offers you an additional enhance of vitality on the path. Simply ensure to make use of a small noodle, smash your beans earlier than cooking, and decrease your oil use for the proper backpacking meal. When my hiker starvation is further ravenous, this is among the solely meals that may absolutely fulfill my starvation.

All the things soup

Nothing’s higher than my “every part soup” on the path. I throw something and every part I can scrounge from my kitchen right into a crockpot and let it cook dinner for a number of hours.

Usually this consists of some rice, some lentils, tomatoes, carrots, candy potatoes, and pepper. You identify the vegetable or the bean, and it’s been in my scrumptious “every part soup”.

Be certain that to over-season it and simmer it for a number of hours within the crock pot.

As soon as it’s cooked to perfection, unfold it out in your dehydrating trays. This sort of meals will in all probability take about 12 hours.

Greatest dried fruit

Dried fruit is my favourite snack, particularly whereas climbing.

It offers me the fruit I want, a sugar enhance, antioxidants for days, and plenty of fiber.

The 2 best, for my part, yummiest fruits to dehydrate are pineapple and apple.

Retailer-bought dried pineapple is often coated in synthetic sweeteners and additional sugar. The do-it-yourself stuff is really game-changing and can change into your absolute favourite snack on and off the path. Do your self a stable and begin making your self this yummy deal with. Dried apples are additionally extremely scrumptious. I like so as to add a little bit of cinnamon, and so they immediately transport me to a thanksgiving feast. These make the proper addition to your morning oatmeal.

Prime advantages of dehydrating meals for backpacking

After I began making my backpacking meals, it was all about decreasing waste and saving cash, however there are such a lot of extra advantages.

Making your dehydrated meals ensures that you understand what you’re consuming on the path.

Packaged backpacking meals are overly processed and stuffed with questionable components that you just don’t know find out how to pronounce.

Most store-bought meals lack greens. When pounding miles a day in and time out, it’s further essential to gas your physique with wholesome “contemporary” meals.

Lastly, planning adventures is half the enjoyable. Making meals forward of time will get me within the thru-hiking mindset weeks earlier than I step onto the path. Every night time that I eat certainly one of my do-it-yourself dinners, I really feel immense gratitude for placing within the time, effort, and love into my meals.