12 Best Freeze-Dried Food Brands

We tested the best freeze dried food brands available today according to price, weight, nutrition, and taste. Read on to see how they performed, which is best for you, and get some valuable buying advice.

Best Freeze Dried Food Brands

The best freeze-dried food brands are:

• Best Overall Freeze-Dried Food: OUTDOOR HERBIVORE
• Best Premium Freeze-Dried Food: NEXT MILE MEALS
• Best Paleo Freeze-Dried Food: WILD ZORA
• Best Available Everywhere Freeze-Dried Food: MOUNTAIN HOUSE
• Best Freeze-Dried Food for DIY Meal Prep: HARMONY HOUSE
• Best Tasting Freeze-Dried Food: PACKIT GOURMET
• Best Budget Survival Freeze Dried Food: WISE FOODS COMPANY

The product comparison table below is sortable. Click the arrow in the heading cell to sort the models by preferred spec.

Best Overall Freeze-Dried Food

Outdoor Herbivore

Price: $8.99-$18.99

See on Amazon See on Walmart

Pros

✅ Affordable

✅ Quality ingredients

✅ Cold soak options

Cons

❌ Nutritional yeast flavor is not for everyone

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 5.4-10.6 oz
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 10 minutes
• Shelf Life: 1-2 years
• Minimally Processed?: Y
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meals: Pacific Crest Vinaigrette, Blackened Quinoa, Switchback Burrito Stuffer

Worst Tasting Meals: Cheesy Sierra Couscous, Pack-it Primavera, Lickety-Split Lentils

We love Outdoor Herbivore for its range of healthy hot and cold soak meals. Outdoor Herbivore focuses on making meals using food sourced locally and sustainably. They are 100% vegetarian and have many vegan options as well.

The freeze-dried vegetables are over 85 percent organic and all non-GMO. A great feature is they are free of flavor enhancers, fillers, processed foods, and artificial ingredients. They also add less salt than other freeze-dried food companies. As a bonus, Outdoor Herbivore has a special line of meals designed to be no-cook/cold soak.

We found these meals to be flavorful; however, some vegan ingredients, like nutritional yeast, may be off-putting for some eaters. We like that Outdoor Herbivore also sells additional bulk and DIY ingredients. The low price point and quality ingredients make Outdoor Herbivore our top pick for the best freeze-dried meals.

Best Freeze-Dried Food For DIY Meal Prep

Harmony House

Price: $9.95-$699.95

See on Amazon

Pros

✅ Affordable

✅ Clean ingredients

✅ Short cooking time

Cons

❌ No pre-made meals

❌ No carbs or protein

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 1.5-30 lbs
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: Instant
• Shelf Life: 1-2 years
• Minimally Processed?: Y
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: N
• Added Salt?: N

Best Tasting Meals: N/A

Worst Tasting Meals: N/A

Harmony House is for the DIY camp cook who wants full control of their recipes in the backcountry. Their products are mostly individual ingredients like fruits, vegetables, beans, and TVP (textured vegetable protein). There are no pre-made entrees, but they offer a selection of soup mixes. We love that all the ingredients are vegetarian and gluten-free.

We found some of the freeze-dried vegetables can be eaten right out of the package while others require simmering time. They don’t offer carbohydrates or meat, so you’ll need to source those elsewhere. If you’re willing to do the assembly work yourself, we like that buying in bulk can save money.

Best Premium Freeze Dried Food

Next Mile Meals

Price: $12.55-$95.70

See on Amazon

Pros

✅ Clean ingredients

✅ Short cooking time

✅ Lightweight

Cons

❌ Expensive

❌ Small range of meals

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 3-4 oz
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 7-10 minutes
• Shelf Life: 1 year
• Minimally Processed?: Y
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Sausage Scramble, Beef Tacos

Worst Tasting Meal: Buffalo Ranch Chicken

If you’re looking for a premium freeze-dried food company, look no further than Next Mile Meals. These are some of the best freeze-dried meals on our list. They use some of the cleanest ingredients of the brands we tested and specialize in creating keto-friendly fare. The meals are designed to be low in carbohydrates, high in protein, and provide healthy sources of fat.

