Touring - Do you eat in resteraunts or take your food?

For those that have done any touring do youeat in resteraunts or take your own food and a means to cook it? Or both?

If you eat in resteraunts how much on average do you spend per meal? What kind of establishment do you eat in? Fast food, "truck stop" style, family style reseraunts? On average what does it cost you per meal?

When I do my tour next year I'm taking my small cook stove in case I need it, as well as some instant type soup mixes,etc where all you need to do is ad hot water. But I think the best way to meet people is to eat in the resteraunts of the communities I will be passing through and staying in.

I'd rather not eat in fast food places if I can help it. I prefere the sit down and take my time type places. Like family dining establishments.

I carry a stove and cook kit. I tend to eat breakfast in camp but catch my other meals in restaurants. I like to aim for small towns which typically have decent diners with reasonable prices. These give you an opportunity to interact with the locals. Some state parks have restaurants, so you can catch dinner at the same place you camp for the night. A lot of grocery stores have deli counters that will make you a sandwich.

Cost...hmmm...I've never even thought about cost per meal. I generally budget $30/day for touring. That will include meals, camping and incidentals.

We eat out of grocery stores. Also, we do not bother with a stove, pots, fuel, etc. We eats all non-cooking foods. This is just fine for summer trips, where "needing" hot foods should not be an issue. We are not afflicted with a need for morning caffeine.

By not using restaurants, we get the biggest bang for our food dollars. Eating only what you can find in a grocery store saves a lot of money.

By not cooking, we save the weight of the pots and fuel.

We, also, save a bunch of time that would be spent actually cooking and cleaning up. This time lets us get an nearly start -- mornings are wonderful times to ride, traffic can be light, the air fresh, the light perfect for photography. We typically will ride for an hour or so (replying on some small snack for calories), THEN stop for a breakfast at some scenic spot (food we bought the day before, usually). Lunch happens throughout the day as we ride or at stops.

Basically, we eat lunch/breakfast foods all day. On long trips it can take some ingenuity to come up with variety. Fortunately, we all like peanut butter and jam, cookies, breads, crackers, meat spreads, granola cereal, etc. We use canned fruit or juice on the cereal so we don't have to bother with powdered milk (milk and I don't get along if I am working hard biking) so we don't have a water bottle that had milk in it needing cleaning. We buy GORP makings (trail mix), M&Ms, nuts, raisins. Our eating utensils consist only of a cup/bowl (like one of the "Sierra Cups") and spoon each, plus a communal spreading knife, a fork and a small can opener. Also, a small plastic cutting board (we cut down a larger one). No cooking and water clean up. Paper towels are helpful, too.

We have done a 6 week and a couple month long tours in western Canada with only a grocery store diet, expect for a couple hot snacks, like fresh, hot buttered corn. Fruit stands in orchard country are wonderful. Bakeries seem made for bike tourists. More than once we have arrived in a town early in the morning, found the bakery and been their first customers of the day. VERY fresh breads and pastries. We eat breakfast and buy for lunch.

If you really like to social time of cooking and eating and just can't part with it. That's fine. This regime is not for everyone.

FWIW, we have used this same non-cooking camping on backpacking trips, too. In the cold, wet climate of Southeast Alaska, we DO cook on our sea kayaking trips.

REstaurants have their utility, though. We were rolling into a small southern British Columbia town on a Saturday morning expecting to buy food for the day, only to find the grocery store did not open on Saturdays and would not be open until Monday! Ack. We had 70 miles to ride before we got to another town. So-o-o, we went to the restaurant (which catered to outdoor working folks, so the portions were large), bought two breakfasts each. Then we bought enough pasteries get us to the next town. Thus fortified we rode off, arriving at the next town just at sunset.

On our tours we camp out, staying in a motel only on the last night before catching our commercial transportation, home. We feel we should shower before getting in a plane, etc. Some people tour with their credit cards. We prefer being self contained and travelling as cheaply as possible.

