Originally Posted by
rasoward
From your experiences what was your overall cost per day while biking across the US? We will be camping almost all of the time.
Also, is it worth it to bring a stove, or should we just eat out for dinner, and have cold breakfasts?
Too many variables.
Assuming your daily expenses don't count the gear you start out with, your primary expenses will be food and lodging. Just like when you're not on tour, preparing your own food will be cheaper then eating out, so whether or not you decide to bring a stove may depend on how much you want to spend.
Lodging is a huge variable, too. Hotels are generally more expensive then campgrounds. I feel like private campgrounds are generally more expensive then state parks (although that may very by state), and, cheapest of all, is, of course, free lodging, so your daily lodging expenses can very from 0$ to greater than $100. If you're primarily camping, you'll be on the lower end of that scale, probably routinely coming in under $40, but still $0-$40 is a pretty big range. There is lots of talk about "stealth camping" here, available with a quick search. I don't think it's really a euphemism for "illegal camping," but it is often employed to avoid running afoul of the law or property owners. Recent discussions prompted me to look up my own state's laws, and here's what I came up with:
§ 14‑159.13. Second degree trespass.
(a) Offense. – A person commits the offense of second degree trespass if, without authorization, he enters or remains on premises of another:
(1) After he has been notified not to enter or remain there by the owner, by a person in charge of the premises, by a lawful occupant, or by another authorized person; or
(2) That are posted, in a manner reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders, with notice not to enter the premises.
To my reading that would imply that you are not guilty of anything unless you ignore "No Trespassing" signs and/or refuse to leave after being told to. I'm sure it varies state-by-state, but if you're looking to keep expenses down, that's something to keep in mind. Of course, just asking for permission often works as well, with even less likelihood of a late-night ejection. For my part, I tend to favour official campsites, but that does push up your expenses, and, as has been said, not every route includes suitable pay options at reasonable intervals.
On a longer tour, you might run into additional gear expenses as items wear out and need to be replaced. On a short tour that's less of a concern, provided you start out with decent gear.
I'm plotting out a very short tour this summer and estimating $10-$15 per night camping and possibly $15-$25 per day for food, which could vary greatly depending how much I'm willing to carry with me and what my other dining options are. But only time will tell if my estimates are correct.