Tramping - food?

[cgscott]

robthedog:

cgscott:
If your not willing to use a micro then invest in a gas stove. Set up a couple of planters on back of unit for fresh vegitables. Skin the odd cow on the way on you daily breaks. Store the meat in coolbox or if its sunny then slice thinly for jerky. Ready within about 2 weeks.

Either that man up and buy a micro. Get some ready meals as stated and crack on.

Or prepare meals in advance and again man up and spend a few pennies on a good fridge.

If you dont do this then tramping isnt for you.

Any good tramper will have all the mod cons as if he was living at home.

Fridge microwave unlimited data on phone
Tv in cab in proper position for evening tugs and a box of tissues to hand as well.

Dear oh dear white van man cack once again

I i dentify as a white van now. I nay howerver identify as a trucker again if the wages go up and hours drop.

[robroy]

the maoster:
Turnip.

Aye but…
They ain’t just ANY custard creams…they’re M&S custard creams…
AND…got a reduced sticker on them, so double whammy/double points.
Leave the lad alone.

[dozy]

the maoster:
Turnip.

Seat covers ha ha

[bigtruck3]

robroy:

the maoster:
Turnip.

Aye but…
They ain’t just ANY custard creams…they’re M&S custard creams…
AND…got a reduced sticker on them, so double whammy/double points.
Leave the lad alone.

If he eats them all at once there will be none left for his dinner

[scraggy88]

jessejazza:
Now I am back tramping again - I was wondering what folk do for food.

I have to watch my diet and service station burghers etc upset my stomach. So far I have managed trying to have a main meal at the end of the day. I have a gas stove (not got on with microwaves) and so far use tinned food - potatoes, ratatouille, carrots and peas, and tinned meat (supermarkets seem to do a fair range like beef curry, chicken supreme, chicken Korma, meatballs, Tikka Misala). Breakfast and during the day I struggle with maybe a ‘breakfast’ tin, spaghetti rings and sausages, rice pudding. When it comes to tinned food the choice is not great.

Folk I have spoken to tend to make up meals for the week - only trouble I have had with that is the truck freezer or fridge does not always work if one changes vehicles. I take my own electric coolbox now. I have had some miserable hungry days in the past. For washing I take 2x10L and 1x20L of water - one doesn’t always go near a service station to make use of the facilities - that’s enough for washing self, washing up, and shaving.

Perhaps there are tips someone can give for finding roadside cafes that offer a full meal rather than just a burger snack. A proper cafe seems to have almost disappeared.

Appreciate any advice from those with years of experience.

You can make a half decent meal with a few tins and a pot and burner. . . I used to take a load of tins of meaty stuff (?) Stews, chunky soups and plain tins of steak in gravy, cook it up with a tin of spuds, a tin of vegetables and a tin of soup if you want more juice to dunk in some bread and you have a bloody good meal in my opinion! Sometimes nice to add something else like some fresh bacon if available or mix it up a bit, Tesco used to have some tins of minted lamb stew, not sure if they still do but it was yummy as hell! Take some herbs and spices for flavour or variety too and once you done, boil some water and wash/sterilize your pot and utensils and pack away until next day. . .
I wasn’t lucky enough to have a microwave in my unit but got myself a double hob burner and a few propane bottles which wasn’t really expensive and even an old school kettle that whistles when it’s ready.

Or if you have the time and ingredients to hand then cook yourself a stir fry or something from fresh on a pan lol.

Good times man!

Was chatting to a driver over the radio a few months ago and he somehow installed a bbq grill on his passenger seat and cooked that way with a full size propane bottle in the footwell

Little bit too much for me and I wouldn’t want to be cleaning fat splatter off the seats and dash every day

[mark1284]

Get everything from the supermarket at the weekend. Buy the multipack crisps/drinks/sweets etc also make meals at home and put them in a container then in the fridge on mon morning ready for warming up. Can cost you close to a tenner just for your dinner at services

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[robroy]

Scraggy88:
Was chatting to a driver over the radio a few months ago and he somehow installed a bbq grill on his passenger seat and cooked that way with a full size propane bottle in the footwell

Little bit too much for me and I wouldn’t want to be cleaning fat splatter off the seats and dash every day

I reckon a few splatterings of fat ain’t the biggest thing to worry about.

[stargazer148]

robroy:

Scraggy88:
Was chatting to a driver over the radio a few months ago and he somehow installed a bbq grill on his passenger seat and cooked that way with a full size propane bottle in the footwell

Little bit too much for me and I wouldn’t want to be cleaning fat splatter off the seats and dash every day

I reckon a few splatterings of fat ain’t the biggest thing to worry about.
0

Dozy cooking his Friday steak?

[robroy]

stargazer148:

robroy:

Scraggy88:
Was chatting to a driver over the radio a few months ago and he somehow installed a bbq grill on his passenger seat and cooked that way with a full size propane bottle in the footwell

Little bit too much for me and I wouldn’t want to be cleaning fat splatter off the seats and dash every day

I reckon a few splatterings of fat ain’t the biggest thing to worry about.
0

Dozy cooking his Friday steak?

Hope he managed to get all his ‘‘pocket money’’ out the cab.

[jessejazza]

Thank you for your replies… some not so kindly in tone.

I’m probably not doing as badly as I thought. As for shopping whilst out I must do longer hours than some of you. I did stop by a Tesco Extra on Sunday and could have gone in but that was only because that delivery was for Mon 0700 and I’d been given plenty of time that day to do the 300+ mile trip. The Class 1 jobs I have had have been a 13+ hour day… possible to stop and shop if one knows an area. This firm are on Snap which if like my local one have a Spar next door but that’s not so common.

