Jay_Polisak

I'm looking for ideas of how to cut down the costs of touring, specifically on food, but anything else too. I'm pretty sure i'll do some stealth camping to save money, but anything else that you think would help, i'm up for, even if the food is bad .

Thanks;
Jay Polisak

Machka 

You could go the oriental noodle/oatmeal route, like most students do when they go to college!

But I'll point something out. I did a 3 month tour, and for the first 3 weeks, I basically went the oriental noodle/oatmeal route (plus a bit extra now and then), but ate very little protein because I didn't think I could afford it, and I don't eat a lot of protein normally anyway. By the end of 3 weeks I was having unbelievable cravings for meat!! I started adding meat to my diet and what a difference!! So if your tour is short, you can probably get away with the cheapest foods, but if it is long, don't skimp too much!!

crtreedude 

perhaps roadkills? (sorry, couldn't resist!)

Jay_Polisak

What would you recommend for a meat that will actually keep? Jerky, and is that cheap :S?

Rowan

Textured vegetable protein. I know you probably aren't a vegetarian, and I'm not either, but I've found this to be very very cost effective for getting protein in without the hassle of meat and its challenges in keeping fresh. TVP just needs water to make it the consistency of mince meat. It doesn't have a real taste of its own, but some chicken or beef flavoured powder and other herbs, plus fresh vegetables (which are also cheap) tossed in will give you a great meal for a fraction of the price. And it's lightweight -- a kilogram goes a long way.

As far as jerky is concerned, I don't think it is that cheap, frankly. I suppose if you reconstitute it with water, it can be as appetising as meat, but for me, no, it's not on my list of cheap and nourishing.

Also, plain old rolled oats (or the plain quick-cook oats, not the flavoured stuff or the other with any additives) have become my staple on many rides. Great energy source, simple as anything to cook, and you can add dried fruit or other natural flavourings of your choice. I also use powdered milk.

tronstar

canned tuna is cheap, high protien and tasty with oriental noodles. but its heavy! if you drain the cans and put a couple tins into one container, you should be fine.

oldguy52

Get the tuna that comes in a foil bag. Hardly any liquid in 'em. A 3 oz bag probably weighs 3.5 oz counting the bag. They're a lot easier to pack too.

kjmillig

Changing the subject for a moment: Oldguy52, what's your avatar? Looks like a sidecar. For a bike?

BostonFixed

And almost twice the price per weight than the canned version..

The oil packed canned tuna variety adds calories.

Beans are a cheap source of protein.

ernok1923

lentils are a great and ridiculously cheap food source. around here you can get a pound of them for about 80 cents. this will easily be enough for a weeks worth of dinners. and because of their high fiber conent, they will also fill you up. they do not need to be refridgerated, and you don't have to worry about crushing them (like you would dried pasta) only problem is they take some time to cook. you could try experimenting with soaking them. pour some in a ziploc bag with some water (maybe a veg. bouillion cube or some powdered soup mix) in the morning and cook them up at night. i would add a little protein to it for flavor as well as extending your lentil supply a bit, and vegetables. shopping for vegetables seasonally is a great way to get healthy food very cheaply, especially if you come across a farmers market. fresh tomatoes are great with lentils, maybe a little curry powder.....

outashape

Dollar stores have the foil tuna way cheaper than grocery stores.

Cyclist0094

Why is every college kid in the USA on a tight budget except for mine?

Chicken comes bagged now, and dried beef comes in small jars. Great way to do lentils on the road is to soak them during the day . It cuts down on the cooking time at dinner.

mycoatl

Here's a link to some good-tasting meals. Navigate to recipes using the toolbar on the left of the page. You can save money and still eat well by preparing a few things ahead of time with basic ingredients.

Other than that, I'd caution you to focus too much on cutting your food budget. Touring is physically demanding and mentally challenging at times. Having decent food give an important physical and psychological boost to get over that last hill before camp. IMHO there's nothing worse than rolling into camp tired, wet and hungry and staring at a packet of ramen. Cut somewhere else. Stealth camp, borrow a tent instead of buying one, etc.

