Welcome to the Backpacking Chef Shopping Guide!
These are products that I use regularly, and if I haven’t yet, they come highly recommended by Backpacking Chef readers.
Take a look and see if there’s something new that will help you too.
Mesh & Nonstick Dehydrator Sheets
Digital Scale & Measuring Cups
DIY Pot Cozy & Pot Stand Material
Tea light Candles, Alcohol Fuel Bottle, Canister Stove
Food Products:
Instant Coffee & Powdered Milk
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High-quality dehydrators ranked by capacity. Read my Review comparing these dehydrators.
Mesh sheets are needed for drying small food items in dehydrators that have tray supports with large spaces. Excalibur dehydrators come with mesh sheets.
Nonstick sheets or trays are needed for drying fruit leather and saucy foods. Flat sheets can be cut to fit with scissors. Trays with raised edges are great for containing liquidy foods. Sheets and trays made of silicone offer the best nonstick performance, but Teflon sheets also work well.
Use
a
digital food scale
and measuring cups when cooking meals and ingredients for dehydration, and for weighing dried ingredients when assembling meals.
Vacuum sealing removes oxygen and prolongs the shelf-life of dehydrated food. Vacuum-sealed meals are protected from moisture on the trail. You can seal mason jars with the jar-sealing accessory purchased separately. See: vacuum sealing dried food.
Mylar bags, when used in combination with oxygen absorbers, are excellent for storing individual dehydrated meals. Cook meals right in the bag by adding boiled water. Oxygen absorbers should also be added to dehydrated foods stored in mason jars at home.
Thermos food jars are excellent for rehydrating meals that you want to eat later in the day. Great for backpacking, hiking, work, and travel. It helps to have a long-handle spoon. Read more about thermos cooking.
Hold the heat in your backpacking pot or bag by making an insulating pot cozy or pouch cozy. See how to make a pot cozy, and how to make a pot stand for alcohol or candle stove.
See tea light candle cooking or tea light
alcohol stove cooking.
A 900 ml pot is big enough for solo backpacking, but a 1300 ml pot gives you more flexibility if you sometimes hike with two people. The GSI Halulite pot, a heavier option, comes with cups and bowls. These pots all have dependable handles.
Sawyer Squeeze water filters come in several sizes and work well. Carry a backup water purification method such as chlorine dioxide drops or tablets, or a UV SteriPen. Read more about water filters and purification.
Everything you need to know about dehydrating delicious backpacking meals.
Replace sodium and minerals lost during sweating and improve recovery.
Coffees highly recommended by Backpacking Chef readers.
Make saucy meals. Add to backpacking desserts and fruit leather smoothies. See Mac & Cheese Recipes, Thai Peanut Noodles Recipe, Thai Green Curry Recipe, Fruit Leather Recipes.
These freeze-dried meals got the top votes from Backpacking Chef readers. With a 30-year shelf life, it’s good to keep a few meals on hand for emergencies or for when you don’t have time to dry your own.
Hungry backpackers can eat a 2-person serving, but a 1-person serving may be better for some appetites.
Pro-Pak meals are 1 serving.
Calorically dense energy bars to eat between meals. Recommended by Backpacking Chef readers.
Add to meals to boost fat calories.
If you use and love a product related to food dehydration or backpacking food, please send me your recommendation here: Contact Chef Glenn.
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