Finally figured out why my backpacking meals always tasted like cardboard

I used to just boil water and dump it in the bag, but after a trip to Moab last fall I realized letting it sit for 10 minutes actually rehydrates everything right. Anyone else skip the wait time and regret it?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannaho5222d ago

Oh wow, it's really not that deep. I mean yeah if you dump boiling water and immediately eat it you're gonna get crunchy bits, but is it really the difference between cardboard and a gourmet meal? I've been rushing it for years and I'm still alive, my taste buds work fine. The real crime is those freeze dried meals that taste like salt and regret no matter how long you let them sit. Honestly the 10 minute wait is more about not burning your tongue than some magical rehydration transformation.

nancy_davis22d ago

God, the salt thing is so real though! It's like they dumped an entire ocean's worth of sodium in there and called it "flavoring." I honestly think the 10 minute wait is more crucial for texture than anything else, soggy crunchy bits are way worse than just bland mush.