Any type of meal like chili can be dehydrated very easily and reconstituted on the trail just as easily. The advantages are many. The food is light, compact and does not spoil in the few days you will be on the trail. As well, all the difficult preparation takes place at home. The in-camp cooking is basically “add water, heat, and stir.” Other meals which can be dehydrated include spaghetti sauce, lentil stew, sloppy joes, taco meat, canned or homemade brown beans, ... As long as all the ingredients of the meal are quite fine (i.e, no large lumps, especially of meat), the meal will dry well.
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Line one or two cookie sheets with foil.
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Spray the foil with pam or wipe it with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil.
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With a spatula or spoon, spread the chili or other meal out over the cookie sheet as evenly and as thinly as possible. Spreading it too thick will lengthen the drying time considerably, and increase the chances that the meal will mould before it dries.
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Place the cookie sheet(s) in the oven and turn the oven on its lowest temperature.
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Place a spoon or spatula in the top of the oven door to prop it open slightly so that the air can circulate and the moisture escape.
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Stirring occasionally, to promote thorough drying, leave for eight to twelve hours or until dry and crumbly. No “softness” should be left in any of the material.
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Allow to cool, then bag in ziplocs, label (including date), and freeze until you are ready to go on your trip.
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As dried foods can lose some of their flavour, it is always a good idea to pack some extra spice/flavouring (for example, chili powder) to add to the food on the trail. Film canisters are very good for this purpose.
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In the morning or at lunch, measure out ¾ to 1 cup of the dried mixture per person. (See
Meal Portions for more exact amounts)
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Place this in a sealable container (a 1 L wide-mouth lexan Nalgene bottle works well; avoid narrow-mouth containers, as you may never get your food out.) and cover with water so that the water is 1 1/3 to 1½ times as deep as the dried food.
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Place this bottle in your pack, and the dried food will reconstitute itself throughout the day.
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At supper time, place the mixture in a pot, add water and spices as necessary, and heat until boiling. Allow to stand for several minutes (while making your rice, pasta, instant potatoes, or couscous, for example).
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After making your side dish, bring the chili back to a boil.
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Serve over a starchy side dish.
