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Adam Jewell

9 Years Ago

On Extended Road Trips, What Do You Eat?

For anyone who goes on extended road trips on a shoestring, what do you tend to eat?

After about 5 years of 8-14 month national park road trips with just a Subaru Outback and a tent, crap food is getting old.

Things like Ramen, pop-tarts and canned pasta have been staples along with hoagies, tuna and noodles, banannas, carrots, and some other fruit. After a night at a hostel I can usually hard boil a couple dozen eggs that will last a while and/or make a big thing of lasagna that will last a few days as long as it's pretty cool outside.

I've started doing a lot more canned spiced black beans instead of the canned pasta. Sometimes setting up a camp stove is possible but when there is not a campsite (just sleeping in the car) that's not an option.

Sometimes backpacking freeze dried stuff is ok.

I get by on a max of $1,000 - $1,500 per month for food gas and lodging so eating out isn't really an option.

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Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

I had an inverter in my SUV I could run a rice cooker off of (cooked rice, pasta and such in it).

Rice cakes & peanut butter is my addiction, and don't go bad.
Single burner propane stove can be set up right outside your car door worked for me a lot too.

 

Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

Those microwave rice pouches can be life savers as well... many grocery stores even have microwaves in their little cafe areas now too you can use.
Rice, beans and maybe some cheese on some flour tortillas will fill you up quick.

Dried fruit (pineapple and strawberries are basically candy), granola, dry cereal....

 

Gregory Scott

9 Years Ago

Fresh onions,potato, peppers, fresh eggs add a lot. Propane burner and small Teflon fry pan for most breakfast and dinner. Cheese , canned corn, tuna. Beans pineapple. Cook, eat and wash up in fry pan. Heats meal or a cup of water fast, low propane or white gas consumption. My road trips were up to r months long

 

Thomas Zimmerman

9 Years Ago

I preserve a lot of food by canning and curing/smoking/drying, we have always done it that way. Ham and beans can be canned really well, If you have flour, salt, water, and a pan you can make fresh tortillas for bean burritos. I can a chicken noodle soup base (can't can flour safely for the noodles) and you can add dried noodles or if you have an egg make dumplings.

I eat a lot of jerky when I camp.

Old school cured salamis, hams, etc, can provide protein without refrigeration.

Instant rice can add calories and body to soups.

You can actually can ground beef, works well in these situations too to keep meat to cook with without refrigeration.

 

Thomas Zimmerman

9 Years Ago

Canned chicken can be used for about a million things too, fajitas, quesedillas (if you are packing cheese), chicken patties (mash it up with flour and fry em).

 

Thomas Zimmerman

9 Years Ago

Fruit leathers, home made are awesome too!

 

Mel Steinhauer

9 Years Ago

Many grocery stores ( big or small ) nowadays make fresh sandwiches that you can pickup and take with you for a decent price.

When I have been out in some of the national parks or other wide open spaces, I would do that or else find a Subway to get a $ 5 footlong to put in a cooler for lunch later when there were no restaurants / stores nearby. You may be able to get 2 meals out of the footlong with something else on the side.

Beef jerky can be pricey in some areas, but in other areas may be a bargain. It won't spoil, can be kept in your pocket, has protein and replaces salt if you're sweating in the hot sun.



 

Thomas Zimmerman

9 Years Ago

Canned roast beef or venison is awesome too, you can boil a potato or use instants and a little gravy and have roast beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy!

Dangit now I am hungry!

 

Mike Savad

9 Years Ago

when we go out on vacation we stop off at a grocery store and pick up colecuts and eat that where ever. but you would need a store we only eat out at dinner, and the motel usually has breakfast included.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

 

Melany Sarafis

9 Years Ago

Anything I can cook on a grill or Coleman stove.

 

Kathleen Bishop

9 Years Ago

Adam, I don't eat out on road trips either and am usually too tired to cook anything fancy after hiking all day with weight so whenever I stop long enough I make stuff that will last a few days like potato salad or canned salmon and tuna mixed together with chopped celery for sandwiches. I've found that whole wheat sourdough lasts a long time without getting moldy (Maybe because it's already turned?). I don't eat red meat often but once in a while I'll make a big pot of chili, add it to cooked brown rice and that lasts a few days. I eat spinach with everything except breakfast, usually raw. I love verde sauce and often stir-fry whatever vegetables I have, mix the sauce in with cheese, canned beans and cooked rice. I also carry variety cases of Amy's soup, heat it and throw in some cheese with cooked rice or hot dogs. For snack food while I'm driving I keep pistachios, apples and mandarin oranges handy. When I'm really tired I'll just put peanut butter on celery and not bother to cook. Breakfast is always granola with yogurt and blueberries or peaches if I can find them. I only carry a one-burner but have all the cookware so I can cook anything other than baked stuff. The only problem is finding places that sell block ice out in the hinterlands.

