What to eat and where to sleep?

I will eat whatever I can get - great plan, isn't it?
No cooking equipment with me so just cold food and occasionally hot meals at diners and BB inns. Of course, if I meet Carl's Jr I will always trade in the frugal lifestyle for one of these.
Beef jerky is also something I look forward to for supplementing my protein intake.

I love Cliff bars so I hope to get these for bike snacks. Energy gels... only if I really have to. 

Some vitamins may compensate for what will most likely be a poor diet sometimes.

It's stupid to worry about food in America, right?

Sleeping happens in a bivouac tent. Motels now and then for a shower & relaxation in a real bed, and if the weather is too nasty.

Meet the Vaude bivi tent:

It weighs less than a 1L bottle of water. In doing my research I haven't found other complete tents under 1kg and in the 200 euro price range out there. There are tarps (basically a single tent sheet) which are lighter, but I have to carry some other nylon sheet for ground cover, and also some mosquito net. And I still won't get the same weather protection so I prefer the all-in-one tent for this trip.

This is the feather-light sleeping bag:

At 415g for a comfort temperature of 3°C it is indeed a marvel of technology. The zip-less version is 370g, the lightest in the world rated at this temperature. No zip would mean one less point of failure, but I need to be able to use it as a blanket for warmer nights. How tough it is built - remains to be seen.

For ground insulation I am thinking of using either a foam pad ( ro: "izopren") or just a sheet of bubble wrap. 

I was looking at a light self-inflating map (Thermarest makes these) but the lightest one has 350g, and costs 150E.

Foam pad I have used many times, I know I can sleep well on it. It's under 200g and very cheap, but the issue is with packing it - I have to ride with that big roll of foam pad.

Bubble wrap is a more radical idea that I got from one ultra-light biker (a special post on this guy and others that inspire me will follow). I think it weighs 20-30g and costs, well, nothing I guess, but doesn't look too comfy, or providing much insulation.

All of these will get tested next week in the Balkan Challenge, so I'll have more material for a good review.