Originally Posted by
raybo
Why not simply carry some of your own cooking gear and food (maybe just pots and use AC's cooking stoves?) and let your wife prepare her own meals? AC would still carry all the gear and provide all the support you want.
While it would be a bit more costly and bother, it isn't a showstopper.
The OP covered this. A large part of the expense of most organized tours seems to be tied up in the food. It's more than "a bit" more expensive to buy your own food if you've already paid for all the food that you're not eating.
Some things to look at when scoping out tours: I seem to recall a supported trip around me that had different levels of food options. You could opt to pay more to have more meals provided, or you could wing it most of the time. I also seem to recall that with that trip or a similar one they discouraged or forbid stoves. If I had to guess, I'd say they were maybe concerned about spilled fuel in the support vehicle. With hundreds of riders, I can see that being a concern. I believe the work-around is to carry your stove with you.