Rehydrating Foods

[ocasey3]

Next year I am hoping to do a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, and because of the dry conditions that have plagued the West, I am thinking of going without a stove. I've seen a lot of good ideas on meals but the one thing I am not sure of is how much water you should add to dehydrated food. Do you add the amount of water that is on the instructions or a little more or less. And what about food I might dehydrate myself? Thanks for any suggestions you might have.

[Rocket Jones]

Practice at home before you leave. Always carry some instant potato flakes or dehydrated mashed sweet potatoes or refried beans to thicken up a meal if it's too soupy.

[HeartFire]

If you are going stoveless with dehydrated food, you need to add the water to your dinner in the morning and let it soak all day to re-hydrate. Pour water in to just above the level of the food.

[ocasey3]

If you are going stoveless with dehydrated food, you need to add the water to your dinner in the morning and let it soak all day to re-hydrate. Pour water in to just above the level of the food.
Is this the same with homemade dehydrated food as it is with packaged food?

[The Old Boot]

Is this the same with homemade dehydrated food as it is with packaged food?

Pretty much, I use that 'rule of thumb' for chili and homemade spaghetti. Packaged soups like Bear Creek, I measure based on serving size instead. For some foods/ingredients I measure before dehydrating and again afterwards to get a sense of how much water to add back again.

I used to put notes inside each pack for how much to add but found the notes got smushed with the food. Now as I'm putting together each meal for a trip I just write out water requirements and/or instructions if any, on a 3x5 index card and put it in the food bag. All the info is in one spot. It might be too organized for some but for me, it works fine.

[Pedaling Fool]

I'm not totally sure how to answer the question without knowing what type of dehydrated food. However, I always carry home-made dehydrated food, such as Chicken/Beef Jerky, onions, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms...things like that...

I wouldn't want to go stoveless with those dehydrated food items. However, I never understood the big hub bub people make out of re-constituting their dehydrated stuff, if anything I have to be careful of not overcooking it, (i.e. overboiling it), thereby reducing the flavor; rehydration is never a problem and I never pre-soak.

But you're talking about going stoveless; if I were to do that with the same things listed above I'd just eat them as is.

[HeartFire]

Is this the same with homemade dehydrated food as it is with packaged food?

Well, since I have only ever made my own, yes to the homemade, I have no idea about commercially bought food.

[ocasey3]

Thank you all for your help. :)

[GeoRed]

The temperature of the water has some to do with it as well. The warmer the water, the faster things will reconstitute. In cold conditions, some foods will take considerably longer.

[Pedaling Fool]

Thank you all for your help. :)I feel as if you're not satisfied, but being very polite:)

[ocasey3]

I feel as if you're not satisfied, but being very polite:)
No, really, I got some good answers. I really just need to put it to practical use and try things out long before I hit the trail.

[QiWiz]

If it's a commercial mix, I always add a little less water. If I dehydrate myself, I weigh before and after and that tells me how much water to add.

[lonehiker]

I assume you are going without a stove because of fire hazard? There is a major misconception about these "dry conditions that have plagued the West". As long as there are no fire/stove bans in effect, there is no reason not to use a stove. As you should at all times, take reasonable precautions while using it. The entire west isn't in as bad a shape as many posters are portraying. Check the area before you go.

[ocasey3]

I assume you are going without a stove because of fire hazard? There is a major misconception about these "dry conditions that have plagued the West". As long as there are no fire/stove bans in effect, there is no reason not to use a stove. As you should at all times, take reasonable precautions while using it. The entire west isn't in as bad a shape as many posters are portraying. Check the area before you go.

Of course I will check before I go, but there have been fire bans in Colorado, and I am just thinking forward, planning alternate strategies. I am also interested in the idea of simplifying my routine. I was just asking about how to rehydrate food without a stove.

[Pedaling Fool]

I've never eaten store-bought dehydrated meals, but out of curiosity....is there such a thing? Other than dehydrated bannan chips or pineapples or Beef Jerky.

I know people usually refer to Mountain House meals as "dehydrated", but they're actually freeze dried; I wouldn't want to eat that stuff without reconstitution, but eating dehydrated foodstuff is much easier (at least my home-made stuff), because it's still pliable, as opposed to freeze dried foods, which is rock hard.