I as well do not carry cooking gear and try to eat out of groceries as much as possible.I will occasionally binge at a AYCE or pizza joint or the like but only when I have reached a major milestone in the tour as a reward.Sometimes I will stop in for a $1.99 Subway deli sandwich or some of the healthier items off a fast food dollar menu (chili,salad,baked potato etc.).On the last tour I did stop in at a McD's or two for a $1.49 pancake breakfast or two(always just drink water at resturants as this is a good way to get rehydrated for free lol) and I carried dried fruit and unfiltered honey to snack on while riding for quick energy.My only real vice on the last trip was I found these .50 cent large packages of cookies at the convenience stores and would stop in for cookies and milk(this was through cow country and they had a local milk brand Gustafson's that was delicious though too much tends to make you sluggish).The only food I bring with me from home is a large plastic container of whey protein,oatmeal,dried coconut mixture that I just add water and fresh fruit to and eat out of a plastic measuring cup with a plastic fork and this is usually the only food I eat at camp as I usually stealth camp so I stop near nightfall and I am so dead tired by that time I am ready to fall right asleep and get up as early as possible for a pre-dawn start which is a great time to ride by the way.So I eat pretty cheaply from a variety of sources I guess and pretty much graze all day rather than just eat three larger meals.My tours so far have been of the 7-10 day variety .

I usually do a combo restaruants, deli grocery store another tip is check the community section of the paper and see if there are any all you can eat fund raisers going on Sundays are good for pancake breakfast and you get to meet a lot of the locals that way also.

I eat at various restaurants when I tour (although I religiously avoid fast-food joints like McDonalds). Some days I avoid the restaurants completely and eat the food that I carry with me (fruit, salads, bread, vegemite, muesli bars etc). Generally I hit the restaurants in the bigger towns I pass through, which gives me a choice of where I want to eat.

Chris I also usu avoid fast food resturants out of principal also in fact when I'm not on a long bike ride I don't eat in resturants period. I don't like McD's in particular because I don't like marketing hype as well and even have kidded Dave about eating there in the past.However the FF joints can have food as healthy as a typical resturant (which I don't regard as particularly healthy as to preperation methods by the way)if you are deciplined enough to limit youself to a few unpopular items. I just find the convenience ,time in and out and low cost(again if selective)to be too much to resist on a tour where my appetite goes through the roof by the way.The only reason I stopped at McD's (and I am writing this because I almost feel I have sinned lol) is because it was pre-dawn and in the 30's the day after Thanksgiving and it was the only place open.Whatever you do don't eat the burgers or fries at Mcd's but the pancakes with all the water you can drink was tolerable however I truely feel sorry for you if you decide to add sausage with this lol.

Hi,
I'm a great fan of outdoor cooking. Unsually we buy stuff in a grocery store and then prepare a really great dinner and breakfast on our stove - for lunch we usually just have snacks.
When touring, at in least the places I visited so far, my body requires a certain amount and quality of food which I can get at reasonable cheap rates only if I cook myself. However, we do occasional dinners at local restaurants, to get to know the local foo.
For trips to remote areas cooking is the only way, and for such trips I even prepare dehydrated food myself.

When on tour, we strictly eat in restaurants. Maybe the ocassional take out picnic at some scenic location.
When just riding about the local scene, one aspect of the ride is stopping at favorite restaurants.. When go up in the hills to Lake Wolford- the cafe makes the best steel rolled oat meal in the world.. Other food treats- go up in the mountains Cinammon apple pancakes.. Good food -with my group, is a part of the ride.

A lot of the answer is about how long you go on tour. My tours typically are 3-5 months if i ate in restraunts Id go broke the first month. I carry a whisperlite stove and a small cook kit, You cna make great camp meals and when there are other tourists in camp a pot luck is quite rewarding. Breakfast is usually instant oatmeal and a left over bagal then hit the road for 20 or so miles and find a small town dinner I get a plate of pancakes and a pitchure of water mingle with the locals a whule and move on lnch is on the road either at a grocery deli or just snacks the evening meal i make in camp with grocerys bought just befor the campsite or a ride back to town fromthe camp site

I allways have a small supply of emergancy food for times when i get stuck miles away from a town and cant catch a fish or snare a little game, i typically spend 100 dollars a week and live like a king on the road

We carry cook gear and a stove, but for breakfast we like to try and find a local diner. We tend to snack all day so we skip lunch sometimes.
When I (We) travel I like to meet the locals, and diners are a great place to meet them. When you park you bike and walk in everyone wants to know were you have been or were your going.The small diners are the centers of many towns. I have found that people that eat at the fast food places don't care who you are, or ware your from. Maybe there just to rushed?
If we stop for lunch I like to find a local Pub, you can meet all the local color at the conner pub.
Cooking a meal at the end of a day is a great time to talk with your traveling patner. Even on the tandem we both see things the other did not.

