How to pack food for a 4-day trip

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Ummmm....
  1. open lunch box
  2. put food inside
  3. ???
  4. profit

In all seriousness though, I bought the Canadian Ice Cooler or whatever its called from Strongbags. It works good.

If I were to do it all again, I'd just buy a chart case. When 50% of the hotels don't have freezers, so you got to either put your stuff in the "crew room" freezer only to have it stolen or the company employee freezer it just isn't worth it.

I bid around free breakfast, pack all dry foods and plan to eat out once a day.
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Quote: Anyone care to share their insights into successfully packing food for a 4-day trip??
I use the aerocoast EFB + cooler bag II. 4 day trip would include 3 dinners and depending on when the trip started/ended 2 to 4 lunches + snacks.

When we cook at home, which is most of the time, we generally have leftovers. If it's of the sort that freezes easily in Rubbermaid 2.9 cup container with little air, then it goes in one, gets labeled and set in the chest freezer for a trip. These will make up my dinners. We consider ourselves good cooks and do generally look forward to these all day when I'm working.

For lunch, I make up a salad in the same containers, one for today if necessary, and one for tomorrow. Salad dressing in used baby food jars. For days after that it's sandwiches. I've seen guys make a full on sandwich in cockpit, pulling out a loaf of bread and packets of cheese and lunchmeat and such. I prefer to make mine in advance than try to make the cockpit my kitchen.

I always carry snacks in the cooler too and it depends on what we have when I'm packing. It can be carrots, oranges, boiled eggs, cheese sticks, and sometimes a banana for the first day. I also generally have peanutbutter crackers on hand.

In the roller back, I carry a packet or two of microwavable rice packets to go with a dinner or two if appropriate as well as some crackers. Also carry sachets of oatmeal for those hotels that don't offer a free breakfast.

I stack the frozen dinners together on top of each other to reduce the surface area from touching non-frozen items and air. Next to them, I stock the refrigerated lunches. Two thin ice packs on the sides and one on the top. Cool snacks that I intend to eat that day go on the top.

If hotel fridge has no freezer, I stack the frozen dinners together to reduce exposed surface area. I don't mind if they thaw over the course of the trip, as long as they stay cold enough to be safe (use common sense here and if you're really unsure about how common your sense is, you can buy a thermometer). I have felt the need to use the freezer in the crew room from time to time but not often and never had it stolen. Only time I've felt the need to throw something out it was due to the hotel fridge turning off with the light switch and I didn't realize it until the morning.

Empty tupperware is filled with ice before leaving the hotel and is stacked on bottom and top of frozen dinners.

I usually end up bringing some food back. I don't mind eating out. I just don't want to beholden to eating out.
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Quote: Ruth’s Chris if available

Or. Uber eats for the most hipster healthy vegan ultra pure grass type food available for delivery.

And a bottle of Johnny blue in the rollaboard

Oh wait.... not the delta thread. Sorry
I have to admit this had me laughing for like 10 minutes. The Delta guys don’t do crash pads they get a suite at the W and schedule a spa appointment. Welcome to mainline, when can I hold left seat on the 350?
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Quote: Pretty sure this thread happens about every two weeks for some reason... i guess the meal prep hardos cant go much longer than that without sharing their down-to-the-item vaccum-sealed meal prep regimen like Patrick Bateman describing his morning routine. And if this thread doesn’t get u super stoked to share ur lunchbox escapades, don’t forget to check out “theveggiepilot” on instagram. A true pioneer in the healthy meal prep / vanity industry.

As for me, I usually stop in at Taco Bell on my way to the airport on day 1. I order about 16 Crunchwrap Supremes and then carefully stack them on top of each other in my Aerocoast cooler. Then i’ll lay a 2 liter bottle of Faygo on top and usually it all fits like a glove... perfect for a 4-day : )
HA. awesome.
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Quote: I bid around free breakfast, pack all dry foods and plan to eat out once a day.
That sounds doable. Thanks for the input!
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Quote: Empty tupperware is filled with ice before leaving the hotel and is stacked on bottom and top of frozen dinners.
Great idea, thanks for the feedback.
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Good God... get a real job that allows you not to eat like grade schoolers.....
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I'm an ACMI guy who stuck his head in here looking for another thread but figured I might share a few secrets for how I pack into a 19" carry on for 20 day trips (weeks worth of clothes before laundry).

Clamshell aluminum bag (reccomend Zero Hallburton).

Use "passenger size" toiletries.
Dedicated and compact toiletry bag.
Shoe travel bag.
These should all fit squarely into the top clamshell.

2 uniforms. Pressed and flat.
3 white t shirts. 4 other t shirts. 7 boxers. Rolled.
2 shorts pressed and flat.
Load squarely into the larger clamshell.

This is enough to get the job done and never check a bag in your life.
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Quote: Good God... get a real job that allows you not to eat like grade schoolers.....
It's a choice. I prefer my own food/meals. I eat out sometimes but it's more a social thing when I do.

I'd do this regardless of how 'real' the job was, whatever that means.
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Quote: It's a choice. I prefer my own food/meals. I eat out sometimes but it's more a social thing when I do.

I'd do this regardless of how 'real' the job was, whatever that means.






It means someone's an arrogant tool...
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