When one is packing for a beautiful camping trip, it is vital to have food in your backpack for eating, but it is more important to get the type of food that makes the camping trip feel like a home away from home. There’s nothing more frustrating than setting a camp after a long hiking day and realising your food is either bad or doesn’t taste great. The perfect backpacking camping food should have the ideal weight, nutritional value, calorie density and be convenient.
There is what I like to call a ‘food disaster on a camping trip’. Being in the middle of a forest and having a backpack full of spoilt food that can’t be eaten and the off the shelf ones I had tasted too bland. After that camping trip, it became a necessity to find food that won’t get spoilt quickly, and that is when I discovered the dehydrated camping food options, which are a perfect balance of what I needed on a camping trip but still I wasn’t satisfied I needed to find The Best Dehydrated Camping food UK. During my search, I found so many available options and which is why I decided to write this review so that you can find one that suits your taste too.
Table of Contents
Top 10 Dehydrated Camping Food UK Product List
1. Wayafer Chili Con Carne & Rice Meal Pouch
If you like to go camping as light as possible, then this is the meal for you to pack up. This is real food in a pouch; it is ready-to-eat straight from the pouch. Although it can be eaten cold if you decide to heat it, it takes only 7-8 minutes to heat fully in hot water and enjoy a hearty meal. It is quite filling, easy to carry and convenient to use because you don’t have to think of a messy pot to wash. Its shelf life is 3years from the date of manufacture, so you don’t have to worry about it getting spoiled. This meal is ideal for emergencies and ideal for the Duke of Edinburgh hike.
Features
- Minced beef with tomatoes
- Red kidney beans, onions and pepper
- Cayenne and Cumin sauce
- Cooked long-grain rice, maise starch and malt vinegar
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2. Expedition Foods Beef and Potato Hotpot
It is a delicious, lightweight, freeze-dried Beef and Potato meal that should be found in your backpack when going on a camping trip. It contains precisely 1000kcal of calories which is an extreme energy serving per meal.
It also contains an oxygen absorber ensures that the product remains fresh and non-toxic; this oxygen absorber should not be eaten so remove that and dispose before eating. To prepare this meal to add hot water while stirring as you pour, then close the bag and wait for 5-8 minutes. You can also use cold water to rehydrate the meal. The Expedition Foods Beef and Potato Hotpot have a shelf life of 5 years from the date of manufacture.
Features
- Vegetables such as onions, lentils swede and carrot
- Potatoes and Minced beef
- Chicken stock, tomato puree and cornflour
3. Summit to eat chicken Fried Rice
The summit to eat chicken fried rice is ready to eat meal straight from the pouch. Just add Hot water but not too much quantity and allow to rehydrate for a while before eating. This meal is delicious, expertly made, freeze-dried, versatile, and a nutritious meal with 617kcal at 61kg. There is a wide variety of taste and textures in this pack of camping meals. The packet is healthy and well sealed, so it can be used to repack unfinished meals, used as a waste bin and used to store your cooking utensils.
Features
- Chicken
- Fried rice
- Salt, pepper and onions.
4. Real Field UK Dehydrated Meal Pasta Bolognese for Camping
It is an original field ration of the Norwegian Armed forces. It is made from the finest and fresh Norwegian ingredients all the more reasons why you can trust the quality, taste and flavour of this freeze-dried meal for any camping trip. It is a ready-made meal that is gently cooked and easy to use. It comes with a filling mark on the outside of the packet, so all you have to do is add the hot water of 80-100°C up to the filling mark, stir, close the bag and wait for 8 minutes or more before eating. It is ideal for camping trips, has a high energy content of 524Kcal and a five years long shelf life.
Features
- Beef, potatoes and meat bullion
- Pasta, wheat flour and tomatoes paste.
- Rapeseed oils and spices
5. Trekmates UK Adventure Food Dehydrated Chicken Curry
If you’re an adventure lover and like intensive outdoor activities, then this Trekmates Adventure food chicken curry should be in your backpack. It contains 600kCal of energy to fuel your adventure trip; it is compact and weighs 150g for easy storage and transportation. It is a one serve per person pack and can be prepared easily by opening the pack to remove the oxygen absorber before pouring in hot water while stirring, close the bag and wait for 8 minutes before eating. It is delicious, filling and enjoyable. It has a shelf life of 4 years from the date of manufacture.
