Backpackers Pantry Freeze Dried Food Review:
What's New For Hungry Hikers

By Diane Spicer

This Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food review from Hiking For Her is going to highlight some new meals to consider for your backpacking and car camping plans.

No details are spared, not a morsel of food left untasted, that's the thorough and complete HFH approach to reviews.

Disclosures in this Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food review

Hiking For Her is not a newbie to Backpackers Pantry meals. I already have some favorites, and was delighted to see some new entrees in their lineup. That's why I agreed to write this unpaid review.

Hiking For Her received this food in order to give it a seasoned hiker's sniff and taste test. There is no financial relationship between the company and HFH.

If you purchase these freeze dried backpacking meals through the Amazon links provided in this review, you are not charged extra but a small commission flows to HFH.

It's a nice way (and the only option) to support the mission of this website: to provide thoughtful and well tested information from an expert hiker.

If you would prefer to purchase directly from the company, the Backpacker's Pantry home page will get you started.

What's covered in this Backpackers Pantry
freeze dried food review?

While BP has been in business almost 70 years, the entrees tested in this review are new in 2025.

They also happen to be gluten free, because I need to avoid gluten.

They include 2 entrees and 2 desserts:

• White Bean, Chicken, and Green Chile Stew
• Fiesta Beef and Vegetable Bowl
• Mango Sticky Rice
• Creme Brulee

How the meals in this Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food
review were tested

I have two hard and fast rules as a hiker:

1. Never get on the trail without the Ten Essentials.

2. Never bring food on a backpacking trip without tasting it at home first.

Rule #2 explains why I prepared and consumed these meals in my own kitchen in order to write this Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food review.

Backpacking is hungry work, every morsel of food counts. Be sure you're carrying food that you will want to eat, as well as food that will provide all the nutrition your body requires on a backpacking trip.

Now let's get to the meat of this review.

First up in this Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food review:
Fiesta Beef and Vegetable Bowl

Here's where I give you my impressions of this backpacking food. Please realize that my taste buds may differ wildly from yours, so a pinch of salt is required here.

First thing to note is the word "Bowl" in the name.

That is a clue this will be a meal you'll want to use your long handled spork (here's the one I use) to consume, as it will lean toward a watery consistency.

You control how much water to use to prepare the meal, but the suggestion on the packet is going to give you the best results in terms of texture. 

Another little disclosure: Ever the pessimist, I always add a quarter cup extra water if it's available, regardless of the type of freeze dried food.

Sometimes that means I'm sipping the meal from the packet, other times I'm glad because the consistency is right where I want it.

• With this meal, the extra amount of water gave me great results. 

Something to note: You can never consume too much water as a backpacker, so choose your preferred consistency and go for it.

How did the Fiesta bowl taste?

The spices in this Bowl were just right, not dominated by one particular spice (strong cumin overtones come to mind in these types of meals).

The meat plumped up well, and was easy to chew and flavorful. It paired well with the white rice without soaking up the spices.

Not overly salty, no strange chemical after tastes...

I give this meal an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

I'd eat this meal at home any time, and may have to huddled over my backpacking stove during electricity outages in winter storms: Fiesta Beef And Vegetable Bowl.

White Bean, Chicken and Green Chile Stew

Again, the name foreshadows the consistency you should expect with this meal.

In contrast to the Fiesta Bowl, this meal was bean dominant (again, the name tells all) and thicker on the spork.

That's not a bad thing, and in fact it increased the protein value (see table below).

Was the stew tasty?

Yes, quite tasty.

There is much to be said about a piping hot stew filled with beans after a long day, right?

Those beans hydrated nicely and had a great mouth feel, sort of creamy but textured in a good way.

Two things to note, though:

1. Although cheese was listed as an ingredient, I couldn't really detect it.

2. Ditto for the Hatch green chilis, one of my favorite foods on the planet. I got a hint of them, but just a hint.

Compared to the Fiesta Bowl, this meal rates on the low end of the flavorful scale for me.

If you like mild meals, this is a winner.

If you like to punch up the flavor of an evening dinner with some hot sauce or cayenne, this meal provides a pleasing foundation for a great meal: White Bean, Chicken and Green Chili Stew.

Nutritional comparison of the 2 entrees in this
Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food review

As a hiker, I'm concerned with consuming adequate amounts of protein at my evening meal. 

Protein burns slowly through the hours of the night, keeping away hunger pangs and providing building blocks my body uses to heal and restore itself for the next day of hiking. 

Fat is also important while sleeping, to keep the body warm and contribute to the healing cycle.

Carbohydrates mean a lot more to me in a breakfast meal, trail snack or lunch, so I list those last here.

