Snacks for Your Packs: Best Dehydrated Camping Foods

Not too spicy, just creamy enough, the GOOD TO-GO CUBAN RICE BOWL is a solid vegetarian and gluten-free camping food option for your next backpacking trip. Inside, you’ll find creamy garlic crema topping rice, beans, and plantains boasting 82g of carbs, 14g of protein, and 540 calories. 

My main problem with this product is the misleading packaging. A yellow dotted line exists on the top of the package, which I assumed was the fill line and thusly added too much water to my meal. The actual fill line is lower on the package and significantly more discreet, so look closely. All in all, this meal is still delicious when eaten in more of a soup form should you make the same mistake I did and left my belly nice and full after a big day of bouldering outdoors without being too spicy! To enjoy your meal, make sure to bring some quality camping utensils, of course.

Once upon a time, I stumbled onto the OMEALS Vegetarian Chili via Amazon while stocking up on food for future camping trips. As a Texan, I love my chili, and what better to fuel my days outside than chili. Once ordered, it sat in my camping stash for over a year before I opened it. I took it on a climbing trip, and while it wasn’t quite as filling as I was hoping for, I added some quinoa the next time, and it was perfect. 

This meal earns easiest to prepare because you don’t need to heat your water before adding it to the pouch, eliminating the need for a camping stove entirely. You add regular water and a heating element heats the food, so you have a nice, warm meal with minimal work. With only 9g of protein and 160 calories per pouch, you may want more than just this chili for dinner; but otherwise, it’s a winner in our book. 

Many meat-eaters have written off vegan camping food as boring, tasteless, or bad. That’s certainly not the case with the GOOD TO-GO Mushroom Risotto. While it’s not quite the risotto we all know and love, it’s still an excellent camp meal with 410 calories, 13g of protein, and 64g of carbs. My co-tester Rory loved GOOD TO-GO’s vegan dehydrated camping food one and claimed the bulk of it for himself, especially the chewy mushroom bits. 

The cooking time is a bit long, about 20 minutes, but time passes quickly with good friends by a campfire. I mistakenly added a bit too much water to this one, but it all turned out fine. I’d love to see an internal fill line on the GOOD TO-GO meals because apparently, I’m a bit heavy-handed when I pour! You may also need one of these top cooking tripods, so check them out.

The Mountain House Pasta Primavera gets the best choice nomination because it’s a tried-and-true classic. This meal has been a warm, carby, creamy godsend after many long mountain days. When I think about the meal I want to eat while withered, battered, and ready to fall into my sleeping bag, it’s pasta primavera. I love this meal so much; I crave it even when I’m not camping. My sole complaint is that this meal contains broccoli, my most hated food. I usually have a friend pick out and eat it for me—no waste! 

Mountain House made this meal salty enough to replenish lost electrolytes while serving up 68 grams of carbs and 16g of protein in a single pouch, which replenishes me after a long day. This pouch is advertised as two servings, but I always eat it like one. Does anyone actually follow serving sizes? Better yet, after big day, should we? My philosophy is to give your body what, and however much it needs after exhausting days. Your body will thank you for it. For absolute comfort during your trip, be sure to also bring one of these reliable camping tables.

This meal was Tad’s favorite and the one I was most skeptical about, but the GOOD TO-GO Kale and White Bean Stew was surprisingly tasty. I really enjoyed the heartiness in this pouch and managed to finally perfect the amount of water added to my GOOD TO-GO meals. While the flavors are not incredibly strong in any one direction, they balance each other well for a meal everyone can enjoy. 

This dehydrated meal might be best in winter or while snow camping; at least that’s when I want to eat a stew! Inside you’ll find a vegan and gluten-free meal with 310 calories, 16g of protein, and 60g of carbs. A 15-minute prep time is a tad long compared to some other meals, but it’s still easier to prepare than most meals at home! For more camping essentials, check out our list of the best camping coffee makers!

When it comes to stocking up on camp foods for a big trip or general emergency preparedness, you can’t beat the Mountain House Classic Bucket. This set comes with twelve pouches (24 suggested servings) of five different entrees from Mountain House. All of the included meals, save two, have meat, so this option is not for the vegetarians or vegans reading this guide. 

The included foods are MH classics that are tried and tested. One of our favorite features of this option is the reusable bucket. You can repurpose the bucket for general storage, packing out trash from your trip (Leave No Trace, y’all), or any other use you can think of for a bucket. If you need the best possible storage for your supplies, bring one of these coolers for camping that won’t let you down, for sure.

One of the most cost-effective and most popular backpacking foods is the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with Noodles. While I haven’t personally tried this meal because I don’t eat beef, it made it onto this list on recommendations from trusted friends who have eaten as many camp meals as I have. Additionally, this meal comes from Mountain House, a tried-and-true favorite.

Beef Stroganoff comes laden with 63g of carbs from all that noodley goodness, 24g of protein from all the beef, and a whopping 560 calories, not quite the same as your average dinner but high compared to the other meals on this list. With a nine-minute cook time, you’ll have a delicious meal in no time. Just relax in your camping chair and enjoy.

Many dehydrated breakfasts offer some blend of oatmeal or granola, which is not a winner in my book, but maybe it suits you. In general, I prefer a savory breakfast, and that’s why the Mountain House Breakfast Skillet earns a spot on this list. A skillet without the need for a skillet, you just add hot water and you’ve got a hearty breakfast to fuel your day. It’s the most important meal, right?

This meal is nutritionally dense, boasting 510 calories, a high amount of sodium, 28g of protein, 46g of carbs, and 24g of fat in the pouch if eaten as one serving (which we highly recommend). If you want to prepare more elaborate meals, check out these amazing camping grills everyone is buying right now.

Lastly, but not least, the GOOD-TO-GO Weekender 3-Pack is the perfect solution for those quick overnight or weekend trips. With three varieties to choose from, two vegetarian and one vegan, there’s something to suit your next trip. Each pack comes with two dinner or lunch entrees and granola to start your day off with a proper breakfast.

Each pouch boasts plenty of protein and carbs to fuel your next adventure, no matter where it takes you. One of our favorite features of this product is the lack of excess packaging and minimal weight it adds to your pack. Don’t forget to also check out these cool camping gadgets that will make your outdoor adventure even more awesome.