On review; Fuizion Freeze Dried Food – Rating; 7 out of 10 (7 being my level for an item you can safely bring on an Expedition)
Good food is extremely important on any journey. More on some than others. If you are heading up the mountains for a 10 day trek far away from any so called civilization and you have to carry all your food or if you set off on a 45-60 day trip to the South pole, I really have to make a difference those days you fell like you have had enough. There are such freeze dried food on the market. I had a 6 month ration of it with me on my Siberian Journey 2004-5. Before leaving on my second journey to Yemen, involving a long desert crossing where I had no idea if I would find local food or not, I received an offer of sponsorship from a UK firm named Fuizion Freeze Dried Food. It made me really happy. They sent a selection of their freeze dried choices plus granola bars. I said we loved the granola bars, the whole family, and I was interested. They than sent me an offer of a 20% discount of the food, the granola bars for free and they could assist me in preparing food with a high calorie intake. I was shocked. This is the first time in my life I have been approached and than asked to pay for it. It would have been one thing if they would have told me immediately what their intentions where, but like this, that gives them a 4 in rating as regards to their behavior.
However, this taken into account I will still try to assess their products objectively. Let me first say that I just tested it back home in Malmö and never brought any of it a trip, so making a judgement isn´t the same as opening a bag on a trip when you are tired, extremely hungry, wet and even more hungry.
They have a selection of plat du jours like Chicken Jalfrezi with Rice, Seafood Tagliatelle and Chili Con Carne With Rice. They cost almost 7 pounds ( a bit more than 11 dollars, 8.7 euro) and for example Chicken Jalfrezi offers 548 kcal per meal. The food is packed in dull grey package, which is basically a copy of Real Turmats, but quite boring package. The food is prepared like most outdoor food, see here, and it was more than passable and filling, but generally I found it too salted and free of any excitement. Some dishes didn´t look that appealing when opened, but tasted good. I talked to Ben Saunders who was dealing with them as well and he had tried them on Expeditions, thought they did the job, but preferred like me another brand. And all this taken into account with a very high price and the competition they have on the market;
They rate a weak 7. Passable, does the job on an Expedition, but is behind its competitors.
This doesn´t apply to their granola bars, which gets a 8+! Really great and I miss them!
Hi Mikael,
Thank you for your article. I am currently preparing for a 16-20 week solo adventure in the Arctic, during which I will have to carry all my own food supplies, with re-supply caches dropped off beforehand where possible.
So I am looking at different options for freeze-dried meals. I have heard of Fuizion before, mainly as a result of noticing them in one of Ben Saunders’ videos about his North Pole expedition(s), but I have never tried their meals. I am surprised by your review, as I have read mainly positive reactions regarding the texture and flavour as compared to other brands. Could you please suggest a few other brands that you find superior? What about them do you like more, and which meals among those brands do you find most/least delicious and successful as freeze-dried food?
Thanks
Hi Francis,
When it comes to taste it is all relative. Try them all to see what you like. It is impossible to judge before you do. Also ask Ben.
On the top of my own list, by ease when it comes to taste, feeling full after a hard days work and looking forward to the next meal, REAL Turmat. I have throughout the years tried many, so I stay by my comment.
Francis, I am kind of surprised by your comment since you state that you never have tried Fuizion but that you are surprised of my review since you only heard positive reviews on Fuizion before. It is almost as you have been asked by somebody to write this comment. Better is to try it first, write your comment after that, I will publish if it seems genuine and please let my readers, over 30 thousand a month right now, read more about you and your upcoming trip.
And I have talked to others in my genre about Fuizion and most say it is ok, but not over the top. And that is what my review says, read it again. It passes the test for expedition food, is ok, but not over the top.
I hope this is some help for you in preparing from the Pole and we all want a link so we can follow your progress, Francis Hopcraft!