Just Add Water

Published on Friday, July 6, 2007, by Michele Foley / Edit Post

If you’re going backpacking, you’ll want to travel light, and every bean and grain of rice adds up. (Unless you’re car camping, in which case everything comes easier.) Fortunately, there are a handful of companies selling freeze-dried/dehydrated meals in self-contained packets that double as

cooking pots and serving bowls. Nothing beats the real thing, but when all your weight is on your back, this stuff can seem a lot more attractive.

CHOW tasted four vegetarian chilis, one of the few entrées found across multiple brands, and rated them 1 to 4 (1 being the best).

AlpineAire Mountain Chili

$6.50

Mary Janes Farm Organic Kettle Chili

$7.25

Richmoor Natural High 3 Bean Chili

$6.25

Backpacker’s Pantry Wild West Chili

$6.50
Alpine Aire Mountain Chili Mary Jane Farm Organic Kettle Chili Richmoor Natural High 3 Bean Chili Backpacker's Pantry Wild West Chili
RANKING 1 2 3 4
They say “A blend of pinto beans, vegetable protein, corn, mushrooms, and spices” “Organic lentils, organic black beans, organic vegetables, and organic spices” “Black, red, and pinto beans, garden vegetables, and spices” “All-natural pink beans and spices”
Visual Appeal Looked like pet food, except for the pleasing number of whole mushrooms visible. Had a nice color, and all the ingredients were identifiable. Scary! Looked like someone chewed this chili and spit it out on the plate. Looked like gut replacement in a B-horror flick, and the smell was off-putting.
Rehydration Definitely the best even, moist texture of the four. Soupy and runny. More like lentil soup. No complaints here; it took in all the water quite well. The ingredients became mushy but remained separate from one another rather than forming a stew.
Seasonings A nice variety of spices, neither overbearing nor bland. Too bland, and definitely needed salt. Tasted too sugary. Was there seasoning in this?
Heartiness Would get you through a day of rough hiking. Would need a side of s’mores for a complete meal. Would fill you up. Hard to say whether it would be filling, because tasters immediately spit it out.
Overall Flavor Tasted the most “meaty” of all the brands. Neutral: not great, not horrible. Strange: Tasted like someone added cleaning products and granola to this chili. Did not taste like chili, and was superbland.
ALLEntertaining
POST A COMMENT |3 Comments

COMMENT

  • Agree with ttriche: this stuff sucks and can give sensitive bellies the runs, which is disastrous out there in the wild.

    The only reason why I advocate freeze-dried is for extreme situations...such as, uber long trips and emergency situations.

    Otherwise, make your food at home. Chow.com of all places is a wonderful site to get great ideas.

  • It reminds me of my days at Boy Scout camp in northern Ontario. After an entire day of canoeing, portaging, and navigating across beaver ponds (think incredibly sticky black mud about 10 feet deep, with four boys alternately hauling and hanging on to the canoe), we would set up camp. Some were sent to catch fish and frogs, others to gather wood and water, etc. We carried dehydrated food with us,...+READ

    It reminds me of my days at Boy Scout camp in northern Ontario. After an entire day of canoeing, portaging, and navigating across beaver ponds (think incredibly sticky black mud about 10 feet deep, with four boys alternately hauling and hanging on to the canoe), we would set up camp. Some were sent to catch fish and frogs, others to gather wood and water, etc. We carried dehydrated food with us, and I remember having jambalaya and frogs' legs for the first time in my life. Perhaps it was just the sheer hunger after a day of complete exertion, but both of them tasted fantastic to me. Then I crawled into my sleeping bag on a bed of pine boughs, and slept the sleep of the innocent. Such, such were the joys...-COLLAPSE

  • This stuff sucks. I've logged 10,000+ vertical days up and over the Sierra crest on skis, and it is ALWAYS better to bring real food. Even the Tasty Bite style stuff from Trader Joe's is worlds better than these.

    In particular, the hot Penang style curry with tuna is great over rice (duh) and the whole assembly is just as self-contained as these, except for it tastes like human food (instead of...+READ

    This stuff sucks. I've logged 10,000+ vertical days up and over the Sierra crest on skis, and it is ALWAYS better to bring real food. Even the Tasty Bite style stuff from Trader Joe's is worlds better than these.

    In particular, the hot Penang style curry with tuna is great over rice (duh) and the whole assembly is just as self-contained as these, except for it tastes like human food (instead of dog food, or worse).

    Then again, if you want to go really, really light, candy bars are the Final Solution. Never stop moving until you get back to the car!-COLLAPSE