I agree that unless you have special dietary needs, you can assemble some pretty great meals from minute rice, noodles, potato buds, and such. You can buy containers of dried meat or vegetables online pretty cheaply. Prepared freeze-dried meals are pricey, but can be a treat.
A lot of through hikers keep their olive oil in a little squeeze bottle to add to their meals so that they don't have to risk it going rancid.
I started bringing granola instead of oatmeal because I’m not always in the mood for hot breakfast on trail, even when I’m carrying a stove. The no-cook option is always the easiest, even if it isn’t always exactly what I want to eat when it’s cold and wet outside.
I love my dehydrator, although I go through phases of using it a lot and phases of ignoring it. I think we like it in my house because it started more fun - making stuff not to rehydrate, but things that were good on their own, like jerky, zucchini chips, and granola. (I always burn granola in the oven.) Lately I have been having fun experimenting with it, including dehydrating leftovers before I freeze them, so that it takes up less room AND doesn't take forever to thaw, and turning things like leftover dal into either 1) weirdly good crackers or 2) a dried powdered instant dal that is a quick work lunch. (I haven't taken any of my experiments camping yet, only to work.)
I share all this in case you ever decide to give it a try again. BUT not every hobby is for everyone and like you've pointed out, there are so many other things to do!
I like the idea of dehydrating foods that stay dehydrated. I think making a dried fruit mix to snack on while hiking would be more up my alley than dehydrating pasta just to rehydrate it again!
I'm not sure why it is that home-dehydrated fruit we've made has been better than store bought - things like apples and peaches. I started making stuff planning to take it hiking or camping, but we just keep eating it because it's good.
I'm currently on a creative granola kick, thanks to brainstorming granola ideas with Google Gemini. The results have been great so far! My favorite was buckwheat honey+miso+walnut+sesame.
I agree that unless you have special dietary needs, you can assemble some pretty great meals from minute rice, noodles, potato buds, and such. You can buy containers of dried meat or vegetables online pretty cheaply. Prepared freeze-dried meals are pricey, but can be a treat.
A lot of through hikers keep their olive oil in a little squeeze bottle to add to their meals so that they don't have to risk it going rancid.
You really tested this idea, so you no longer have to wonder and can move on with your meal plans. I like your persistence!
Cold food guy says: it only takes half a minute to put a suitable quantity of muesli into a muesli-proof container...
I started bringing granola instead of oatmeal because I’m not always in the mood for hot breakfast on trail, even when I’m carrying a stove. The no-cook option is always the easiest, even if it isn’t always exactly what I want to eat when it’s cold and wet outside.
I love my dehydrator, although I go through phases of using it a lot and phases of ignoring it. I think we like it in my house because it started more fun - making stuff not to rehydrate, but things that were good on their own, like jerky, zucchini chips, and granola. (I always burn granola in the oven.) Lately I have been having fun experimenting with it, including dehydrating leftovers before I freeze them, so that it takes up less room AND doesn't take forever to thaw, and turning things like leftover dal into either 1) weirdly good crackers or 2) a dried powdered instant dal that is a quick work lunch. (I haven't taken any of my experiments camping yet, only to work.)
I share all this in case you ever decide to give it a try again. BUT not every hobby is for everyone and like you've pointed out, there are so many other things to do!
I like the idea of dehydrating foods that stay dehydrated. I think making a dried fruit mix to snack on while hiking would be more up my alley than dehydrating pasta just to rehydrate it again!
I'm not sure why it is that home-dehydrated fruit we've made has been better than store bought - things like apples and peaches. I started making stuff planning to take it hiking or camping, but we just keep eating it because it's good.
I'm currently on a creative granola kick, thanks to brainstorming granola ideas with Google Gemini. The results have been great so far! My favorite was buckwheat honey+miso+walnut+sesame.