Features
- Rice, milk and pineapple chicken
- Soya, potato starch and spices
- Oxygen absorber
6. Top Herd Smokey BBQ
Top Herd Smokey BBQ is 100% natural and Eco Friendly from the use of only strictly grass-fed beef to the 100% natural, quality ingredients used. It is a pack of delicious and juicy smokey BBQ made from using topside beef and marinating for 12 hours with herbs, savoury spices, less salt, less sugar, no nitrates, no nasties and smoked using hickory wood. This Jerky is nutritious and healthy; it is low carb, low in fat, lean and contains 91 Calories per pack. If you love keeping fit and passionate about reducing global warming, then this is for you.
Features
- Grass-fed, Lean, topside beef.
- Celery and Mustard
- Herbs and spicy
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7. Whole Food Dried Mix Vegetables
When going camping vegetables are vital for vitamins, minerals and fibres. They also add fresh flavour and nutrients. Most times while in the trail you crave some vegetables no need to crave them no more go with your pack of whole foods dried mix vegetables. It is lightweight, retains nutritional value, and easy to use. Just add hot water, wait for some hours for it to rehydrate and add to your meal or add it when making your soup or any food that needs some fine cut vegetables such as pasta. It contains 329.342kcal per serving. It is suitable for both vegetarians, vegans and omnivores.
Features
- Dried Potato, Dried carrot and Dried Onions
- Dried Swede flakes, Dried Cabbage and Dried Green
- White Leek, Dried sliced green beans and Dried Green peas
8. Firepot UK Chili Non-Carne and Rice
If you are vegetarian, vegan, then this is probably the best-dehydrated camping food to fuel your adventure. It is a pack of soya slow-cooked with chillies, kidney beans and long grain rice. It is a vegan version of the South American Classic chilli con Carne, and it tastes as good as the real one. This is a super healthy meal that contains 485Kcal per serving to keep you filled and energised, it contains no artificial preservatives and as such have a short shelf life of 2 years. This is very easy to make pour in hot water into the pouch till the recommended water fill mark, seal and keep for 15 minutes before eating. This meal is very lightweight and easy to carry around; it is nutritious and delicious. More interesting is the fact that it is recommended for the Duke of Edinburgh hike.
Features
- Tomatoes, soya beans and red kidney beans
- Mushroom stock, ancho chillies
- Rice, red wine and vinegar
9. Backpackers Pantry UK Pad Thai for Adventures
If you’re passionate about planet earth and protecting our environment, then this meal should be your choice. Backpackers pantry brand is a member of the 1% for the planet. And 1% of every sale is donated towards protecting the environment. This Backpacker’s pantry pad Thai is suitable for vegetarians, vegan, Non-GMO and Gluten-free. It is a freeze-dried and dehydrated delicious and nutritious meal. Lightweight and easy to make.
To prepare to open the pack, remove the oxygen absorber to discard, remove the three little packets of peanut, lime, sriracha and peanut butter. Add peanut butter to the other contents of the pouch, add 540ml of boiling water, seal and wait for 15 -20 minutes before adding the sriracha and lime to taste, stir the mixture, add peanuts before eating. This meal is tasty, high in protein and has a complex flavour. It is a two servings pack of 20 g and a total of 460 calories per pack. You can always trust this brand because it has been making dehydrated camping meals for over 60 years now.
Features
- Rice Noodle
- Peanut butter
- Roasted peanut
- Sriracha
10. Bewell Expedition UK Pack & Go Dehydrated Shepherds Pie
Bewell Expedition Pack & Go shepherds pie is nutritious and is dehydrated vegetarian camping food. It is delicious, nutritious and healthy. It is lightweight and easy to carry. This meal contains 600Kcal to fuel every adventure and Expedition you undertake. It is easy to make, add 400ml of boiling water, stir well and leave for 6-8 minutes to rehydrate before eating, No hassle just tasty.
Features
- Potato powder
- Textured soy protein
- Peas, carrot and palm oil
Dehydrated Camping food UK Buying Guide
Meal planning for a camping trip is one of the most important things to take into consideration when going camping. Food is a massive part of everyone’s everyday life, and for a fun and exciting trip, you have to find a meal that doesn’t leave you stranded halfway through that is why most campers prefer to take dehydrated food. There are so many different options to consider that to choose the best-dehydrated camping food UK that meets your needs, and you have to be more specific on your needs. Here are some of the necessities to look out for when buying dehydrated camping foods;
Gluten-free
Is the food gluten-free is what you want to know if you are among the percentage of people allergic to gluten. Luckily there are a lot of gluten-free dehydrated camping foods that are packed filled with nutrients like carbs, protein, vitamin, minerals and fibre to keep you energised and healthy.