We like that the extra fat makes these meals calorically dense than other brands that rely on carbs. They also cook up fast and are one of the lightest brands on our list. We found that the focus on quality ingredients and the large single-serve pouches are, on average, the most expensive freeze-dried food company we tested. Like other brands that focus on minimizing artificial preservatives, the shelf life is shorter.

Best Paleo Freeze Dried Food

Wild Zora Paleo Meals To Go

Price: $2.15-$939.60

See on Amazon

Pros

✅ Clean ingredients

✅ Lightweight

✅ Paleo-friendly

Cons

❌ Low on carbs

❌ Higher cost per calorie

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 1 oz-1.5 lbs
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 5-15 minutes
• Shelf Life: 1-2 years
• Minimally Processed?: Y
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Chicken Caldera Curry, Vermicelli Chicken Noodle Soup, Mountain Beef Stew

Worst Tasting Meal: Savory Chicken and Beef Chili

If you’re looking to get lots of healthy nutrition along with your calories, Wild Zora is one of our top options. Wild Zora Paleo Meals to Go stand out as one of the few entirely paleo options on the market. All meals are gluten, soy, dairy, and grain free. We like that these meals are high in protein and use wholesome ingredients like grass-fed beef, free-range poultry, and fresh vegetables.

These meals are lightweight too. On average, the lightest we tested. However, they do pack fewer calories per serving than others. This makes them more expensive than other freeze-dried food companies we tested. The lack of preservatives means they are only shelf-stable for two years.

Best Available Everywhere Freeze Dried Food

Mountain House

Price: $39.50-$9,299

See on Moosejaw See on REI

Pros

✅ Lightweight

✅ Good taste

✅ Cooks fast

Cons

❌ Lots of preservatives and processed ingredients

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 3 oz-3.9 lbs
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 5-10 minutes
• Shelf Life: 30 years
• Minimally Processed?: Y
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Breakfast Skillet, Beef Stroganoff

Worst Tasting Meal: Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Chicken Fried Rice

Mountain House is one of the most visible brands of freeze-dried meals, available in many stores and online. Because of this, many hikers have a fondness for the comfort food classics like the Breakfast Skillet and Beef Stroganoff. We scored Mountain House high on taste, not because their meals particularly stand out, but because they are consistently solid.

If you’re in a pinch, Mountain House meals are a good option, no matter the flavor. They do lean pretty heavily into the preservatives and processed ingredients. We wouldn’t want to hike exclusively on these meals. Listed as two serves, one pouch contains enough calories for one hiker.

Best Tasting Freeze-Dried Food

PackIt Gourmet

Price: $5.99-$225.99

See on Garage Grown Gear

Pros

✅ Great taste and texture

✅ Lightweight

Cons

❌ Longer cook time

❌ More expensive than average

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 3.6-5.6 oz
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 15 minutes
• Shelf Life: 1.5 years
• Minimally Processed?: N
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Texas State Fair Chili, Big'un Burrito with Fajita Chicken

Worst Tasting Meal: Ramen Rescue with Chicken

Packit Gourmet makes a wide range of great-tasting meals. One of our favorites is the Texas State Fair Chili, which is great on a cool fall night around the campfire. Packit Gourmet sets itself apart by packaging condiments, toppings, and seasonings separate from the main meal. We like that this provides more variety of texture, flavor, and crunch than other all-in-one meal brands.

Overall, we found these meals lightweight, especially since many of them pack a lot of calories. The cook time is longer than other brands we tested, but they have a “cool water” line of stoveless meals that don’t require cooking. We also like that they have a range of dips, snacks, and even cocktail mixes. Most of their meals have freeze-dried meat, but there are some vegetarian options too.

