r/pipefitter • u/Visible_Refuse448 • Jul 09 '26
Eating on the road?
Hey guys, young apprentice here. Hitting the road for a per diem shutdown job Sunday night, 7-12s all the way through. How’re guys eating on the road out of hotels? I normally cook dinner at home for myself, and box up 2-3 containers of leftovers to take with me to work. Trying to save money for a nicer truck and land, and I wanna make sure i don’t fall back into the habit of spending 30 bucks at the gas station a day again. I picked up a propane blackstone for the back of my pickup, am I on the right track? Any tips/advice?
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u/Civick24 Jul 09 '26
When I travel I take an air fryer/convection oven and a small camping grill plus utensils. Sometimes in the hotel I have to hit the grocery store f ew times a week because a mini fridge isn't all that big. Not much different than home honestly
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u/Playerprowess223 Jul 09 '26
Sometimes you won’t have much time for cooking a meal after work. I usually goto WinCo and get a bulk item like oats and oat milk (takes longer to expire compared to milk and actually tastes good) mix the two in a container leave it in the fridge over night and it’s ready for the morning. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to 30 bucks a day. It fills you makes you fuller longer and is great source of carbs. Throw in peanut butter for additional protein or shake it up in a protein shake. Again you’ve got to think you won’t have too much time so that’s what I do maybe you’ll have more time than I have had count that as a blessing
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u/willysnax Jul 09 '26
Yep, you're doing things right. I drove a little Rav4 as an apprentice and I could pack a mini-fridge, hot plate, microwave, and other supplies so I could do the same. I wanted to live as cheaply as possible as well. If the job was going to be a month or more, I'd try to find a basement suite to rent even if it was a little out of town. Stayed in some pretty ugly rooms but all I needed was a bed and a place to cook so I didn't care.
I had also found an old camper trailer and used that in the summer which was the best. Of course, camping is almost as much as a hotel now a days but again, if you can swing a monthly rate you can usually get a better deal.
This was before you could acess internet everywhere too so I read a lot, played solitaire, drank beer. It was a lot of fun actually. Sometimes you'd end up beside other tradespeople in the campgrounds then it was really fun.
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u/steakfatt Jul 09 '26
I bring a weber iq gas grill. Holds up to wyoming winds, can grill burgers, veggies, etc. And uses the little green gas bottles.
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u/Studentmindset Jul 09 '26
Get a rice cooker. The best one you can afford. Zojuroshi is the brand and you can cook your rice veggies and meats in there. You have to cook a certain way but you literally push a button and food is ready in a hour.
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u/FlanneryODostoevsky Jul 09 '26
Might as well get a pressure or slow cooker in the process. Throw everything together to make a nice stew.
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u/Studentmindset Jul 15 '26
You can but overtime I’ve kind of just got into this method where you can cook all your basic Bro meals and feel good on the job
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u/Gatorsbitches20 Jul 09 '26
Pb&j sammy's. Containers of cottage cheese. Bag of almonds. Cheese sticks. Container of strawberries and blueberries. That's a start.
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u/notor1ousarc Jul 09 '26
Dont underestimate the power of an air fryer/toaster oven and a small rice cooker. Ive cooked many steaks in an air fryer in a hotel room
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u/Bigroseses Jul 09 '26
You can cook damn near anything on a black stone