how do you prepare freeze-dried meals ?

I agree. Thicker bag probably weighs more.

Plus, I'd rather have boiling water in a pot, than a bag, because it might leach chemicals. Probably not a big deal for just an occasional trip though.

Plus, when I put food in pot, I can bring it back up to boil with lid on, then let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. It'll be hotter so it re-hydrates better. I can stir it better in pot.

Rather than ziploc bag, I use produce bag from grocery store – lighter weight.

Rather than freeze dried meal, I cook up some beans with spices and dehydrate. Add dehydrated vegetables. Not such a big mass of food. More healthful.

:-))))

I buy Mountain House in bulk number 10 cans and then repackage into heavy duty freezer bags, one meal per bag. I heat 2 cups of water, pour one into the freezer bag and let sit for 5 min. and then eat. 1 cup of water is for a warm drink. I love the Chicken and rice. I can eat it morning noon and night :-)))

Sorry for coming on so strong in the other thread ;)

No problem on the slap-down, Dan !

Pouring boiling water into plastic containers (of any kind) troubles me though.

John, when I was using the FDed meals I boiled water, poured in bag, waited recommended time and ate out of the foil bag taking turns spooning from the bag with my wife. The double portion meals fed us both just fine. No bowls, no clean up. Then we zipped the pouch and it went in the garbage zip lock. While packing for trips I punched a pin hole in the foil bags to purge the air and put a piece of tape over after compressing. Easier fit for a small food bag for hanging. I suppose you could repackage the meals into lighter bags but I never took the time.

This year I've dehydrated pasta meals and it's worked out great. I hope to be through with the FDed meals. I boiled our water in a MSR kettle, added the DHed meal and gave it time to rehydrate. I refired the stove once for a minute or so at a simmer to reheat the water before completely rehydrating. After sharing out of the pot with the wife a splash of water about the inside of the pot and then down the hatch. Into the bear bag with the clean pot ready for the next meal. The homemade meals were much more satisfying for both of us.

Either way its mostly a personal choice, I would however try to avoid bowls or plates to save weight and eat from a dual purpose container already on board.

jimmyb

A couple years ago, I found that re-packing 4 Mountain House meals into sandwich baggies and carrying a 3-cup pot was actually lighter than carrying a 2 cup pot and using the standard packaging. A 3-cup pot seems to be about the right size to rehydrate a 2-cup Mountain House meal – it just barely fits. Anything less than 4 meals, and the 2 cup pot + standard packaging was lighter

Now, I just pack a 2-cup pot and repack meals into freezer bags. I don't know how the weight compares, but it is less bulky. Clean up is easier too. I only repack for longer trips – not worth it for short trips

I have a 550ml and 600ml pot paired with either esbit or an alky stove. I repackage freeze dried meals into quart size freezer bags. When the water is boiled or hot enough I pour the water into the bag. The freezer bags are made to hold boiled water so I don't care about it being plastic, it's safe. I then wrap the freezer bag with my small pack towel and place it in my pot to rehydrate for the time needed. Once done I remove the towel and roll the top of the freezer bag down around my pot and eat right out of the freezer bag.

The only beneficial thing about the MH bags is that they do not require a coozy if it's cold. I'd reckon the weight of a MH bag is less than the weight of a freezer bag + coozy. The problem with the bags as stated is bulk. They do make the ProPak bags which are vacuum sealed and take up less room. You could keep 1 meal in it and repackage the rest reusing the 1 bag as a coozy if needed. Or the pinhole trick as stated above will work too.

I find repackaging them is lighter, easier to pack, and just pouring the water into the bag keeps my pot clean. I don't want to do dishes on the trail. I don't even want to do them at home :)

"I then wrap the freezer bag with my small pack towel and place it in my pot to rehydrate for the time needed."

Another alternative: wrap the freezer bag with a warm beanie hat to let the food rehydrate. When the food is done, you put the warmed hat on your head while you eat the food.

–B.G.–

"I buy Mountain House in bulk number 10 cans and then repackage into heavy duty freezer bags"

I did the same thing, scaled up. I used to lead lots of group trips, so I would buy Mountain House food by the case of #10 cans. I went through a lot of big freezer bags.

Of course that was back in the day when the king was a white gas stove from MSR.

–B.G.–

Bob, the beanie idea is brilliant. I am definitely trying that next time! I could have used the extra warmth on my last trip.

I don't eat the Mountain House or similar foods, but my boyfriend sometimes does. What he does is he saves one of the Mountain House bags and reuses it every meal. He rinses it out after. He'll do that with those cardboard oatmeal containers or with those noodle bowls, too. Repackage all but one and then use the packaging as his warming/eating container.

I just eat out of my cookpot. Boil the water, remove from heat, dump my food in, wrap in reflectix and a warm hat and wait a while. It doesn't bother me at all to wash it after. I just put a little water and rub the pot with my spoon or my fingers. If I'm desperate I'll drink the water. Takes about two rinses and it's clean enough.

>> I just eat out of my cookpot. Boil the water, remove from heat, dump my food in, wrap in reflectix and a warm hat and wait a while. It doesn't bother me at all to wash it after. I just put a little water and rub the pot with my spoon or my fingers. If I'm desperate I'll drink the water. Takes about two rinses and it's clean enough.

That's what I do – except I just reheat a little (easy with a cartridge stove, impractical with Esbit I guess. But I wash the same way, drinking the water. It's a little gross sometimes. But it's good at dry camps, which I do a good bit, where water is critical. Also eliminates the issue of dumping food-contaminated waste-water.