I’ve always been passionate about cooking awesome meals for myself when it comes to getting out into the backwoods, mountain ranges, and even canoe or kayak trips. One example is the 7-8 day Bowron Lake canoe circuit, here in British Columbia. An amazing trip everyone should experience at least once; I've done it three times, with more to come!
Batch dehydrating lets you prepare delicious meals for long backpacking, kayak, or canoe trips, saving time and pack space. Using a combination of a food dehydrator (I use the Cosori Dehydrator), food processor, blender, and vacuum sealer, you can create trail-ready dishes that can rival those times you visit your favourite restaurants. My Ultimate Guide to Dehydrating Food for Backpacking, Introduction to Gourmet Backpacking Meals, and Prepping Techniques for Dehydrating Hiking Food lay the groundwork. This article dives into batch dehydrating backpacking meals for multi-day or week-long trips.
From time-saving workflows to recipes like a Kind Bar-inspired snack and ratatouille stew, you’ll learn how to prep efficiently with store-bought supplements and eco-friendly packing.
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Why Batch Dehydrating Saves Time and Weight
Batch dehydrating is a game-changer for long-trip meal prep, streamlining prep for backpacking or paddling adventures. Canoe and kayak trips allow more food storage due to vessel capacity, but backpacking requires careful space management—think 85L packs for 2+ week trips, or 100L in winter for extra gear. Dehydrating ingredients (6-24 hours) or full meals takes time, so start 2-3 weeks early to avoid issues like failed batches.
Having a contingency plan, like extra meals, is crucial for remote trails, especially having at least a day or two of emergency food. For long-distance hikes like the Appalachian Trail (ATC), Great Divide Trail (GDT), or Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), mail resupply boxes with food and stove fuel to designated pick-up points. Supplement with store-bought dried foods (e.g., dried fruits, soup mixes) and minimize packaging for sustainability.
Planning a Menu for Long Trips
A well-planned menu keeps your paddling trip meals varied and nutritious. Coming up with a 2-week menu can be daunting. One option is to establish a 7-day rotating menu, scalable for longer trips that balances homemade dehydrated dishes with store-bought items like KD (Kraft Dinner), ramen, or Lipton soup mixes enhanced with dehydrated vegetables. Rotating a weekly menu also makes prepping a bit easier because you are dealing with fewer menu items. Here is an example weekly menu:
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Snack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Instant oats with powdered milk & dried berries | Dehydrated hummus with crackers & dried veggie chips | Freeze-dried beef chili with instant rice | Trail mix (nuts, raisins, chocolate chips) |
| Day 2 | Freeze-dried scrambled eggs skillet with dehydrated peppers & onions | Tortilla wraps with a tuna salad mix | Dehydrated pasta carbonara | Fruit leather |
| Day 3 | Granola with powdered milk & dried banana slices | Lipton tomato soup with added dehydrated vegetables and pita chips | Dehydrated curry with instant rice and freeze-dried veggies | Beef jerky |
| Day 4 | Instant pancakes (add water) with dried blueberries | Dehydrated black bean dip with tortillas | Freeze-dried chicken alfredo fettuccini | Kind inspired nut bar |
| Day 5 | Chia pudding and dried strawberries with almonds | Instant miso ramen with added vegetables | Dehydrated chili mac with freeze-dried beef | Nuts and pretzel mix |
| Day 6 | Instant oatmeal with dried apples & cinnamon | Tuna wrap with a soup | Dehydrated tomato spaghetti with freeze-dried beef | Almonds & dried mango |
| Day 7 | Granola bar with powdered protein drink | Instant couscous with freeze-dried veggies and olive oil packet | Dehydrated risotto with freeze-dried mushrooms | S'mores as a dessert |
Balance calories (2,500-3,000 kcal/day for active trips) and variety by enhancing store-bought items (e.g., add dehydrated onions to ramen or mushrooms to Lipton soups). For long-distance trails, include these in resupply boxes.
Batch Prep Workflow with Your Kitchen Tools
Efficient batch prep for hiking food prep relies on a streamlined workflow. Think of it as time management. A food processor saves time by uniformly slicing large batches of vegetables, even if you have strong knife skills, due to the volume needed for multi-week trips. A single food dehydrator may take 6-24 hours per batch, requiring multiple sessions. Here’s a 6-step process:
- Group Ingredients: Sort by drying time (e.g., vegetables at 135°F, meats at 165°F).
- Prep in Bulk: Use a food processor for consistent cuts to speed up dehydration.
- Cook Meals: Prepare full dishes like ratatouille stew for batch drying.
- Dehydrate Strategically: Stagger batches to maximize dehydrator use.
- Maximize: Try to dehydrate your food by utilizing all trays and racks in your dehydrator.
- Supplement: Use store-bought dried foods to reduce prep time.
My Freeze-Dried vs. Dehydrated explains dehydration’s cost-effectiveness. Plan to understand and manage your equipment limitations.
