Best Trail Cooking & Food Drying Gear Picks for Backpacking

This collection of recommended products will help you with your food dehydrating projects and trail cooking adventures.

I use the featured products regularly, and if I haven’t yet, they come recommended by Backpacking Chef readers.

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Dehydrators

My Excalibur and Cosori dehydrators get a lot of use. They both dry food efficiently with consistent results. It's easier to spread blended foods on square or rectagular trays compared to round dehydrator trays. Read my Review comparing these dehydrators.

• Excalibur Dehydrator Digital Controls, 9 Trays

• COSORI Dehydrator Digital Controls, 6 Stainless Steel Trays

Nonstick Dehydrator Sheets & Trays

Mesh sheets are needed for drying small food items in dehydrators that have tray supports with large spaces. Excalibur dehydrators come with mesh sheets.

Nonstick sheets or trays are needed for drying fruit leather and saucy foods. Flat sheets can be cut to fit with scissors. Trays with raised edges are great for containing liquidy foods. Sheets and trays made of silicone offer the best nonstick performance, but Teflon sheets also work well.

• Dostk Silicone Mesh Dehydrator Sheets, 14” x 14”, 12-Pack for Cosori dehydrator (cut to fit). Not for Excalibur.

• Excalibur Polyscreen Mesh Screen Inserts, 14" x 14", 9-Pack. These come with Excalibur dehydrators, so only order if you need to replace them.
  

• Bright Kitchen Silicone Flat Sheets for Excalibur Dehydrator, 14" x 14", 9-Pack. Must use on top of Excalibur polyscreen mesh screen inserts. Also available in a 6-Pack.
  

• Hlimior Silicone Dehydrator Trays with Raised Edges, 12” x 10.6”, 6-Pack for Cosori or Excalibur.
  

• Dostk Silicone Dehydrator Trays with Raised Edges, 14” x 14”, 6-Pack for Excalibur.
  

• Homey Teflon Nonstick Sheets, 14” x 14”, 10-Pack for Excalibur or Cosori (cut to fit).

Digital Scale,Measuring Cups & Spoons

Use a digital food scale and measuring cups when cooking meals and ingredients for dehydration, and for weighing dried ingredients when assembling meals.

• Etekcity Digital Food Kitchen Scale, Grams & Ounces

• EWFEN Stainless Steel Measuring Cups & Spoons, Set of 20

Vacuum Sealers & Bags

Vacuum sealing removes oxygen and prolongs the shelf-life of dehydrated food. Vacuum-sealed meals are protected from moisture on the trail. You can seal mason jars with a jar-sealing accessory purchased separately.

• FoodSaver FM2100 Vacuum Sealer

• FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Bag Rolls, 8" x 20', 3-Pack

• Vacuum Sealer Kit for Wide & Regular-Mouth Mason Jars, Works only with FoodSaver Vacuum Sealers.

Mylar Bags & Oxygen Absorbers

Mylar bags, when used in combination with oxygen absorbers, are excellent for storing individual dehydrated meals. Cook meals right in the bag by adding boiled water.

For the most effective long-term storage, oxygen absorbers should be added to dehydrated foods stored in mason jars, even when the jars are vacuum sealed.

• Mylar Pouch, Pint-size, 6" x 8", Heat Sealable Bags plus 100cc Oxygen Absorbers, Pack of 50 each, plus Long-Term Food Storage Guide from PackFreshUSA.
  

• Mylar Pouch, Quart-size, 7" x 9", Heat Sealable Bags plus 200cc Oxygen Absorbers, Pack of 50 each, plus Long-Term Food Storage Guide from PackFreshUSA.

• 100cc Oxygen Absorbers, 100 Pack, plus Long-Term Food Storage Guide from PackFresh USA.

Insulated Food & Beverage Containers

Thermos food jars are excellent for rehydrating meals that you want to eat later in the day. Great for backpacking, hiking, work, and travel. It helps to have a long-handle spoon. Read more about thermos cooking.

• THERMOS 24 oz. Vacuum-Insulated Food Jar.

• GSI Outdoors Pouch Spoon. Good for eating out of a 24 oz. thermos or freeze-dried meal pouch.

• THERMOS 16 oz. Vacuum-Insulated Food Jar.

• GSI Outdoors 1-Liter Vacuum-Insulated Beverage Bottle.

GSI Outdoors Backpacking Pots

GSI Outdoors makes hard-anodized aluminum backpacking pots to meet the needs of solo minimalists and dualists. Explore my GSI backpacking pot reviews.

• GSI Minimalist

• GSI Boiler

• GSI Dualist-HS

• GSI 20-oz. Capacity Nesting Bowl Set

Backpacking Canister Stoves

I have used all three of these brands of canister stoves, and they all boil water very fast. The new MSR PocketRocket Deluxe features a pressure regulator for better performance in cold weather, plus piezo push-start lighting. The GSI stove’s pot supports fold down, and the Optimus Crux folds in half, enabling either stove to stow under a fuel canister.

