WHY DEHYDRATED FOOD IS ESSENTIAL FOR BACKCOUNTRY HIKING AND CAMPING
• Dehydrating food at your place of residence removes approximately 70-80% of water content from the food, while commercial freeze drying removes around 98-99% of the water content.
• They are inexpensive — because you can make them at home, dehydrated backpacking meals are much cheaper than commercially sold freeze dried backpacking meals.
• There are also way more options for the type of food you want to make depending on how ambitious you are
• Dehydrated food lasts longer that non dehydrated food
• Dehydrated food takes up less space and weight
WHAT’S THE BEST FOOD DEHYDRATOR?
A lot of people ask what is the best food dehydrator? While I don’t recommend the low-end food dehydrators, there’s no reason to buy a crazy expensive one either. The best food dehydrator, in my opinion is the Cabella’s 10 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator. I have used cheaper ones as well as more expensive ones but found that this one I can always rely on. I did not get paid nor am I sponsored by Cabella’s. I just want to let you know what I find what works extremely well for me.
Cabella’s 10 Tray Deluxe Dehydrator is the one I personally own and is a great buy at around $189, with enough trays to dehydrate food for your next backcountry adventure.
• Adjustable from 80°F to 160°F for precise drying temperatures
• Folding front door ensures a consistent internal temperature
• Rear-mounted 900-watt heater and 6.5" fan for consistent drying
• Side-mounted air slots eliminate the need to rotate trays
• Heavy-duty polypropylene trays won't get brittle
You can purchase it at https://www.cabelas.ca/product/86801/cabelas-10-tray-deluxe-dehydrator
THESE DRIED FOODS ARE AVAILABLE IN MOST GROCERY STORES IN CANADA
• Instant grits
• Peanut Butter Powder
• Powdered Milk
• Protein powder
• Cheese Powder
• Powdered eggs
• Real bacon bits
• Jerky
• Instant potatoes
• Instant rice
• Stuffing mix
• Dried fruit
• Dried vegetables
• Pasta/Ramen/Couscous/Rice noodles
• Instant oatmeal
Ingredients:
•1 banana• 2 tablespoons wheat berries or rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) cocoa
• 3/4 cup almond milk
SOME TIPS YOU MAY FIND HANDY
• Apples, Pears, and Bananas - Some fruit turns brown when exposed to air, but browning can easily be prevented by using a very sharp knife and dipping/brushing the cut fruit in lemon juice (or any juice high in citric acid) before drying.
• Leafy Greens - Steaming or blanching leafy greens before the dehydration process will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals from the greens.
• Mushrooms - You may rinse the dirt from mushrooms, but make sure to dry them off with a paper towel before the dehydration process begins to preserve their natural color. They may get darker after dehydrating, but also tasty.
• Blueberries -To allow blueberries to dry properly, submerge them in boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds to crack their skin and then quickly pull them out. A fine metal strainer will make this easy.
Pre-Trip Preparation at Home
• Put all the ingredients in a blender.
• Process at high speed until smooth and frothy.
• Spread onto a dehydrator tray covered with parchment paper.
• Dehydrate at 115F/46C for about 6-12 hours or until dry and brittle.
• Remove from dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature.
• Grind the dried smoothie mixture in a coffee grinder until it is a fine powder.
• Pack in a small zip lock bag. I recommend placing each zip lock bag into 1 resealable vacuum seal bag
In the Backcountry:
• Pour smoothie powder into a mug or collapsible cup.
• Add 2/3 cup water – I suggest using a Platypus Gravity Works High-Capacity Water Filter System so as you can use cold creek or lake water (see water purification) and stir or shake well.
• Let stand for 5-6 minutes to rehydrate.
Note: No matter how you choose to store this, remember to place this in a smell proof bag (available at most weed supply shops that sell bongs, pipes etc., as well as online) prior to venturing into the backcountry. And be sure to portion them out into how many you can eat at one time. Take an extra smell proof bag to place all empty bags which once contained food.
Backcountry Views Summit Smoothie
Quick backcountry breakfast options
Backcountry Views Mountain Mango Coconut Smoothie
Ingredients:
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
Pre-Trip Preparation at Home
• Combine all of the ingredients in a blender.
• Process at high speed until smooth and frothy.
• Spread onto a dehydrator tray covered with parchment paper.
• Dehydrate at 115F/46C for about 6-12 hours or until dry and brittle.
• Remove from dehydrator and let it cool to room temperature.
• Grind the dried smoothie mixture in a coffee grinder until it is a fine powder.
• Pack in a small zip lock bag. I recommend placing each zip lock bag into 1 resealable vacuum seal bag.
In the Backcountry:
• Pour smoothie powder into a mug or collapsible cup.
• Add 2/3 cup water – I suggest using a Platypus Gravity Works High-Capacity Water Filter System so as you can use cold creek or lake water (see water purification) and stir or shake well.
• Let stand for 5-6 minutes to rehydrate.