Sample Recipe: Dehydrated Kind Bar-Inspired Snack
Technically, not a dehydrated recipe, this hiking food prep snack, inspired by Kind Bars, is a high-energy trail treat. I bet you can't eat just one!
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin seeds | 1 cup | Roasted |
| Peanuts | 1 cup | Roasted |
| Walnuts | 1 cup | Roasted |
| Flaxseed | 2 tbsp | Added health benefits |
| Honey | 1/4 cup | Binds mixture |
| Maple Syrup | 1/2 cup | Adds maple sweetness |
| Dark chocolate | 1/4 cup, melted | For drizzling |
| Sea salt | 1/2 tsp | Enhances flavor |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp | Adds depth |
Preparation
- Roast pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and peanuts; cool slightly.
- Heat honey, maple syrup, and vanilla; mix with nuts/seeds.
- Spread the mixture in a cake pan and place it in the fridge to cool down. It should be firm enough to cut into bars.
- Cut into bars, drizzle with melted chocolate, and wrap each one in minimal packaging (Sustainability and Leave No Trace).
- Store in resealable bags for trail or paddling trips.
Nutrition (per serving): 250 kcal, 18g fat, 15g carbs, 8g protein. Find more in my Camping Snacks.
Sample Recipe: Dehydrated Ratatouille Stew
I bet you never thought that you could dehydrate Ratatouille stew for hiking trips! This recipe is one of my own, but I had to adapt it to be dehydrated, while holding on to its flavour.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eggplant | 1 medium, diced | Peel if desired |
| Zucchini | 2 medium, diced | Uniform size |
| Tomatoes | 3 medium, diced | Fresh or canned |
| Bell peppers | 2, diced | Green, red, orange, or yellow |
| Onion | 1 medium, diced | Finely chopped |
| Garlic | 3 cloves, minced | Adds depth |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | For sautéing |
| White Wine | 1/4 cup | Dry wine (Optional) |
| Thyme, dried | 1 tbsp | Or fresh sprigs |
| Basil, dried | 1 tbsp | Or fresh leaves |
| Salt and pepper | To taste | Season lightly |
Preparation
- Cut each vegetable, except the onion, into uniform sizes (diced) and lightly toss with olive oil
- Lay out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roast until soft and slightly browned
- Saute the onion with the garlic until soft and browned.
- Add wine (optional) and the chopped tomatoes; add the seasonings and the roasted vegetables.
- Simmer until most of the water and juice has reduced to almost none.
- Spread on your dehydrator trays, line with parchment paper and spread your ratatouille thin. Dehydrate around 145°F for 12-14 hours.
- Rehydrate on the trail with 1 cup of water in a pot and bring to a simmer, stirring until thick.
Nutrition (per serving): 180 kcal, 7g fat, 25g carbs, 5g protein.
Creating Flavour Kits for Trail Variety
Flavour kits add variety to batch dehydrating backpacking meals. Dehydrate herbs like basil or thyme and grind them into powders with a blender, as detailed in my Prepping Techniques. Combine with store-bought spices (e.g., chili powder) for kits like Italian herb mix for ratatouille or curry blend for soups. Pack in small, resealable bags to minimize space, or if you have small plastic spice bottles, these can work too.
Packing Checklist
- Use small, resealable (zip lock) bags for lightweight kits.
- Label each kit with contents (e.g., “Italian Herbs”).
- Mix homemade powders with store-bought spices for convenience.
- Pack kits in a waterproof container for paddling or wet, rainy trips.
Storing and Packing for Long Trips
Vacuum sealing backpacking food ensures freshness for long trips, especially for backpacking where pack space is tight (85L+ packs for 2+ weeks, 100L in winter). Canoe and kayak trips allow the benefit of more food storage due to vessel capacity, but backpackers on trails like the Appalachian Trail (ATC), Great Divide Trail (GDT), or Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) should mail resupply boxes with food and stove fuel to pick-up points. Use minimal packaging for sustainability (Sustainability and Leave No Trace). My Best Food Storage for Outdoor Cooking offers a few more tips.
| Packing Tip | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Group meals by day | Easy access to the trail |
| Use store-bought dried foods | Saves prep time |
| Compress vacuum-sealed bags | Reduces pack space for backpacking |
| Label Everything | Keep track of the meal type and for what day to eat |
| Mail resupply boxes | Restock food for long-distance trails |
| Waterproof storage - Dry bags | For paddling trips or for the times when it rains |
Your Long-Trip Menu Awaits
Batch dehydration simplifies paddling trip meals for long backpacking or canoe adventures. Batch prep is not just making large amounts of a food item; it also includes doing as much as you can with time management. From Kind Bar-inspired snacks to ratatouille stew, you’re ready for the trail or water.
Explore my Ultimate Guide, Introduction to Gourmet Backpacking Meals, Prepping Techniques, Freeze-Dried vs. Dehydrated, and Best Food Storage. Find new recipes in my Dehydrated Recipes collection and share your creations on Pinterest, Facebook, or X!
*Always try these recipes at home first to test and make any adjustments you may need.