When you're heading out on a camping trip, whether it’s a quick overnight stay or a multi-week adventure, one of the biggest considerations is food. It needs to be lightweight, packable, nutritious, and easy to prepare—especially when you’re miles away from the nearest kitchen. That’s where freeze-dried and dehydrated foods come in.
Both options are staples in the world of outdoor adventures, offering convenience and versatility for hikers, backpackers, campers, and paddlers. But which one is right for your trip? In this article, we’ll dive into the pros and cons of freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, comparing their weight, taste, nutrition, cost, and suitability for different activities. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll have a better idea of which option is right for your needs—or how to combine both for the ultimate outdoor dining experience.
What Are Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated Foods?
When planning meals for camping or backpacking, it’s important to understand the basics of freeze-dried and dehydrated foods. While they may seem similar, the processes and results differ in key ways, affecting everything from taste to nutrition, and packability.
Freeze-Dried Foods
Freeze-drying involves freezing the food and then removing the water content through a vacuum process. This method preserves the food’s structure, nutrients, and flavor exceptionally well. Common examples of freeze-dried foods include complete meals, fruits, vegetables, and even desserts like ice cream.
Key Characteristics:
- Lightweight and easy to pack.
- Retains original texture and taste after rehydration.
- Rehydrates quickly, often in under 10 minutes with hot water.
- Extremely long shelf life, often 20-30 years if stored properly.
Dehydrated Foods
Dehydrating removes moisture through heat, typically at lower temperatures to preserve nutrients. This method is widely used for snacks like dried fruits, and jerky, and homemade meal components such as pasta or rice.
Key Characteristics:
- Compact and versatile.
- Slightly altered texture and flavour due to the drying process.
- Requires longer rehydration times, often 15-30 minutes.
- Moderate shelf life, typically 1-2 years depending on storage.
If you’re new to backcountry cooking or looking for more tips on how to integrate these food options into your camping menu, check out The Ultimate Guide to Backcountry Cooking. It’s a comprehensive resource for mastering meals on the trail.
Pros and Cons of Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated Foods
When choosing between freeze-dried and dehydrated foods for camping, it’s essential to weigh their advantages and disadvantages based on your specific needs. Let’s break it down:
Freeze-Dried Foods: The Pros
- Lightweight and Compact: Freeze-dried foods retain about 2% of their original water content, making them exceptionally light—ideal for long hikes or multi-day trips where every ounce counts.
- Quick Rehydration: Their porous structure allows for rapid rehydration, often in under 10 minutes with hot water—perfect when you need a meal fast after a long day of adventuring.
- Nutrient Preservation: Freeze-drying retains up to 97% of the original nutrients, including heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins, ensuring you get the necessary nutrition on the trail. Dehydrated foods, however, retain somewhere around 60% of nutrients—something to consider.
- Taste and Texture: Maintains the natural taste and texture after rehydration, making it closer to a home-cooked meal.
- Shelf Life: With only about 2% water content, freeze-dried foods have an extended shelf life, often lasting 20-30 years if stored properly, making them a great option for long-term storage. Most of your popular brands of freeze-dried camping foods will have this information as an expiry date on the packaging.
Freeze-Dried Foods: The Cons
- Cost: The biggest con will often be the expensive due to the complex processing method and energy requirements involved in freeze-drying. A typical meal will average $15 in the USA, while here in Canada, expect $20 for one meal package.
- Bulk Packaging: While lightweight, individual packaging can sometimes take up more space than dehydrated options. The volume will be a key factor, more so when backpacking.
Dehydrated Foods: The Pros
- Affordable: Typically more budget-friendly, especially if you dehydrate your meals at home.
- Compact: Dehydrated foods make them compact and space-efficient in your pack.
- Customizable: Easy to tailor meals to personal preferences when dehydrating at home, allowing for culinary creativity.
- Eco-Friendly Potential: Allows for bulk preparation, reducing packaging waste and supporting sustainable practices.
Dehydrated Foods: The Cons
- Rehydration Time: Often requires more water and longer soaking times, sometimes up to 30 minutes, which can be less convenient in the backcountry.
- Flavor and Texture Loss: The drying process can alter the original taste and texture, leading to a chewier or denser product.
