Food Wars: Who Makes the Best Dehydrated Beef Stew for Backpacking Trips?

On our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, we decided to compare the various brands of dehydrated meals marketed to backpackers. We hoped to determine which companies produced the best-tasting meals and whether some of the more expensive offerings were worth the additional cost. We're passing our findings along to you, in hopes that they will improve your future backpacking experiences! We did not receive anything of value from any of the companies involved in the tests, so you can trust our observations to be objective.

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How were the tests conducted?

We conducted our taste tests in the field. We made our best efforts to adhere to the manufacturer's instructions when preparing meals (i.e. we didn't adjust the amount of water specified by the manufacturer nor the amount of time suggested for rehydration). In the few instances where we did deviate from the instructions, we will disclose the circumstances. We both tried each product, made notes about our observations on flavor and texture, and rated each on a scale of 1 mylar pouch (worst) to 5 mylar pouches (best).

Image from: Firepotfood.com
 

Who makes the best dehydrated beef stew for backpacking?

While individual preferences may vary, our favorite beef stew option for backpacking was Firepot Beef Stew with Pearl Barley.

Which options did we test?

We tested three offerings: Firepot Beef Stew with Pearl Barley, Mountain House Beef Stew, and AlpineAire Hearty Beef Stew.

Why did we choose Firepot Beef Stew with Pearl Onions as our winner?

Firepot is a European company focused on quality ingredients and nutritional value. The Firepot Beef Stew with Pearl Onions comes in two sizes. The "regular" size comes in at 110 grams, 525 calories (30.8 grams of protein), and requires 280mL of water to rehyrdate. The "extra large" weighs in at 165 grams, provides 780 calories (46.2 grams of protein), and requires 420 mL of water for rehydration. The "regular size" costs approximately $10 (prices on the manufacturer's website are reflected in British Pounds), while the "extra large" size comes in around $12.50.

In addition to the flexibility afforded by the different sizing options, we simply enjoyed this option the most. The flavor profile was the most unique and distinct, and the stew included large chunks of vegetable that weren't simply mush. 

This option did, however, take a little longer to prepare. Fifteen minutes can be a long time to wait after a long day of backpacking. Additionally, we did note that the consistency of this stew was more what we would expect from a hash than what we would expect from a stew, and there was a lack of a noticeable sauce, or gravy. Next time, we would perhaps try adding a bit more than the specified amount of water, but the overall flavor and texture of this product was still our favorite of the three.


Image from: Mountainhouse.com

Is Mountain House Beef Stew a good choice for a backpacking meal?

Mountain House, a subsidiary of OFD Foods, is perhaps the best-known player in the dehydrated meals market. Mountain House Beef Stew comes in a "2 serving" pouch, weighing 3.3 oz (92 grams). A pouch contains 400 calories (20 grams of protein). The cost of a pouch, through the manufacturer's website, is $9.99. You can also obtain them here. Preparation time is approximately 9 minutes, and preparation requires 1 and 3/4 cups (414 mL) of water.

While the Mountain House option can be rehydrated more quickly and weighs slightly less than the "regular size" Firepot option, the Firepot option packs more calories and protein and requires less water to rehydrate. The Mountain House offering rehydrated consistently and was closer to the consistency of what we expected from a stew, though the vegetables were a bit mushy. The flavor is a bit on the salty side, which is perhaps to be expected from a beef stew, but this was a satisfying meal, overall. It just wasn't quite as nuanced or complex as the Firepot stew.

Image from: Katadyngroup.com

Is AlpineAire Hearty Beef Stew a good choice for a backpacking meal?

AlpineAire has been creating meals since 1979 and was integrated into Katadyn Group (yup, like the water filters) in 2012. A "2 serving" pouch weighs 4.64 ounces (132 grams), contains 500 calories (34 grams of protein), and requires 2 cups (about 475 mL) of water and 10-12 minutes to rehydrate. The manufacturer's website did not appear to offer a direct-to-consumer option. Generally, AlpineAire Hearty Beef Stew is available from US retailers for around $9 per pouch.

For those of you counting ounces, the AlpineAire option is heavier than all but the "extra large" Firepot offering. It also requires the most water for reconstitution. While it does provide slightly more calories and protein than the Mountain House option, it also takes slightly longer to prepare.

With all of that said, the AlpineAire variety was our least favorite beef stew. Though this option required the most water, and the pouch offers measuring markers for water volume, we were still not particularly satisfied with the consistency of this meal. It was more like meat and peas in a tomato sauce, than a beef stew, and the overall texture was more reminiscent of a pasta dish. The flavor was acceptable but nothing to write home about.

We hope this first installment of our "Food Wars" series is helpful to you! Please feel free to let us know, in the comments section below, if there is additional information you would like to see included in future reviews!



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