Rehydrating food on the hoof..

[ncmtns]

Im thinking of putting my lunch of dehydrated beans, noodles, rice, et al in a plastic jar of water in the morning to rehydrate for lunch time. Maybe add a MRE heater pack along side the jar? Would this work for most dehydrated foods that require boiling water? I assume the boiling water is only to speed up the process of hydration. What do you think?

[budforester]

There may be some possibilities there, but I see a weight trade- off... similar to carrying canned goods. And fragile stuff might break up from the sloshing. Microbial hazards would depend on quality of the water you dump in, sanitation of the jar, makeup and chemistry of the food mix, temperature of storage, and how long the soak time.

PS: I would discourage keeping the ferment warm with a heater.

[Egads]

I would discourage keeping the ferment warm with a heater.

Four or five hours at lukewarm temperature is enough time to get a bad culture going

[Bearpaw]

I've known half a dozen hikers on the AT and JMT that used the technique frequently, no heater pack needed (and it would only last maybe 10-15 minutes besides). Just be sure it's an instant version. I've heard some heinous stories about people trying it (once :rolleyes:) with regular rice and beans.

[Desert Reprobate]

I'd worry the heater pack would burn the backpack or melt something inside.

[Compass]

"I was told there would be no math."

This process while seeming simple and prudent may have some additional flaws.
1. The weight of extra water you would now have to carry to rehydrate(12 oz. at least)
2. A special container for this partial rehydration(3 oz.)
3. All previously mentioned problems and weight of "Heater"(3oz)
4. Most food would still be "grainy" in texture untill brought to near boil.
ANALYSIS
Extra weight 18 ounces all day long for cold food when many cook sets with fuel weigh under 12 ounces for an entire week of cooking.

Despite these "facts" I have come across numerous hikers employing this method and must work in some way for them.

[SGT Rock]

I've done something like this, just not to this extent. I fill my Gatorade bowl with ramen and some water about an hour before lunch. When I get to lunch location I add some parmesan cheese and some Italian dressing to make a pasta salad.

I would not use an MRE heater while walking. They are a nasty mess. They vent hydrogen gas. They make a bunch of waste.

[sarbar]

A number of dried items can be rehydrated in 15 to 45 minutes with cool water :)

[Medic!]

I don't have it in front of me, but putting water in a dehydrated meal bag is actually recommended for some of the recipes in Lipsmackin' Backpackin', don't have it with me at the moment so I can't point out specifics. (not the heater, though. That wasn't recommended).

[Grinder]

I did it with favorite foods taco mix for a lunch once.

It tasted great.

But

I had the runs BIG TIME!!! the next morning.

FWIW
Grinder

[hoz]

I would not use an MRE heater while walking. They are a nasty mess. They vent hydrogen gas. They make a bunch of waste.

Agreed. I'm not sure what the chemical process is, but it smells strangely like my carbide lamp. The one time we used those heaters we found the spent package makes some colorful sparkles when it's burnt.

[Chenango]

I've known half a dozen hikers on the AT and JMT that used the technique frequently, no heater pack needed (and it would only last maybe 10-15 minutes besides). Just be sure it's an instant version. I've heard some heinous stories about people trying it (once :rolleyes:) with regular rice and beans.

I know what instant rice is, but what are instant beans? I see dehydrated beans and the like on several web-sites. Can something like this be purchased in a regular chain grocery store such as PriceChopper or SweetBay? I was looking for quick cooking beans in Walmart yesterday and all I found was 7-10 min cooking at best.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[sarbar]

Any canned or home cooked bean can be dehydrated easily - then you have nearly instant beans. Just add water and soak! They are cooked and everything. For example, I did a lentil salad yesterday at my food presentation for the PCTA using lentils in a cold dish :-)

[daibutsu]

I think the process is aluminum shavings and dried lye. It gets real hot and produces hydrogen when water is added. I think maybe these weird explosions often in the news are kids doing just this. We used to fill up prophylactics (rubbers!) with the hydrogen, attach a fuse and launch. I can attest that the bottles we immersed in water with strips of beer cans, lye, and water got plenty hot!!

[garlic08]

Scott Williamson, first PCT yo-yo, and stoveless hiker, carried a small sealed plastic container and rehydrated refried bean mix on the go. Eaten with corn chips, he said it was a perfect meal for him. Many stretches on the PCT require dry camps, so you need to carry the water anyway.

I have found that I have enough time in camp to rehydrate stuff like beans and pototoes in cold water, like Sarbar says. Scott was hiking 40+ mile days, so he didn't.