Losligato

Here is what we do....

- Carry a stove, pot, knife, forks, spoon, and a set of Orikaso bowl and plate. Make your own food whenever possible. In the late afternoon when starving we used to give in and buy some expensive meal that we end up regretting. Now we make a simple lunch in the morning and keep it in a sealable pot.

-Wash your own clothing by hand in the bathroom sink and let it dry overnight.

-Many travelers spend a big portion of their budget on alcohol. We have found it far more interesting to get up early and see the villages waking up rather than spending long drinking nights with fellow travelers.

-Touring in the Third World in generally much less expensive than the First World. It is rare that we spend more per day here in Southeast Asia than we did this past summer while cycling down the U.S. west coast. A nice guesthouse here costs less than a hiker/biker site in Washington state.

-In Asia newer guesthouses not listed in the guidebooks are generally less expensive than those that have been around for a few years.

-www.warmshowers.com is a great way to meet local people interested in cycle touring who will put you up for a night or two.

-Fly in the shoulder seasons. During peak holiday times flights are more expensive than the low season.

-Before setting out on the trip buy your gear second-hand.

dbuzi123

You can buy sticks of salami in most markets, get the stuff that still has the white casing around it. It will keep for 3-4 days and is a good source of protein when you need it. I've always taken these backpacking. Also, beans are by far the cheapest form of protein I can think of....

tronstar

Why didn't i think of that?! i'm doing that next time. alot easier when shopping on tour as well...

acantor

Cooking from scratch rather than buying processed foods can save a bundle. Go to a library or used bookstore and check out cookbooks (even old ones) that emphasize whole grains, legumes, etc. Lentils, for example, are an excellent source of protein, especially when combined with grains or dairy products. Not all lentils need a lot of cooking; certain small red lentils (which are actually orange) cook in five or ten minutes, even without pre-soaking. Red lentils do not have much flavour themselves, but absorb the flavours of ingredients cooked with them. Also, beans can sometimes be purchased cracked or minimally processed, and they cook up much faster than whole beans. Look in health food stores for things like soy grits and kidney bean flakes.

When travelling cheaply, I cook up pots of mixed grains and legumes to produce hearty meals that are a cross between soup and stew. I combine, for example, 3 or four parts salted water with one part of a mix of converted rice, cornmeal, and lentils. By presoaking the mixture for two or three hours, it cooks up much faster. Just before cooking, add chopped onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and whatever other vegetables you can get your hands on. Simmer (covered) for 15 or 20 minutes, add a splash of strongly flavoured oil (e.g., olive or corn), squeeze in the juice of a lemon or lime, toss in a handful of grated cheese if you have it, and you will have a wholesome meal that tastes mighty fine at the end of a long day, and contains maybe a buck's worth of ingredients, assuming you added cheese. You can also add powdered milk to boost the protein.

I have had meals like this that come across as gourmet feasts -- when they are prepared with skill. If you make stews like these but they taste like damp drywall, you need to hone your cooking style. Adding something salty (e.g., salt, soy sauce, or tamari), acid (e.g., lemon juice or vingear) and/or fat (e.g., oil) while cooking will make it tastier. Novice cooks sometimes do not use enough salt.

oldguy52

kjmillig, Nope, not a side car, though I have seen some that look like that. It's a 2006 Wiz Wheels Terra Trike, Cruizer with a fiberglass velomobile body mounted on it.

bikingshearer 

Store-bought jerky is expensive. If you like the jerky idea, it is not too hard to make it yourself. Go to the library (again) and get a copy of any of Tom Stienstra's campground guide books. He is a backpacker, not a cyclist, but the (many) introductory pages before the campground info includes how to make your own jerky at home for a small fraction of the cost of buying it.