Best Budget Survival Freeze-Dried Food

Wise Foods Company

Price: $49.99-$9,449.99

See on Wise Foods

Pros

✅ Affordable

✅ Long shelf life

Cons

❌ Loads of preservatives

❌ Bland taste

❌ Heavy

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 6.59 oz-500 lbs
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
• Shelf Life: 25 years
• Minimally Processed?: N
• Artificial Sweeteners?: Y
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Randy Couture 60-Serving Survival Food Kit

Worst Tasting Meal: Freeze-dried meat bucket

If you’re looking to load up for the long haul - say, the next 25 years - look to Wise Food. Wise Food has made its name in the emergency preparedness market with its large buckets of long-life food and the longest shelf life of any freeze-dried food we rtested. We like that they offer gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian lines of meals too.

On average, these are the most affordable meals on our list, especially if you buy in bulk. However, to achieve a long shelf life, they contain more artificial ingredients and preservatives, giving them one of the least clean ingredient lists of any of the brands we tested. We also found the flavor to be underwhelming. They come in giant buckets, so you’ll have to repackage them for the trail.

The Other Noteworthy Models

Trailtopia Adventure Food

Price: $3.50-$136.72

See on Moosejaw See on Garage Grown Gear

Pros

✅ Short packages are easy to eat from

✅ Good all-around meals

Cons

❌ Bland flavor and texture

❌ Small servings

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 2-8 oz
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 5-15 minutes
• Shelf Life: 5 years
• Minimally Processed?: Y
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Pesto Chicken Pasta, Banana Oatmeal, Cheesecake Dessert

Worst Tasting Meal: Ginger Chicken Stir Fry, Curry Ramen Noodles, Jambalaya Dinner

Trailtopia focuses on all-natural foods with little to no chemicals or preservatives. We found these meals have a nice balance of carbs and proteins. A cool feature for us is the short, wide packaging making it easier to eat with a standard-sized spork than other brands on our list.

We like that Trailtopia offers sample packs for a variety of meals before buying in bulk. We didn’t like the smaller size of the meals, and we recommend two servings of most meals to get a full calorie load. The most disappointing to us was the bland flavors and textures of these meals.

Peak Refuel

Price: $6.99-$366.99

See on Moosejaw See on REI

Pros

✅ Good ingredient list

✅ Tons of protein

✅ Quick rehydration

Cons

❌ Expensive

❌ Heavy

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 4 oz-4.12 lbs
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 10 minutes
• Shelf Life: 5 years
• Minimally Processed?: Y
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Pesto Pasta

Worst Tasting Meal: Breakfast Skillet, Beef Stroganoff

If you’re a thru-hiker needing to replenish after huge miles or looking for a protein bomb to split with your hiking buddy, Peak Refuel meals are one of our top cost-per-calorie options. We love that these freeze-dried meat meals have a quick rehydration time and a high caloric density.

The weight per pouch is higher, but they are double size, bigger than other brands. We found the taste to be ok, but the carb-heavy meals lack the creativity of other companies on our list. We like that the ingredient list contains mostly clean foods, making these a good pick if you value nutrition.

Omeals

Price:$8.99-$114.99

See on SHOP See on SHOP

Pros

✅ Fast cook time

✅ Self-heating

Cons

❌ Heavy

❌ Low in calories

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 4-8 oz
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 3-5 minutes
• Shelf Life: 3 years
• Minimally Processed?: N
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Southwest Style Chicken, Cheese Tortellini

Worst Tasting Meal: Cheese Pizza

Omeals offer precooked, self-heating meals that can be eaten hot or cold. Yes, you read that right. By sealing the food pouch, a heating element (think disposable hand warmer) and any liquid inside of the larger main pouch is heated. This means that no rehydration time is needed making them one of the fastest-cooking meals on our list.

Because they are not dehydrated, they can give a more home-cooked taste. However, this means they contain water weight and a very low calorie per ounce ratio. While watching the self-heating bags work is a fun curiosity, these meals are way too heavy for us to recommend to most backpackers.

