5 Easy Recipes for Homemade Dehydrated Backpacking Meals

In recent times, backpacking has become a popular activity among adventure enthusiasts. Hiking through nature’s scenic beauty carrying everything one needs on the back is an amazing experience. Food is one of the most critical aspects of backpacking. Carrying essential nutrients while keeping the backpack’s load light is a tricky balance to achieve. That’s why dehydrated backpacking meals have become popular among backpackers. They are lightweight, nutritious, and easy to carry. In this article, we will discuss 5 easy recipes for homemade dehydrated backpacking meals.

1. Spicy Trail Mix

A perfect snack for a quick energy boost on the trail is a spicy trail mix. Making a spicy trail mix is quick and simple. Just mix ingredients like nuts, dried fruits, seeds, and spices of your choice in a bowl and toss them together. Some popular spice combinations to use in a spicy trail mix are cumin and chili powder.

2. Creamy Vegetable Soup

A hearty bowl of soup is a perfect meal for backpackers after a long day of hiking. To make a creamy vegetable soup, start by dehydrating vegetables of your choice like carrot, celery, potato, and onion. Then, rehydrate the vegetables with boiling water, add chicken or vegetable broth and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Finally, add coconut cream and blend the soup with a hand blender. This recipe is perfect for cold nights on the trail.

3. Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is a high protein snack that is easy to carry and store. To make beef jerky, slice beef into thin strips, mix tamari sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper and let the beef marinate in this mixture overnight. Then put the beef strips in the dehydrator until they are dry and chewy. A popular variation of beef jerky is to mix honey and chili flakes to the marinade mixture for a sweet and spicy kick.

4. Mango Curry

A homemade mango curry is a delicious and nutritious meal for backpackers. To make a mango curry, dehydrate mangoes, onion, garlic, and bell peppers. Then, rehydrate these ingredients with boiling water and mix them with coconut milk and Thai red curry paste. Let it simmer until the curry thickens and the vegetables are soft. Mango curry goes well with rice or quinoa.

5. Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Granola bars are another perfect snack for a quick energy boost on the trail. To make peanut butter granola bars, mix oats, peanut butter, honey, and nuts and bake them in the oven. Once the mixture is baked, cut it into bars and store in airtight containers. Peanut butter granola bars are easy to carry, and the high energy content keeps backpackers going on long treks.

In conclusion, homemade dehydrated backpacking meals are easy to make and carry, and they provide the necessary nutrients for backpackers to have sufficient energy to complete long treks. The five recipes discussed are versatile, nutritious, and easy to make. Experimenting with different variations of these recipes will help backpackers keep their energy levels up without compromising on taste and nutrition.