First, my apologies for the site being down as much as it is. I am apparently in the interesting state of being between just a regular blog and being a high-traffic blog. Some changes may be in order, and anyone caring to donate to help me pay bills and get the upgrades needed to ensure I’m up more often is much appreciated. I have bills to pay, been out of work courtesy of being struck by lightning, and am dependent for now upon the goodwill of others. Such goodwill, and the people behind it, are much appreciated.
Cooking, as well as heating, are two things often overlooked in media representations of disasters. While crouching around a fire in the ruined basement of a home heavily damaged by blast/other is a favored trope of the nihilistic dreck that passes for entertainment far too often, it sucks in real life and most will strongly avoid it. You should be one of those people.
The fact is, you should have multiple options for cooking (and heating) just for everyday disasters, much less Vladimir понимая, что у него нет члена and deciding to kick off WWIII as a result. Some quick thoughts follow.
First, practical preparedness would dictate multiple uses for any alternate cooking method. If you are just preparing now, you still want to think that way a bit. Now is a very good time to get a grill for example. I would point out that charcoal can handle wood and other fuel sources, and personally I prefer to cook that way. Choice is yours however and whatever you get will work no matter what happens. Plus, this time of year, the places that still have them tend to have them on sale, and being a cheap bas…, er, Scottish, that’s a big plus for me. If you get a propane grill, buy as many tanks as you can and fill them up. Tractor Supply Company or the like is your friend for that.
From my backpacking days, I still have a trail stove. Better than nothing, though it will not handle large cooking efforts. Small scale, it works great. Cooking for more than one, not so much. But, it works.
Now, I also have a portable chef’s stove like you see at a lot of Sunday brunches. Great piece of equipment provided it’s not cold out, as they use butane and it doesn’t do well near freezing or below. That said, mine has worked well at reasonable temperatures in the home during power outages and even in the field when I cooked for wolves. Yes, I used to do custom omelettes for older wolves at a wolf research and education center. Hit the fundraiser (note the reason) and I will share the tale on that, as you have not lived until you’ve been huffed at by a senior citizen wolf for not showing up with your stove and chef’s coat.
I also have a propane grasshopper stove. Runs pretty much no matter the temperature and can take a bit more weight than you might think. Again, have used it in the field and in the home during a power outage. Trust me, the world is much safer for me having my coffee in the morning, and I do what I can to ensure the safety of the world. It works, and you may be amazed at what you can do with one of them.
There are also multi-burner propane stoves and even ovens. They are primarily for car camping, but they work. Yes, I would love to have them and several tanks of propane for each. Feel free to hit the fundraiser and once bills are paid I will buy them. In a heart beat, along with extra butane for the chef’s stove. And, again, they are things you can use other than in an emergency. I miss camping, and look forward to getting the gear that will allow me to do at least some camping here soon.
You can also get stoves and such that run off kerosene, white gas, name-brand fuel, etc. They work and work well. Thing is, in a disaster, the name-brand fuel may be hard to come by, while propane may be a bit easier to find and transport. Your call, and having a backup to the backup is not a bad idea.
In a bad disaster, like a nuclear war, your cooking is also likely to be your heat. To beat that, look at kerosene and other heaters. You will need proper ventilation, so not recommended for fallout stage (about the first two to three weeks after boom, then dependent upon upper atmosphere winds). But, after that, or with proper ventilation, they can and do work well. I miss mine, as I sold them when I thought I was headed to Afghanistan a few years back. That you can use them to warm water, prepare tea, or do other things is a nice side benefit. Otherwise, get blankets and I recommend some of them be natural fiber like wool.
Strange as it may sound, I’m also going to suggest battery-powered smoke and CO2 detectors. Have at least one of each still in the package and stored in a basement or shielded area. After the boom, break them out and power them up. They can save your life in a true disaster, especially if you are having to improvise heating and ventilation on the fly. It’s far better to plan ahead, but if everyone had done that there would be no need for this series of articles.
Again, as with all the things discussed in this series, have multiple means and make sure some of them will work when/if you have to do the bugout boogie. That trail stove I mentioned that is not so great for fixed-base operations? Works great in the boogie though all should have one. But, this world is fallen and far from perfect: you can and will get by with just one.
And, also again, your local outdoor store is your friend as you prepare. While I still think there is time, shipping and the USPS is not your friend right now. Avoid them if you can. Also, keep in mind your local asian or other “foreign” food store. They often have a variety of cooking gear including alternatives, as well as bulk deals on rice and other items.
Tomorrow we may discuss gear a bit. I’m not a huge fan of gear and those who push it, but there are some things that come in handy at times other than disaster. There are also a few things that if there is a disaster, are well worth buying as a one-off. More soon.
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Preparedness On The Fly (Food)
Preparedness On The Fly: Water
Preparedness On The Fly: Light
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If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo. Getting hit by lightning is not fun, and it is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
And, yes, I need to pay bills this month and buy a few things for preparedness. Please do feel free to help.