Top 5 Best Dehydrated Camping Foods

If you want to stay light on your feet while camping, you need to look into the best dehydrated camping food. It is important to pack as lightly as possible when camping, particularly if there is going to be a lot of hiking. To do this, people need to find a way to lighten the load. This is where dehydrated camping food is key. Without excess water weight, food weighs far less. Of course, there are lots of options to choose from when it comes to the best dehydrated camping food. Check out the dehydrated camping food reviews and ratings below.

The 5 Top Dehydrated Camping Foods

We know that people are busy and might not have time to investigate the various camping food options for themselves. For this reason, we have done exactly that. We have put together some helpful reviews on a few of the top camping foods on the market. Keep reading for more information about the top five best dehydrated camping foods on the market.

* Ratings are determined using our specialized rating system.

Mountain House 3-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit

We believe that the Mountain House 3-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit is the best dehydrated camping food option on the market. It comes in an attractive package that instantly makes it look more appealing. Unlike many of the options out there, it also comes with a variety of meals.

This means that people won’t have to eat the same thing over and over again day after day. It supplies meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some of the examples include scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, and even chicken teriyaki. With the taste and variety, many people have already come to trust the Mountain House 3-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit for their dehydrated camping food needs.

Wise Company 120 Servings Freeze-Dried Variety Supply

The Wise Company 120 Servings Freeze-Dried Entree Variety Food Supply is a large helping of dehydrated camping food that can feed an army. Therefore, it is a little bit more expensive than the other options on the market. With so many servings, there is also plenty of variety on this list. Some of the options include loaded baked potato casserole as well as teriyaki and rice.

The packaging makes the food look appealing. The instructions are relatively easy to follow. Even though the food has been packaged with 120 servings, each of the helpings is still individually wrapped. This allows people to easily select what they would like to eat without opening the other helpings. This is a good choice for people who like buying in bulk and just taking what they need when going camping.

Wise Company Emergency Food and Drink Meal Supply

For those looking to save some money on their camping food, the budget pick is the Wise Company Emergency Food and Drink Supply. This may not be the most palatable or offer the most variety; however, it will provide nutrition in an inexpensive way. This is a food kit that provides 34 total servings in its three day supply.

It will last on the shelf for 25 years and is easy to make. These meals do not require anything other than water. The instructions are easy to follow and, for the number of servings, the packaging is also light. This makes the Wise Company Emergency Food and Drink Supply the budget pick for camping food.

Harmony House Foods 18 Count Backpacking Food Kit

One of the top options on the market is the Harmony House Foods, The Backpacking Kit, 18 Count, 1 Cup Zip Pouches. As the runner up, this option for best dehydrated camping food provides a number of benefits that people should consider. This option is unique becuase the pouches aren’t meals like the previous options–intead, they’re ingredients. You create your own meals from scratch or use the included recipes.

The ingredients include things like mixed peppers, diced potatoes, sliced celery, lentils, black beans, diced carrots, and more. The kit can make up to 70 servings. With each serving, there is also a hefty amount of food, providing people with plenty of filling, hearty nutrients with each bite. Furthermore, the ingredients have also been sourced in a sustainable manner.

Mountain House 29 Serving Classic Bucket Dehydrated Food

The honorable mention is the Mountain House 29 Serving Classic Bucket Dehydrated Food. This is a giant bucket that provides lots of different dehydrated camping food meals for people to choose from. The instructions on the bucket are easy to follow. The individual packages inside require nothing but water to get them going. There are several options to choose from including noodles, beef stroganoff, chicken teriyaki, rice, beef stew, and more.

The nice variety has made this a popular choice among those looking for high-quality camping food. The bucket itself is heavy, but the meals are easy to pack and store without weighing down the rest of the pack. Many people have already fallen in love with these meals.

Features to Consider for the Best Dehydrated Camping Food

We know that it can be hard to plan meals for a camping trip. People need to think about the equipment they are going to need to take, how they will preserve their food, and how heavy each of the meals is going to be. This makes dehydrated camping food an excellent addition when stocking your camping pantry.

Weight

The entire purpose of dehydrating camping food is to make it lighter and easier to preserve. If the meals are still going to be super heavy, this is going to create some problems for the rest of the packing list.

