Dehydrating Your Own
Backpacking Meals

January 22, 2023

Commercially prepared dehydrated backpacking meals have come a long way.  There's no deficit of options for every taste and dietary preference, and the flavor can be off-the-charts delicious!  But these ready-made meals are also off-the-charts expensive compared to making your own meals at home.  Even better news is that it's super easy and fun!  It also opens the doors to endless options of healthy meals and flavor combinations you can safely store for years.  If you're interested in learning more about dehydrating food, this workshop will help you get started!

Nancy will also bring samples of her favorite dehydrated food to share with workshop participants. Best practices with food safety and hygiene will be followed.

Workshop lasts approximately 2 hours.
 

"Very informative, well worth the time!" - G.A., Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Workshop, February 2021
 

Cost:

$70 per person
Scholarships and Sliding Scale Fees are available for this trip.  Please reach out to us at trips@blueridgehikingco.com for more information.

This workshop will run if there are a minimum of 2 participants signed up.  If the minimum has not yet been met, we'll contact participants one week before the workshop to discuss options.  The maximum group size is 7 participants.

Sign-Up Details:

In order to sign up for this trip, please go to our trip calendar and select the workshop date (January 22, 2023).  You will find the workshop listed there. 
 

Itinerary:

The location and start time for this workshop are TBD.  This workshop will take place in-person in Asheville, NC.  We're currently working on securing a location that is suitable for this workshop.  We'll finalize a time once we finalize a venue; this workshop will take place in the afternoon.

Topics to be covered include:

• How to choose the best dehydrator for your needs
• Which foods you should and shouldn't dehydrate (spoiler alert: more foods than you realize can be dehydrated, even nutritious salads and smoothies!)
• Tips and tricks for dehydrating individual foods vs a recipe with multiple ingredients
• How to safely store and package dehydrated food
• Resources and recipes to help you get started.

Instructor:

Your instructor for this trip will be Nancy East.  Nancy retired from a career as a vet in 2020 to pursue opportunities that took her outdoors more. She is passionate about sharing the natural world and teaching hikers how to stay "safe and found". She is a Southern Appalachian Naturalist and is on Haywood County's Search and Rescue Team. Nancy has hiked all 800 miles of trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park four times, and co-holds the speed record for the Smokies 900 Miler Challenge. She shares stories and educational content on her blog, Hope and Feather Travels.
 

What we Provide:

BRHC will provide all instruction for this workshop.  You'll be sampling some of Nancy's favorite backpacking recipes, so if you have dietary restrictions, please let us know in advance.
 

What to Bring:

We recommend participants come prepared with questions and a notebook.
 

COVID Safety Information:

The health and safety of our guests and guides is our highest priority!  We follow all local, state, and federal COVID safety guidelines.  As those guidelines change, our requirements may change as well.  Currently, we ask that all attendees to in-person workshops or group events provide proof of COVID vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours of the start of the workshop.  At-home rapid tests are accepted.
 

Cancellation Policy:

Payment in full is required to register.  Workshop cost includes a 15% non-refundable administrative fee.  Reservation may be cancelled up to 1 week before the trip for a refund (minus the 15% fee).  Within 1 week, a 50% refund will be offered.  Within 48 hours, a refund will only be offered if Blue Ridge Hiking Company cancels the workshop due to severe weather.

If your instructor does an exceptional job, please show your appreciation with a tip.  Our team of highly trained professional guides never expects but always appreciates a tip.  Industry standard gratuity for a guided backpacking trip is 15-20% of trip price.

If you have any questions regarding this trip, you can reach us by phone at 828-713-5451 or by email at trips@blueridgehikingco.com.