Sounds like a fun project. It might not be as cheap as you think though since a pound of meat yields a half pound of jerky.

Drying veggies or making jerky is fun, and allows you to have a superior product in some cases. One thing I don't get though... Why are folks interested in drying their own veggies or making their own jerky for touring? In my experience it just doesn't make sense to take much food from home. For an overnight trip maybe, but on a tour of even a few days it makes sense to buy food daily or at least frequently. I guess that you could use mail drops from home if you wanted, but doubt it is worth the hassle and the postage would cut into any savings.

I really like jerky to nibble on throughout the day. I was especially happy when we found homemade elk jerky for sale at a roadside produce stand and did buy several days worth.