Juicy, rehydrated meats mix beatifully into a pasta salad at lunch, a quesadilla at dinner, or a rich, meaty soup.  They are lightweight, cheap, and provide that all important protein to rebuild your muscles after a butt-kicking day on the trail.

Dehydrating at Home 

The best meats to dry are ones which are canned in water - chicken, turkey, tuna.  Drain the water from the can and put the meat into your food dehydrator.  It takes about 8-12 hours to dry meats in a traditional food dehydrator.  Refer to the instructions that came with your dehydrator.

Rehydrating on the Trail

Dehydrated meats mix beatifully into a pasta salad at lunch.  Just plan ahead a little and combine all the dehydrated ingredients at breakfast and cover them with water so they have a couple hours to plump back up to thier original juiciness.  Check after an hour and add more water if necessary.

I have a large plastic mug with a twist on lid, to which I add dehyrated pasta, dehydrated meat and dehydrated veggies.  I add enough cold, clean water to cover the dehydrated foods, and as I hike the foods absorb the water.  By lunchtime, I have an awesome lunch full of fresh, wholesome foods.  Top with a packet of salad dressing and spices, and this is a lunch everyone will love.  Lightweight, nutritious and economical.

Emergency Food

I always carry a bag of dehydrated tuna as backup emergency food - it supplies a lot of protein for its weight.  Extra food in your pack is a very good idea - I'm sure anyone who has been out on a long loop hike that took longer than expected will agree with me.

Storage

Store dehyrated meats in an airtight ziploc or container in the refrigerator for two months.  It needs no refrigeration on the trail.