Hands down best purchase this year...

[SoCo Mark]

... The Excalibur food dehydrator. I know I know, kind of unfair to lead everyone on, but this thing is amazing. I have successfully dehydrated all of my meals for over 2 weeks of hunting. And these are just my regular meals that I've cooked and dehydrated, with a few small exceptions.
For instance, I used my regular chili, stew and spaghetti and sauce recipes. I did make up a Mexican type casserole that I used powdered cheddar cheese. The same goes with my tuna or crab casserole. However, I've heard those little gold fish crackers ground up do the same thing.
There is nothing like adding a cup of boiling water, waiting ten minutes and have home cooked familiar food... And to boot I control the ingredients.
I will also use it when I start harvesting my garden. It sure will beat canning the produce and I think will as good or better than freezing.
I'd like to take credit, but I cannot. I came across backpackingchef.com. Very good site with lots of great information. I just simply followed his/her advice.

[WapitiTalk1]

One of these days I'll bite and do what you're doing. Do you have any pics of the initial dishes and then what they look like in the vaccum seal packet?

[SoCo Mark]

I don't. I will get some taken, uploaded and posted.. I'm going to make another pot of chili this week or weekend and dry that. I'll get some pics taken and posted. I ate one for supper tonight, of my Mexican casserole. Brown rice, ground beef, pinto bean bark, taco seasoning and cheddar chees powder. Tasted just like the regular meal. I think I'm gonna ad some green beans or broccoli or something though.

[Breeze]

I have done lots of meals with the dehydrator and they have their place. We use them a lot esp wilderness canoe trips! We have packed/hiked these meals up the mountain for up to 10 day elk trips. We eat the home-cooked meals first (heaviest and most satisfying) and save a couple MH's in the pack for just-in-case...

The bad news: Generally speaking the home dehydrated meals are not as convenient as a MH meal where you add water, wait a couple minutes then eat; and often it works best to cook in a pot.... which requires more cooking time, uses more fuel, dirties a couple dishes. Some things you'd consider inconvenient for a bivy-out....

The good news: Some meals rehydrate quickly; you have control of what's in them especially the VOLUME. You can make pretty substantial portions' and they don't pack much different (size) than a MH type meal, generally slightly heavier. I can make a hefty meal for 3 that fits in a qt zip-lock.

Pasta's are good. Here is a tip or two that really make a difference in re-hydration: (1). go smaller- instead of spaghetti use thin spag or vermicelli. The same principle applies for noodle dishes (2) Cook the pasta at home, then dehydrate it. This will rehydrate much faster, and I have no idea why and had to do it to believe it. (3) Use a quality brand name like 'Creamette'. I've had a pasta that did not rehydrate at all! (Kraft Mac n cheese... a huge failure!!! oh well so what lol)

Here is a heavy belly filler that we all love that I call 'Spawn" for two..(LOL!) 1 box- Creamette brand 'Acini Di Pepe' , 1 can black beans, 1 can Rotel tomatoes. Cook the pasta, add the beans and tomatoes, measure your generous portions and put them in the drying trays accordingly so when done you can package accurately. We usually add pre-packed chicken to this (as opposed to dehydrating meat... Meat doesn't 'come back' as well)
Variations: Minute rice instead of pasta. Pasta-Cream of mushroom soup throw in some frozen peas- rehydrate, add package of tuna and voila.... or "gloop" as we call it. (names make concoctions more fun)
Spaghetti can be an easy mainstay. Ive put the water in the zip-lock in the sun and gone hunting, come back to..... you still have to heat it... but it's quick. Pre cook the spaghetti, add the sauce and dehydrate pre-measured proportions. I've dehydrated just spag sauce into a fruit-leather but i think it comes back quicker when pre-combined with pasta.

Meats: They take longer and frankly.... well... you decide if you just-gotta-have it. Burger (lean, like venison), pre-fry, drain off fat and chop into very small pieces before adding to the dehydrator. This will require a good 'soak' to rehydrate... more cooking time. Chicken...not great at rehydrating. You can buy freeze-dried. I don't trust pork..... Spam is good- (individual foil packs) you'd never eat it at home but it's great on a mountain....

Your next best purchase might be a vacuum sealer. I can pack my camper with meals for a month without needing refrigeration. You know how that goes.... I'm still easing in to town after a while to buy a cold coke, fresh bread, and more Oreo's.

I've got photos somewhere.