- Moisture Removed: Typically, home dehydrators will remove 50- 70% moisture content; commercial dehydrators can remove closer to 90%.
- Nutrition Loss: Dehydrating foods can lose 30-40% of their nutritional value.
- Shorter Shelf Life: With higher residual moisture (30-50%), dehydrated foods have a shorter shelf life, typically ranging from 1 to 2 years, depending on storage conditions, type of food, and quality of your dehydrator.
If you’re unsure how to incorporate these options into your menu planning, you might want to check out my article, How to Plan Your Hiking and Camping Menus. I talk about balancing nutrition, weight, and variety on your outdoor adventures.
Use Cases for Different Adventures
Both freeze-dried and dehydrated foods excel in specific scenarios, making them versatile choices for a variety of outdoor activities. Whether you are heading out on a backpacking trip or paddling a lake or river, let’s explore how these options stack up based on the type of adventure. I will also take into account what I have done over the years when I've been out with a party or gone solo.
Short Trips and Day Hikes
- Best Option: Dehydrated foods.
With shorter outings, you can focus on compact, affordable options like jerky, dried fruit, or pre-made snacks. These require minimal rehydration or preparation, making them ideal for quick energy boosts. In this scenario, you can also take advantage of select fresh food too.
Multi-Day Backpacking Trips
- Best Option: Freeze-dried
For extended hikes, such as three days or longer, the ultralight nature of freeze-dried meals is a game changer. They’re easy to pack, fast to prepare, and provide the calorie density needed to fuel your adventure. Popular brands like Mountain House and Peak Refuel offer meals tailored to high energy demands. - Alternative Option: Dehydrated Meals
If you are heading out for a couple of days, you can take advantage of the lower-cost option of dehydrated foods. Be mindful of your nutritional needs if you are doing intense traversing and what season you are in. With dehydrated foods, you can do your own or visit your local grocery store; look for the bulk foods.
Canoeing and Kayaking
- Best Option: A mix of both.
Since water weight is less of an issue, you can afford to carry both freeze-dried and dehydrated options. Freeze-dried meals can serve as quick lunches or dinners, while dehydrated foods can provide variety and snacks. Additionally, water availability makes rehydration straightforward for both varieties.
NOTE: Three years in a row, I went on the Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit (7 days) and I took freeze-dried and dehydrated foods.
Winter Camping and Hiking
- Best Option: Freeze-dried foods.
In cold weather, ease and speed are crucial, including much-needed nutrition. Freeze-dried meals rehydrate quickly, so you can minimize exposure to the elements while still enjoying a warm, comfortable, and satisfying meal.
Long-Term Expeditions
- Best Option: Freeze-dried foods for meals and dehydrated for snacks.
The long shelf life and nutrient retention of freeze-dried meals are perfect for extended trips, while dehydrated options like nuts, dried fruits, and granola can provide quick, compact energy sources.
Budget-Conscious Adventures
- Best Option: Dehydrated foods.
If you’re looking to save money, dehydrated options, especially homemade ones, can significantly reduce costs while still offering variety and flavour. You will have the choice of dehydrating your food or visiting a local bulk food store. Remember to be aware of your nutritional requirements, since this type of food loses 30-40% of its nutritional value.
By choosing the right combination of freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, you can tailor your menu to fit your adventure style and needs. For more detailed advice on matching food strategies to your specific outdoor goals, check out my article, Four-Season Camping & Hiking Food Strategies, if you are planning for seasonal backpacking meals.
Practical Tips for Meal Management
When it comes to packing food for the backcountry, space is just as important as weight. Freeze-dried meal packaging, while protective, can often be bulky for certain trips. Canoe and kayak trips are an exception as they provide enough room for extra gear and food. Here are some of my own practical tips to help you optimize pack space without compromising your meals:
Repackaging Freeze-Dried Meals
- Why Repackage?
Freeze-dried meals typically come in durable, air-tight bags designed for long-term storage, but these can take up valuable volume in your pack or bear canister. Repackaging them into resealable bags, such as heavy-duty zip-lock freezer bags, can significantly reduce bulk. - How to Repackage:
- Open the original packaging and transfer the contents into a resealable freezer bag.
- Include cooking instructions on a small note or directly on the bag with a marker.
- Ensure the bag is sealed tightly to prevent spills or contamination.
