CAMPING FOREVER

One of the most potent passions people have is the urge to go outdoors and somehow connect with the spirit of our forefathers that used to live among nature. For those it works, it works really well. Certainly, it has a therapeutic effect and can get out the feeling of being canned between four walls. All great things aside, there is one big problem with going out camping or hiking: the scarcity of food!

Fortunately, in recent times, the food industry has made great progress. There are now many products that you can have in your travels without worrying about cooking and food-poisoning. It is not an overstatement but you can have food that can go for years without going bad. The shelf-life of these food items just doesn’t end soon. You can have a nutritional meal that was made years ago and you would not have to sacrifice its taste, texture, and value.

It is funny to note that these items do not just find their way to the outdoors like when someone is going hiking, backpacking, etc. There are instances where people just stock on them for a late-night snack if they feel too lazy to actually cook something!

There are hundreds of manufacturers that make this kind of food and claim to be the best. But for a regular joe, it is not easy to find the best from the rest. It could be a mess to try each one of them at home and then pick the winner.

In this article, we will go through multiple brands and discuss their qualities in detail, in order to find the ultimate best.

Before diving into the contest, first, go through the basic premise of freeze-dried food.

What Are Freeze-Dried Food Items?

It may seem like a “modern, scientific” concept but there are many communities in the past that had done this. For instance, the native South American tribes have been freeze-drying their eatables for generations. They were not scientifically literate as we are now, but the old wisdom permitted them to preserve potatoes for a long time. This way, they prevented famine and mass-starvation.

The art of preserving food for long intervals of time was perfected around the mid of the twentieth century. During the WW2, medical professionals started to freeze blood plasma and antibiotics to make them usable for wounded soldiers. After the war was over, the techniques were used at the commercial level and food was the industry that benefited the most from it. Before, it was only supplied to astronauts and soldiers at the fronts as rations.

It is the perfection of process and ease of attaining results that now you can find freeze-dried food anywhere with no trouble at all!

From an exciting journey of outer space to hot war zones, the freeze-dried food has found its way to the households and offer many options. Families love it for its perpetual shelf life and better taste than other ready-to-eat meal packages.

It was only natural that this food penetrated into the ranks of hikers and backpackers who were always looking for something that did not taste like raw meat!

How Does Freeze-Drying Work

The process of freeze-drying took a little time to be perfected at the start. Now, it is pretty standard. Here are the steps involved in freeze-drying any food item:

• The meal is placed in a freezer that operates at extremely low temperatures. This allows the food to freeze instantly. Exposure to freezing temperatures will result in large ice crystals.

• Then, the freeze-drying machine will turn the ice crystals into vapors by employing a method called sublimation. In this way, it will skip the liquid part and convert the solid crystals directly into vapors.

• After sublimation, the food will be dried to get rid of any excess moisture.

• Now comes the packing part. The food is packed in containers and bags like mylar bags, cans, buckets. These are specially-designed with oxygen absorbing capabilities to keep the food from rotting.

Freeze-Drying Is Not Dehydrating

Typically, dehydrating is used to preserve the food. It is different from freeze-drying because there is no residual moisture in the food after it went through the freeze-drying process. In addition to that, it does not lose any nutritional value or structural change, contrary to dehydration. This is the reason why freeze-dried food does not appear to be wrinkly in appearance and rubbery in its consistency.

There are other benefits of freeze-drying over a simple dehydrating process. It is time-efficient because it takes lesser time to rehydrate. Also, the food will be much lighter when compared to its dehydrated counterpart.

Reasons For Storing Freeze-Dried Food

Even after counting a plethora of great things about freeze-dried food, if you are not convinced, here are some of the reasons you need to be stocked up in this food category. It is perfect for those who make instant plans on going outdoors:

Long Shelf-Life

There is only one competitor of freeze-dried food when it comes to the longevity of shelf-life, that is raw honey because it can last millennia without spoiling its natural taste and consistency. But you cannot survive on raw home alone when you are exploring outdoors.

Generally, if you are being cautious, you can store freeze-dried food for 25 to 30 years without making it spoil its taste and texture. The reason behind this phenomenon is the absence of moisture from the food. In the absence of any water content, there is no room for microorganisms to grow and spoil your food. The best thing about freeze-drying is that it can stop the ripening of fruits and vegetables. This means you can have greens on your way to the summit without worrying about being homesick!

When you open the packaging, the years turn into days because of the oxygen exposure. Once it is cracked, you can use the item for a week before it will start to rot. You can make your meal by following the instructions on the label. So, it is always better to have your meal immediately after cracking the seal.

