Packing enough tucker for a long sea trip can be a very frustrating affair if you intend to eat canned food and very expensive if you must buy the elaborately packed freeze-dried product. There is a very effective way to cut both weight and cost of food - prepare your own dried recipes. It is a lot easier than many people think and the end result is better than anything you can buy over the counter.

To start this project the first thing you have to build is a dryer. If you can handle a hammer and saw there should be no problems. You can even buy a book (Dry It – You’ll Like It) that has well laid out plans for a good drying box and heaps of mouth watering recipes to test it with.

The dryer is basically a box with drawers or flat trays that have fibreglass netting stretched over them to form the floor of the tray. A low-heat element is fixed to the inside floor of the drying box at least six inches away from the bottom tray. When the element is switched on it heats the air in the box causing it to rise upwards through the trays of prepared food and the drying process begins. This usually takes anywhere from 12 – 18 hours depending on the food.

The top of the box is removable or sliding so that a gap is left for the rising heated aid to escape. The bottom of the box has holes or slots drilled into it to allow the current of air to be maintained throughout the drying cycle. ALL moisture MUST be taken from the food before it is packed. Premature packaging or careless drying will lead to spoilage later on.

The idea of drying with low heat is not to destroy the nutrients in the food. Anything over about 110 degrees F will start to cook your offerings and lessen their value as a source of energy. You may have to look around for the right element but if you have to settle for a hotter one there is a solution. Just increase the distance between element and trays. As the hot air rises it starts to cool so that the top trays dry more slowly. Tray rotation at regular intervals is important to ensure even drying.

I originally bought a commercial dryer made from aluminium but found it too small. It also produced too much heat and had to be modified to work properly. Your dryer should be about 2 ft square to handle a decent amount of food – the quantity you prepare will shrink in size during drying.

What to dry? Fruit is the obvious first choice and probably the easiest. Just slice it up into small pieces and turn periodically for even drying. For a more substantial feed after a long paddle how about a meat curry rich in vegetables or a spicy casserole. The freeze-dried packets don’t pack enough punch to feed a starving mouse much less a hungry kayaker. I can guarantee that the homemade version will fill all voids and ensure a good nights sleep.

For an instant meal the best idea is to cook your curry or casserole at home. Make up enough for a couple of meals but don’t cook too long as it will have to be reconstituted over a fire or stove on the trip. Spoon the cooled-down curry or whatever you have prepared onto the fibreglass trays. For best results make individual patties from the not too runny mix and flatten with the back of the spoon. Keep checking the food trays. The bottom tray will dry faster than the rest and must be rotated. When the patties are stiff enough take them out quickly and prize them off the mesh. This stops sticking when fully dry. Turn patties over several times during drying cycle.

The test for proper dryness is an easy one. Take out a patty and try to crush it with a rolling pin. The food should break up with a definite crunch - like a crushed biscuit. If it is at all stringy or pliable it’s not dry enough. Put back till ready.

Proper packaging makes all the difference when it comes to stuffing your food into a sea kayak. To put as much as possible into the smallest space the dried patties should be crushed up with the rolling pin and sealed in plastic bags straight away. Invest in a bag sealer (about $20) for best results. Enough for a good feed can be sealed in individual bags and then packed in a water-tight stuff sack or screw top container.

To prepare your dried dinner just soak in water for 5-10 minutes (less if starving) and heat, stirring well. Drying does tend to remove the flavour from some meals and that is why I have recommended curries or spiced food – it tastes that much better. If dried and packed correctly these meals will last a long time. I still have some that is 14 months old. For maximum protection make your bags from double folded plastic, then seal.

If you find your dinner mix is a bit too runny for the mesh trays cut some aluminium foil to tray size and punch some holes in it. This will support the patties until they have had time to stiffen. Remove patties from foil and place on mesh to continue drying.

Some drying authorities recommend adding colour preservatives to some fruit and vegetables before starting the process. I’ve found that this is unnecessary. Apricots will lose their bright colour but no flavour. Bananas, one of the tastiest dried fruits, shrivel up and turn a dark brown but provide a great energy boost with their increased sugar content. Pears, pineapple and peaches can be reconstituted in a pot of hot water to form a delicious dessert after the main meal.

Home-dried survival food should be an integral part of the sea kayaker’s ration kit. It will keep for many months provided your sealing methods are correct. Dried rations will also increase your chances of reaching and returning from desolate coastlines where natural food is scarce and store bought supplies non-existent.
      SEAN DIXON

Thanks Sean, I’ve no doubt there’ll be a drier or two showing up in this part of the world. It’s a subject most of us haven’t given much thought to, but now we know it works it’s sure to be tried out.
 ED