This has been stuck in my mind and I've been scouting out materials.
I was in Canadian Tire today and found some grilling racks. Very small mesh, not stainless but chromed steel 11" x 15" and fairly sturdy. $5 each. I would build a tall wooden box with slats to hold many of these racks(maybe 20?) with a chimney at the top and pipe heat from a solar collector in the bottom. Have a large adjustable air inlet at the bottom of the collector for plenty of airflow and to regulate temperature.

Could you post pictures of your build as you go?

Yeah sure, might be a while though, got another project or two on the go right now.

Greetings All,
I am new to this site and noticed that although the subject of canning has come up, dehydrators does not appear to have. A lot of things can be dehydrated rather then being canned and it takes up less space. Canning is easier to use for everyday use but if bugging out dried foods are easier to move. I do both but the dried items have a longer life span. I have always done it due to being "cheap". When things like spaghetti sauce are on sale I dehydrate the older sauces for a longer shelf life and so I have space for the "new" ones.

Any thoughts on this?

I am afraid that I must disagree. Properly canned (bottled) food lasts for years. I regularly come across bottled food that is 5 or 6 years old. They are saying now that the real self life for commercially canned food is up to 15 years. Might not taste great but, it is safe.

I dehydrate a LOT of my food - veggies, fruit, meat. Saving space is an issue for me and the weight of the dehydrated food is so much less thant the frozen stuff. I figure if I ever have to bug out, I can easily carry lots of dehydrated food. In Ontario, not too far away from water source, and I have one of those filter water bottles and a wonderful bug-out bag with all the tools and goodies including an emergency stove to heat water, so I hope that I'm all set.

I watched a simulated survival show the other day and they had converted an old wreck of a car into a natural hydrator. I don't know how effective that would be. In the summer months you would certainly reach a high, dry heat. I suppose opening a window would give some air circulation.

Any thoughts on how practicle that would actually be in a pinch or is it just hollywood?

Hi rogue

Not hollywood and been used for ages, I don't know about turning a junk car into one but if it had the aspects needed it would work, I learned to do this as a monkey see, monkey do from my folks and grandparents, they would often take things they wanted dried in bunches, tie a string around the bunch, put a brown paper lunch bag over the top, roll down the window, we would put a line of the ends out, and then roll up the window tight on them holding them in place, and repeat on all four windows, then allow the heat in the car for the day to do its thing, its fast on a good summer day and as it was alberta, we didn't have high humid index to worry about, works really well, I have done it in ontario and while it can take a little longer, not to much, you just need to find the right days to do so.. If I was going to try and do it in a car for flat stuff like veggies or fruits, I would want to also put solar or battery fans to move the air over and around the items.

Opening opposing windows even 1/2 inch would be plenty ventilation for dehydrating.

You just learn something new everyday here. Thanks for the responses folks.

HOW DO YOU DEHYDRATE LIQUIDS
I have heard people doing spaghetti sauce and stuff
Is there a good link gor these instructions
Thanks Hobo

cook them down till they are butter thick, spread them on the screens made for sauces, dry them, those the leather into a blender and turn it into a powder, store the powder and use it with water to make back into a sauce.. hopefully someone else will have links..

But if you can make fruit leather, you can take any sauce and make it into a veggie or mixed veggie leather, keep drying it and then use it from there, you don't have to make the powder, its just that it makes measuring and storing so much easier is all.

I made my own easy, easy dehydrators - only works on sunny days - got to remember to take them inside when raining - learned this the hard way. I use it to dehydrate easy stuff like lambs quarters, spinach, mint, chives, onion tops, even strawberries this spring (these are sooooo goood!)

http://posts.preppergreen.com/?p=48
http://posts.preppergreen.com/?p=124

I'm making banana chips right now and decided to use my little ceramic paring knife. What is interesting is the banana slices didnt turn brown like when I slice with a stainless steel knife. I also dipped them in lemon juice, going to try the apples next. Not sure why the ceramic knife doesnt make the fruit turn colour but i will be using it from now on!

I'm making banana chips right now and decided to use my little ceramic paring knife. What is interesting is the banana slices didnt turn brown like when I slice with a stainless steel knife. I also dipped them in lemon juice, going to try the apples next. Not sure why the ceramic knife doesnt make the fruit turn colour but i will be using it from now on!

I will have to try the ceramic knife. If you want a little different taste, try dipping the bananas in pineapple juice instead of lemon juice.

Hmmm... perhaps the dipping in lemon juice stopped them from turning brown. Ascorbic acid (Vit C) is used as a powder for the same purpose.

JAB

Hmmm... perhaps the dipping in lemon juice stopped them from turning brown. Ascorbic acid (Vit C) is used as a powder for the same purpose.

JAB

That is the reason for the lemon juice but they still darken a bit. Based on how I understood the post there is a color difference when using the ceramic vs the stainless steel.