(previously)
Whether on the bike or in the car managing food is second only to managing water consumption—especially when going truly remote. Food is also one of big advantage of digital nomadic life.
Because I have an actual job I have enough money to eat good, local food from all the places I might travel. For many bikepackers and van-lifers this isn’t as possible (unless they are independently wealthy). Still, because I’m moving around so much I spend a lot on gasoline and lodging that I would not normally so I don’t want to get too crazy.
50 dollars US a day for me, 1500 per month, would be insanely crazy (and awesome).
Currently, I spend about 10 dollars a day on food just living at home. My wife and I are pretty frugal and prefer making great meals that would cost at least 30 dollars a plate if we had gone out. Plus I eat pretty plainly most days:
I don’t eat any fish because it is dangerous for my wife.
I’ve decided to shoot for 15 dollars a day so that I can indulge when there is good healthy food available. Some days I’ll get by with five dollars, others will be 40.
Here are the basic staples I carry with me in portions that are about two-weeks worth at any time:
I can live very comfortably and energetically on just that short list when bikepacking—especially the potatoes, which I hydrate from the pouch itself saving time otherwise cleaning dishes. The items take very little space and weight and I’ve never had any inflammation reactions to them.
And when I have the room (don’t require bear canister, etc.):
All of these items can be purchased affordably in most stores in the US, even the remote ones. There is also practically no trash left over. They might not qualify as cozy cuisine, but they are plenty—especially when allowing myself to indulge in a good restaurant meal every other day. A day of eating nothing but what’s on this list is about five dollars for the entire day. That leaves plenty of monthly food budge to indulge on other days.
Ramen noodles taste amazing and are very satisfying, but they take up a huge amount of space, provide zero nutritional value, and because they are so processed usually make be feel bloated and tired. I’ve learned that no matter how cold it is out and how amazing ramen smells it just isn’t worth it. Better to just sip some warm bouillon.
I do love a good cold beer—especially after a long, hot ride. But regular beer consumption is not good for my body or my wallet. I’ve never had a good pint that was less than eight dollars from a pub or brewery worth stopping into. That is a lot of money by any standard (and three dollars more than just consuming from my base daily staples).
A lot of people would say the beer is the point of living a nomadic life. I’m not sure I agree. Most of these place are fun to hang out and usually that eight-dollar beer is the price of admission to some of the greatest live music and people in the area. In those cases I suppose I can milk a beer slowly to hang out, but I don’t need or really even want the beer when I’m not thirsty and thinking rationally.
I am strongly considering a whisky/brandy flask, however. A little buzz is nice while watching the campfire. I can make sure to get enough water to go with it and taking a hip flask is no big deal at all. Even better, in states that allow edibles I can start experimenting with them instead (depending on how much they cost).
No. This was a tough decision. They just aren’t worth it. The only reason I was considering it at all was because of American eggs (which require refrigeration because the moronic American egg industry has chosen to lazily allow salmonella rather than mandating inoculation and proper care of chickens so that the coating of the egg is free from risk as is required by law in Europe).
I was using a Yeti cooler with ice and noticed that I just wasn’t using it enough. I had planned on reusing the melted ice as a water supply. They even make a cooler that has a water filter built into it so that you get filtered, cold water as well.
Ultimately, I am different than most car campers. I want to approach bikepacker living as closely as possible even while in the car so that my life and logistics are in-line. Most car campers would consider this insane and unnecessarily uncomfortable. This makes the refrigerator and icebox question really easy. There’s no place to put an icebox when bikepacking even with a Burley Nomad trailer. That weight would be foolish. There are better ways to carry water.