Late to the party, but I do a lot of backpacking and thought I would chime in. Dehydrating is absolutely the least expensive way to go. You can get a decent dehydrator on Amazon for about $50. Chili dehydrates great. One of the things I do is to cook up some ground chicken with diced onion and season it with sage, thyme, and rosemary, then dehydrate it. Package it up with either Stove-Top stuffing or instant mashed potatoes (or both!), some cranberries, and a little gravy powder. Thanksgiving on the trail! Refried beans also dehydrate well.
My only "problem" with making your own is I sometimes feel they are low in calories. I usually bring my own stuff for lunch and a commercial meal for dinner. My favorite is Peak Refuel. Packit Gourmet and Heather's Choice are also good.
My only "problem" with making your own is I sometimes feel they are low in calories. I usually bring my own stuff for lunch and a commercial meal for dinner. My favorite is Peak Refuel. Packit Gourmet and Heather's Choice are also good.