Best Freeze-Dried Food for Backpacking [2023 Edition]

No matter how unique your dietary restrictions are, you’ll find something in Colorado-based Backpacker’s Pantry’s catalog to fit your needs. Not only does Backpacker’s Pantry make gluten-free options, but it also has non-dairy, no-peanut, and no-soy dishes. You can even order low-sodium foods from BP’s line if you have issues with high salt content.

All Backpacker’s Pantry basic entrée packets serve two people and come in a mylar serving pouch with Ziploc tops. These two-person meals require 2 ¼ cups of hot water and between 15 to 20 minutes to cook through. For those traveling in larger groups, Backpacker’s Pantry has many larger packets and canisters that can feed anywhere between four to 18 people.

As for flavors, Backpacker’s Pantry has one of the most extensive catalogs. Just to give you a sense of Backpacker’s Pantry’s diversity, here are a few popular items: Cajun rice with chicken, coconut curry with beef, Jamaican jerk rice with chicken, freeze-dried vegetables, and pesto salmon with pasta. Backpacker’s Pantry pad thai is a team favorite here at MOC!

In addition to entrées, Backpacker’s Pantry has plenty of small snacks, desserts, breakfasts, and side dishes available for purchase. Some of the top items in these categories include dark chocolate cheesecake, garlic mashed potatoes, Indian rice pudding, and organic olive oil.

Most two-person packets only weigh around six ounces, so you shouldn’t have any problems taking these meals on long trips. Also, Backpacker’s Pantry items have a respectable seven-year shelf life.

The Oregon-based Mountain House specializes in meaty freeze-dried dishes designed to fill two campers per packet. Each Mountain House food pouch requires two cups of boiling water and about 15 minutes to cook through.

Carnivores won’t have any issues finding something good in Mountain House’s product line, which includes yummy freeze-dried meat meals like beef stroganoff, lasagna with meat sauce, and chicken breast with mashed potatoes. MH also offers a good variety of breakfast dishes like granola with milk and blueberries, biscuits with gravy, and a breakfast skillet.

For those out there who can’t make up their mind which Mountain House packet to taste first, the company offers special emergency packets with a good sampling of their products. Don’t worry about adding too much weight to your backpack with these packets. Each Mountain House pouch only weighs an average of three ounces.

One nice feature of the Mountain House freeze-dried packets is that they have one of the longest shelf lives in the industry: 30 years. This makes Mountain House’s foods a superb option for people who want to stock up on freeze-dried options for years of hiking or emergency food for when the SHTF.

If you’re heading on a longer trip, or just like a little variety, check out the Mountain House Essential Bucket, which contains a total of 22 meals in one handy (if large!) package.

A slight negative for Mountain House is that they use more preservatives than other brands. People who have allergic issues or problems with tons of food additives might want to look for another product. On the positive side, many of these packets have low sodium counts and are high in protein.

Omeals is a Florida-based company that specializes in spicy dishes mostly inspired by Italian or Southwestern cuisine. Most of Omeals’s packets weigh about ten ounces and are single-serving, designed to feed one person per container.

Omeals is one of the most conveniently packaged products we’ve come across since they come with a heating element. Simply open the main bag, tear the heating element, place it inside with three to five ounces of water, let it sit for five minutes, then eat!

In addition to the heating element, Omeals provides you with all the utensils you need to enjoy their meals in the wild, so you can leave your spork at home! These conveniences make a huge difference at the end of a long day on the trails and cement Omeals as by far the most hassle-free freeze-dried meals out there.

Omeals aren’t cheap, granted, but it’s hard to quibble given just how convenient they are. We should also mention that, as far as taste goes, they’re up there with the best of them, particularly if you’re a fan of a good, satisfying, hearty meal after a day’s hiking!

A few of Omeals’ top sellers include pasta Fagioli, southwest chicken, and vegetable stew with beef. There are also some breakfast options in Omeals’ catalog including oatmeal and hashbrown potatoes.

For vegetarians, Omeals does offer a vegetarian chili and cheese tortellini in tomato sauce, but this company doesn’t exclusively cater to vegetarians. Omeals also doesn’t have many options for people with special food allergies like celiac disease.

At the time of writing, Omeals doesn’t offer sides or desserts. And for snacks, you only have three different cheese bites to choose from (all of which, however, are darned tasty!).