Bentbaggerlen & Sidekickjan

Hey N_C
For myself, I've found that taking a cook kit and stove prove invaluable. Depending on where you tour, you may find yourself in areas or towns that have no services, thats when the extra weight pays off.
Usually for breakfast, I like to bike 10 miles or so and find a place to eat. If you have no services ahead, eat up! You will also find that there aren't many fast food restaurants in small towns, thankfully, so prices will be reasonable.
It is also depending on where you are going to be touring. On the east side of the Mississippi, campsites are usually a bit more expensive, usually around $10-15. Where on the west side, you can sleep in city parks or find a friendly persons yard.

Where are you headed?

Goodluck!
chris76

First of all thanks for all the great answers and comments.

Second my route is the Loess Hills Scenic By-way. The trip is going to be only 5 days long as it is my first self contained tour. (I have posted this in previous threads, so I aplogize for repeating myself to those who already know this information.) To find out more about the Loess Hills go to google.com and type in Loess Hill Scenic By-way. There are 4 camp grounds between Sioux City, wher I live and the Iowa/Missouri border, so it is 5 days of riding and 4 nights of camping.

The thing about Iowa is even though it is very rural, you can go in any direction and within 20 to 30 miles you will find a small town. These small towns all have at least 3 things, some times 4 thing in common. 1st the people are very friendly, 2nd there is always a small town cafe, and they are all great places to eat in, 3rd there is always a small town bar, sometimes the cafe and bar are one in the same. The 4th thing most of the small Iowa towns have in common is there is a Casey's General Store. Which is a convienence store that also makes great pizza. I'm sire most Iowans that are also members here will agree with me on the above comments.

After reading all of your ansers and comments I am leaning towards not taking my small camp stove and mess kit. And also because of the fact that finding somewhere to eat will not be a problem for me here in Iowa. Its not like I have a long distance to travel between places to find certain needed services. The stove is not very heavy and neither is the butane canisters that provide the fuel. But if I don't need it I won't carry it.

And I did figure that it will cost about 30$ a day for my trip. this includes the campground fees food, etc. Another member posted that he spends about that much a day a tour he had done. ironically enough that is about what it will cost me. And for a 5 day tour it will only be a total of about $150. pretty inexpensive, and worth not taking the time to cook my own food.

So again thanks and if there are any more comments anyone would like to make please do so.

My first tours as a poor student were on a cold diet. I was too poor to buy a stove.

I got one later, and brought it with me in a few tours, including my month-long tour of Newfoundland and the Maritime provinces. Never used it! I brought it once or twice after and eventually decided not to bring it.

My Summer diet consists of a lot of cold food. Some deli (the non salty cuts), cheese, lots of greeneries, nuts, raisins, dried cereals. I like milk on tour and have quite often "pigged" through 1 L of milk on the spot: some in cereals, some like that.

Foodwise, my best tour was in August 1983 in the Niagara peninsula: I often picked my own fruits. My worst was in Newfoundland, where I kept looking for a decent salad for almost 2 weeks!

I'm not as much addicted to caffeine as I am to espresso, and unless I don't have the machine with me, I stay off the liquid. BTW, Starbuck's liquid is too weak and too cold. And when it is cold, I prefer to stop in a warm restaurant or coffee house to drink a hot tea.

BTW, now that I am not a poor student anymore, I will aim at a restaurant once every 2-3 days to eat local food, and a bit more often if the weather is miserable.

Regards,

I'd be interested in your menu!
$100/wk is about what I want to get down too!

(and with stealth camping as much as possible)


A lot of the answer is about how long you go on tour. My tours typically are 3-5 months if i ate in restraunts Id go broke the first month. I carry a whisperlite stove and a small cook kit, You cna make great camp meals and when there are other tourists in camp a pot luck is quite rewarding. Breakfast is usually instant oatmeal and a left over bagal then hit the road for 20 or so miles and find a small town dinner I get a plate of pancakes and a pitchure of water mingle with the locals a whule and move on lnch is on the road either at a grocery deli or just snacks the evening meal i make in camp with grocerys bought just befor the campsite or a ride back to town fromthe camp site

I allways have a small supply of emergancy food for times when i get stuck miles away from a town and cant catch a fish or snare a little game, i typically spend 100 dollars a week and live like a king on the road

For those that have done any touring do youeat in resteraunts or take your own food and a means to cook it? Or both?...

