The comments above are too funny. Seriously though, survival is a mindset and it really doesn't matter much where you are. You should be thinking two steps ahead rather than reacting to something unforeseen. In the case of a hotel, I'm usually ready to walk out the door and down to the lobby -- would never get caught outside the room nekkid. EDC items come to mind; when I'm living in a hotel, that keycard thingy becomes part of my EDC.

Totally OT: Surviving a bombing in a large crowd is easy -- don't be there.

Most nicer hotels have microwave ovens in the rooms now.Key words in the last sentence was,NICER and Hotel.If I know that a hotel visit is in order a microwave safe dish is packed.In my outdoor gear a metal pot or cup is always packed but microwaves do not like those.Small drip coffee makers are in alot of hotels and motel rooms now.Just running water through it can be used for instant oatmeal,soup,bullion cubes etc.Think of the heating pad and the pot as a heating plate.Have made rice this way before.The coffee maker wont get water to boil but it can be dang hot enough.Just think out of the box and use all resources to the fullest.The way I look at things is how many ways can said item be used.Hey can my Snowpeak pot on my Nalgene fit on that coffee maker without the filter cup.....

BOATMAN
John

Rice and ketchup is a delicious quick meal for me. What I was trying to say earlier is that there aren't a lot of meal combinations that one can get from just crackers and ketchup.

LOL! Love the one about using the iron to fry bacon. Actually it's probably one of the tamer stunts that have been pulled in hotel rooms. Wonder if the poster was on the company dime or was using his/her own personal credit card? There's all that nasty fine print on the sign-in form ...

The bag of peanuts, cans of soda, crackers and ketchup packets were only examples. These do not represent a complete list.

Jeanette Isabelle

I prefer to get Chinese take-out and keep leftovers in the fridge. The small fridge, microwave ovens and coffee makers in the hotels these days make a huge difference.

I have never, before reading these comments, considered the cooking uses of the coffee maker and the iron.

This creates a whole new line of planning for me and the DW if we were ever forced to stay in a hotel for an extended stay. I always carry my E&E kit with me. It has emergency rations, HoBo knife, and a US Army messkit.

The iron can be secured upside down and it becomes a variable heat setting hot plate. A quick stop at a store for bacon, bread, lettuce, and tomato means BLT sandwiches.

The hot water from the coffee pot makes many instant foods come to life. Besides what has been listed, I'd add instant potatoes and Minute Rice. Packaged chicken or tuna can be combined with minute rice and some veggies for a microwaved cassarole.

Most hotels provide some kind of continental breakfast so I'd concentrate on dinner dishes.

I always collect condiments and plastic ware when I'm on the road. I will have to add a small plastic microwavable cassarole dish with lid for an emergency hotel kit. Perhaps a few long term storable food items as well.

This has turned out to be a much more useful thread than I expected it to be!

You might get lucky and the hotel has one of those koi ponds in the lobby...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceviche

Most hotels here in Finland has a watercooker as standard in hotelrooms. So as long as you have some pouches of freeze dried food with you there will be something to eat.

Stack up the crackers with ketchup in between. Add a layer of coffee creamer powder and 'Mamma Mia' you could have vegetarian survival lasagna...