Although at first deciding on what types of food to take camping and/or backpacking might pose a dilemma, when we really examine the situation we find that most foods for camping and backpacking can be the same foods that we use in our home on a daily basis. What we really face going without when we camp for an extended period of time away from our Recreation Vehicle or car is the lack of refrigeration. Thus, the real dilemma that confronts us is the same dilemma that has confounded man since the dawn of civilization – how do we preserve our food to keep it eatable over a period of time? Of course today we may have an ice chest but ice will only last for so long and who in their right mind would take an ice chest backpacking? Today there are many methods, both old and new, to preserve food. For camping and backpacking I find that we still primarily use two of the oldest methods recorded and one that is relatively new. The older methods are dehydration and canning and a relatively newer method is freeze drying.
The process known as dehydration uses heat to remove the water from the food, thus keeping it from spoiling. Many of the foods we use for camping and backpacking are dehydrated and can be easily found on our grocers shelves. Some of the foods included in this group are dried fruit, instant potatoes, beef jerky and beans. The positive aspects for using dehydrated foods for camping and backpacking are the relatively low expense, long shelf life and their light weight. Additionally, we enjoy many dehydrated foods in our everyday life so there is no worry with a change in our diet. However, it takes a great deal of time to reconstitute dehydrated foods so the camper or backpacker must have access to both.
Another method of preserving food is canning. As you know, much of the food we find on our grocers shelves comes in cans. The canning process involves precooking the food, sealing it in a can or bottle with the liquid intact and then heating the can, often in a water bath, to kill any bacteria in the food. Some of the foods included in this ready to eat group are pastas, meats and vegetables. The positive aspects of using canned food for camping are somewhat similar to dehydrated foods in that they are relatively inexpensive, have a long shelf life and are found in our everyday life. However, canned foods contain a great deal water and are therefore heavy to carry and disposal of the can poses a problem if backpacking. I would recommend canned foods for camping where storage and can disposal is easier and steer away from them when backpacking.
The last method I would focus on that is very useful for camping and backpacking is freeze drying. Freeze drying is a process whereby the food is flash frozen and then placed in a vacuum chamber where the atmospheric pressure is lowered. This lower pressure causes the ice on the food to sublimate into liquid that is drawn off and collected. What is left is a food that is very light in weight and easy to reconstitute. In freeze drying, different from dehydration, the cells of the food do not collapse so they can more readily adsorb water when reconstituted. Where it may take overnight and a great deal of water to reconstitute dehydrated beans, freeze dried beans take a matter of minutes and a minimal amount of water to be ready to eat. Entire meals, including a meat, starch, vegetable and dessert may be freeze dried. Although they are light weight, they tend to be on the expensive side and are generally only found in camping stores.
Obviously it is up to each individual to pick the method of food preservation for their type of camping. If weight is not an issue then canned food is great. If weight is an issue, such as in backpacking, or expense comes into play then dehydrated food may be the way to go. However, if the food weight is a concern but not the cost, then freeze drying may be the process of choice.
Regardless of what method you choose there is one thing to remember, if the food doesn’t taste good, no matter what method was used to preserve it, you won’t want to eat it. Always try your food and recipes at home before you take them with you on your camping or backpacking trip. There is nothing that spoils a trip more than being forced to eat food that just doesn’t taste good. Bon Appetit !
Tags: camping basics, camping needs