Best Backpacking Freeze Dried & Dehydrated Meals of 2025

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GOOD TO-GO – Thai Curry

Freeze dried meals are some of the most popular meal options for hikers heading into the backcountry . Our squad of hungry testers make chowed down on over 2,000 boil-in-a-bag meals over the years and they decidedly have their darling . We bring into account thermal density , ease of preparation , tastiness , and packaging to measure popular sword like Backpacker ’ s Pantry , Mountain House , PEAK , Good-To-Go , and more .

For more information on backpacking meal planning , check out our Lightweight Backpacking Food Guide . And if you fancy yourself an outdoor gourmand , we have Backpacking Meal Recipes & Food Dehydration Tips as well .

Squirrel Rating System

First established with dear friend while hiking the Zion Traverse , we use the CleverHiker Squirrel Rating System to measure each meal .

Every pouch we feed earns a squirrel rating mark between 1 and 5 base on spirit , texture , and overall deliciousness . There are alone whole squirrel ratings ( because half a squirrel would live utter ) . We update this list every time we place on our snobby food critic pants and thrust our faces in the backcountry .

Five Squirrel Meals

Did my grandma make this ? ! Our go-to darling freeze dried meal for happy lead belly .

Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Summit Breakfast Scramble ( GF )
MaryJanesFarm – Organic Bac ’ un & Egg Scrambler

PEAK REFUEL – Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
PEAK REFUEL – Sweet Pork and Rice
Mountain House – Chicken & Dumplings
Mountain House – Chili Mac w/ Beef
Mountain House – Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
Mountain House – Biscuits & Gravy
Mountain House – Beef Stroganoff
Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Three Cheese Mac & Cheese
Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Pad Thai ( V , GF )
Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Cuban Coconut Rice & Black Beans ( V , GF )
Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Three Bean Veggie Stew ( V , GF )
Packit Gourmet – Dottie ’ s Chicken & Dumplings
Packit Gourmet – Santa Fe Corn Pudding
well TO-GO – Thai Curry
GOOD TO-GO – Smoked Three Bean Chili ( V , GF )
GOOD TO-GO – Indian Vegetable Korma ( GF )
( V , GF )
( GF )
MaryJanesFarm – Organic Bare Burrito
MaryJanesFarm – Organic Shepherds Meat Pie
Farm to Summit– Green Chili Mac & Cheese
Pinnacle – Italian Sausage Zesty Tomato Sauce with Farfalle Pasta , and Parmesan

Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Blueberry Peach Crisp ( GF )
Packit Gourmet – Banana Puddin ’
Trailtopia – Apple Crisp

Four Squirrel Meals

Pretty darn tasty ! However , some feeling and textures made us knock it down a squirrel .

Mountain House – Granola w/ Milk and Blueberries
Nomad Nutrition – Cali Breakfast Bowl ( V , GF )

Mountain House – Italian Pepper Steak
( V , GF )
Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Fettuccini Alfredo w/ Chicken
Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Chana Masala ( V , GF )
Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Mushroom Stroganoff
( V , GF )
( V , GF )
( V , GF )
GOOD TO-GO – Classic Marinara w/ Penne ( V , GF )
Nomad Nutrition – Irish Shepherd ’ s Pie ( V , GF )
Nomad Nutrition – Spanish Paella ( V , GF )
Packit Gourmet – Austintacious Tortilla Soup
Packit Gourmet – Cajun Ranch Chicken Salad
Packit Gourmet – Deli Roast Beef Wrap
Packit Gourmet – West Memphis Grits Souffle
Packit Gourmet – Big Easy Gumbo

( GF )
Heather ’ s Choice – Packaroons

Three Squirrel Meals

Quite well even so , but nothing to write family about . We might buy them again , but we weren ’ t puzzle .

( V , GF )

Mountain House – Spicy Southwest Style Skillet
serious TO-GO – Herbed Mushroom Risotto ( V , GF )
( GF )
Nomad Nutrition – Indian Red Lentil Stew ( V , GF )
Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Chicken Larb ( GF )
MaryJanesFarm – Cheddar Herb Pasta

Two Squirrel Meals

We are hungry hikers , so we ’ ll eat ’ em for sure , but doesn ’ t hurt to get the spice kit on hand to spruce things up a piece .

Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Granola with Bananas & Milk

Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Kathmandu Curry ( V , GF )
Mountain House – Chicken Teriyaki w/ Rice
MaryJanesFarm – Organic Lentils , Rice & Indian Spice ( V )
Nomad Nutrition – Caribbean Curry ( V , GF )

One Squirrel Meals

We ’ 500 choose it out of a hiker box if it was free but we definitely prefer for early packet on this list .

Backpacker ’ s Pantry – Mango Sticky Rice ( V , GF )

Eat a hearty meal , like Mountain House – Chicken & Dumplings , at the end of the day replenish much-needed calories and provides PROTEIN to aid your muscle retrieve

Meals from Mountain House equal typically more affordable than many early brands

Good To-Go meals equal made with component you can pronounce !

equal one of our favorite four-squirrel rated meal . As well pictured above , we used the with the Snow Peak Mini Solo Cookset to boil water for our meal

Vital Backpacking Meal Considerations

ENERGY-TO-WEIGHT RATIO

Backpacking foods are mostly calorically dense and relatively lightweight , which live piece of what makes freeze-dried meal an attractive option . The procedure of freeze-drying a meal remove 80 % of its water weight while retaining a high level of calorically-dense nutrition . Most meal pouches range between 500-900 calories and weigh around 5-9 ounces . This place them in the 100-130 calorie-per-ounce ratio , which isn ’ t spectacular , but cost still quite well – and , in our opinion , well worth it for the tastiness . For reference , peanut butter – the quintessential backpacking staple – cost about 170 calories per ounce .

One drawback to consider is that while they equal lightweight , they aren ’ t ever compact . Freeze dried meals can remove up quite a bit of extra space beyond an equivalent homemade meal in a Ziploc base . This can be particularly confine if you are carrying a hard-sided food storage system ( i.e . a bear can ) . Some hikers like to pound a tiny pinhole at the crest of each purse to relinquish the breeze and compress the pouches for express . This be fine , but the hole can get prominent unintentionally and spice powder can pant out onto early gear ( and produce spirit for beast to notice ) .

ARE THEY NUTRITIOUS ?

The procedure of freeze drying can retain up to 90 % of the nutrients , but the product will simply equal 20 % of its original weight . That said , most freeze dry meal exist packed with sodium and unrecognizable ingredient . We ’ 500 put them into the “ sorta nutritious ” camp , but if you compare them to the most popular alternatives – ramen , instant potatoes , and pasta sides – they start to look fairly dang sound ( and tasty also ! ) . Certain sword , such as Mary Janes Organic and Good To-Go , use recognizable ingredients for those who need to limit ultra-processed ingredients .

CONVENIENCE

These pouches be nearly universally faster and easier to develop than homemade hot lead meals . Plus , there ’ sec nothing clean up ! Boil water , tear spread the pouch ( remove that silica package ! ) , pour in the water , seal it up , cozy up in your sleeping bag while you wait , and enjoy ! Not cleaning a pile at the end of a long day can build a big dispute .

Make suppose that , some brand make superior pouches . Backpacker ’ s Pantry incline to have a thicker , better-insulated pouch stuff than others that might use a thinner food-safe plastic or coated paper . We advocate double-checking the cooking education anytime you hear a novel brand to make sure the pouch is in reality cook-safe .

cost

Freeze dry meal are not cheap and there are inexpensive alternative ( mashers , pasta side , ramen , etc ) . If you ’ re spending month on the lead thru-hiking , meal like these will likely equal also expensive to be sustainable . But for the casual backpacker , meal like this can add a mass of value , convenience , and enjoyment .

Pro Tip :REI hold a discount when you buy 8 or more backpacking meal .

What ’ sec In Our Camp Kitchen ?

When we guide out on backcountry trips , these are the items usually found in our gang . For more information on our favorite camp kitchen point , assure out our lists of the Best Backpacking Stoves and Best Backpacking Cookware .

Stove System : JetBoil MiniMo & JetBoil Flash
Ultralight Stove : BRS Stove
1-2 Person Cookpot : Snow Peak Mini Solo Cookset
Group Cookpot : MSR Ceramic Pot
Spoon : TOAKS Titanium Long Spoon
Cup : TOAKS Titatium 450 ml Cup
Food Storage : Ursack & BearVault BV500