233. How Freeze-Dried Food Became a Backpacking Staple with Mountain House

<li><p>Freeze-dried meals are a backpacking staple, but their story began long before they landed in outdoor gear stores. </p><p>In this episode, we explore how freeze-dried food evolved from an innovative preservation technology into one of the most recognizable categories of backpacking food. </p><p>We trace the history of Oregon Freeze Dry, the company behind Mountain House, and examine how military contracts, space exploration, and a growing outdoor recreation market helped bring lightweight, just-add-water meals to backpackers.</p><p>This episode kicks off <strong>Season 2 of Would Eat Again</strong>, a made-for-YouTube show where we're taking a closer look at one backpacking meal brand at a time. </p><p>This season, we're putting Mountain House under the microscope, exploring its history and testing its newest releases and best-selling meals to see whether they live up to the brand's legendary reputation.</p><p><strong>Would we eat it again? Follow along this season to find out.</strong></p><p>Revisit Season 1 of <em>Would Eat Again</em>, where we blind taste-tested backpacking meals and put popular trail food to the test: <a href="https://youtu.be/CTWojiaVLcw" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/show/VLPLevAczyyeDKY?sbp=QAE%253D</a></p><p>Read OPB's reporting on freeze-dried food and its Oregon roots: <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/23/freeze-drying-food-oregon-backpacking-meals-prepping/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/23/freeze-drying-food-oregon-backpacking-meals-prepping/</a></p></li>