Lightweight

In the process of freeze-frying, the food item loses around 90% of its weight because of the elimination of water content from it. This results in them being lightweight and portable for easy packing and mobility during hiking and other outdoor activities. For those who love to travel light, they can have a hot meal without packing much. The food will come to life and fresh as always once you crack the package open and warm it.

Easy To Use

It is not even remotely difficult to prepare a freeze-dried item for a meal. In the case of food pouches, all it takes is some cups of boiling water, stirring, sealing the pack again for a couple of minutes, and voila – dinner is served!

After that, you can eat the meal directly from the pouch. So, it is truly a hassle way to pack your lunch for a time out in nature.

No Loss Of Nutritional Value, Taste, & Texture

When compared to dehydration, freeze-drying is always better. One reason is that dehydration takes away almost fifty percent of the nutritional value of the food. It can toughen up at the end and become wrinkly. This makes it less appetizing and hard to ingest. The freeze-dried foods do not suffer these problems. When stored, they look crunchy and dry because they are dry, but after getting their moisture back, they come to normal with no loss of taste, texture, and shape!

Superior Taste

There is no doubt that even the worst taste meal feels like an exotic cuisine at the end of a day after hiking a tricky trail. But why suffer when you can have the best food with you that comes with no trouble at all!

Aside from raw fruits, vegetables, and other items, you can have items like cooked meals in a freeze-dried state. There are a number of manufacturers that offer several cooked items for your pleasure. They may seem straightforward but it is a cooked meal, nonetheless.

Some of these are:

• Beef Chili With Macaroni

• Freeze-Dried Lasagna

• Breakfast Skillet

• Beef Stroganoff

You can have almost anything you want by adding some hot, boiling water to it.

There are also variants for those who follow some sort of dietary restrictions like vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, keto, etc. so, there is no way anyone can deny the benefits of having freeze-dried food outdoors.

Storing Freeze-Dried Food

When it comes to freeze-dried food, there is no trouble in keeping it safe. The reason is their stable shelf-life which allows them to remain unspoiled even at room temperature. Most of the time, they come in packages and containers that can withstand abuse with no trouble at all, like mylar bags, food-grade cans, and buckets, etc.

But, if you need to be completely sure, follow these guidelines for storing the freeze-dried food for amazing shelf-life and peace of mind:

• Always place the containers or pouches of freeze-dried food in a cool, dry, and clean place.

• It is best to keep them in places where temperature changes only a little. Extreme fluctuations and conditions can affect its quality.

• Keep the food from coming in direct contact with sun and moisture. The best preserving temperature is 35 to 75 degrees F which can be achieved in cupboard cabinets and pepper pantries.

• Until the time comes to eat, it is best to keep the pouches and bags from puncturing.

Factors To Consider While Choosing A Freeze-Dried Food Brand

There are hundreds and thousands of food items that you can find in the stores, made by different manufacturers. It would be extremely difficult to choose from them without keeping in mind some essential things in mind.

Here is a checklist that you need to go through before setting your heart on a specific brand or meal:

Purpose

The first thing is always to answer the questions that start with “why”. So, you need to ask why you need freeze-dried food. There are two possible scenarios:

• Do you have some long-term emergency in mind?

• Are you rationing up for the hike next month?

Since, we started this article on the premise of evaluating food items that could be a great fit for outdoors, like when you are out hiking, backpacking, we will keep our review to the brands and items that are specifically made items for outdoors. It includes the following manufacturers:

• Mountain House

• Alpine Aire

• Wise Foods

We will go through several items from each one of the brands in the later sections.

Calories & Nutritional Content

You need to look into the energy-to-content ratios of the products to make the best decision. If you get more calories per ounce, the deal is sweet. Also, consider the level of energy you would need at the end of the day. If you are looking forward to some gruesome work, you will need more energy at the end of the day. If you have to, get a double serving pouch for you and augment the supply with additional items like olives, nuts, chia seeds, etc., so that you get the needed energy levels for the next day.

As a general practice, freeze-dried food manufacturers add high sodium content to provide instant energy to the user. It is great for fatigued muscles at the end of the day, but you cannot take them for granted if your health conditions allow you to have the least possible dosage. If you have such a condition, it is better to consult with the staff or reading the label before buying any food item.

Preparation

Again, there are almost identical steps in preparing freeze-dried food from any manufacturer when it is chow time. As a rule of thumb, it takes around 1 to cups of boiling water to reconstitute the food. The waiting time after adding water could be around 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the brand and the food you are preparing.