The Other Noteworthy Models

AlpineAire

Price: $6.95-$14.95

See on REI See on Backcountry

Pros

✅ Wide range of meals

✅ Widely available

Cons

❌ Bland taste

❌ Longer cooking time

❌ Not clean ingredient list

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 4-6.5 oz
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes
• Shelf Life: 5 years
• Minimally Processed?: N
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Wild Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo, Strawberry Granola with Milk, Grilled Chicken Jambalaya

Worst Tasting Meal: Grilled Chicken Pad Thai, Hearty Beef Stew, Sweet and Sour Grilled Chicken

AlpineAire is a mainstay in the freeze-dried backpacking food business with over forty years of experience. If you need a meal in a pinch, we like that these meals can be found most anywhere. We also like that there is a wide range of options. However, we found the taste is rather bland due to the lack of salt.

They also contain preservatives and artificial ingredients, which is less desirable for us. The freeze-dried meat meals are labeled as two servings. But, realistically, if you’re hiking big miles or thru-hiking, we recommend a full pouch per person. The handy ruler on the side of the bag makes measuring the amount of water you need easy.

Backpacker's Pantry

Price: $4.99-$99.99

See on Moosejaw See on REI

Pros

✅ Found everywhere

✅ A wide range of flavors

Cons

❌ Expensive

❌ Long cook time

❌ Less desirable ingredient list

KEY SPECS

• Weight Range: 2.1-6.2 oz
• Rehydration/Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
• Shelf Life: 3 years
• Minimally Processed?: N
• Artificial Sweeteners?: N
• Preservatives?: Y
• Added Salt?: Y

Best Tasting Meal: Pad Thai with Chicken, Hot Blueberry, Walnut Oats & Quinoa Cereal, Cuban Coconut Rice & Black Beans

Worst Tasting Meal: Green Curry, Mango Sticky Rice, Chana Masala

If you’ve done any backpacking, you’ve probably come across Backpacker’s Pantry. This freeze-dried food company is found from REI to Walmart and everywhere in between. We like the diverse range of flavors and meal options. We found the taste to be average, but we especially enjoyed the Pad Thai with Chicken. If you have dietary requirements, we like that they include many vegetarian and gluten-free options.

We found the cooking time to be one of the longest of the freeze-dried food companies we tested. And the ingredients aren’t great. Backpacker’s Pantry uses preservatives and high-processed ingredients. Our reviewers found the pouch size suitable for one hungry hiker.

Key Factors To Consider When Choosing

Price

Freeze-drying is an energy-intensive method of preserving food, so freeze-dried backpacking food tends to be expensive. As a result, most single-serving packs are pricey, costing between $7 and $15 per pouch. Fantastic for section or weekend hikers but cost-prohibitive for thru-hikers. Backpackers can save some cash by purchasing freeze-dried food in bulk and creating their own DIY freezer bag meals. Meals with higher quality, clean ingredients tend to be the most costly.

Freeze-dried food brands that provide the greatest value:

• Outdoor Herbivore
• Harmony House
• Wild Zora
• Mountain House

Most affordable freeze-dried food brands:

• Wise Foods Company
• Outdoor Herbivore
• Harmony House

Premium freeze-dried food brands (most expensive):

• Next Mile Meals
• Omeals
• Peak Refuel

Weight

Freeze-dried food is very light thanks to all the water being sucked out in the freeze-drying process. Single-serve sizes will be the lightest in weight. Heavier often means more calories, which is a good thing if you’re thru-hiking and need to pack a lot of energy. Look to get the most calories per ounce possible to be efficient with weight.

