What dehydrated meals do you use?

[Trunks]

Evening folks,

I was just wondering what brand dehydrated meals people were eating?

I like the wayfarers "wet" food, but they are quite heavy when carrying enough for a few days, so i'm looking for a lighter alternative that doesn't taste like the scrapings from under the microwave

Thanks

P.s. Although i would love to, I dont have the time to make my own...

 

[Shewie]

Mountain House are okay, Rieters are pretty good too

Real Turmat and Fuizion are supposed to be the best but I've not tried them yet.

Outdoors Grub usually have a good selection

 

[Trunks]

Nom nom nom, Kung Po Chicken with Noodles

 

[adam_myers]

Batchelors super noodles, never go out with out a packet also crosse & blackwell pasta meals are great too, only around 50p a packet just look about your local supermarket in around the pasta that's what I do, but I'm on a tight budget

 

[SussexRob]

I use these for my explorer scouts when they are out on expeditions. As far as dehydrated meals go, in my opinion, these are the best I have found.

http://www.bewellexpeditionfoods.com/Base-Camp-2400-Kcal/

 

[Kepis]

I make my own, i know exactly what's in them then.

 

[MattB]

Couscous.


(Generally served with something not dehydrated.)

 

[The Big Lebowski]

Batchelor's Pasta 'n' Sauce can be had from a local budget/discount shop locally for 39p a packet... They are surprisingly nice (the whole range) and one packet gives a good meal.

I always take some for an extended stay.

 

[Bodge]

Hi, On last years Finland trip I used mostly Ainsley Harriet dried stuff, couscous and the sort and mug shot pasta soups small tins of beef pate and tuna with scottish oatcakes/biscuits. I made up porridge portions with raisins or cranberries and a little powdered milk and sugar to allow it to be made up with water. I took small packs of croutons to bulk everything up with kcals and added oat chewy bars and peanuts etc. I made up the rations in daily bags with individual brew stuff in each pack. I made each days rations over 2500 kcals and had some emergency marmite museli bars incase I ran out of food and got sick of eating my own socks. I only used the marmite bars for fish bait, which failed. My fellow traveller, Muddy Boots, used shop bought meals and IMO I didn't miss out on anything looking at what he was preparing.

HTH

 

[Teepee]

I take the same approach as Bodge ( i don't eat my socks though, they're pure evil).

I'm emptying dried pasta and cous-cous meals into ziplocks, then adding dried veg and more herbs to it. Add in some fresh chorizo, cheese or jerky and a meal is created for a lot less than Wayfarer's.

Likewise with breakfast-instant porridge into a zip-lock, then dried strawberries or other fruit.

 

[ged]

Cous-cous.

 

[susi]

just look about your local supermarket in around the pasta that's what I do, but I'm on a tight budget

Me too, but not for budget reasons. For me, the extra cost of the "professional" dehydrated meal packs just doesn't balance with the benefits. I use Blå Band mixes (owned by Campbells's, American company), with jerky mixed in.

 

[udamiano]

I tend to just take dried pasta and some pulses and dried veg packets. Or take in the norgie stuff like meat. everything else i try to either source locally or forage if the norgie option is not viable, this has had mixed results over the years

 

[Bushwhacker]

I'm not keen on them. They're all far too dry and crunchy for me.

 

[jacko1066]

plus 1 for the be well expeditions!!!
They were fantatsic on my last trip, highly reccomend them mate!!
Cheers
Steve

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Mexican flavour rice from the coop or tescos, light and swell up so fill you up.

 

[KevinH]

Bewell are superb....mmmmmmm

http://www.bewellexpeditionfoods.com/

 

[armie]

On my ten day canoe bushcraft trip in Poland I brought dehydrated meals of various brands.
Mountain House just tasted like pepper to me; Real Turmat was very good (and more expensive).
Some other foods I used were couscous, selfmade beef jerky, two carrots, those little bags with rice you can hang in boiling water.

 

[lannyman8]

mug shots are very good on the move, just add boiling water to the packet fold the top over and leave to stand for 5-10 mins, stir and eat no mess in your pot, job done...you can start drinking your brew while you wait....

chariso and cured sausage is awesome, it needs no chilling even when cut open, just protecting from dirt and grit....slice it up or chop into chunks after you have boiled some pasta, fry it off to render the fat then stir in the pasta, another easy clean-ish dish to do...

you can make cured beef or pork at home, which is quite easy to do really, there are a few threads here from myself on how to do it, have a look see....

you could also use shop bought beef jerkey, and i have seen chicken too, but thats very greasy and more wet and sticky than the proper beef stuff, it makes a change though....

i dont know if they still do the Arctic issue ration pack but they where very good, but took allot and i mean allot of water to re-hydrate, and a while to cook, worth a look though...

what ever you choose to take, enjoy your trip and food....

regards.

chris.

 

[torc]

Instant noodles and couscous, they are quicker to prepare than rice or pasta based meals.
Biscuits and oat bars (better if home made) are lightweight.
Muesli premixed with Nido whole milk powder (available from most Asian food shops), it's much less messy than cooking a premixed instant porridge.
Not quite dehydrated but a small tin of sardines or mackerel on crackers or Ryvita is light enough. The small tins of pate/meat spread sold in Polish shops are tasty too.
Expedition Foods meals and European sourced Mountain House meals and are both made by the same company and are very good and come in large portions (750-800 kcals). They are quick and simple to prepare. Trek 'n Eat from Katadyn are also good.
I don't know who produce Be-Well meals but going by the reviews they sound alright. If anybody has one to hand take note of the EU food producer mark and post it here please.
Campbell's, Knorr and Batchelors pasta meals are all tasty but they leave your pots in a mess.
Happy trails...torc.