In this article, we have taken those items into consideration that do not take excessive resources and time in preparation. It is best to keep things simple while you are hiking through the tricky terrain.

Taste, Flavor, & Texture

There is always personal preference when it comes to good food and bad food. So, you need to make keep in mind your personal flavors and preferences before buying freeze-dried food. It would not be in your favor to be stuck with a food item that you do not like.

There are variants to your personal favorite recipe so keep that in mind while shopping. As an added bonus, you can always keep pouches of spices or a bottle of hot sauce to make things taste a little better in the middle of the wilderness.

Shelf Life

Like all other things in this food category, there is a wide range of categories when it comes to the shelf life of food items. Generally, they are stable for a long span of time. but there are differences when you jump from one brand to another. For instance, there are manufacturers like Mountain House that provides around 30 years of impressive guarantee for their products, while others mostly gun for 5 to 7 years. So, keep in mind before storing the pouches.

Price

For many people, the choice is boiled down to price for everything, and freeze-dried food is not an exception. All praises aside, it does not come cheap. A typical 2 or 2.5 serving pack can cost you around $8 to $15.

On the other side of the price spectrum, there are items that can cost less but they will be lacking a lot in the taste and nutrition department. So, there is a big plus when you go to freeze-dried food, even if it seems a little pricier. They are easy to cook and carry and may provide more calories per serving. It is best to compare both pros and cons of these two types of ready-to-eat food items before deciding for good.

Best Freeze-Dried Food For Outdoors

At this point, you know a lot about how freeze-dried food is prepared and preserved. Now is the time to pick the winners from the crowd.

After intensive research, testing, and evaluation, we have shortlisted some of the best freeze-dried food brands. They were tested for all the things that anyone would want at the end of a hectic day outdoors. They offer great taste and texture; there is a chance of food poisoning or other gut-related issues that are common while eating in these times. Even for some, they could offer the best value for money.

One thing is clear, they are always superior to dehydrated food items if you are one of those people who are still on the fence.

Now, we will discuss the brand and item one after the other and give you a detailed account of what it packs and how it can prove to be the best option for you while you are hiking or backpacking:

Peak Refuel Breakfast Skillet

Shelf Life – Approximately 5 Years

Taste – 4.8 Stars

Weight – 4.87 oz

Calories – 320 cal. per serving

Cooking Time – 15 minutes

No matter the qualities we have discussed earlier, we did not think of it to be that good. This breakfast skillet literally threw the competition out of the window. Taste and texture aside, it is also one of the most well-rounded entrées on this list.

• Eggs & sausages for protein

• Potatoes for carbs

• A mouthful portion of green bell peppers and onions for enhanced taste and nutrition

Every bit of this freeze-fried meal is tasty and appetizing because you get a cocktail of all these nutritious and tasty things with each spoonful. If you are a hot spicy person, it is best to have some salt or hot sauce on you to give it a push on the spicy side. Other than that, it is the showstopper of the day!

The way it reconstitutes and rehydrates to become ready to eat is so good that it can even go for a home-cooked meal with no trouble at all. It has no milk so there is no concealed threat for those who are lactose intolerant. The eggs are done really well and safe to consume. Potatoes were not that much as we had expected in the packaging but they taste great and the consistency is excellent. For the bell peppers, you can really enjoy the crunch and juiciness so that you can savor every mouthful.

Before adding boiling water to the pouch to reconstitute the meal, it is best to settle the meal down in the pouch as it is almost around the brim. This will allow you to zip the bag properly after adding water to it.

The taste is excellent but what about the calories. Keep in mind that 320 calories per serving with 32 grams of proteins are not a bad deal at all. After an exciting day on the trail, you can really appreciate the thought that went into this packaging.

One thing that could make budget-conscious people think twice about it is its price. Around $12 for a double serving pack, this is not the most cost-effective freeze-dried meal that you can enjoy on your trips. On the other side, the taste, texture, consistency, and nutritional value can make up for the pricy tag that it carries. If you have a few dollars around, this is the most recommended freeze-dried food that you can buy from this money.

Mountain House Chili Mac

Shelf Life – 30 Years!

Taste – 4.5 Stars

Weight – 4.8 oz

Calories – 230 cal. per serving

Cooking Time – 8 to 10 minutes

If you have been camping, backpacking, or hiking for a while, you would probably see that coming. Mountain House has carved out a niche for themselves in the freeze-dried category for a while now. It is extremely popular among outdoorsmen for having great taste and virtually unending shelf life. It would not be an overstatement to say that they have become a staple for what people call “camping comfort food”.