The lightest freeze-dried food brands:

• Wild Zora
• Next Mile Meals
• Mountain House
• Packit Gourmet

Nutrition and Ingredients

Look for dehydrated foods with a short list of ingredients and names that you can recognize. Salt is a natural preservative. Unless you plan on keeping dehydrated food for years, removing the water and adding salt should be sufficient to preserve the ingredients. We recommend avoiding the following additives:

• Sulfur Dioxide: Used in dried fruits and vegetables to make them last longer and preserve their color. It has been found to induce asthma in people and cause cancer in mice.
• Sodium Nitrite and Nitrate: Used to preserve processed meats. When cooked with amino acids, nitrites and nitrates convert to nitrosamines, which are considered strong carcinogens.
• Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA): Used to prevent fats in foods from going rancid, this chemical is thought to be a carcinogen, though it is approved by the FDA.

Most freeze-dried backpacking food contains 300-800 calories and weighs around 3-7 ounces (100-150 calories per ounce), making it relatively calorie-dense. For nutrition, we recommend at least 100 calories per ounce and 600 calories per meal. We also recommend a good balance of macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, and fats. To learn more, read our article How Many Calories Do I Burn Backpacking?

The best freeze-dried food brands for minimally processed ingredients:

• Harmony House
• Next Mile Meals
• Wild Zora
• Outdoor Herbivore

Rehydrating / Cooking Time

Fuel, water, and time are limited resources on the trail, so choose food that is efficient to cook and doesn't require much of either. Since freeze-dried food is already cooked, all you are doing is soaking it until it's ready. Add boiling water and wait anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes until it is rehydrated. Some meals can be cold-soaked if you’re traveling without a stove.

Freeze-dried food brands that rehydrate the fastest:

• Harmony House
• Omeals
• Mountain House

Other Things to Consider

Shelf Life

Natural meals tend to have a shorter shelf life—roughly four to six years. In comparison, artificially supplemented freeze-dried meals have a shelf life of up to 30 years. For backpacking, a one-year shelf life is largely sufficient.

Taste

Freeze-dried backpacking food may come with fancy names like Mango Sticky Rice, but don't expect these meals to taste like home-cooked fare. Taste and texture are largely a matter of personal preference, and you’ll have to try them yourself to discover which flavors and brands you enjoy. It's best to try them in the field because after hiking all day, you will be very forgiving on taste and happy to have a hot and filling meal. We recommend bringing some packets of olive oil, hot sauce, dried cheese, salt, and pepper to add some extra flavor if needed.

Freeze-dried meals side by side.

How to Eat and Prepare

Freeze-dried food is super easy to prepare. The key to freeze-dried backpacking food is rehydration. You need to moisten the food adequately, or it will have a styrofoam texture. The most popular and practical method is to rehydrate the meal directly in its pouch.

1. Boil water. One cup is usually enough. Check the packaging for exact measurements. Note some meals don't require cooking and can be prepared with cold water.
2. Add water to the meal pouch, stir using a spoon or spork, and seal. Don't forget to take out the oxygen absorber packet before you add your water.
3. Wait for 10-20 minutes or so. The exact time will be indicated on the pouch. To keep the food warm while it soaks, you can use a cozy to help hold in the heat.
4. Eat straight from the pouch. When you are done eating, just wipe off your utensils, dry your pot, and throw away or pack out the empty meal pouch.

Note: If you prefer not to eat your freeze-dried backpacking food from a pouch, you can boil the water and add the food to a pot.

👍 Using a pot allows you to add some extra heat to help rehydrate your food without it getting cold. It also provides a vessel that is easy for eating and sharing your food.

👎 The biggest drawback to using a pot is the cleaning. You can't throw away your pot and toss it dirty into your pack. Make sure to follow LNT principles when cleaning up so you don't contaminate the environment or leave food behind to attract wildlife.

How Is Freeze-Dried Food Made?

STEP 1: FREEZING

In this first step, the raw food and ingredients are cooked and tossed into the freezer until frozen solid. Bringing the food to a low temperature ensures the water in the food will be removed via "sublimation" and not melt in the second stage of the freeze-drying process.

