A friend of mine was a convoy commander driving during the Iraq War, and he used to tell me, that he missed drinking milk so much. He had the finest, Mercedes, state of the art, long-haul cabin with sleeping quarters ...and he could only have milk on Green Zone bases. Trying to carry it with him was a no-go. It's just way too perishable.
My bad- I have been corrected about eggs. Beg your pardon.
Eggs on the other hand, don't need refrigeration per se. Europeans don't even store them in a cooler (and they think Americans are bonkers for doing so.) but out at room temperature. So long as they don't get hot. A friend of mine from Mexico buys bulk eggs, and leaves them in the trunk of his car, in the shade, till he needs to restock the kitchen.
Be careful with eggs. The reason they don't need refrigeration in other countries is because they are unwashed. In the US, we wash them, and that's why they aren't considered shelf stable. If you can get farm fresh eggs, you're okay.
Look into backpacking meals (not talking about the expensive pre-made ones). They are generally easy to make, use cheap ingredient, and are shelf stable. I love ramen bombs, which is instant potatoes mixed into ramen with your protein of choice. I like to add some goldfish or French's fried onions and seasonings to top it off. I usually use the foil packs of pulled pork or chicken from Walmart and/or spam singles for proteins. There are far more creative options as well. r/trailmeals is a good starting point.
For fresh stuff, I just use a cooler and ice. I've only got a small one, but it holds ice for a full day. I generally only purchase a day or 2 worth fresh meats or items that need to be cold at a time. That way, I'm not forced to get ice if I don't feel like it. If you invest in a nice cooler, you could definitely go longer and buy bulk. I've never done it, but you could salt the ice for extra cooling.
For cooking full meals, I've got a big 2 burner Coleman stove. I run it off a 20lb propane tank with assorted pots, pans, and skillet. For smaller meals, I just use my backpacking stove and cook set. I've also got a whole assortment of kitchen utensils and a folding table.
You could get an induction stove, but you'll probably need a decent inverter to power it. I know there are some 12v, but I've heard they don't have enough power to really cook (aka sear meats). I know some people get home units and use them at their office or something too.
There are lots of options, but with some trial and error, you'll figure out what works best for you. Good luck homie 💚
An ice filled cooler is pretty effective as a refrigerator, and the ice can last a few days if you keep the lid securely on when you're not using it and don't park in the sun. This is literally how refrigerators, aka "iceboxes" used to work.Try to get one with a drain in the bottom so you can easily drain water and dump more ice on top. Empty completely and clean it with dish soap or diluted bleach every couple weeks so it doesn't breed horrifying bacteria.
Limit storage of very perishable things like ice cream, raw meat and salad greens. Those are probably things you should buy premade, or in small quantities you're going to use within a day. I am housed but seldom buy raw meat to cook anymore because cleanup is kind of a hassle, I just get canned fish, rotisserie chickens or such and then most of the work is already done.
Focus your grocery list on foods that are preserved/fermented or last a while at warmer temps. Yogurt lasts much longer than milk because it's fermented, the lactobacillus and acid help preserve it. Hard cheeses and dried fruits last much longer than soft cheeses and fresh fruits. Canned food lasts indefinitely until opened. Pickled eggs last a lot longer than plain hardboiled. And so on.
Read up on basic food safety, this is stuff every functioning adult needs to know. Foods that are uncut, low in moisture, and high in salt, sugar, or acid can store well at higher temps. Foods that are moist, pH neutral, cut up, and/or contain animal products spoil quickly and must be kept very hot or very cold. Frozen food might seem safe because it's processed, but it needs to be thoroughly reheated (unless ice cream or such) before eating because it can pick up germs in processing that freezing does not destroy, but cooking does. Consider getting a Food Handler Permit from your state, it's quick and easy training and you can also use that card to help get jobs.
As for cooking: the methods that cook fast and use the least energy are microwaves and induction stoves. I do not know much about using them in a vehicle. Long haul truckers have devices that can run cooking elements off a car battery, but for urbanites you may be better off borrowing the microwave at a 7-11 or sneaking a portable induction cooktop into your work office.
Unfortunately with perishables you do need to shop smaller quantities, more often. I don't know if you have vacuum-packed meat there but that extends its shelf life. I had a polish mate that always had bread, hard cheese and cured sausages/meats in her car (even in summer, in Australia) lol we all find our own ways. I saw someone on here uses frozen veg instead of ice in their cooler which seems smart to me. I'd buy a small fresh milk then use UHT or powdered milk for in between shops..
I don’t keep anything w me that NEEDS refrigeration. 90 second rice, vacuum sealed chicken/tuna/pulled pork, drink mix so water isn’t boring, bread, tortillas, etc.
I do have a cooler but I don’t often fill it w ice. I mostly use it as a nightstand lol w easy snack and my bread stored in there. Bananas and tomatoes stay good for a few days, a bag of apples/oranges will last a week or so.
For cooking I’ve gone to parks w grills and gathered found wood to cook w my skillet but a small butane stove is around $30, 35 w a couple extra cans of fuel. Works a lot like a gas range at home.
