We are going to try and lighten the load for our second trip. We are cutting what we bring but also trying to lighten what we do bring. Last year we had chicken pouches and the 90 second rice packs which were a hit. I bought a dehydrator and am still getting used to rehydrating things. My question is could I take this rice pack and dehydrate it down and maybe add dehydrated canned chicken breast? If so what is the preferred way to rehydrate? I am thinking of just buying freeze dried meat and adding it to things I can dehydrate off the shelf.

I would suggest dehydrating your own meat. Ground beef and canned chicken are easy to dehydrate and re-hydrating them is even easier. You can cook a normal meal of ground beef, rice and mixed vegetables with red sauce at home. Eat some for diner then dehydrate the rest of it.

At camp put it all in a pot of water over the stove or fire, let it boil for 15-25 minutes then eat.

Very simple process and tastes better than the freeze dried food. Email me if you have any questions. Also, look for info on this website.

I have a dehydrator and use it quite a bit, though last summer I didn't have time to dehydrate so I bought a big can of freeze dried chicken and used that in recipes. It worked great and I thought it tasted fine...in fact I could even use it at home for some chicken dishes. Canned chicken does dehydrate well too. I rehydrate by mixing the dried food with water, bringing it to a boil for a few minutes, then putting it in a cozy for 15 or 20 minutes. some guesswork in the amount of water but half food and half water by volume is a good starting point.

Yes, you could take the 90 second rice & dehydrate it. It depends on the oil content how well it will dry. Those packs are a bit heavy as they are prepared rice. I have not done this specifically, but for years now I have dehydrated whole meals & meats & veggies & made leathers etc. I dehydrated home made rice pudding for breakfast & will tell you the end product is a bit sharp edged for packaging. I cut the zip off of a small ziplock, place the meal in, put it in a vacuum seal bag & then vacuum seal the whole thing. Some people add a small amount of paper towel between the 2 bags as padding. Makes holes in the vacuum seal bag less likely. I always test anything I am going to take on a trip at home from start to finish.

I would dehydrate the chicken & rice separately- FYI otherwise you might end up with mush. Canned chicken is easy to dehydrate & rehydrate, make sure it is broken up & shredded & remove any tiny pieces of fat. It comes out looking a bit like crab. The other posters hit the spot on rehydrating. I usually cold water rehydrate my dinner at breakfast time in a fairshare mug, just covering everything with water. At mealtime I add a bit of chicken/beef bouillon either a cube or 2 or liquid pack(s) from Trader Joe's.

I am also thinking of trying freeze dried chicken for the first time since it seems to have so many good reviews from so many people.

Simply bagged freeze dried chicken or turkey and a pack of Zatarans of RiceARoni.
Google freeze dried foods to find lots of sources.

I'll home dry beef and pork sausage but poultry I prefer freeze dried.

butthead

I don't look at my food weight as an opportunity to save weight. There are other areas to make big savings. And I like to eat well. Second tarp... scratch. Spare paddle... no go.

You can just take Minute rice or couscous - they are already dehydrated - and you just add boiling water and let sit 5 minutes. You can whatever you want to it - meat, spices, nuts, dried fruit, etc. Lots of rice dinners like butthead mentioned. Pasta dishes, too.

Then there are instant potatoes, grits, capellini. Refried beans.

You'll just have to repackage things.

boonie: "You can just take Minute rice or couscous - they are already dehydrated - and you just add boiling water and let sit 5 minutes. You can whatever you want to it - meat, spices, nuts, dried fruit, etc. Lots of rice dinners like butthead mentioned. Pasta dishes, too.


Then there are instant potatoes, grits, capellini. Refried beans.


You'll just have to repackage things."

Ditto

Thank for all of the tips. I have to say I tried couscous for the very first time and I am wondering why at 41 years old I have never had this. It is unbelievably simple to make and seems like it would be easy to add variety to, such as freeze dried or dehydrated protein or veggies.
Some of our problem was not repackaging our items with added bulk and weight we had to carry in and out. I have a CCS Deluxe food pack and have no worries about getting all of our food and cookware to fit with room left over. This should allow us to split pack weight up a little better as well. Thanks again.

Couscous is even easier to make than Minute Rice! Versatile - can be breakfast cereals, lunch salads, or all kinds of dinners. You can google up thousands of recipes. Plus it packs compactly.

I dehydrate many items but if readily available I will use freeze dried. Freeze dried is lighter, retains more nutritional value, hydrates faster, and for some items - like vegetables - has better color and texture. It also costs more (valuing your time dehydrating at no cost). I think taking meals vs ingredients is also important, and I'm firmly in the ingredients category and mixing and making things up each night rather than a planned menu. I do try to stay light weight so rarely take a chicken pouch or anything other than dry ingredients, ghee excepted.

Sort of have to decide how important food is to you while trekking. Some eat to live. I tend towards the live to eat philosophy.