STEP 2: DRYING (ROUND A)

In this second step, the food enters a primary drying stage which removes the frozen water crystals from the food. The food is heated slightly and put in a vacuum to speed up this sublimation process (converts the ice into gaseous water vapor to preserve food texture). This stage can be slow, but it does remove up to 95 percent of the water and is faster than dehydrating, another standard method to dry and preserve food.

STEP 3: DRYING (ROUND B)

Lastly, the food undergoes a subsequent drying step which raises the heat even further to remove the residual water. At the end of these three steps, the food has only 1 to 4 percent of water left. Now that is dry!

Wild Zora Paleo Meals to Go.

MORE PRESERVATION METHODS:

Freeze-drying is not the only method of preserving food for backpacking.

• Dehydration: Some commercial and homemade meals use dehydration to remove water and increase the shelf life of the food. Dehydration skips the freezing cycle and instead uses low heat and extended drying time to remove water without radically changing the composition of the food. Nutrient loss is possible during dehydration, especially vitamins A and C, which are destroyed by prolonged exposure to the heat and circulating air of a dehydrator.
• Pre-Cooking: Some people also pre-cook their food, so it won't spoil right away and is ready to eat on the trail. Pre-cooking may be the most straightforward and fastest method to use, but it only preserves your food for a short time. Another way to preserve food is canning, but packing a bunch of canned foods for an overnight trip is far too heavy to be practical.

Comparison: Freeze-Dried vs. Dehydrated

Though not freeze-dried, dehydrated meals are worth a mention for their high-quality food and popularity among backpackers. You can prepare these meals just as you would with the freeze-dried backpacking food. Simply add hot water, soak, and eat.

Here are some of the reasons dehydrated meals aren't quite as in demand as their freeze-dried counterpart, though:

TASTE: NOT AS TASTY

Dehydrated foods are essentially slow-cooked until they have dried. This cooking process causes the ingredients to lose some of their flavor.

TEXTURE: MORE CHEWY

Even after rehydrating, freeze-dried meals usually have a better texture, as cooking a dehydrated meal will not always make the ingredients less chewy.

Freeze-dried meals typically have a better texture even after rehydrating.

NUTRIENTS: LOST VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Since freeze-drying doesn’t use heat, it preserves the nutrient content of food. Again, dehydrated foods are cooked for a long time to dehydrate. This process causes the vitamins and minerals to break down.

COOKING: REQUIRES MORE WATER TO REHYDRATE (& MORE TIME)

Freeze-dried meals have more water taken out of them than dehydrated meals do. This means they will rehydrate faster. If you have a meal that requires less water to rehydrate, that means less fuel is used to boil that water. It also means less wait time until you can eat. And, if you’re on a trail where water is scarce, you won’t have to worry about saving water to rehydrate your meal.

SHELF LIFE: UP TO ONE YEAR

Dehydrated food typically has a shelf life of up to one year, while freeze-dried meals remain good for 4 to 30 years, depending on the ingredients and preservatives used.

Pouring hot water inside a freeze-dried food pouch.

History of Shelf Stable Meals

Freeze-dried food has been used for centuries, and only in the past 100 years was it industrialized for commercial use.

• 1400s: It was first used in the late 15th century by the Incas, who stored their crops in the high altitudes of the Andes mountains. The cold temperatures on the mountain tops would freeze the food, while the exposure to the wind, sun, and altitude would remove the water.
• Later: The Northern American Inuits and the Northern European Sami people used similar techniques to preserve fish and other food for their nomadic lifestyles.
• 1940s: Industrially, freeze-drying took hold during World War II when it was used to transport life-saving blood to troops on the frontlines.
• 1950s and 1960s: freeze drying became a favorite way to preserve food for the space race, with NASA and Whirlpool famously developing freeze-dried ice cream for its Apollo missions. The ice cream never made its way into space, but that's not the end of the story.
• 2000s Onward: Now, freeze-dried backpacking food has exploded. It is used not only by astronauts but also by the military, hikers, and survivalists.