Anyone who's carried a heavy pack knows that every gram matters on the trail. Water is the heaviest component of most foods, and dehydration removes it completely—reducing weight by 70-90% while preserving nutrition. Homemade dehydrated camping meals let you eat better on the trail than any commercial freeze-dried option, at a fraction of the cost.
After years of testing meals on Australian trails from Tasmania's Overland Track to the Larapinta, I've refined the process of creating lightweight, delicious trail food. This guide shares everything I've learned about making camping meals that you'll actually look forward to eating after a long day of hiking.
Why Make Your Own Trail Meals?
Commercial dehydrated meals are convenient but come with significant downsides. They're expensive—often $12-18 per serve—and many taste mediocre at best. Ingredient lists read like chemistry experiments, and portion sizes rarely match what you actually need after burning thousands of calories on the trail.
Homemade dehydrated meals cost a fraction as much, taste dramatically better, and let you control exactly what you're eating. You can accommodate dietary restrictions, adjust portions to your needs, and create meals you've tested at home and know you'll enjoy.
The Building Blocks of Trail Meals
Great trail meals combine proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables, and seasonings in a way that rehydrates well and satisfies both hunger and taste buds.
Dehydrated Proteins
- Beef jerky pieces: Make jerky, then cut or crumble into meal-sized pieces
- Dehydrated mince: Cook lean beef mince completely, rinse fat, dehydrate until hard
- Dehydrated chicken: Cook thoroughly, shred or dice, dehydrate until completely dry
- Textured vegetable protein (TVP): Already dehydrated; add to meals for plant-based protein
- Dehydrated beans: Cook until soft, mash slightly, dehydrate thin layers
Dehydrated meat products have shorter shelf lives than fruits and vegetables. For trips longer than a few days, plan to eat meat-based meals earlier in your trip. In hot weather, consider going meat-free or vacuum-sealing portions with oxygen absorbers.
Quick-Cooking Carbohydrates
Choose carbohydrates that cook quickly with minimal fuel:
- Instant rice: Rehydrates with just boiling water
- Couscous: Ready in 5 minutes, absorbs flavours beautifully
- Instant mashed potatoes: Commercial flakes work perfectly
- Quick-cook noodles: Thin rice noodles or instant ramen
- Instant oats: Perfect for breakfast meals
Dehydrated Vegetables
Add nutrition, colour, and flavour with home-dehydrated vegetables:
- Tomatoes (add acidic brightness)
- Capsicum (sweet crunch even when rehydrated)
- Corn (substantial and sweet)
- Peas (quick to rehydrate)
- Carrots (colour and nutrition)
- Zucchini (bulk without much weight)
- Onion and garlic (essential flavour bases)
- Mushrooms (rich umami depth)
Cut vegetables small (6mm dice or less) for faster rehydration on the trail. Large pieces take longer to soften and may remain chewy in your meal.
Tried-and-True Trail Meal Recipes
Trail Chili
Hearty, warming, and endlessly customisable. Makes one generous serving:
- ½ cup dehydrated cooked mince or TVP
- ÂĽ cup dehydrated beans (kidney, black, or pinto)
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated capsicum
- 1 tablespoon chili powder blend
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
On the trail: Add 1½ cups boiling water, stir, cover, and let sit 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add more water if needed.
Mountain Pad Thai
Surprisingly restaurant-quality in the wilderness:
- 60g thin rice noodles (broken into shorter lengths)
- ÂĽ cup dehydrated chicken or TVP
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated carrot shreds
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated capsicum
- 1 tablespoon dried spring onion
- 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
- Separate packet: 2 tablespoons peanut butter powder + 1 tablespoon soy sauce powder + 1 teaspoon sugar + pinch chili flakes
On the trail: Soak noodles and vegetables in boiled water for 10 minutes. Drain most water, reserving a few tablespoons. Add sauce packet ingredients to reserved water, mix, and toss with noodles. Top with peanuts.
Aussie Shepherd's Pie
Comfort food for cold mountain nights:
- ½ cup instant mashed potato flakes
- ½ cup dehydrated cooked mince
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated peas
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated carrots
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
- 1 tablespoon gravy powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
On the trail: Add 1½ cups boiling water to meat, vegetables, and gravy powder. Let sit 15 minutes. In a separate container, prepare mashed potatoes according to packet directions. Serve meat mixture topped with mashed potatoes.
- Oats + dried fruit + powdered milk + cinnamon
- Instant porridge + dehydrated banana + honey powder
- Couscous + dried apricots + almonds + maple sugar
- Granola (homemade, pre-mixed with powdered milk)
Campfire Curry
Aromatic and satisfying:
- ½ cup instant rice
- ÂĽ cup dehydrated chicken or chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk powder
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
On the trail: Add 1Âľ cups boiling water, stir well, cover, and let sit 15-20 minutes. Stir and enjoy.
Packing and Organisation
Meal Portioning
Portion complete meals into individual bags at home. This saves time on the trail and ensures you have everything you need for each meal. Include a small card with rehydration instructions in each bag.
Packaging Options
- Zip-lock bags: Convenient and reusable; can eat directly from the bag to save cleanup
- Vacuum-sealed bags: More compact; excellent for longer trips
- Mylar pouches: Best protection for extended trips; can reseal
Pack meals in sturdy freezer bags. On the trail, add boiling water directly to the bag, seal, and wrap in an insulating cosy (or spare fleece) while it rehydrates. Eat straight from the bag—no pot cleaning required!
Trip Planning Quantities
Plan more food than you think you need—trail hunger is real. General guidelines:
- Breakfast: 100-150g dry weight per person
- Lunch/snacks: 150-250g dry weight per person
- Dinner: 150-200g dry weight per person
- Total: 450-600g dry weight per person per day
Adjust based on trip intensity, personal appetite, and whether you're carrying luxury items like oil or cheese.
Testing Before You Go
Never take an untested meal on an important trip. Prepare each recipe at home first, following trail conditions as closely as possible:
- Use the same amount of water you'll have access to
- Wait the full rehydration time without peeking
- Note whether you need more/less water or time
- Evaluate taste and adjust seasonings
- Make sure portions are satisfying
Beyond Dinners: Complete Trail Nutrition
Trail Snacks
Keep energy up between meals with dehydrated snacks:
- Fruit leather (compact, energy-dense)
- Dried fruit mixes (mango, apple, banana)
- Jerky (protein for sustained energy)
- Vegetable chips (kale, zucchini, sweet potato)
Trail Beverages
Don't forget drink options beyond water:
- Dehydrated fruit powders for flavoured water
- Instant coffee or tea bags
- Electrolyte powder for hot days
- Hot chocolate for cold evenings
Weight Comparison
The weight savings from dehydrated meals are remarkable. A typical commercial canned meal weighs 400-500g. The same meal dehydrated weighs 80-100g. Over a week-long trip, that's potentially several kilograms saved—weight you won't miss at all.
Factor in the cost savings (homemade meals cost $2-4 versus $12-18 commercial), superior taste, and customisation options, and the case for making your own trail food becomes overwhelming.
Start experimenting before your next trip. A few test runs at home, and you'll develop a repertoire of favourite meals that make wilderness dining something to look forward to rather than merely endure.