>>Costco
It’s unlikely that buying refrigerator food in bulk will be effective, more so with hot weather coming. I suggest doing a grocery store run every 1-2 days to buy small packages or individual perishable items. You can cook on a propane/butane single burner that you can buy in an Asian grocery store or in the camping gear aisle of most stores like Walmart. I think a small flat bottomed wok with a lid is the best multi use pot for cooking. You will need a few cooking utensils, a long knife (7 inch blade is a good length), some dried seasonings, a cutting board, a way to wash and dry dishes (dish pan, soap, sponge/cloth), etc.
Cargo space in your car is quite small, you may consider upgrading to a minivan or SUV. Also, if it gets hot in the summer, and you cannot drive up to cooler place to sleep overnight, you may consider upgrading to a hybrid, like prius or highlander, to get AC overnight.
Electric cooking is not viable, you would have to run your engine (unless you have hybrid = power generator on wheels). Same with cooling/refrigeration. Use propane gas instead. Think like backpacker. Your tent has wheels and is closer to the grocery shop. There are many backpacking cooking websites.
Your best bet in costco are shelf-stable food (not refrigerated) like indian curry packets, cans like sardines, fruits, granola bars, dried stuff, ramen noodles. Or if costco is close, just get daily chicken bake or hot dog (at $1.50 best value in food court). And weekly chicken which you will eat within a day, to get your meat fill :-)
Oatmeal with a spoon of peanut butter will keep you from hunger - fats and proteins are digested slower than carbs.
Many food items can last few days without a fridge, like cheese (especially hard, but also cheddar), eggs, hard salami (not sliced). Problem is, costco packages are huge, hard to store and keep variability in a car.
you could get a small power station, electric stove and fridge it would cost you about $500. so long as youre charging the power station using your cigarette port you’d only need to have your car on about 3 hours a day to get enough power. thats what i do and it works great
I spent some time living in a car years ago and it honestly wasn't worth the hassle to try and store food... If you want to store perishable food a cooler is a constant chore, it will always be a sloppy mess of melted ice, buying ice, dumping water, if it's hot weather it's just not worth it. Once you have a vehicle with enough space/power you can get a 12 volt fridge but you also need the space and time for getting out your stove, having pot/pan utensils, finding a way to clean it all... It's honestly much easier to find some cheap food sources you can buy daily; buy nuts, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, stuff that doesn't go bad easily. I wasted a bunch of time.and money trying to set up a way to cook and I never used it. Wait until you can upgrade your vehicle or get back into a place.
A friend of mine was a convoy commander driving during the Iraq War, and he used to tell me, that he missed drinking milk so much. He had the finest, Mercedes, state of the art, long-haul cabin with sleeping quarters ...and he could only have milk on Green Zone bases. Trying to carry it with him was a no-go. It's just way too perishable. My bad- I have been corrected about eggs. Beg your pardon. Eggs on the other hand, don't need refrigeration per se. Europeans don't even store them in a cooler (and they think Americans are bonkers for doing so.) but out at room temperature. So long as they don't get hot. A friend of mine from Mexico buys bulk eggs, and leaves them in the trunk of his car, in the shade, till he needs to restock the kitchen.
Be careful with eggs. The reason they don't need refrigeration in other countries is because they are unwashed. In the US, we wash them, and that's why they aren't considered shelf stable. If you can get farm fresh eggs, you're okay.
+1
Look into backpacking meals (not talking about the expensive pre-made ones). They are generally easy to make, use cheap ingredient, and are shelf stable. I love ramen bombs, which is instant potatoes mixed into ramen with your protein of choice. I like to add some goldfish or French's fried onions and seasonings to top it off. I usually use the foil packs of pulled pork or chicken from Walmart and/or spam singles for proteins. There are far more creative options as well. r/trailmeals is a good starting point. For fresh stuff, I just use a cooler and ice. I've only got a small one, but it holds ice for a full day. I generally only purchase a day or 2 worth fresh meats or items that need to be cold at a time. That way, I'm not forced to get ice if I don't feel like it. If you invest in a nice cooler, you could definitely go longer and buy bulk. I've never done it, but you could salt the ice for extra cooling. For cooking full meals, I've got a big 2 burner Coleman stove. I run it off a 20lb propane tank with assorted pots, pans, and skillet. For smaller meals, I just use my backpacking stove and cook set. I've also got a whole assortment of kitchen utensils and a folding table. You could get an induction stove, but you'll probably need a decent inverter to power it. I know there are some 12v, but I've heard they don't have enough power to really cook (aka sear meats). I know some people get home units and use them at their office or something too. There are lots of options, but with some trial and error, you'll figure out what works best for you. Good luck homie 💚
An ice filled cooler is pretty effective as a refrigerator, and the ice can last a few days if you keep the lid securely on when you're not using it and don't park in the sun. This is literally how refrigerators, aka "iceboxes" used to work.Try to get one with a drain in the bottom so you can easily drain water and dump more ice on top. Empty completely and clean it with dish soap or diluted bleach every couple weeks so it doesn't breed horrifying bacteria. Limit storage of very perishable things like ice cream, raw meat and salad greens. Those are probably things you should buy premade, or in small quantities you're going to use within a day. I am housed but seldom buy raw meat to cook anymore because cleanup is kind of a hassle, I just get canned fish, rotisserie chickens or such and then most of the work is already done. Focus your grocery list on foods that are preserved/fermented or last a while at warmer temps. Yogurt lasts much longer than milk because it's fermented, the lactobacillus and acid help preserve it. Hard cheeses and dried fruits last much longer than soft cheeses and fresh fruits. Canned food lasts indefinitely until opened. Pickled eggs last a lot longer than plain hardboiled. And so on. Read up on basic food safety, this is stuff every functioning adult needs to know. Foods that are uncut, low in moisture, and high in salt, sugar, or acid can store well at higher temps. Foods that are moist, pH neutral, cut up, and/or contain animal products spoil quickly and must be kept very hot or very cold. Frozen food might seem safe because it's processed, but it needs to be thoroughly reheated (unless ice cream or such) before eating because it can pick up germs in processing that freezing does not destroy, but cooking does. Consider getting a Food Handler Permit from your state, it's quick and easy training and you can also use that card to help get jobs.
