[pct-l] Dehydrated Commercially Prepared Meals

[Ann Marie]

I haven't thru-hiked, only used these commercial dinners and breakfasts on section hikes.

They can be a good and quick option if you are not into cooking or preparing your own food.

I wouldn't bother to remove the packaging (transferring the contents into ziplocks.....) Either way you have some leftover trash and the package is designed to handle the mess better than a ziplock - if it is a week or less before you will use the contents, poke a hole above the ziplock and let out the air before you compress it and pack it.

To save $$, consider using the commercial dinners/breakfasts for every second or third meal. They can boost your morale BUT only if you like the taste of the brand, so try out many brands. We tried Alpine Aire (gluten free, bought with the 10% discount on 12 from REI) on the JMT this year and liked them. But I wouldn't bother with them every night, since it is easy enough to dehydrate some meat (try shredded beef canned or shelf-stable packages at a warehouse like Costco or fresh ground beef that you add some bread crumbs to before browning and draining and then dehydrating....) and just add an easy starch like instant potatoes or instant rice or instant beans, and tomato powder/paste and dehydrated salsa and dried parmesan with various spices. I've even dehydrated defrosted leaf spinach and been happy to add it to miso soups and rehydrated dinners. Beginning in October, frozen veggies go on sale all thru Xmas so stock up, cook them, and dehydrate them.
 Same goes for canned tomatoes and beans of all types.....

My only big issue with dehydrating my own foods is that they can be bulky and have sharp-pointed ends that can/may poke holes thru ziplocks. Some people claim great success using seal-in-bags. So far, I've resisted that expense and just wrapped dried pasta (etc.) in parchment paper before storing it into a heavy quart ziplock (and then storing in the freezer until a week or so before consumption.....)





I'd only plan meals for the first 6 to 8 weeks of a thru-hike, since you'll be tired enough from the hiking to do much town chores. After that, shopping tips will come from other hikers and you'll want some variety.