• GSI Outdoors Canister Stove

• Optimus Crux Folding Canister Stove

• MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Canister Stove

DIY Pot Cozy Materials

Hold the heat in your backpacking pot or bag by making an insulating pot cozy or pouch cozy. See how to make a pot cozy.

• Double Bubble Reflective Foil Insulation, 24” x 10’

• Reflectix FT210 Reflective Foil Tape, 2" x 30'

Water Filters & Purification

Sawyer Squeeze water filters come in several sizes and work well. Carry a backup water purification method such as chlorine dioxide drops or tablets, or a UV SteriPen. Read more about water filters and purification.

• Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System w/ Two 32-Oz Squeeze Pouches, Straw, and Hydration Pack Adapter

• Katadyn Micropur MP1 Purification Tablets, 20 Count

• SteriPEN Ultra UV Water Purifier

Reader Recommendation:

• Katadyn BeFree 1.0L Water Filter

Food Products

Powdered Eggs & Instant Mashed Potatoes

Mix OvaEasy Egg Crystals with cold water, then cook in pan just like real scrambled eggs. Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes rehydrate instantly with boiled water into fluffy mashed potatoes.

• OvaEasy Egg Crystals

• Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes

Recipes: Fried Rice with Scrambled Eggs, Cooking Mashed Potatoes in a GSI Bowl.

Powdered Cheese, Peanut Butter, & Coconut Milk

Add these powdered ingredients to backpacking meals and desserts.

• Cheddar Cheese Powder by Hoosier Hill Farm, 1 lb.

• Peanut Butter Powder by PB2, 32 oz.

• Coconut Milk Powder by Anthony's Organic, 1 lb.

Recipes: Mac & Cheese, Thai Peanut Noodles, Thai Green Curry.

Single-Serve Meat Packets

Single-serve packets of chicken, tuna, and salmon are convenient to add to backpacking meals like mac & cheese and cold-soak backpacking pasta salads. They also roll up nicely in tortillas for quick, high-protein trail lunches. Essential for emergency home storage kits.

• StarKist Premium White Chicken, 2.6 oz. Pouch, Pack of 12

• StarKist Chunk Light Tuna, 2.6 oz. Pouch, Pack of 12

• StarKist Wild Pink Salmon, 2.6 oz. Pouch, Pack of 12

Single-Serve Condiment Packets

Add to meals on the trail to boost fat calories.

Instant Coffee & Milk Powder

Coffees highly recommended by Backpacking Chef readers. Add whole milk powder to coffee and mac & cheese meals for extra calories.

• Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee, 50 packets

• Café Bustelo Instant Coffee, 72 packets

• Whole Milk Powder by Hoosier Hill Farm, 1 lb.

Freeze-Dried Meals

These freeze-dried meals got the top votes from Backpacking Chef readers. With a 30-year shelf life, it’s good to keep a few meals on hand for emergencies or for when you don’t have time to dry your own.

Hungry backpackers can eat a 2-person serving, but a 1-person serving may be better for some appetites.

• Mountain House Biscuits & Gravy, 2 Servings

• Mountain House Chicken & Dumplings, 2 Servings

• Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce, 2 Servings

Pro-Pak meals are 1 serving.

• Mountain House Chili Mac, 1 Serving

• Mountain House Chicken & Rice, 1 Serving

• Mountain House Beef Stroganoff, 1 Serving

Energy Bars

Calorically dense energy bars to eat between meals. Recommended by Backpacking Chef readers.

• LÄRABAR Variety Pack, Gluten Free Fruit & Nut Bars, 16 Bars

• CLIF BAR Energy Bars Variety Pack, Plant Based, 16 Bars

• GoMacroBars .9 oz, Organic, Vegan, 6 Flavors, 24 Bars

Electrolyte Drink Powders & Tablets

Replace sodium and minerals lost during sweating and improve recovery.

• LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolytes Hydration Powder Packets, 4 Flavors, 12-Count

• Nuun Sport Electrolyte Hydration Tablets, 6 Flavors, 6 Tubes with 10 Tablets

• Tailwind Electrolytes Hydration Powder Packets, 8 Flavors, 8-Count

Books

Backpacking Recipe Books by Chef Glenn

Everything you need to know about dehydrating delicious backpacking meals.

• Recipes for Adventure: Healthy, Hearty and Homemade Backpacking Recipes

• Recipes for Adventure II: The Best of Trail Bytes

• 1001 Miles on the Appalachian Trail

Backpacking Recipe Books by Other Trail Chefs

• The Hungry Spork Trail Recipes: Quick Gourmet Meals for the Backcountry by Inga Aksamit

• Backcountry Eats: Making Great Dehydrated Meals for Backcountry Adventures by Kevin Ride

• Thruhikers: A Guide to Life on the Trail by Renee Miller & Tim Beissinger

General Dehydration Books

• Complete Dehydrator Cookbook: How to Dehydrate Fruit, Vegetables, Meat & More by Carole Cancler

• The Dehydrator Bible by Jennifer MacKenzie

• The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Drying Food by Tammy Gangloff

Recommend a Product

If you use and love a product related to food dehydration or backpacking food, please send me your recommendation here:

Contact Chef Glenn.

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