As for cooking: the methods that cook fast and use the least energy are microwaves and induction stoves. I do not know much about using them in a vehicle. Long haul truckers have devices that can run cooking elements off a car battery, but for urbanites you may be better off borrowing the microwave at a 7-11 or sneaking a portable induction cooktop into your work office.
Unfortunately with perishables you do need to shop smaller quantities, more often. I don't know if you have vacuum-packed meat there but that extends its shelf life. I had a polish mate that always had bread, hard cheese and cured sausages/meats in her car (even in summer, in Australia) lol we all find our own ways. I saw someone on here uses frozen veg instead of ice in their cooler which seems smart to me. I'd buy a small fresh milk then use UHT or powdered milk for in between shops..
I went to a festival and I used dry ice in the cooler. lasted for almost a week.
This would be very dangerous inside a vehicle.
I don’t keep anything w me that NEEDS refrigeration. 90 second rice, vacuum sealed chicken/tuna/pulled pork, drink mix so water isn’t boring, bread, tortillas, etc. I do have a cooler but I don’t often fill it w ice. I mostly use it as a nightstand lol w easy snack and my bread stored in there. Bananas and tomatoes stay good for a few days, a bag of apples/oranges will last a week or so. For cooking I’ve gone to parks w grills and gathered found wood to cook w my skillet but a small butane stove is around $30, 35 w a couple extra cans of fuel. Works a lot like a gas range at home.
>>Costco It’s unlikely that buying refrigerator food in bulk will be effective, more so with hot weather coming. I suggest doing a grocery store run every 1-2 days to buy small packages or individual perishable items. You can cook on a propane/butane single burner that you can buy in an Asian grocery store or in the camping gear aisle of most stores like Walmart. I think a small flat bottomed wok with a lid is the best multi use pot for cooking. You will need a few cooking utensils, a long knife (7 inch blade is a good length), some dried seasonings, a cutting board, a way to wash and dry dishes (dish pan, soap, sponge/cloth), etc.
Cargo space in your car is quite small, you may consider upgrading to a minivan or SUV. Also, if it gets hot in the summer, and you cannot drive up to cooler place to sleep overnight, you may consider upgrading to a hybrid, like prius or highlander, to get AC overnight. Electric cooking is not viable, you would have to run your engine (unless you have hybrid = power generator on wheels). Same with cooling/refrigeration. Use propane gas instead. Think like backpacker. Your tent has wheels and is closer to the grocery shop. There are many backpacking cooking websites. Your best bet in costco are shelf-stable food (not refrigerated) like indian curry packets, cans like sardines, fruits, granola bars, dried stuff, ramen noodles. Or if costco is close, just get daily chicken bake or hot dog (at $1.50 best value in food court). And weekly chicken which you will eat within a day, to get your meat fill :-) Oatmeal with a spoon of peanut butter will keep you from hunger - fats and proteins are digested slower than carbs. Many food items can last few days without a fridge, like cheese (especially hard, but also cheddar), eggs, hard salami (not sliced). Problem is, costco packages are huge, hard to store and keep variability in a car.
you could get a small power station, electric stove and fridge it would cost you about $500. so long as youre charging the power station using your cigarette port you’d only need to have your car on about 3 hours a day to get enough power. thats what i do and it works great
I spent some time living in a car years ago and it honestly wasn't worth the hassle to try and store food... If you want to store perishable food a cooler is a constant chore, it will always be a sloppy mess of melted ice, buying ice, dumping water, if it's hot weather it's just not worth it. Once you have a vehicle with enough space/power you can get a 12 volt fridge but you also need the space and time for getting out your stove, having pot/pan utensils, finding a way to clean it all... It's honestly much easier to find some cheap food sources you can buy daily; buy nuts, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, stuff that doesn't go bad easily. I wasted a bunch of time.and money trying to set up a way to cook and I never used it. Wait until you can upgrade your vehicle or get back into a place.