Shelf Life

By dehydrating the veggies, meat, and other elements of the food, the goal is to remove its ability to spoil. If the food is still going to spoil quickly even when dehydrated, this is going to cause some issues. Make sure to read about the shelf life of the food and what preservatives go into it.

Variety

While many people have low expectations when it comes to dehydrated camping food, it should still provide plenty of variety. Variety is important because it increases the nutrient value of the food as well. Try to find camping food that provides a wide range of variety.

Packaging Durability

The best dehydrated camping food has packaging that has been designed to prevent it from spoiling, making it essential in a backpacker’s pantry. On the other hand, if the packaging is crushed and the food is exposed to the external environment, then it may not be safe to eat. Try to find durable packaging.

Calories

These are meant to be meals. Therefore, they should provide the same calorie value and make a good to-go meal. Read about the calorie content and the nutritional value of each serving. This will truly tell people what they are getting in each serving size of their meal.

This is a brief list of some of the features that people need to look for when hunting for dehydrated camping food. Consider all of these features before buying.

Benefits of Using Dehydrated Camping Foods

There are a few important benefits that people will enjoy when they purchase the best dehydrated camping food for their campsite. A few examples include:

Lightweight

The dehydrated camping food is not going to weigh down the rest of the camping load. Dehydrated camping food is meant to be lightweight and food that has been properly dehydrated will be exactly this.

Easy to Pack

Top dehydrated camping food is also easy to pack. Dehydrated camping food comes in individually-packaged servings, making it easy to choose exactly what you need for a trip. Need three meals? Take three packets. This allows for proper rationing when on the trip without the guesswork. And because dehydrated camping food doesn’t require any special storage, you don’t even need to worry about bringing a camping cooler or anything like that. Just pack them in your backpack.

Easy to Use

The instructions on dehydrated camping food and freeze dried food should also be easy to follow. The goal of dehydrating the camping food is to make it easy to serve by simply adding water, though sometimes it should be boiling water. There should not be any complicated equipment required.

Not Time-Consuming

Most dehydrated meals can be re-hydrated in just ten minutes. With traditional camping cooking, that’s a serious time saver. There isn’t any preparation or cooking required, just pour the water in as instructed, mix, and wait. Even simple meals such as hobo packets aren’t that fast.

Calories

Camping food that has been dehydrated should still provide plenty of calories for hikers with each meal. As meal replacements, camping food should provide plenty of nutritional value.

Extended Shelf Life

Most backpacking meals can last 25 years, 30 years, or even longer. This makes them great for campers who like buying in bulk. You can buy a package with 120 servings, and it can potentially last years without any sort of special storage methods.

These are a few of the benefits that people should look for when trying to decide on camping food. Selecting the right option should provide people with nutritional, tasty meals.

Precautions of Using Dehydrated Camping Foods

Like other camping products for around the campfire, there are many choices to consider when looking for dehydrated camping food. A few of the key points that people need to remember include:

Allergens

Camping food still contains allergens. Those who are allergic to certain products such as milk, wheat, soy, and others should read the packaging carefully. Do not eat anything that contains something that might trigger an allergic reaction in the person eating it. Be careful as well of any allergens in spices and seasonings you bring camping to avoid allergic reactions. To ensure uncontaminated ingredients, try bringing your own spices from home in a camping spice container.

Price

Try not to be consumed by the price tag. Take a look at the price per serving. This is going to provide a more accurate estimate of the cost.

Weight

Consider how heavy the packaging is going to be. While the meals themselves might be light single serving meals, the packaging might be heavy. It could weigh down the rest of the pack.

Remember to consider these precautions before considering the best dehydrated camping food. Purchase in an educated manner.

Conclusion

In the end, the winner for the best dehydrated camping food is the Mountain House 3-Day Emergency Food Supply Kit. This dehydrated camping food kit meets all of the requirements that people are looking for in their camping food. First, the meals are still tasty despite being dehydrated and then rehydrated once again. The instructions on the packaging are easy to follow and can be made by just about anyone who can follow directions.

There isn’t any complicated camping equipment needed to make these meals. They are easy to store and lightweight. Each meal provides plenty of calories at a reasonable price point. The packaging is light and easy to store without weight down the rest of the pack. There is also plenty of variety with each meal so someone isn’t eating the same thing over and over again. There are choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is simply the best dehydrated camping food on the market.

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