 

Ed Meredith

9 Years Ago

i'm with Melany on the Colman Stove...
If i'm traveling and camping near my vehicle and tenting it... i cook on my Coleman stove just as i do at home and eat fresh fruits, vegetables, pasta, meat and fish... if one has a cooler and access to grocery stores there is no need to eat out of cans if you take the time to cook... even on canoe trips i take potatoes, squash, eggs and other fresh foods that need no refrigeration and will last couple of weeks... now backpacking that's a different story... lol...

 

See My Photos

9 Years Ago

In the future I am planning on doing what you are doing. Maybe a 6-8 month trip. I'm hoping to have a nice sized van by then though. I was thinking maybe some of these civilian mre's.

http://www.survival-warehouse.com/pouches/wise-foods-freeze-dry-meats-240-servings.html

 

Roz Abellera

9 Years Ago

Beef Jerky.

--Roz Abellera

 

Adam Jewell

9 Years Ago

Subway is usually good and I do stop there pretty often. The breakfast special used to be a goto but think they discontinued that.

To save on cash there is never ice in a cooler inless a hostel has a freezer for water bottles or an ice machine but lunch meat and things like that usually are ok for at least a few days in cooler on the floor without ice.

The key to keeping bread ok is to keep it cool and out of the sun otherwise it gets moldy fast unless its Lenders bagels. They must have enough formaldehyde to last for a couple years.

@Heather - never thought of a rice cooker before but that just might be light enough on power to use with the gizmo that provides two outlets via the cigarette lighter outlet thing.

Wish there was enough juice to make hot water powered from the car but usually carry an electric tea kettle that can be used at rest stops and places like that for noodles or hot drinks.

 

Celeste Drewien

9 Years Ago

Candy bars! I do not eat them otherwise.

 

Adam Jewell

9 Years Ago

@Craig - that looks like a pretty good deal.

STP has good deals on Backpackers Pantry free dried stuff with their coupons


A van would definitely be more comfortable than the Outback!

 

Kathleen Bishop

9 Years Ago

Adam, are you going in to White Pocket this time?

 

Suzanne Powers

9 Years Ago

I just came back from Venice Italy. I bought their wonderful cheeses, fresh citrus and whole grain crackers and homemade breads. I bought a jar of pesto which is a great way to get your greens and tastes good with a lot of things (pasta, breads, cheeses) and would probably keep for many days since it contains lots of salt. I would also buy local handcrafted cheeses or the better cheeses (or imported) a little of the better harder cheeses go a long way since they are flavorful and have less water. I also bought marinated black olives with the seeds, just a few with the above is awesome for a meal. I think this will work for you, buy already made pizza crust, saute the veggies and meats, put pizza crust in pan with pizza sauce, toppings and cheese, put the lid on and warm the cheese until melted. Can keep several days and great for breakfast too!

 

Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

I've used 12v appliances made for truckers as well - they have just about anything you could want. Can find an assortment of them in any truck stop. Might have to pay 30 bucks for a 12v hotpot, but in the long run it'll save you on food costs.

 

Heather Applegate

9 Years Ago

I had this rice cooker - http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aroma-6-Cup-Pot-Style-Rice-Cooker-White/35745709
The wattage was low enough to run off my portable power supply: duracell 600w


 

CHERYL EMERSON ADAMS

9 Years Ago

Spam. Just kidding... maybe. Spam is K-rations, the whole point is for it to last a long time. Mix Spam and canned pineapple into instant rice, and you can pretend you're in the Pacific Rim. But it's probably not an improvement over what you're eating now. Along the same lines, there's Velveeta mixed with Rotel, and corn chips, if you're looking for something easy that you don't have to worry about cooking thoroughly or having it spoil quickly without refrigeration.

