Best Tasting Dehydrated Camping Food

[dagsands]

We are headed to the Abel Tasman Track in NZ and will be stopping in Nelson en route. Has anyone tried Nelson based dehydrated meals: Absolute Wilderness? Would be keen for a few suggestions of the better ones in their range. http://www.absolutewilderness.co.nz/about/

[ofuros]

Good find, dagsands.....hopefully a local will chip in with some suggestions, since they're only available in NZed.

[Gimped]

Just back from a 7-dayer in Tas.
Backcountry "roast lamb with vegetables" was great! 9/10
Need to rehydrate for 20mins rather than 10.

Spag bog 8/10...another great meal

[dagsands]

I can recommend the absolute wilderness berries on yogurt (add less water than they say) if you are in NZ/ can get that brand.
Also bought their scrambled eggs but didn't eat it (yet) due to whopping 1000 odd calories for a single serve. Will save it as an emergency ration instead.

My fave from the 6 days last week was bc roast lamb and veg.
Also my man loved the bc venison risotto.
I know people love the OG coq au vin but we found it too rich. The OG butter chicken was good. And the bc mex chicken was good - especially nice treat to have a few corn chips, and very spicy, but the kidney beans were a bit hard.
I know people like strive but I wouldn't have the laksa again, didn't taste like laksa ( I'd call it 'noodles in curry sauce') and not enough veg. The spag Bol was ok but not awesome. The creamy veg pasta was ok but a bit lacking in flavour. Their packs are less stable (one punctured just from pressure) and of course there is the washing up and they weigh more than the bc and OG. Also on weighing the packs, strive total weight including packaging was considerably less than the advertised net weight (by up to 50g!). The bc and outdoor gourmet all weighed in more than net weight.

Looking forward to eating my own concoctions now, but enjoyed the 'just add water' ease of prep of bc and OG.

Bon appetite!

[Bret Critchley 1959]

Back when I was a Boy Scout
40 yrs ago Vesta had some fabulous dried food options
Chicken Supreme was my favorite but I can't find them any more
Does anyone know if they are still available

[SueO1988]

We are currently in the process of dehydrating meals for the Larapinta. We have two dehydrators (thanks Alddi) and have always dehydrated our own meals. My favourite is definitely Rick Steins Vegetable Makhanawala, the kids favourite (21/25) is homemade slag bog. Also don't mind mushroom risotto. All four of us are doing the E to E so lots of meals to make. Might even try the Dinner Delux Scrambled Egg!

[Bill P]

"Slag bog" ? Don't you mean Bag Slog?

[SueO1988]

Ha meant spag bog!!

[TerraMer]

I have recently discovered Campers Pantry.
I have tried a lot of dehydrated food, even DIY fruit, veg and curries but was keen to try the freeze dry veggies instead of dehydrated.
Campers Pantry freeze dried veggies are so much faster to cook, taste great and are more nutrient rich than dehydrated veggies.

[Gunner55]

I've watched this thread - sort of hungrily, and sort of not hungrily too, knowing commercial camping dehydrated quality. My contribution is to flag Strive Food from Tasmania. I think they are relatively new players and they only seem to retail from their website or Hobart store. I have tried two of their meals (beef massaman, vegie laksa) and I have ordered more. They provide what is clearly the best tasting dehydrated camping food I've experienced. The only downside, and so far I think it is a small one, is that the meals require more water to cook/hydrate, a reasonable size pot and more gas to cook. So there is a weight and space issue, but I think it's a pretty minor one. And I have definitely improvised with their cooking instruction! Anyone else tried their meals??

[ChrisJHC]

Also a big fan of Strive. Don’t agree with your mentioned downsides - I just boil a cup of water, tip the Strive contents in and leave for 5-10 minutes. May need a little more heat but usually that’s all.

I do find the risotto a little hard to reconstitute in the bush so will stay away from that in future.

The curry laksa is particularly good on a cold day.


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[wildwanderer]

Campers Pantry

Has anyone tried their freeze dried meals? (not just the vege etc side dish packs)
https://camperspantry.com.au/collections/instant-meals

Particulary interested in feedback on the Balti Vegetable Curry and Moroccan Pork

[north-north-west]

I've watched this thread - sort of hungrily, and sort of not hungrily too, knowing commercial camping dehydrated quality. My contribution is to flag Strive Food from Tasmania. I think they are relatively new players and they only seem to retail from their website or Hobart store. I have tried two of their meals (beef massaman, vegie laksa) and I have ordered more. They provide what is clearly the best tasting dehydrated camping food I've experienced. The only downside, and so far I think it is a small one, is that the meals require more water to cook/hydrate, a reasonable size pot and more gas to cook. So there is a weight and space issue, but I think it's a pretty minor one. And I have definitely improvised with their cooking instruction! Anyone else tried their meals??

They're quite popular down here. Rather than extending the cooking times, try making a pot cosy (there''s a thread in the MYOG section). Add water a package contents to pot, bring to boil, chuck it in the cosy and leave for at least 10 minutes (it will still be warm after an hour). Works wonderfully and minimises gas use.

