BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Have a favorite trail recipe or technique you'd like to share? Please do! We also like reviews of various trail food products out there. The Backcountry Food Topix forum is the place to discuss all things related to food and nourishment while in the Sierra wilderness (as well as favorite trail head eateries).
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DAVELA
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BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by DAVELA »

I havent been on a backpack in a few years andplan on it soon.Usually day hikes.
I dont like the prepared backpacking food stuff in stores.
I dislike energy bars.
I wont die without meat and it seems like a hassle to pack/prepare/handle.I wouldnt mind it tho on the trail.Lamb or chicken?

1)Can i dehydrate food in my gas oven?How?

How can i vacuum seal my food?...zip lock bags?

2)I am wondering if i can dehydrate eggplant parmesan.
3)should i dehydrate cooked pasta or make it on the trail?
4)is chocolate a better bang for buck than raisins?
5)Do pre cooked lentils last well?
6)i love apples but at least half their weight is liquid-can i dehydrate?

7)peanut butter is messy.Should i make sandwiches b4 trip or pack the jar and bread?
8)Is rice good food for bping?Potatos better?

Thanks
Last edited by DAVELA on Mon May 30, 2011 3:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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AlmostThere
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by AlmostThere »

1) you can, by propping open the door with a wooden spoon to let moisture escape and setting the temp very low... but with items like Just Veggies in stores, and the ability to order from Harmony House or Packit Gourmet, I don't see why you would waste all the energy to do a lot of this.

You don't have to vacuum seal anything. Ziplocs are usually used because after you get most of the air out, they pack small, and this is better than vacsealing when you need to use a bear canister - the loosely packed food conforms to other meals better than a solid brick of vac sealed food.

2) probably

3) couscous is a just-add-water pasta, and angel hair pasta has a really low boil time. For other shapes with more dense pasta, cooking and then dehydrating is probably better if you don't want to carry a lot of fuel for boiling

4) why not both?

5) precooked and dehydrated lentils last a long time.

6) Lots of people dehydrate apples. I buy pre-dehydrated ones at Trader Joes. They look better and taste good.

7) You can get peanut butter packets - look on Packit Gourmet's grocery section or at minimus.biz. REI also carries Justin's peanut butter in squeeze packets, and I've seen them at Target too. Or those Jif single serve cups. (I never take bread either - I take tortillas or flatbread since they don't squash easily.)

8) I cook and dehydrate my own rice to make instant - Minute Rice has no flavor. I also use instant potatoes. Use what you like.

It's not hard to get backpacking supplies at grocery stores any more. You can get 3 oz of tuna salad in a foil packet now, enough for two tortilla rollups. Winco has some dehydrated refried beans or hummus not to mention all the ingredients for trail mix, plus their own mixes. Individual serving packets of everything from olive oil to salad dressing can be found in stores - or just order the things you need from minimus.biz.
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DAVELA
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by DAVELA »

I eat a lot and am slim because i have a furnace for a stomach.
I need a lot of food to make me not hungry.ITs a pain in the azz.
In terms of filling you up raisins weigh a lot vs chocolate but im wondering if they have any special energy quality.Also chocolate can be a sloppy mess if warmed up.I buy those very large 5oz Hershey bars.Can get em for 1$ on special.

I think i will get trader joes angel hair pasta and cook on trail.Rice does not fill me up at all.

I will check out TJ s dehydrated apples.But i think i will dehydrate my own.

P.S. how do u dehydrate lentils?Dont they dry out fast if u leave em out of fridge?
IS dehydrating bananas ez and worth it?


Thanks
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TahoeJeff
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by TahoeJeff »

Check these out:

http://www.trailcooking.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://blog.trailcooking.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.onepanwonders.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.wildernesscooking.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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AlmostThere
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by AlmostThere »

FYI, if you do a lot of dehydrating, a dehydrator with a timer and temp control is more energy efficient and easier to control the results.

You might be interested in the nutritionist's view of backpacking food at http://thru-hiker.com/articles/pack_light_eat_right.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also: http://thru-hiker.com/articles/trail_foods.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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sambieni
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by sambieni »

Anyone familiar w Harmony House able to give guidance on their products?
I see they have soup mixes such as those in the kit: http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/BACKPA ... html#tab-1
But each mix is only about ~20-60 calories/serving with 4 servings / pouch. That is never enough for single dinner. Used to needing ~500 calorie dinners like a Mary Jane's bare burrito. http://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/Bare-Burrito

So my question:
1) Do you add to these soup mixes? If so, what? Protein in particular seems missing.
2) Are the mixes tasty enough themselves or require more seasoning? If so, what?

I love idea of all these "fresh" veggies for dinner on the trail, but at a loss figure out how to best use them.
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MarchingOn
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by MarchingOn »

A couple weekends ago at Cottonwood Lakes, temps dipped down to the 20's at night and had to be in the 30's at breakfast time. It's been a few years since I've brought it, but we drank piping hot Tang (as well as our coffee.) Originally intended as something to drink other than water for breakfast, we were surprised how hot Tang tasted a lot like cider. Now have a flavor solution that's good hot or cold.
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559Hunter
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by 559Hunter »

MarchingOn wrote:A couple weekends ago at Cottonwood Lakes, temps dipped down to the 20's at night and had to be in the 30's at breakfast time. It's been a few years since I've brought it, but we drank piping hot Tang (as well as our coffee.) Originally intended as something to drink other than water for breakfast, we were surprised how hot Tang tasted a lot like cider. Now have a flavor solution that's good hot or cold.
Interesting! I'll have to try that. :thumbsup:
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JWreno
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by JWreno »

I recommend these dehydrators.

https://www.excaliburdehydrator.com

We have the 5 slot version and dry for 2-3 weeks before a long multi week trip. We dry a lot of fruit to snack on all day.

Your level of hunger can be affected by altitude, your level of hydration and excessive. We tend to eat a little less than 2 pounds of dried food per person per day. You can eat cheaply and well by drying your own chicken in broth or burger and adding it to soup mixes, dried pasta sauce. Add your own dried vegetable, home dried rise or angle hair pasta. Put dehydrated food in boiling water, stir for a few minutes and cover pot in cozy for 20-25 minutes. Keep the size of dried pieces small to add rehydration.
Jeff
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rusticandy
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Re: BEST BACKPACKING FOOD AND FOOD DEHYDRATING

Post by rusticandy »

I dehydrate veggies- fry up spinach, onions, bell peppers, dehydrate and freeze and add to starch (noodles, instant rice, potatoes). I also dehyrate cans of marinara and make trout ciopino with it. I stay away from peas. Cheap, nutritious and tastes way better than mtn house!
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