While camping, there is no mincing of calories; you have to consume the healthiest food to feel and perform better. So look out for the total calorie intake value of the food, and this should depend on the type of activities you have planned out for the camping trip.
Vegan-friendly and food weight
Your diet preference should influence the type of dehydrated camping food you buy. If you are vegan and do not consume any meat or animal products, then definitely keep a lookout, because not all dehydrated foods are vegan friendly.
Your dehydrated camping food needs to be lightweight for easy transportation and storage. There’s just a lot of essentials to pack while going camping that it is essential to check the weight of food pack choices. When camping, you have to pack up a right balance of foods you need based on your likes, nutritional needs and calorie intake.
Shelf life and manufacturing date
The shelf life of the food from the date of production is vital to consider. If the shelf life is three years from the date of manufacture and you buy it in the third year chances of you opening a stale meal is very high. So it is good always to remember to check not only the shelf life of the food but also the manufacturing date so you don’t save for last a meal you’ll end up not being able to eat.
Convenience and other’s
A meal that is easy to make is the best for a camping trip. The chances are meagre that you’ll pack your cooking gas, microwave and toaster, so the ‘Just add water and eat’ food is the best. It is easy to use; even the worst chefs can conveniently make any of this. These meals are made in the pouch and eaten in the pouch so no need to wash plates or bring any dishes while camping, therefore reducing luggage weight for an all-round convenience check those that you need to add water to rehydrate and eat.
Other things to consider while picking your dehydrated camping food include; rehydration time, which is essential because most times when you’re starving the delay in rehydration can make you feel down. Checking the ingredients to make sure it doesn’t contain anything you’re allergic to is very important because the last thing you need out in camp is a health emergency, food taste is also important because if it doesn’t taste good, then you can eat it mainly if it contains a spice that tastes offensive.
Customer reviews
Reading reviews from other customers is how you get to know the absolute truth about the product and hear the experiences of people who have tasted this meal. Customer’s give honest reviews because they either want to vent out their anger at how wrong the product is or show their gratitude for choosing a perfect product. You can count more on these reviews than the manufacturer’s product information because their purpose is to sell the product to you and they most times list all the good qualities, but it is the customer reviews that tell if these qualities exist or not.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Dehydrated meals Healthy and Nutritious?
Dehydrated foods are 100% natural, their nutrients are retained so you can get all the benefits from this food such as; vitamin C, carotene, magnesium and iron, which are not compromised.
How can you tell if dehydrated food is bad?
There are visible signs to show that your dehydrated food is bad such as; liquids oozing, bad smells, chewy rather than crispy, mould on it, change in colour and a different texture than usual. Do not taste it if you notice any of these changes.
What is the difference between dehydrated food and freeze-dried food?
freeze-dried food and home dehydrated food are both removals of water from food, so both meals are dehydrated. The only difference is that freeze-drying removes 98% of the water in foods. In comparison, dehydration removes about 80%, freeze-dried is more retentive of taste, smell texture and nutritional value; also, it has a longer shelf life. In comparison, dehydrated foods lose 50% of their nutritional value, consistency and taste. During rehydration, freeze-dried rehydrate faster. Why people differentiate both of them is because of the different Preparation processes to dehydrate.
Conclusion
In the conclusion of the review on Best dehydrated camping food UK, it is vital to know that this review featured specific meals from different profitable brands. However, they are also other meals from those same brands you can try out that will also be good. There is a buying guide for you to use at all times when picking other products from these brands. If you can follow the buying guide, then you can be sure of making well informed and smart decisions that will get you the best choices of dehydrated camping foods. For my recommendation for my best value, I’ll pick the wayfarer chilli con Carne and rice it costs less and is a perfect tasty option, for my best choice I’ll like the summit to eat chicken fried rice just because it has that balance that a dehydrated camping meal should have between weight, taste, nutritional value, calorie density, convenience and cost. For an excellent vegan best value and choice I’ll go for the Fire Pot Chili non-Carne with rice, it is healthy, tasty, lightweight, convenient and DOFE recommended which is a bonus. I hope this review was helpful and guides you to make the best choice.