You can consult the %DV on each food packet with your own required/desired values in mind. 

One more thing to note: I am going with the assumption that I consumed the entire packet of food, which is listed as two servings.

I'm not a big person, but my backpacking appetite is big starting on Day One, so I always eat the WHOLE THING.

Please don't judge serving size until you've survived a few backpacking trips ;)

You can see how reading the labels gives you the power to customize your meals. On a big mileage day, you might want more protein, right?

Now for the desserts in this 
Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food review

Never skip dessert on a backpacking trip.

It's a chance to sneak in more calories, satisfy a sweet tooth, and bring closure to the day. A piping hot mug of tea never hurt, either (see my favorite backpacking teas).

Two desserts were consumed entirely with your well being as a backpacker in mind, so let's get to them right now.

Mango Sticky Rice

One word of advice right away: This dessert relies nearly 100% upon rice, so don't pair it with an entree that also features rice (such as the Fiesta Bowl above).

Unless, of course, you really like rice! (Best backpacking rice choices)

This dessert uses hot water, so you'll have to add that into your "heating water" calculations for fuel, time and water.

Or use cold water and let it sit a good long while so you'll get plump rice.

The taste?

To be honest, kinda meh.

The mangoes were not as dominant as I had hoped.

• On a backpacking trip I would bring along some chopped dried mangoes to enhance the flavor profile. 

The black sesame seeds were a nice visual touch unless you eat the dessert straight out of the pouch, in which case you won't even notice them.

The number of calories, 570, would give you a nice boost at the end of the day, mostly in terms of carbohydrates.

• Mango Sticky Rice for breakfast, anyone? Fast, tasty carbs to fuel the day!

I can see myself using this backpacking food this way:

Dump some cold water into the packet right after breakfast, let it ride in an outer pocket of my backpack until lunch or late afternoon, and enjoy some carb loading with additional mangoes.

Now that would be a yummy, fast lunch: Mango Sticky Rice.

Creme Brulee

Here's a bias I have to disclose: I love creme brulee. I order it every single time I see it on a menu. 

So I had high hopes for this little packet of calories.

It did not disappoint.

Truly, this was a winner in terms of mouth feel, taste and satiety. Loved it!!

And when you see the number of calories, you'll think it's obscene that I ate (almost) the entire packet myself: 620.

But remember, calories are precious when you're way out there!

The best part of this creamy dessert?

The crunchy little sugary bits to pour on top. (You will have to snip open a pretty rugged plastic bag to get at them, be prepared.)

And one more thing to love about this dessert: You only need a cup of cold water, thus saving some fuel for other meals.

I do have to add that the ingredient list is quite long and may have some things that could be objectionable, like yellow dyes.

Have a peek and see what you think: Backpackers Pantry Creme Brulee.

General tips on freeze dried backpacking food

Start with my tips on the difference between freeze dried and dehydrated backpacking food.

The companies that produce these meals want you to avoid any "gotchas" when you're out there in the backcountry, cold and tired and really hungry.

So pay close attention to their directions:

• Remove the little packet (the "oxygen absorber") first. This may take some fishing around with your spork, but don't forget to do it.
• Carefully time your two step fifteen minute hydration sequence (add water, stir, wait, stir again). Higher elevations take a longer time. If in doubt, let it sit a bit longer.
• Reseal your food pouch tightly while you wait.

It goes without saying that you will pack out your empty meal packets. They were lightweight going in, they're even lighter going out.

• A dedicated trash bag will contain any spillage or odors, and a bear cannister may be required (check before you go).

The serving size might be a little on the small size if you are ravenous. Plan to consume the entire food packet yourself in order to get the calories your body is demanding.

If calories are really important to you (and they should be on big trips), line up your BP food packets at home and tally up the all the calories per day.

• Pay attention to when you'll need the most carbohydrates, versus protein and fat.

You can hack each meal to increase the fat/protein ratios with some olive oil, extra protein like nuts or nut butters, chopped dried fruit, or packets of tuna or meat.

Conclusions in this Backpackers Pantry
freeze dried food review

I firmly believe in the convenience of using freeze dried backpacking food. 

The cost may seem eye watering when you buy enough for a lengthy trip, but here's the thing:

You can store unused packets in your disaster relief supplies and have peace of mind knowing you'll have enough calories to get through whatever is coming your way: bad weather, natural disasters, civil unrest or unforeseen events.

I trust this company to deliver high quality freeze dried food that balances nutritional needs with tastiness.

They have been great at what they do since the very beginning, and continue to be on my trip planning food lists.

Thanks for reading this Backpackers Pantry freeze dried food review! 

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Backpackers Pantry Freeze Dried Food Review