Buying your dinner on trail.

Now these are just my personal opinions. Don’t let me stop you from trying as many different brands of bushwalking food as you can. Just because I didn’t enjoy a meal doesn’t mean you wont. If you have any other brands you think I might love send them my way!

Alps & Amici

This is my out and out favorite commercial brand. Cooked by a chef, all real ingredients and is freeze dried - rather than simply dehydrated - so it retains better flavor and texture while still being ultra light. All that love comes at a price that is now sadly much higher than other brands though, so if you are going out walking for multiple days it gets expensive very quickly. Bender loves their Butter Chicken and Beef Mossman. Keep in mind that the meals have no bulk carbs (rice, potato, pasta etc) so you need to take those separate if you want them which I do. For me one main meal with a serve of rice/potato is enough for the two to three meals.
Tip: I ditch the thick, bulky packaging and instead place it in a zip lock bag for rehydrating out on trail.

Strive

I really wanted to love this brand as its made right here in Tasmania. Unfortunately this is one of my least favorite commercially available foods. I have tried most of the meals they have on offer and found them to be lacking in flavor. Mostly the meals I have tired just never, ever, ever seem to rehydrate! The meat stayed like hard little bricks no matter how long I cooked it. Having to use and carry extra gas trying to rehydrate the meals is not weight efficient. Some of the meals are also a little packaging heavy with packets within packets. That said, a few of our friends really like the meals so it could just be my taste buds.
Tip: try the vegetarian options as no meat means quicker hydration.

Feed The Hike

This is one brand I only discovered recently thanks to a lovely walker I met in at Pine Valley - thanks Maryanne! An Australian made range that is super yummy and reasonably quick to rehydrate! Their range is only quite small and vegetarian but it is whole foods without tons of additives and very tasty. The serves are on the small side which suits me! I love the range of soups but they are obviously more costly than your average Cup O Soup! The packaging is a little on the bulky side though which would be my only real gripe.
Tip: Great for vegans, vegetarians and those needing gluten free options.

Go Native

I love the taste of New Zealand produced Go Native Foods. They are tasty, energy dense, environmentally responsible and all natural. Four big ticks in my eyes but sadly they are ready to eat meals not dehydrated or freeze dried. Whilst this makes them super quick to prep (2 minutes in boiling water) it also means they are heavy. And the packaging even after you eat your meal is heavy. A mid price point brand that’s big on taste.
Tip: Fine for a one/two day hike but any more than that and they are two heavy for my preference.

Back Country

Easily sourced from most hiking stores Back Country have been feeding hikers for decades. Whilst they have a huge range and are one of the cheapest brands available I really don’t enjoy the taste of them. Heavy on additives and with more numbers than should really belong on an ingredient label they aren’t for me!
Tip: Definitely try these before you are on trail to see if they suit your taste buds!

Campers Pantry

The thing I love most about Campers Pantry is that you can buy freeze dried vegetables through them. Select from a range of vegetables (broccoli, peas, mushrooms, onions, cauliflower etc) to add to your own homemade dishes out on trail. I am not a lover of all their meals but I do enjoy their Spaghetti Bolognese and most of the others. The meals are mid range in price with quite reasonable serving sizes and ultra light due to being freeze dried. Their Cauliflower Dahl is delicious!
Tip: Buy a packet of each of their freeze dried veggies, mix them all together to bulk up any homemade meal you are prepping.

Radix Nutrition

The plant based Radix meals are the only Radix Meals I have tried and I really enjoy them. Even the smaller meals are too much for me to get through so I split each meal into three. I serve it with a side of rice or pasta. Given I get more than one meal from each pack I consider them very economical.
Tip: If you need to know exactly what macros are in your food this brand is for you. Also the largest range of Vegan or plant based meals which suits me.

Supermarket Brands

Many people don’t realise that lots of easily prepared and light weight options exist in the supermarket. Not just the obvious - packet pasta and tuna sachets either!

Supermarkets also have multiple options for powdered potato (Deb and other brands) and freeze dried peas, mushrooms and other vegetables. Dried egg makes awesome scrambled eggs for breakfast. Mix it with sugar and a bit of flour for pancakes on trail. Packet of Soups are a warming snack in Winter and the rice section has dried risotto mixes available. You will be surprised at what’s available as a meal or to create light, tasty and nutritious meals out on trail.