I first thought of the idea of freeze dried water while on a camping trip with a friend. We had just hiked about eight miles along a mountain trail, and had found a nice clearing in the woods to pitch our tent. My friend had brought with some freeze dried beef stew and some freeze dried spaghetti and spaghetti sauce.
We were so hungry we started eating before the food had fully finished cooking. It was then that the idea of freeze dried water first came to mind.
All through those eight miles of hiking the weight of the water bottles in my back pack felt heavier and heavier on my shoulders. If only there were a way of dehydrating water to make it lighter.
Then it occurred to me in a flash. If camping stores sold freeze dried water then we wouldn’t have to carry so much weight on our backs. When we needed water for cooking or drinking, we could just open up one of the freeze dried water packets and just add water.
Well, by the next day I had the idea all figured out. Freeze dried water packets could be produced in large factories. On the outside of the packets would be pretty pictures of waterfalls and sparkling, bubbly blue water. On the inside of the packets would be shiny aluminum foil, placed right on top a plastic inner liner. In the very middle of the packets would be the concentrated freeze dried water.
The freeze dried water would almost be invisible. That’s because the water would be dehydrated so well in our factories that only the very essence of the water would remain.
But hikers and campers would only be the beginning. NASA would be interested in buying freeze dried water to send up with the astronauts on the space shuttle. The Red Cross would be interested in buying freeze dried water to distribute to families during droughts. Sailors would be interested in buying freeze dried water to take out with them to sea.
Imagine how much financial savings NASA would have if they could use freeze dried water, rather than heavy tap water. Imagine how many lives could be saved in a drought if the Red Cross stockpiled thousands and thousands of packets of freeze dried water. And think of the convenience to sailors to have packets of freeze dried water right on the ship with them.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. As I was hiking those eight long miles with the heavy water bottles bouncing around in my back pack, I knew that a great moment of invention was about to occur. Who could have thought that such a great invention would have such humble beginnings?
Phil Shapiro
Copyright 1995
All Rights Reserved
I forgot to add that the instructions were clear to point out that it yielded “one cup.” like I said, its still funny, even after all these years.
Thanks Phil for bringing back good memories.
Freeze dried water is not a new idea. Back in the 60’s, while shopping for freeze dried and dehydrated foods for an upcoming back pack trip, I found a section of the store devoted to “gag” type gifts for the “outdoors man.” One of those was Freeze Dried Water. It was, of course, an empty foiled envelope, with clear instructions on it. 1) Open pouch carefully and add 1/2 cup water, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. 2) After 5 minutes, add one more 1/2 cup water and stir slowly for 30 seconds. 3) Its ready to serve.
It had lots of funny slogans on the package such as “Great with coffee!” and “Lighter than liquid water!” and “Never carry a canteen again!”
Its a funny idea and I bought it as a gag gift for my friend and his father told us of a gag gift that he recalled in the 50’s called Dehydrated Water.
So the idea has been around a long time. Its is still funny though.