The Maine-based company Good To-Go has a good variety of dehydrated food boxes that range from Italian to Thai cuisine. Most Good To-Go packages weigh 6.6 ounces and feed two people per package with the average shelf life for meals being four years.

All of their products are certified gluten-free and pescatarian-friendly. So, if you only eat seafood or have celiac disease, you shouldn’t have a problem with Good To-Go’s range of products. Note, however, that all Good To-Go foods are made in a facility that also handles peanuts, dairy, eggs, and wheat.

Each packet requires 7 ounces of boiled water to prepare and you can dump boiled water directly into the bag and zip it up immediately. Manufacturers say it then takes about 20 minutes before your meal is ready to eat.

Another pro for Good To-Go foods is that they don’t rely on chemical additives or preservatives. When you see Good To-Go’s ingredients, you’ll be able to recognize and pronounce most of the names on the list. Good To-Go executives are also proud their products have less sodium than most of the competition. Their most popular product, Thai curry, has 500mg of sodium per serving.

For those who like Asian cuisine, try Good To-Go’s popular Thai curry, pad Thai, or Korean bibimbap. Campers more in the mood for Italian fare can pick up marinara with penne or herbed mushroom risotto. Good To-Go also offers diverse meals like smoked three-bean chili, Indian vegetable korma, and Mexican quinoa bowl.

In addition to buying the Good To-Go meals on their own, you can purchase “weekender packs.” The weekender packs include two of the meals listed above as well as an easy-to-make breakfast option like oatmeal or granola.

Alpine Aire has a good variety in its catalog, but most fall into these three categories: Asian, Tex-Mex, and Italian. Some of its signature meals include: turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, mountain chili, spaghetti marinara with mushrooms, and pineapple orange chicken. Most Alpine Aire packets have an average shelf life of five years.

Besides entrées, Alpine Aire offers a few desserts and breakfasts like strawberry granola with milk and chocolate mudslide. There aren’t, however, many sides offered in Alpine Aire’s catalog.

Alpine Aire’s entrée packets hover around the nine-ounce mark and can feed two people. One nice thing about each packet’s design is that there are clear measurement lines on the side of the bag. On the back of the bag, you’ll see how much boiling water your particular packet requires. Once you have your water boiled, simply pour it up to the line on the side.

Anyone going on a longer trip can order Alpine Aire’s seven-day packets. There are both meat and vegetarian-friendly seven-day packets to choose from. We should note, however, that Alpine Aire doesn’t offer a huge selection of vegetarian-friendly entrées.

The main feature that makes Idaho’s Mary Jane’s Farm stand out is that all of its products are USDA-certified organic. As you look at the ingredient lists of JF’s products, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any additives or chemicals you can’t pronounce.

Not only does MJF cater to the organic crowd, but it’s also one of the few companies that have exclusively vegetarian and vegan options.

Some of the company’s popular meals include kettle chili, creamy potato soup, and Santa Fe pasta. You can also order from Mary Jane’s Farm’s breakfast list, which includes favorites like breakfast frittatas and “bacon-less bacon” egg scramblers.

The average weight of each Mary Janes Farm’s packet is just three ounces, which is one of the lightest on our list. You’ll need about 1 1/3 cups of boiling water to make these one-person entrées. The average time you need to let these entrées sit is about seven minutes.

Note that Mary Janes Farm’s packets don’t have zip tops like most other products. You’ll have to rip open the top of your entrée completely, which makes it difficult to preserve any leftovers.

People who are looking for meaty meals won’t find much in Mary Janes Farm’s catalog. This company was designed for campers with dietary restrictions who place a high priority on the organic status of their products.

Peak Refuel’s selection of protein-rich freeze-dried meals are the ideal pick for campers and backpackers who like a little more meat in their main course.

The top-rated meals in Peak Refuel’s catalog include a chicken alfredo pasta, three-bean chili mac, chicken pesto pasta, and hearty beef stroganoff. Most of these meals weigh five ounces or less, serve two, can be cooked in around 10 minutes, and pack between 40 and 60 grams of protein.

The brand’s main selling point is that its meals are made with 100% real meat (with no meat fillers), which isn’t always the case with competitor brands. All products in the range are also non-GMO and are both freeze-dried and packaged in the USA.

In addition to meals, Peak Refuel has a smaller variety of desserts and breakfast items. A few of the options you could indulge in include strawberry granola, breakfast skillet, and brownie bites.