What preparations are you making for cooking food? In a (sub)urban area, a big propane storage tank is going to be noticed. Barbequeing will be smelled for miles around. It might be useful for the first few days, but I wouldn't want to rely on it. I've got a small camp stove that will burn either white gas or regular unleaded gas. I plan on using it only outside so as not to get carbon monoxide fumes in the house. I'm also experimenting with solar ovens. I can't install a wood stove or chimney in my home (stinking homeowner's association...) so a wood stove and fireplace are out. Anyone have any other ideas?

-- Melinda Gierisch (gieriscm@hotmail.com), June 16, 1998

Answers

I've bought several inexpensive $3 wing stoves as well as a case of trioxane fuel packets. The trioxane fuel packets are small solid bars of concentrated fuel, each of which can be broken into three smaller pieces. Each piece will burn for about 7-8 minutes, which is enough time to boil 1-2 cups of water, i.e., enough to heat water and/or cook freeze-dried food for one person.

There are three such bars to a box, so one box could conceivably last a single person for 3 days. A single box of trioxane fuel bars runs about $0.50-$1.00 depending on where you buy them, and they are also cheaper if purchased by the case. (I found a good price at MCS Custom Supply at . I don't work for them, nor am I otherwise plugging them -- just merely reporting the results of my net search. A case of 300 boxes runs $)

Plus the trioxane fuel is very compact and portable. If I had to bug out on short notice, I could grab a couple weeks worth easily and stick it in my backpack, along with a wing-stove and some food.

If power is out for an extended time, I plan on discreetly heating my food outdoors on the small wingstove, which is available at any camping store.

Hope this helps.

-- Paul Hsieh (hsiehp@mailexcite.com), June 16, 1998.

I've bought several inexpensive $3 wing stoves as well as a case of trioxane fuel packets. The trioxane fuel packets are small solid bars of concentrated fuel, each of which can be broken into three smaller pieces. Each piece will burn for about 7-8 minutes, which is enough time to boil 1-2 cups of water, i.e., enough to heat water and/or cook freeze-dried food for one person.

There are three such bars to a box, so one box could conceivably last a single person for 3 days. A single box of trioxane fuel bars runs about $0.50-$1.00 depending on where you buy them, and they are also cheaper if purchased by the case.

(I found a good price at MCS Custom Supply at . I don't work for them, nor am I otherwise plugging them -- just merely reporting the results of my net search. A case of 300 boxes runs $70, which in theory could last a single person 2100 days!)

Plus the trioxane fuel is very compact and portable. If I had to bug out on short notice, I could grab a couple weeks worth easily and stick it in my backpack, along with a wing-stove and some food.

If power is out for an extended time, I plan on discreetly heating my food outdoors on the small wingstove, which is available at any camping store.

Hope this helps.

-- Paul Hsieh (hsiehp@mailexcite.com), June 16, 1998.

Has anyone considered techniques for "discreet" cooking? You know, to avoid unexpected guests at suppertime?

-- Greg Lawrence (greg@speakeasy.org), June 20, 1998.

---you maybe can't put a big propane tank in the back yard, but you can sure bring home a bunch of the little small 5 gallon tanks. Just be discrete and slip them in now and then--in no time you could have half a dozen--plenty of fuel to cook and heat water on for a long time. Get a small propane burner. Also, the solar ovens are EXCELLENT--get the plans and build your own.---where there's a will there's a way zog

-- zog (zog@avana.net), June 26, 1998.

What about dehydrating food now?

-- Catherine Sayle (catsayle@livenet.net), June 26, 1998.

