The first thing most hikers do when exiting the wilderness is eat the “real food” they’ve been dreaming of on the trail.

Indeed, one of the toughest things about a multi-day hike for me is getting fresh, juicy, delicious produce into my meals. Said produce has to be tough enough to go in a backpack, not need refrigeration and have a great calorie-to-weight ratio so I can justify the load.

Dehydrated vegetables can be hard to find. Let’s look at the options.

Potato flakes (or instant mash), and dehydrated peas are must-haves for me – both rehydrate easily and taste great.

Dried beans and lentils can take a lot of cooking – which means what you save on food weight, you carry in fuel. I tend to avoid them.

With a bit of hunting, you can find dried onion pieces, and dried garlic flakes. (The garlic isn’t vital for me because fresh garlic is light and travels well.)

Carrots and sweet potatoes dehydrate pretty well, though I’ve rarely come across them for sale.

Tomatoes are delicious and easy to dehydrate in a low fan oven. Sun-dried tomatoes are easy to find (although the oiliness can be messy if you’re not careful). I’ve also found completely dried tomato pieces in an Indian grocery. These don’t rehydrate perfectly like fresh, but can be a good minor ingredient in a meal. Concentrated tomato paste is also a form of dehydrated tomato.

My most recent experiment in dehydrating is broccoli. I’m keen to try my dehydrated tiny florets in broccoli cheese pasta, broccoli frittata (made with my dehydrated eggs) and cream of broccoli soup. I’d love to hear other ideas too!

What else have you seen or tried dehydrated? Answer in the comments and see your suggestion featured on bestcampingmeals.com.