Chef Glenn McAllister
Food Dehydrating Expert & Author

Robert Young, a famous actor in the 70’s, played the lead in a TV series called, "Marcus Welby, M.D." Young’s trustworthy persona enabled him to do commercials as well. As he began his pitch of Sanka-brand coffee as an aid to sleep, he'd say, “I'm not a doctor, although I play one on TV.”

When I started Backpacking Chef in 2008, I similarly said, “I’m not a chef, but I play one on the Internet.” I figured I would grow into the job.

With apologies to working chefs, I gave myself the trail name, Chef Glenn. The idea was that anybody could become a backpacking chef. I imagined putting "Chef" in front of the first names of everybody who transitioned from eating freeze-dried meals to creating homemade backpacking meals using healthy ingredients.

In the thirteen years since I took the first ninety dehydrated meals for a 315-mile test hike on the Appalachian Trail, my interest in developing backpacking recipes using dehydrated food continues.

Every month, I send out a newsletter, Trail Bytes, to twelve thousand subscribers. Each edition includes step-by-step instructions for making dehydrated meals.

Get a free e-book when you subscribe: Home & Trail: An Introduction to Drying Food.

Subscribe to Trail Bytes

Reader comments:

Dear Chef Glenn,
What an awesome gift. Receiving your downloadable book made my day. I will be able to begin my dehydrating experience. Making meals for day hikes and longer backpacking will be a great winter project. Thank you again. -Ginger

THANK YOU so much for this. Passing on knowledge about stuff like this is invaluable! -Tra

This guide looks awesome, Glenn! Thanks so much. I also regularly share your newsletters with my hiking friends who do not yet know about you and encourage them to get your books and newsletter. –Abra

My sincere thanks to you for another year of superlative recipes and your wealth of experiences you provide us! -Jeff

Short Bio

I grew up in rural Morris County, New Jersey, in a neighborhood built on a former dairy farm. There were plenty of woodlots and streams for a boy to explore. My favorite topics in school were the sciences, but I was also attracted to business of the entrepreneurial sort. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a Business Administration degree, I settled in North Georgia.

To stay connected to nature, I served on the board of the Upper Etowah River Alliance. My primary role was leading hikes and canoe trips, but I also got certified as a Georgia Adopt-A-Stream water quality tester. When my kids were young, family-time included lot's of camping and playing in rivers and lakes.

For the past twelve years, I have lived in Switzerland with my wife, Dominique. I am blessed with two daughters and three granddaughters in Georgia, plus a loving second family in Switzerland. Dominique and I hike regularly – usually with a hot thermos meal made with healthy, dehydrated ingredients.