Food and various provisions for a week, plus.

.
.
Have you ever stopped to calculate how much food costs each meal, or day, or even per week?  I have, or tried.  The problem is, hamburger and beans and etc. this week, day, meal, costs a lot less than ribeye and potatoes, but they all cost more than a big batch of chili or tuna-mac.  Urhm, I think?  Trying to make sense of that is just not my area.  I honestly have no idea how much I spend, save that $200 twice a month is slim and $650 or more is easy if I don't pay attention, at least when I was trying to do all the cooking myself (threw a lot of good food gone bad away though, if too I would have eaten it save for dishes having me in a corner).  Oh, sure, a wife would probably tame that right down... being that she would probably have other plans for the money.  I would love to, myself, but it's just not a man-thing.  I have tired, just...  I can use a vacuum cleaner sooner than do a grocery list... budget... thing.

Still, I know that for three squares, which I never do, but lets work with that, and even with a woman doing the budgeting and buying and such, costs a fairly nice shiny coin.  My guess is that at 3k calories a day, on the moderate to meek side of the budget, and with balance in mind, $15-$30 isn't out of line at all per day  (and, yes, 3k, perhaps as high as 3.5k-4k, for me, is maintenance).  Now, how much would food on the go, out there, travel food, cost?  If you said more you are correct.  Even eating at the least expensive places, to fully cover appetite, say at McDonalds, it would cost me between $25 and $40 a day.  A real restaurant would be much more.  And a special venue would be astronomical.  So, how would $12.28 per day, for three squares, on the road, work?  Perfectly, if you ask me.  A week of three MRE meals per day, plus tidbits such as napkins, utensils, drinks, sides, and deserts for $86 would be the ticket.  Most likely I would have food left over, for the pantry.  Good for hiking and such, if I can get to it after the trip.  Well, and not bad to have around for the days/weeks where cooking just isn't happening.

Oh, if you want one, I could always order an extra MRE kit for you, D.C.  I pay much less in shipping, and since I will be driving that way anyway...  Anything else you might want from there I could probably get too.  I think I only pay $6.95 shipping, regardless of order size.  That shipping price included the year's supply of grains and legumes, iirc.  Though if you plan on buying three year's supply of stuff... well... we would have to... discuss that.  Heh.

Oh, not to say I wouldn't like to bring other things, a few salami for example, perhaps some cheeses that haven't been embalmed.  :p  And of course there are other things to consider.  It might be fun to bring beans and lentils and such, and the rocket stove, just to see how that truly works?  I might even just take powdered milk rather than trying to fuss with fresh.  Save that it would be fun to see how well an alternative refrigerator or two really would work.  A desert science lab?  A prepper's self-schooling opportunity?  There are probably other foods that would be good, fun, or simply delicious to take as well.  I won't be without my butter, but canned butter or ghee would do just fine.  And whole coffee beans, my grinder, and probably a french press would work best.  Gotta have my coffee since soda just, probably, won't do well in that heat.  Might even be a little dangerous?

Yes, yes, I haven't been this into a project in a while.  Damned the money, inconvenience, and the rest of it, all sails and full steam ahead.  I have... places to go, things to see, and people to irritate!  I will have to slow down and do some real taking of stock soon.  I will be taking, pretty much, most of my camping gear minus a tent.  I will be taking bits of both cold and warm weather gear.  I do have some rope, though I am not sure it is the best for tying down a camper.  I will have to collect, audit, contain, and bolster my first aid kit, to include bug repellant(s), sun block, and other asunder.  Why so early?  Last time, going on the blind, taking without thinking, worked fine.  This time it is a little more complicated.  And being, essentially, in the middle of nowhere, living even in a camper not at a home, with no phone access (which doesn't mean much to me, actually, save emergencies though that will be covered), the thing becomes just a bit more serious.  Though, too, I don't want to take too much, either.  At least we don't have to hump our gear a couple decades of miles, or even clicks.  Still, a decent back pack full (which nicely converts to full pack with side "rockets" down to even a single "rocket" in the sling for day use), maybe another pack of some sort, but... not too much more, save for water and food.  They suggest, at a minimum, 1.5 gallons, per person, per day.  Hmm, by seven that is 10.5 gallons.  I am thinking more along the lines of about 3 gallons per day, being a true desert, and just in case, plus the possibility someone else might need a drop.  Since I'm not having to tote it I am more inclined to bring enough to share.  So, 21 gallons per person?  Yes...  Oh, sorry, just thinking.

Yes, I am getting excited.  Oh, and I would have to discuss things with my adventure partner.  Some things, like water, will be somewhat dependent upon the buggy chosen.  It is just that, at the beginning of the road, everything seems possible.  And, it is all possible.  It probably isn't all doable.  Maybe.  Depending on how high or off one aims I suppose.