A DEBATE THAT’S RAGED FOR DECADES IS THE DEHY OR FREEZE-DRIED FOOD vs REAL FOOD ONE, AND OVER THE YEARS WE’VE EATEN, AND SHARED TENTS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE EATEN, BOTH AND HERE’S WHAT WE THINK
DEHY WORKS OK FOR SHORT FORAYS AT LOWER CAMPS WHERE YOUR APPETITE & METABOLISM IS LESS COMPROMISED AND WATER BOILS AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE. ABOVE ABOUT 7000m IT DOESN’T REALLY REHYDRATE WELL, WHICH MEANS IT’S NOT DIGESTING WELL, AND YOUR SYSTEM IS ALREADY BEING STRAINED. DEHY GETS A LOT OF IT’S KCALS FROM FAT, SOMETHING YOUR BODY CAN HARDLY METABOLIZE ABOVE 7000m, AND LOSS OF APPETITE MAKES THE OFTEN PSEUDO-EXOTIC FLAVOURS EITHER IRRELEVANT OR REPUGNANT, MORE SO WHEN IT’S COLD GLOOP IN A BAG.
DEHY IS ALSO EXPENSIVE FOR THE AMOUNTS WANTED FOR AN 8000m TRIP (AROUND 20 DAYS WORTH), AND THOUGH NOT HEAVY TAKES UP A LOT OF SPACE IN YOUR LUGGAGE, THOUGH THERE’S NOT MUCH CHOICE IN PAKISTAN OR NEPAL WHERE THE MARKETS OF ISLAMABAD AND KATHMANDU DON’T OFFER A LOT OF IN-COUNTRY ALTERNATIVES.
REAL FOOD WE SEE WORKS BETTER FOR LONGER STAYS UP HIGH BECAUSE IT COOKS BETTER & METABOLIZES BETTER BECAUSE IT’S MORE SIMPLE. BY ‘REAL FOOD’ WE MEAN THINGS LIKE A MIX OF 3 MINUTE PASTA, SACHETS OF SAUCE, INSTANT RICE, GOOD QUALITY INSTANT NOODLES, SOUPS & SALAMI, ALL THE WAY UP TO THINGS LIKE LAKSA, GREEN CURRY & RISOTTO. THE CONTENT OF REAL FOOD MEALS CAN BE TWEAKED TO BE PRIMARILY THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DIGEST AT ALTITUDE – SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES. ANY FAT AND PROTEIN THAT NEEDS ADDING CAN SIMPLY BE FROM OLIVE OIL, CHEESE OR SALAMI.
REAL FOOD IS ALWAYS CHEAPER AND CAN BE EASILY REPACKED FOR CONVENIENCE. WE HAVE SOURCED ENTIRE TRIPS WITH FOOD BOUGHT IN-COUNTRY FROM THE HUGE BULK SUPPLY STORES IN CHINA, BRINGING NO FOOD AT ALL THROUGH CUSTOMS IN OUR LUGGAGE. WHERE THE REAL SAVING IS WITH REAL FOOD BOTH IN MONEY & WEIGHT IS WHEN EATING AS A TEAM – PEOPLE CLIMBING TOGETHER CAN COOK TOGETHER FOR A FRACTION OF THE COST & WEIGHT OF THOSE SAME PEOPLE HAVING INDIVIDUAL BAGS OF DEHY.
SOMETHING WE FIND MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IS THE AMBIENCE OF COOKING. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, EATING UP HIGH ISN’T ABOUT BEING CRAMMED INTO A BIVY, INSTEAD THERE’S USUALLY AMPLE TIME, AND THE PROCESS OF COOKING IS SIMPLY SOMETHING TO DO. FOR ALL THE CONVENIENCE OF DEHY IT HAS NO AMBIENCE, WHEREAS THE AROMAS& PROCESS OF COOKING REAL FOOD GOES A LONG WAY TO INDUCING APPETITE. UNLIKE DEHY, A REAL FOOD MEAL CAN BE OVER SEVERAL ‘COURSES’ WITH NO PRESSURE TO FINISH A BAG OF RAPIDLY COOLING AND COAGULATING MUSH.
BOTTOM LINE IS; YOU HAVE TO EAT WHAT YOU CAN WHEN YOU’RE CLIMBING HARD, AND IF DEHY ALL THE WAY WORKS THEN YOU HAVE IT SORTED, BUT IF IT DOESN’T – OR IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BETTER – THE ISSUE CAN BE RESOLVABLE WITH REAL FOODS.