For the sake of this review to round up the best from the rest, we went for the bestseller that the company has to offer – the mass favorite Chili Mac with Beef!

We tested a 2.5 serving pouch that comes with around 230 calories per serving. Now, when compared to the previous entry on this list, this not the “beefiest” entrée but you will get a good load of pasta, ground beef, and beans along with other goodies. This should be plenty to get you a belly-full after a hectic day on the trail.

The pouch is tastefully packed and weighs around 4.8 oz so it will slide into other chow things without occupying too much precious real estate in your backpack. There is also a variant in packing which is called Pro-Pak. It comes in a more compact bag and vacuum-sealed to prevent expansion while you are browsing nature on the high altitudes.

The main selling point of the Mountain House is over 30 years of shelf life for their star freeze-dried food. It means you can ration for your son when he is conceived and he would still be able to enjoy that meal in his twenties while he was on the track.

When you crack the seal open, you will be welcomed by the appetizing aroma of seasonings and chili. Other than that you have plenty of macaroni pasta, kidney beans, and chunks of ground beef. Every spoonful is going to be a delight in the middle of the wilderness because of the well-proportioned amount of everything inside the packaging.

When you go through the label, and you should every time you are preparing your meal by the campfire, it says that you need to add 2 cups of boiling water to reconstitute the food back to the normal. On our testing, we went for one and a half cups of boiling water to prevent the food become too soupy and diluted, and it came out just fine. The preparation time is also shorter when compared to other brands that go around 15 minutes (this takes around 8 to 9 minutes). After around 4 minutes of adding boiling water, mix the pouch gently but thoroughly so that all the ingredients in the pouch are rehydrated.

This meal reconstituted well and it could also pass on to be a home-cooked fresh meal. No complaints of bland taste here and you will find a spicy tang to it. there are some brands that add pasta which feels a little off, but this was really buenos even after cooking a minute more than the recommended time.

Mountain House did not come short on sauces and seasonings. This makes it clear why it is a crowd favorite!

Although the label says 2 cups, you can go for one and a half cups and the sauce consistency will come out to be great. After savoring on big chunks of ground meat and beans, you will definitely feel satisfied.

Here are some words of caution for this entrée:

• Some people have reported a feeling of being gassy after consuming this meal. So, think twice before choosing this meal

• You do not get a good value for your money when you compare the price with the low energy yield

• High Sodium content can also be problematic for folks that have health concerns like high blood pressure and other related issues. So, not good for everyday consumption but should be fine after a hectic day of trekking

In the end, it may not be the most calorie-packing meal, or the most economical, but it will definitely give you the much-needed energy boost that you need for your tired body.

MRE Star Barbecue Chicken

Shelf Life – Approximately 5 Years

Taste – 2.8 Stars

Weight – 14.85 oz

Calories – 300 cal. per serving (entrée)

Heating Time – 15 minutes

MRE Star has a reputation that it needs to escape. It is because there are people who become nauseous at the mere mentioning of MRE food packages. This aside, it did not keep the brand aside from changing the whole spectrum of freeze-dried food.

As you might have guessed from the name, MRE Star is ready to eat out of the box. Technically, they are not freeze-dried but rather preserved in such a meticulous way that they can spend half a decade on top of a shelf without going sour. In a way, this is not even remotely bad for something that does not require any reconstitution or cooking.

The package offers a well-rounded meal by any stretch of the imagination. They are heavier and pack a lot more than the typical freeze-dried food pouches. Each signature brown package of MRE contains:

• A Packaged Entrée

• Starch (mostly flour tortillas or military crackers)

• Snacks

• Desserts

• Powdered Drinks (lemonade & coffee)

• Condiments

• Small Candies & Sweets

• Plastic Cutlery & Moist Towelettes

If you think all these goods that come with the package are not enough, they also throw in a flameless heater. This can be used to heat your meal by adding just a little bit of water.

It is great to see so much variety in a package, especially how all these different things work in harmony to help you gain the calories you need. The package you get will give you around 300 calories for the entrée alone. The other items give up about 800 to 900 calories. When combined, this meal package will get you around 1100 to 1200 calories per meal.

The thing that sets it apart from freeze-dried food items is the easy heating process. You just have to put some water that will activate the water heater. Then, slip the food pack into the pocket and put them both inside the box for approximately 15 minutes.

The taste of the food could use a lot of work, not in the sense that it tastes awful. It is just that you will notice that the food was sitting in that package for a while because of the texture and the aftertaste. Otherwise, it is a real shiner when it comes to emergency situations like disaster response and other distress times.

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