Bushwalk Australia

I just cut the top inch of superfluous packaging off the top of 10 Backcountry Cuisines and it weighed 20 grams

some people put a pinhole in freeze dried food packages to get rid of excess air and save wasted space...
then just tape over the pinhole... ideally you'd only do it when you're about to embark on a trip to minimise the chance of food spoilage

While you're at it, cut the top and bottom corners into a curve. I've found those corners are rather sharp and can penetrate the bottom of the pack and I guess anything else they are packed near (sleeping mat, oh no!)

Smash and powderise all your dehydrated food before packing. You only need the nutrition and calories, not the shape nor appearance. Taste will still be there. Learn from the space program.

GPSGuided wrote:Smash and powderise all your dehydrated food before packing. You only need the nutrition and calories, not the shape nor appearance. Taste will still be there. Learn from the space program.

if it's good enough for infants to eat like that, it's good enough for you...

Someone just need to work more on quality wine and beer powders...

I remember a wise experienced DOC hut warden in NZ passing on the tip of repackaging your food. He was more pointing towards less waste packaging when out in the bush though.
You can save weight and volume by doing so. If you just take one original backcountry meal bag for the actual rehydration side of the deal, then repackage the others in smaller ziploc's it can cut some good weight and bulk. I know you can use your mug/pot to rehydrate things but I'm normally boiling water for a warm drink while my food returns to life in the bag.
Just means you have to wash the original bag up each night.
Now repackaging things like muesli bars etc into one ziploc might not save much weight but it will save you having an empty wrapper for each one you consume.
Again it's only a little thing but it eliminates that sticky, smelly used food / garbage bag compressed ziploc thing that's half alive we all have at the end of each trip.

GPSGuided wrote:Someone just need to work more on quality wine and beer powders...

theres new alcoholic, shot size sachets being sold for kids, marketed to smuggle into venues where its not permitted to BYO.

Just before I go on a walk I put my Backcountries into zip lock bags. Then when rehydrating I just put the zip lock in my bowl and pour the water into the zip lock. Saves alot of space - before and after eating.

Roger

Eat it and you start saving weight.