Emergency food

I don't carry emergency food. I eat whatever the little stores I pass sell, lately in Latin America it's cola and potato chips.

I'm taking with me usualy a protein bars, and chocolate (when wheather condition wont melt it). Sometimes some cookies :P

Perhaps Northern Laos will be different.

Speaking of Northern Laos and food. Particularly in that are have I had excellent use for a little German booklet called 'Ohnewörterbuch' (Book without Words). It is a handy little booklet with pictures of many things one may need when travelling. Most particularly there are pictures of many types of fruits and vegetables plus other foodstuff.
Many times in the Lao outback I have had to sustain myself on fried eggs (and bananas). Since many Lao don't speak English it is so much easier to get my wishes through when I can point at a picture of what I want.
http://www.amazon.de/Langenscheidt-Ohne-W%C3%B6rter-Buch-600-Zeigebilder-Weltenbummler/dp/3468298382

Bicycle Traveler had a free PDF book with pictures, similar to above, I've used it a few times and rehashed it to suit my needs, but take pictures of what you like along the way and add them to your own picture/pdf book.

http://www.bicycletraveler.bicyclingaroundtheworld.nl/

Once I used the picture pdf, in Thailand for fried eggs, I got a hard boiled egg, but it was mostly raw inside, they dipped it in hot water for a few minutes. After much discussion and picture showing, I got my fried eggs.

take pictures of what you like along the way and add them to your own picture/pdf book.

I actually took pictures of every page in my 'ohnewörterbuch' and have them in my smartphone. That way I can easily enlarge a picture, and I always have it handy anyway.

I used to carry a bag of oatmeal into the mountains. If I ran out of food, the oats gave me 2 days to get down to a store, before I went without. Emergancy food is good to have. If it rains like never before, for 9 days, the roads could become, well, .... ...

As long as I had normal food, the oatmeal was in the bottom of the bag.

Once I added a banana, liked it, and started to eat it more often.

oatmeal
cheap
healthy
travels well

I don't carry emergency food but if i was in your shoes i would take my own stove so you could cook for yourself. That's what intend to do next time I go to india because i dont' like chilli much.

I can't believe I'm the only one here who's into freeze dried meals! They're light and pretty delicious if one tires of the same old same old in a particular country. Not to mention should you wind up short of an intended destination and are living rough with no village or store around. Even the porters were curious how my wife and I were getting by without their assistance when we hiked the Inca Trail (we did it sin una agencia). Whether hiking or biking, I've always got a few of tem in my bag.

It's unnecessary weight.

...Even the porters were curious .....Whether hiking or biking, I've always got a few of tem in my bag.

trying to visualize a few porters stuffed into the bottom of your rucksack....