Note: No matter how you choose to store this, remember to place this in a smell proof bag (available at most weed supply shops that sell bongs, pipes etc., as well as online) prior to venturing into the backcountry. And be sure to portion them out into how many you can eat at one time. Take an extra smell proof bag to place all empty bags which once contained food.
Backcountry Views Trail Yogurt
Pre-Trip Preparation at Home:
• Choose a plain yogurt with a low fat content of 3% or less, to stop it from spoiling. You can add sweeteners later, when you start assembling your meals.
• Spread the yogurt on dehydrator tray covered with parchment paper in an even, thin layer (roughly 1/8-inch thick).
• Dehydrate at 135F/ 57C for about 6-8 hours or until it is dry and brittle. Rotate tray every couple of hours and flip-over the yogurt pieces halfway through the drying time
• Remove from dehydrator and let it cool.
• Vacuum-seal and freeze until you’re ready to venture into the backcountry
Unrefrigerated and without vacuum sealing it, dehydrated yogurt can last at room temperatures in a zip lock bag for about a week. I strongly suggest freezing it and using a vacuum sealed bag. And even with these precautions I have ate it after a night’s sleep in the backcountry on the 1st morning, all the way to the 3rd morning. I have personally never made yogurt past this amount of time.
In the Backcountry:
• Slowly add water into the bag with the dehydrated yogurt (ratio 1:1). Close the bag and gently knead until you get creamy and smooth consistence. You can eat it like this or add in whatever you chose to bring with you or found along the trail.
Trail Snacks
Ingredients:
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
Backcountry Views Apple Cinnamon Chips
Pre-Trip Preparation at Home:
• Wash and core apples.
• Using a sharp knife, slice apples into thin rounds about 1/8 – 1/4″ (3-6 mm) thick.
• Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Arrange apple slices on dehydrator mesh sheets in a single layer.
• Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on the sliced apples.
• Dehydrate at 57C/135F for 10-12 hours or until crisp.
• Cool to room temperature.
Note: Store in an airtight container in a dark, cool place or place. I recommend placing them inside a resealable vacuum seal bag. Regardless of how you choose to store them, remember to place them in a smell proof bag (available at most weed supply shops that sell bongs, pipes etc., as well as online) prior to venturing into the backcountry. And be sure to portion them out into how many you can eat at one time. Take an extra smell proof bag to place all empty bags which once contained food.
Backcountry Views Glacier Chips
Ingredients:
• 2 bananas (or 3), just ripe
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh pressed
Pre-Trip Preparation at Home:
• Cut bananas into 3-4mm (1/8 inch) slices.
• Mix lemon juice with 1/4 cup water in a bowl.
• Place the banana slices on dehydrator tray.
• Brush each slice on both sides with the mixture of lemon juice and water.
• Dehydrate at 57C/135F for 6-10 hours.
Note: Store in an airtight container in a dark, cool place or place. I recommend placing them inside a resealable vacuum seal bag. Regardless of how you choose to store them, remember to place them in a smell proof bag (available at most weed supply shops that sell bongs, pipes etc., as well as online) prior to venturing into the backcountry. And be sure to portion them out into how many you can eat at one time. Take an extra smell proof bag to place all empty bags which once contained food.
Backcountry Feeds
Backcountry Views Rundle Mountain Chili
Ingredients:
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) olive oil
• 1 red onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 600 grams of ground beef
• 2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can canned kidney beans, drained
• 1 can canned sweet corn, drained
• 2 tablespoons of your choice of chili mixture
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• Salt
• Sugar
• Cayenne Powder (if you prefer it spicy)
In the Backcountry:
To rehydrate 1 portion:
• Pour the bag marked chili mixture into your pot, and add 1 cup water, use your spoon to mix it
• Let it boil while stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick, for roughly 5 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat, place the lid on your pot and let it sit for about 10 – 12 minuets
• Remove lid and enjoy
Note: No matter how you choose to store these, remember to place them in a smell proof bag (available at most weed supply shops that sell bongs, pipes etc., as well as online) prior to venturing into the backcountry. And be sure to portion them out into how many you can eat at one time. Take an extra smell proof bag to place all empty bags which once contained food.
Pre-Trip Preparation at Home:
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cook until it is soft and golden.
• Add ground beef and cook until fully brown. Transfer meat to a colander Drain and then return meat to the saucepan.
• Add red bell pepper, beans, sweet corn and chili mix.
• Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pour in the diced tomatoes together with their juice into a saucepan. . (Add Cayenne Pepper at this time if you prefer it spicy) Bring to a boil and season accordingly.
• Turn heat to low, put a lid on and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and cool thoroughly.
• Spread the Backcountry Views Rundle Mountain Chilli mixture on your dehydrator trays covered with parchment paper.
• Dehydrate at 63C/145F for 8-10 hours until brittle.
• Divide the dried meat into equal portions (about 1 cup each) and pack them into medium-sized zip lock bags.
