I'm looking for a food dehydrator. Dreaming of dry days hiking with a pack full of dry stuff like moose jerky or Partridgeberry-apple fruit-on-the-go. All manner of rings and chips and bits.

I think the general rule of dehydration is, you have to have a better machine if you want to be drying meat in there, so (thanks to @HeritageRowReno), I'm looking at higher-end options like those at The Sausage Maker, which will have to be ordered online and therefore require more planning and consideration than buying the only dehydrator in town on a whim for $69.99 at Sears. That is the kind of dehydrator you buy and try to use once and it stinks the house out so you put it on the patio and it rains that night and then you forget about it and it attracts flies and then cats and you end up kicking it to the proverbial curb in a Billy Boot like so many Ronco Rotisseries. And that would be a waste.

Anyhow, if anyone has any experience with food dehydrators, I'd be interested to hear your advice.