What I mostly eat on the road are granola, dried fruit, breakfast cereal & bottled juice or iced tea... but people have already suggested that, and the above might be a welcome change of pace from all the healthy stuff.

Potatoes double-wrapped in foil and baked in the embers of a campfire are inexpensive & delicious, and there are a lot of possibilities for toppings (canned chili, sour cream, shredded cheese... )

 

Adam Jewell

9 Years Ago

@Suzanne -

This is basically living in or out of a car on a budget a hair above zero so fancy cheeses and making pizzas isn't in the mix unfortunately.

@Kathleen - I want to get to White Pocket but $300.00 or whatever for the tour is a lot of $$$. Unless print sales go way up this year it may be my last chance so might bite the bullet and try to go. Anytime someone mentions they're renting a jeep to head out there I always ask it they have extra room and want to split that rental and gas but haven't found any takers yet.

I do have permits for The Wave and I'll be showing someone else around Bryce, Zion, Page, Coyote North, Buckskin Gulch and maybe the North Rim if its accessible in late April.

 

Mark Papke

9 Years Ago

I usually take a sub for lunch and/or dinner, and a power bar in case I get hungry while hiking. Also plenty of water. some times I make a couple sandwiches before I leave. I haven't camped out anywhere, I do all my stuff so far in one day. That's because I keep my travel time within 5-6 hours or less from home I hope to go farther out this year so maybe I'll be sleeping in my car as well.

 

Jennifer White

9 Years Ago

It's to expensive to eat out all 3 meals while away, so we usually pack a cooler with sandwich stuff. When on Vacation, we go to the store and stock up on sandwich and microwavable stuff. Then we eat out for one meal like dinner or lunch. Good idea on cooking something then taking it. Cold Pizza would be good. However, usually my trips involve a plane.

 

Michel Soucy

9 Years Ago

We usually keep a mixed bag of apples and oranges available with cut up veggie sticks to lessen the guilt nibbles on the junk food/fast food barf-outs.
I have a thing for hot/spicy so I tend to stock up on pepperoni sticks and/or beef jerky as well...Jalepeno flavored chips will get tossed into the fray.
Always keep bottled water as well......

Our road trips usually involve 10-12 hour drives for 3 days at a time, so a lot of caffeine also gets guzzled up...
We'll do this 2-3 times through the year....

~Michel Soucy

 

See My Photos

9 Years Ago

Here is a great idea!! I've yet to try it. But if you wanna splurge on a roast it could last for about 3-4 days. Especially if you know you are going to be driving for a few hours straight.

http://www.wisebread.com/cooking-great-meals-with-your-car-engine-the-heat-is-on

 

Adele Buttolph

9 Years Ago

There are a lot of good suggestions that people have posted already. I have to say that when I travel and/or camp, I don't eat crap food. There is no reason to. There are plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables that store pretty well (apples, oranges, onions, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, etc). Canned tomatoes are great to have on hand. Canned beans are fine, and some types of lentils (such as red lentils or French lentils) cook relatively quickly. Camp cooking as one pot meals with say lentil and rice stews, bean burritos, curried vegetables and lentils, etc. are all really easy. They don't cost much and as long as you can sit back and let the pot cook for a while (say 20 to 40 minutes, depending on what you are making), you will have good food at low cost. I have a one-burner MaxBurton stove that is nice because the heat can be regulated very easily. You can actually cook on it at a lower temperature than many portable gas burners, so it is less likely to scorch the food.

 

Joseph C Hinson

9 Years Ago

We pack sandwiches and chips for lunch on day trips and road trips. Continental breakfast at hotels on extended trips and when we can, local places otherwise. (Although I do love me some Fatz anywhere!) Cook Out Burgers is also really cheap. It's a chain in the south. If you plan it right, a family of four can eat for 16 bucks

Beef tips and baked potatoes when in Roanoke at The Great 611 Steak Company
Seaboard Station Restaurant in Hamlet, NC when there during the week (been a while though)
More beef tips and potatoes at the Wagon Wheel in Fort Lawn, SC
seafood at Catawba Fish Camp also in in Fort Lawn.
The Varsity in Athens, Ga.
The Beacon Drive-In in Spartanburg, SC
We split between Hendrix BBQ and Rick's BBQ in Salisbury, NC

I'll think of more later, I'm sure.

 

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