If Stienstra has a campground guide for your intended area, you can also get some priceless info on where offical campgrounds are, what they cost, how scenic they are and the amenities they have in case you simply have to find a hot shower without going to a KOA (shudder).

BTW, be sure your stove works well and you know how to light it, adjust it, and refill it before you head out. An earlier poster is right - going to bed cold, wet and hungry just plain sucks.

Rowan

If you can pick up some good crusty bread at a bakery on the way through, you've got a hugely satisfying meal there.

Bread? Take Mexican tortillas (unleaven bread). You can use them as wraps, and they keep pretty well and aren't so sensitive to being squashed.

Flour is the basis of so many foods we eat, it's worth taking a bag -- you can make soda bread, or pancakes, and it can be used to thicken stews.

Eggs are something that people throw up their hands about because they think they are so fragile. I've carried eggs all sorts of places in their cardboard or plastic containers, and not had one break. True! They don't have to be refrigerated providing the weather is mild and you're not going to keep them for weeks on end.

Cave

+1 on the tortillas.

Egg - you can get powdered egg, which is OK as an omelette or in other recipies and much lighter and easier to transport than fresh eggs. Still, nothing beats a couple of fresh country eggs...

Asian food stores have lots of dried food, some of it is really good (but often a little "aromatic"). Pre-sliced dried mushrooms cook quickly after a little soaking. Fried shallots are great, they are light and cheap and add that sauteed onion flavour to food. Dried shrimp and ikan bilis (Indonesian dried whitebait) are good if you like an asian "fishy" flavour.

In the US you can get dehydrated/powdered beans which don't need much time to soak or cook. Of whole legumes, red lentils take the least time to soak/cook, pretty much anything else takes too long if you are using a stove. If you use a campfire, you can soak them during the day as you ride and cook them for an hour or so in the evening.

TVP is good.

Freezedried beef can be ordered from plenty of places, it is more compact than jerky and rehydrates better.

Quick-cook rice is pretty cheap and is much easier to cook on a camp stove than "normal" rice. Even brown rice (quick-cook) can be cooked by simmering for a few minutes then "dutch ovening" in a sealed container (with insulation around it, eg. aluminized bubble wrap).

There is heaps of info out there on the hiking/bushwalking sites.

Cave

Cheap gear:

https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=206678

GeoKrpan

Food - 99 cent stores are everywhere these days. If you've not shopped at one for food you'll be surprised at the extent of the food items that they carry. It's important to eat well while you're touring. Food is your fuel, your stomach is your gas tank. As some else said here recently, breakfast is the cheapest meal to eat out.

Camping fees - Here in California, at least at the state parks near the coast, overnight camping costs $3.00 if you enter on a bicycle. Another thing, no reservation is required. They will accomodate you somehow even if the bike site is full. The campground at Pfeiffer Big Sur is incredible. Redwood trees, a blanket of pine needles, a river that's good for swimming, 25 cent showers, and beautiful beaches.

Equipment - A KHS Urban-X costs $329. It's has 36 spoke 26" wheels, a compact triple crankset, big name brand components, a good rear rack, braze ons for a front rack, steel fenders painted to match the frame, a comfortable seat, and the best grips. The tires are cheap, though, and need to be upgraded.
You could get a used bike but as I've seen so many times it could end up costing you more and with a new bike everything is new. Good bike fit is more likely when buying new. You can try different sizes back to back. Bike Nashbar has some very low priced racks and panniers.
Learn to adjust derailleurs, brakes, and spokes, it's not hard. Buy your bike ahead of time so that it is sorted out and running perfectly by the time that you're ready to go. If you buy new, you have a warranty, and a good bike shop will assist you for no charge during the break in period.

Encouragement - The best things in life are free. Thoreau said, "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to leave alone" from the late Ken Kifer's website. Check out Ken's website, there's a wealth of information for camping on the cheap.

cosmo starr

eat rice....'its really good when you want like 2000 of something'

Machka 

That's what handlebar bags are for! Always leave room for a carton of a half-dozen eggs in your handlebar bag!