Pro Tips and “bring alongs” for taking your dehydrated backpacking food to the next level!

AtBriarPatch, we carry a line of vegan backpacking and camping food from Sacramentobased company, Outdoor Herbivore.

you’ll be adding fresh shreds of hydration and flavor to your re-hydrated fare.

• Walnut halves

• Roasted/salted/shelled pistachios

• Pumpkin Seeds

• Flour tortillas (to wrap salads or spread with nut butters or re-hydrated bean dips)

• Avocado (precious cargo, pack carefully)

• Onion or garlic granules

• Nutritional Yeast

• Gomasio

• Liquid Aminos

• Carrots

• Beets

• Jicama (small size)

• Apples (hardy variety such as Fuji, Braeburn, Granny Smith)

• Fennel

These easy, yummy and packable lightweight meals for trailside cuisine will satisfy your taste buds and fuel your activities, without the need for bulky and heavy ice chests to keep food fresh. Enjoy everything from cold-soak-andeat salads to fruity desserts. Some of these meals don’t even require a stove to heat water.

Want to take the flavor and freshness of your off-grid meals to another level? Take a few “bring along” ingredients that are suitable for making the journey with you.

For day hiking and picnicking, we love the selection of tinned fish from Patagonia Provisions. Other fun gourmet extras are hard cheeses, salami, smoked salmon and little packets of kalamata olives.

If you are out on the trail or an extended raft or road trip, check out the following list of plant-based additions that will last several days. With some simple preparation like peeling or grating, soon

• Celery

• Sugar snap or snow peas

• Summer squash (add to pasta or grain dishes)

• Lime and jalapeño (can really liven up a dehydrated meal — from Miso Soup to Black Beans and Rice)

• Sprouts (for longer trips, consider bringing along a sprouting bag and grow your own fresh veggies on the trail!)

• Corn chips, fresh corn kernels & favorite hot sauce (will take your camp chili from bleh to yum!)

Remember! Always consider the weight of items when prepping for a backpacking trip. And please be mindful when in bear country and avoid foods with a strong odor. Do a little research before heading out and follow the outdoor ethics of the wild lands you’ll be visiting - like investing in a bear-proof cannister or leaving your stove at home during wildfire season.