[wildwanderer]

Campers Pantry

Has anyone tried their freeze dried meals? (not just the vege etc side dish packs)
https://camperspantry.com.au/collections/instant-meals

Particulary interested in feedback on the Balti Vegetable Curry and Moroccan Pork

Tried the Balti Vegetable Curry on the weekend. Sad to report I felt the value for money very poor. For a handful of tiny vegetables and a bit of seasoning.. $15. Also taste was very ordinary. I could have done better myself for $3 from a Asian grocery dehydrated section.

Don’t like downing on a small Australian manufacturer but Camperspantry really need to do better than this.

[Gimped]

Just back from the central plat, Tas.

Back country cuisine roast chicken 4/5
thai curry 3/5
roast lamb 4/5
?brand (outdoor food)
Coq o Vin 5/5 (great!)
Butter chicken 3/5 (just spicy without a lot of taste)

Once again, leave rehydrating for double the time recommended, and use more water as well.

[Warin]

Just back from the central plat, Tas.

Back country cuisine roast chicken 4/5
thai curry 3/5
roast lamb 4/5

The next are probably Outdoor Gourmet Company

Coq o Vin 5/5 (great!)
Butter chicken 3/5 (just spicy without a lot of taste)

Thanks for the score card Gimped.

[mikeb]

Tried the following recently on our trip from Lake Ada to the Walls:
Spag Bol 4/5 - tasted quite nice but the glass noodles included were a bit of a joke. Would be better with 2 minute noodles.
Cottage pie 4/5
Beef stroganoff 3/5

In general, I think minced meat rehydrates much better than cubed meat. Check whether the meal uses real meat or manufactured mystery meat - try to avoid meals that include lots of vegetable/soy protein.

Agree that you should add more water than specified and leave longer - and make sure is thoroughly mixed to avoid a powdery surprise towards the bottom.

Bon appétit.

[ofuros]

Another freeze dried option from across the ditch in NZ.

https://radixnutrition.com/au/

[Aardvark]

Hey Ofuros.
We're spending our last night in NZ right now. We've just been over again for two weeks.
We had one of the Venison ones tonight. It was as good as any other. Kathryn wanted the salmon but that'll keep.
Regardless of the brand, I still maintain it is better used as part of a meal. Tonight we simply had it with toast.
They say food is the celebration of life. When in the bush it isn't hard to look forward to whatever you have and a dehyd is easily looked forward to. When at home a dehyd just doesn't cut it when there are so many better options.

[ofuros]

Lucky devils, a couple of weeks in NZ would be nice. Thanks for the feedback Aardvark.

[ofuros]

Removed...mistake.

[ofuros]

https://edasfoods.com.au

Live from the Main Range NP, Qld.
...and the mozzies are biting.

Just tried Primal Pods 5 Spice Pork + vegies....all eaten dry. Different.

Pork.
Initially, the dried pork is like chewing Eucalyptus bark, but once your mouthful of saliva softens it up it actually tastes pretty good ! Mild warmth with exotic spices.

Vegies.
Fruity & warm, red chillies get the thumbs up.
Earthy Mushrooms were OK.
Capsicum...lolly like sweetness.
Long green things(Beans) crunchy with a late flavour dash just before swallowing. Average.

[Hot073]

Campers pantry Tuna Mornay 8/10
Backcountry Cuisine Spag Bol 7/10
Backcountry Cuisine Roast Chicken 7/10
Backcountry Cuisine Beef Strog. 4/10

[fixa]

Had Campers Pantry Beef and Blackbean today. Pretty average i must say. Kind like savoury mince. Serving size a little small for me. 3/5.
Previously ive had Backcountry Kung Pao chicken. Smelt really bad. Tasted awesome. 4/5
Outdoor Gourmet green curry, my fav by far! 5/5
Backcountry Mexican chicken, great tasting, nice crunch from corn chips. Close second. 5/5.
Backcountry porridge supreme, great start to the day, lots of fruit. 5/5
Backcountry cooked breakfast, i like mashed potato, so 5/5 for me. Needs additional Salt and pepper (and siracha)

[ofuros]

We had one of the Venison ones tonight. It was as good as any other.

Tried a couple of the Radix packets with the Venison meatballs...the small balls were really tasty. My tastebuds weren't in love with the Leak & Thyme or the Moroccan style that came with them though.

Had a craving for venison meatballs in a nice rich tomato sauce afterwards though, maybe over rice.

[Lamont]

Tried a couple of the packets with the Venison balls...the small balls were really tasty

Who's your supplier? I thought they probably just chucked them away.

[ofuros]

Ooops, meatballs...fixed above post.

[Lamont]

Don't worry your little peccadillo is safe here.
People have eaten far stranger things than your 'oysters'.

[ofuros]

Mmmm...Thailand's insect snacks spring to mind....ahh the crunchy memories.

[Lamont]

Mmmm Cambodia----grasshoppers v crickets. Grasshoppers won, just, they had the little chilli flakes and so tasty.
Scorpions v Tarantulas. Scorpions win- more 'meaty', couldn't get too far on the Tarantula. They always make me think of Shelob's Lair. One ugly mongrel- even dead.