I just got back from a four-day chess tournament in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. (Notice the Maple Days event, apropos my last post.) As children, Mom took my sister and me to Old Sturbridge Village down the road a bit from the hotel at which I was competing.
For two-day events, I usually make up a large batch of chili and pack fresh fruit. The four servings of chili, container of berries, and some yogurt, just fit in my cooler. See food for thought.
However, for a longer competition such as this, it didn’t make sense to bring food requiring refrigeration. Also, my staple bananas are constantly getting crushed when traveling.
So, I employed a different strategy. I stocked up on dried fruits and vegetables from Just Tomatoes. That and several cans of beans, a can opener, oatmeal, and a hot plate, and I was good to go. If there was not enough time to heat up a meal between rounds, I could always just throw it all together as a cold dish.
I portioned everything out into 1 ounce servings in ziplock bags. And, of course, I brought along some spices too: hot pepper flakes, lemon-pepper seasoning, pizza herbs, and cinnamon. The cooler still made the trip, but this time only with beer. 
This was a very successful way to pack and will definitely be repeated.