I've done a mix of both. If camping I'll use my stove in the morning for oatmeal&espresso, same if I stopped at a guesthouse/hotel that didn't include breakfast. Sometimes I use the stove in the evening for cocoa.

If I hadn't stopped for supper before camp I'd cook up an easy carb meal (pasta, noodles, rice, mashed potatoes etc) with whatever protein at hand (sausage, tuna, TVP, soy etc). If stopping at a campground, and there was a restaraunt/cafe, I sometimes grabbed something there for supper (lazy). Depends if there is a small town/village nearby worth checking out though.

The rest of the day I'd graze off store bought, cold foods, but stop for good cold beer at cafes.

This was for European/Eastern European tours though, so I suppose sampling as much prepared food (and good beer) was part of the fun. When staying at Pensions/Hostels in the west (usually around touristy bits) an excellent cold breakfast was allmost allways available. I'd load up with extra servings+it usually carried me past brunch, sometimes beyond lunch!

In most Eastern European countries it became cost effective to stay at hotels/guesthouses AND eat out at restaraunts/cafes for 2-3 meals daily, due to the exchange. In the East-guesthouses/Pensions rarely had filling breakfasts (if at all). I'd stop at a nearby cafe, or go with a store bought cold breakfast, or cook up some oatmeal&espresso (no rhyme or reason). If there wasn't a restaraunt/cafe about for lunch I'd just have another larger cold snack.

I try to allways carry a few suppers, along with oatmeal & snacks (like: fruit, candy, bread, coldcuts&cheese, spreads etc) "just in case", and rotate through them.

I just off of Western Express - > TransAm from San Francisco to Yorktown.

On the first half of the trip, when temperatures were cooler, I carried and used an alcohol stove, and cooked at least two, and often three meals a day. Once I got across Kansas and the weather started to really heat up, I stopped using the cookset/stove. When I got off the bike after some of the heat/humidity riding, the last thing I wanted to fool with was making my own food. I sent it back home in IL after having not used it once in MO.

If the weather were cooler on tour, I'd definately take it again, or if my budget were tighter. I saved a great deal of money on the first half of my tour by cooking my own food, which later allowed me to eat out three times a day on the second half.

For those that have done any touring do youeat in resteraunts or take your own food and a means to cook it? Or both?

If you eat in resteraunts how much on average do you spend per meal? What kind of establishment do you eat in? Fast food, "truck stop" style, family style reseraunts? On average what does it cost you per meal?

When I do my tour next year I'm taking my small cook stove in case I need it, as well as some instant type soup mixes,etc where all you need to do is ad hot water. But I think the best way to meet people is to eat in the resteraunts of the communities I will be passing through and staying in.

I'd rather not eat in fast food places if I can help it. I prefere the sit down and take my time type places. Like family dining establishments.

When I'm touring in Canada, I usually buy the food and cook it at camp. I credt card toured in Europe a number of times and didn't carry a stove. Restaurant food tends to be expensive, so I would by the 'fresh and ready' foods at the large grocery chains. Half a BBQ'ed chicken would be the equivalent of $5. I found the beer and wine to be cheaper there as well. In many countries it is legal to consume alcohol in public places, so having a picnic in a park with wine or beer sure beats a smokey restaurant.

I'm taking my tent hammock and cook stove this year, so I'll report back as to how convenient it is to self supporting.

Breakfast, has to be British Style with all the trimmings and at least 2 teas, or an asian style omlette with a couple of paratas. Lunch time what ever is around where I am,wheather its in a diner type or the local shop, and evening, I love to sit with a bottle of wine and cook a lovely meal, at the camp. when I am heavy touring then its Italian, pasta for fuel, and to re build the protien, a meat dish which has been marinated in spices whilst riding. Then cooked over charcoal, or wood embers, providing the ground around was not too dry. eg in Italy in the summer, I would not have lit a fire, anywhere. too dry,,, its a tinder box.