Cooking Without Packaging
Repackaging means you won’t be using the original bag for rehydration. Instead:
- Use your camp stove pot or bowl to rehydrate and prepare meals. This method works well if you’re already carrying cookware and simplifies cleanup.
- For extra convenience, consider silicone or collapsible containers that double as eating bowls and are easy to pack.
Managing Bear Can Space
- Bear Canister Constraints:
Bear cans are non-negotiable in many Provincial, State, and Federal park areas, but their rigid structure limits space. Repackaging foods can maximize the available volume, ensuring you can fit all your meals securely. Annoying as these things are, they can save you from unfortunate encounters that could end your trip fast! - Efficient Packing Tips:
- Arrange repackaged meals flat to save space
- When using zip-lock bags, insert a straw to suck out the remaining air before sealing.
- Use the smallest containers or bags possible for snacks and smaller portions.
- Group meals together in larger bags or bundles to keep your food organized.
Dehydrated Foods and Space Efficiency
Dehydrated foods are naturally more compact than freeze-dried options, making them an excellent choice when pack space is critical. By combining freeze-dried meals for convenience with dehydrated options for snacks and sides, you can balance space, weight, and variety.
Environmental Impact
When choosing between freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, it’s worth considering their environmental footprint. From production methods to packaging, each option has unique implications for sustainability.
Energy Use in Production
- Freeze-Dried Foods:
Freeze-drying is an energy-intensive process that requires freezing food and using a vacuum to remove moisture. While effective for nutrient retention and shelf life, it consumes more energy compared to dehydration. - Dehydrated Foods:
Dehydration, especially when done at home or using solar-powered dehydrators, is a more energy-efficient process. Commercial dehydration also tends to use less energy than freeze-drying.
Packaging and Waste
- Freeze-Dried Foods:
Commercial freeze-dried meals often come in single-use, heavy-duty packaging designed for long shelf life. While protective, these materials are typically not recyclable, contributing to waste. - Dehydrated Foods:
Dehydrated foods, particularly homemade ones, can be stored in reusable containers or compostable packaging, significantly reducing waste. Bulk purchases of commercial dehydrated foods can also minimize packaging.
Shelf Life and Food Waste
- Freeze-Dried Foods:
With a shelf life of 20-30 years, freeze-dried foods help reduce food waste over time, especially for long-term storage. However, once opened, they typically need to be consumed within a shorter timeframe. - Dehydrated Foods:
The shorter shelf life of dehydrated foods (1-2 years) means they must be consumed more quickly, which can lead to waste if not properly managed. However, their lower environmental cost during production often offsets this drawback.
Sustainability Tips
- Opt for bulk purchasing of dehydrated foods to reduce packaging waste.
- Use reusable storage containers or vacuum-sealed bags for both food types.
- Explore DIY dehydration methods to further lower your carbon footprint.
- Support brands that prioritize eco-friendly practices, such as recyclable packaging or carbon-neutral production.
By understanding the environmental impact of your food choices, you can make more sustainable decisions for your next trip out into nature. For more tips on reducing your outdoor footprint, explore Sustainability and Leave No Trace.
Choosing the Right Option for You
When it comes to outdoor cooking, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the freeze-dried vs. dehydrated food debate. Each option has its strengths, and the best choice often depends on the type of adventure, your personal preferences, and your priorities—be it weight, cost, nutrition, or sustainability.
If you are embarking on long backpacking trips, freeze-dried meals offer the best convenience and calorie density, while dehydrated foods shine for budget-conscious or short-term outings. And don’t forget, a combination of both can provide variety and balance for multi-day adventures. On occasions, you can find me adding some "fresh" food to my backpacking menu as well...more on this later!
No matter what you choose, taking the time to plan your meals carefully can give you great comfort. By repackaging foods for efficiency, experimenting with both options and considering their environmental impact, you can enjoy delicious and satisfying meals wherever you go.
For more advice on creating the perfect backpacking or camping menu, explore my other articles:
- The Ultimate Guide to Backcountry Cooking
- How to Plan Your Hiking and Camping Menus
- Four-Season Camping & Hiking Food Strategies
Thanks for joining me in exploring the ins and outs of freeze-dried and dehydrated foods. If you have ideas and methods of your own to share, we would be happy to hear about them!