Much depends on cab space I think - my truck is a Scania R450 no fridge. So my electric coolbox takes up space as does carrying water. My gas burner is a catering outdoor cast iron type with gas bottle which also takes up space but I think I will try the 7kg bottles. Microwaves I find fine for warming up but not so good for cooking fresh veg in. If anything what I find frustrating is the lack of space in a cab.

Most folk seem to stop and go straight to bed so I can only presume they take a longer break earlier and have food then.

[robroy]

jessejazza:
Most folk seem to stop and go straight to bed so I can only presume they take a longer break earlier and have food then.

Not ‘most’, but just the types who think tramping is some sort of work/sleep endurance test…don’t fall into that trap ffs.

Have you tried parking somewhere half decent near a town and eating out one or two nights?

I had a small cab Scania briefly late 90s, what I did was take passenger seat out, …loads of room for your kit then, but depends if your boss is ok with that.
If you’re pulling same trailer all time (highly unlikely I know, but some do) put a food box on side of chassis, Euro style, and put a water container on back of unit with a tap on it.
I once saw a guy with a plastic spout (like an exhaust stack ) up the back of his cab, full of water with a tap on the bottom.
Just a couple of ideas…however dodgy.

[msgyorkie]

We have a driver on here that works wonders with a recipie containing a ginsters pie and an orange.

[the_maoster]

msgyorkie:
We have a driver on here that works wonders with a recipie containing a ginsters pie and an orange.

Unfortunately his head contains more or less the same!

[franglais]

Pull into truck park.
Hand over keys at bar for access to showers. Get keys back and return towel etc to cab.
Return to bar for couple of aperitif.
Help yourself to fresh salads etc. Order hot food and cool wine at table. Choose cheese and desert. Coffee at bar and pay bill.
Check change from the 20 euro note.
Leave tip, call out thanks and farewells before sleep.
Couldn’t be easier.

[robroy]

Franglais:
Pull into truck park.
Hand over keys at bar for access to showers. Get keys back and return towel etc to cab.
Return to bar for couple of aperitif.
Help yourself to fresh salads etc. Order hot food and cool wine at table. Choose cheese and desert. Coffee at bar and pay bill.
Check change from the 20 euro note.
Leave tip, call out thanks and farewells before sleep.
Couldn’t be easier.

Couldn’t put it better myself.
You would think doze could do better than Ginsters and orange squash with that Grand a week ‘‘pocket money’’ he keeps telling us about btw, …steaks every night with that I would have thought

[yourhavingalarf]

Franglais:
Pull into truck park.
Hand over keys at bar for access to showers. Get keys back and return towel etc to cab.
Return to bar for couple of aperitif.
Help yourself to fresh salads etc. Order hot food and cool wine at table. Choose cheese and desert. Coffee at bar and pay bill.
Check change from the 20 euro note.
Leave tip, call out thanks and farewells before sleep.
Couldn’t be easier.

This every time…

In Italy sometimes I dined in peoples front roooms. You rang the number on the lamp post and lo and behold a car arrived, took you to lunch at their own house and then returned you to your lorry.

My standby evening meal using a two burner with a 3.9 kilo gas bottle was pasta. Fusilli to be precise, Loydd Grossman sauces (get them on offer or cash 'n carry) and add tinned tuna or what ever meat you might get hold of during the day. Snacks would be cheese 'n Branston on Ryvita. For afters tinned fruit and custard.
I found that two British army standard issue mess tins did everything I wanted them to do. I did have a medium size frying pan for the occaisional steak or chicken fillet with white wine and garlic (that’s literally the recipe btw). As already mentioned, having your own trailer makes all the difference. Deck chairs, small folding table and all your water supplies kept close to hand but not filling up the cab.

[jessejazza]

robroy:

jessejazza:
Most folk seem to stop and go straight to bed so I can only presume they take a longer break earlier and have food then.

…
I had a small cab Scania briefly late 90s, what I did was take passenger seat out, …loads of room for your kit then, but depends if your boss is ok with that.
If you’re pulling same trailer all time (highly unlikely I know, but some do) put a food box on side of chassis, Euro style, and put a water container on back of unit with a tap on it…

I wouldn’t be able to take the seat out until I am allocated my own truck - this firm seem to swap folk around until they have been there a while and then they get there own.

Not pulling the same trailer which is a pity but I have found it worth using the space in the back as seldom is the trailer jam packed. Tend to cook at the back as well and if raining sit up there out of the rain. I have unearthed my old army box which I am planning to use behind the cab for water which can be easily mounted on the catwalk through the holes. that will make quite a difference.

[the_maoster]

Don’t stress overmuch about in cab cooking. Sometimes all you need is the internet.

[switchlogic]

Cooking for yourself is easy and rewarding, just takes a bit of thought. And quick. For instance if happily race anyone from a standing start- me making an egg and bacon roll and eating it and someone going in to buy one! Very rarely I eat out, only when it’s great quality like Chippenham Truckstop or Gloucester Services. And re the race- I’d win, and eat better food that’s cooked the way and exactly the quality I want

[yourhavingalarf]

the maoster:
Don’t stress overmuch about in cab cooking. Sometimes all you need is the internet.

Sorry mate…

But that really does look like a large plate of vomit. Bon appetite!

Your point about the internet is a valid one. If you’ve paid for it via Just Eat or which ever one you use, they’ll bring it to you in which ever lay-by you’ve bounced yer nearside wheel up for the night.