[pct-l] Dehydrated meals

[marmot marmot]

Hi Matterhorn
Are you going northbound or southbound? I'm assuming northbound 
I resupply myself from certain types of large grocery stores and health food stores. I use "instant" dried soups as a base for my dinners. These are available in the bulk sections of most large health food stores. List of towns with health food stores going north --San Diego,Idyllwild,Mammoth South Lake Tahoe,Truckee or Reno ,Ashland(for all of Oregon)
Hood River(Cascade Locks--for all of Washington
Albertson's or Safeway are examples of large grocery stores. If you have Yogi's PCT guide that will tell you what large stores are in which towns. A number of these stores have "healthy" sections. In San Diego if you can find a Trader Joes, they carry unsalted macadamia nuts. Those are my "go to"heavy calorie nut choice. I buy tahini and mix it in with other pre flavored mixes   The brands to look for are Nile Spice and Casbah. They have flavored couscous too   I also buy instant humus,black beans, pinto beans for lunch. They can be mixed with cold water. I make thick soups from different whole grain pastas,dried veg and veg soup base for dinner. Pre seasoned soups are curried lentil,corn chowder,split pea and chili.  You can find those in the bulk section of most health food stores. Trader Joes also has dried cherries,nectarines,mango. 
If you are less concerned with foods with additives you can buy Knorr,Kraft and other types of soups. Lots of hikers eat instant mashed potatoes. If really want freeze dried food you can either have it sent to you from an on line source or from REI.   On the AT I ordered directly from Alpine Aire. Paid for the food up front --got a discounted price and they sent out boxes of freeze dried food to prearranged mail drops. That is before I realized that I lost way too much weight on freeze dried meals. I switched to dried food. I usually send myself food for a month to 6 weeks, about 100 miles apart. There are many lists of the mail drops (PO hostel s or other places people use) on line. Remember before you buy check the hiker boxes that are in most PO and hostels. Almost all hikers in the beginning of a thruhike send themselves too much food. If you eat cheese that will last a long time. I buy soy jerky from Lumen Foods in Lake Charles,La.  It comes in 5 lbs bags. I have broken those bag into smaller bags and sent it ahead. When you get into town and are buying to send to yourself check the PO when you arrive to ask if they have regional flat rate boxes. If they don't they could get some for the next day. They are cheaper than the normal flat rate boxes. Then go shopping buy for the next month or so. Send them out,keep a list of where you sent them(honestly I know people who have forgotten). Taking fresh food from town is a great idea. Avocados,carrots,cabbage all last a long time. Some people hard boil eggs for a couple of days
Have a great hike
Marmot

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