Y2k Conference in Irvine, CA My husband and I are subscribers to Don McAlvanys newsletter The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor. For years Don has been talking about the y2k problem, and has advised his readers about safe investments, and well as how to prepare. **He has a supply of balanced, freeze-dried meals that are pre-packaged, and have a self-life of 5+years** We think that what he has to say is very valuable, so, I thought I would post this notice of his coming speaking engagement to this discussion group. (I am not a paid promoter) If you are in the Irving area, you might find this seminar helpful. Countdown to the Year 2000: Preparing for y2k & the Coming Financial Crisis Call: Kathy in the McAlvany office @ 1800-525-9556 Location: Irving Marriott Hotel call for directions: (714) 553-0100 Dates/Times: Friday, July 10, 1998 (8pm - 10pm) AND Saturday, July 11, 1998 (8am - 6pm) Speakers: Donald McAlvany: Author, Editor, Investment Consultant Marshall Foster, Author Chair of Mayflower Institute Warren Duffy, Los Angeles Talk Show Host, Political Commentator Cost for Conference: $35.00 per person Hope to see you there ... Cheers! - Jeani & Bob

-- Jeani Stevenson (vega@oceans.org), July 06, 1998.

I agree, the wing stoves are a good idea. I got a really tiny one at an Army/Navy store. One thing also is MRE's with MRE heaters. All you need it a tiny bit of water to activate it. (Although this can be very expensive.) One thought I had is this--if I'm a starving person roaming the streets, and haven't smelled food in days, how sensitive will I be to the smell of food? Won't I probably be able to detect a nearby home with the faintest smell of warm food coming from it, even a can of beans on a little indoor camp stove? The answer, I think, is yes, very possibly. I'm thinking it would be a good idea, as things get really bad, to stick to canned food that can be eaten without even heating it. It may be unappetizing, but when there are thugs roaming the street, I'll deal with cold beans rather than gangs of thugs. (But you'd better believe I'll be cooking away until then!)

-- Philomena (philomena@webmail.catholic.com), December 18, 1998.

Hi All,

This group has drifted from the original subject at little. On the subject of sharing of food with a hungry stranger, I have a true story.

I live in a predominately Morman community and by family is Baptist. The Mormans (LDS) are really wholesome people and we sometimes find it hard to live up to their example. One day my LDS neighbor was over to talk about a neighborhood concern and saw me labeling cans and boxes for storage. The LDS are really big into food storage. They are told to keep a 1 year supply all the time. They have done this for the last 40 years or more, so they are real good at it. I showed him my food storage. He started a story about an LDS Bishop who was being interviewed. The Bishop was asked how long he would be able to keep his food if there were hungry people roaming the streets. I piped in and pointed at my big stack of bullets. I said that I have a 1 year supply of bullets, too. He told me the Bishop's answer and I was a little embarrassed. The Bishop said, "I would be glad to share with my hungry neighbors for as long as the food lasts". What a really Christian answer. When it gets down to the last few cans, I hope we will know when to share and when to hoard.

John Layman Idaho Falls, ID

If you would like a food storage database to keep everything from spoiling, check out:

http://www.srv.net/~jlayman/

-- John Layman (jlayman@srv.net), May 18, 1999.

When we were without power after Hurricane Fran, we had great good luck with canned heat ("chafing dish fuel"), which is available by the case at Sam's or by the 3-pak at grocery stores. It's not practical for long cooking but certainly heats up water for coffee and canned soup, that sort of thing. We also have a Coleman stove, which we'll use in our fireplace, a grill for when it's safe to cook outside, and we can put together a "bush box" for later. (That's where you cook the food to boiling and put it in a well-insulated box--think low-tech slow-cooker--you'll need a thermometer to check the temperature, make sure it keeps the food at a safe temperature.) You can also cook small amounts to boiling and place in a thermos, either overnight or for sevearl hours. There's a whole article on thermos cooking at a survival site--if only I can remember which one! Rocky Mountain, I think. Great way to cook rice or beans.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), June 01, 1999.

Hey Old Git....ya don't need any thermometer for your bush box. If it boiling hard in the morning when you put it in, you will still need pot holders when you take it out that night. I usually take mine out about 3pm and bring to a quick boil once more and put back in box until dinner. But won't take but a minute to bring to that second boil. Believe me, if the box is well insulated...IT WILL BE HOT!!

Y'all got sty-ree-foam???

Taz

-- Taz (Taz@aol.com), June 01, 1999.

The thermometer is just for the obsessive-compulsives and health nazis! (Grin!) My mother used what she called a "hay-box" in the 70s power cuts in England. I think it's pretty much like your bush-box. Would you describe it, or is there a link or something?

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), June 01, 1999.