Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Page 2 of 4 < 1 2 3 4 >
Topic Options
#290495 - 09/11/18 11:53 PM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: Russ]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
what worked for me during the 9 day outage in 2004 was to use a small tail gate propane grill to circumvent the need to use hot water for cleanup...

thawed ground beef and hot dogs were cooked directly on the grill... as chicken and pork chops thawed they were cubed, and along with some onion and bell pepper were skewered into kabobs, utilizing bamboo skewers

my double burner Coleman propane camp stove was used to produce water to shave with (used solar heated water to take afternoon showers when I got home from school)

last year for Irma (retired by then) a single #1 bottle burner to make hot water to pour through my drip coffee maker, and to heat a pan of water to heat canned soup/stew directly in their cans (though not that efficient, but did not burn any canned soup)

I plan on replacing the single burner with one of the flat Asian style burners that typically use butane, but has a propane option

a Coleman leaded gas single burner is my back up as well as standard fish cooker and full size propane grill that work off a bulk propane bottle

Top
#290497 - 09/12/18 02:27 AM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: Russ]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
DO NOT FOREGET THE COFFEE!!

Top
#290499 - 09/12/18 07:23 AM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: bws48]
albusgrammaticus Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 07/18/17
Posts: 66
Loc: Italy
Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack the thread.

To power the main heating system I would surely need to install a bypass switch, as the power line of the furnace goes directly in the wall and not in a standard socket.

It's a job I'd need to leave to a licensed electrician for technical and legal reasons.

But there's another concern with powering the main heating with a generator.

I just realized that my furnace It's really what you English speakers call a gas boiler, one that use heated water that pass through radiators, and not warm air, to heat the rooms. Sorry for the misundertanding. So, for my heating system to work, I also need water and constant water pressure, something I would not take for granted during an hypothetical, widespread power outage.

Top
#290500 - 09/12/18 07:28 AM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: dougwalkabout]
albusgrammaticus Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 07/18/17
Posts: 66
Loc: Italy
Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
[Hijack continued:]

Check the manual for your pellet stove. They draw very little power, and some are now designed with the ability to operate on 12VDC for exactly the reasons you mention.


That's interesting to know for a future purchase, thanks. But I don't think my stove has that feature, being an older model I got used and reconditioned from the dealer.

Top
#290501 - 09/12/18 07:31 AM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: albusgrammaticus]
Tjin Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/08/02
Posts: 1821
As for heating; how much do you really want to spend on it?

If the house never gets below freezing on the inside, then there is no danger of bursting pipes and burstings cans. So then it's a matter of keeping yourself warm. Proper clothing works for that.

Personally, I rarely use the heater, unless I got people coming over. I'm just used to the cold. The temperature inside my house does not drop below 11C.

As for cooking; as an outdoor person, I got plenty of stoves and fuel.
_________________________


Top
#290502 - 09/12/18 08:17 AM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: Tjin]
albusgrammaticus Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 07/18/17
Posts: 66
Loc: Italy
Bursted pipes due to freezing are not that uncommon in my area during winter, but generally they do accour in vacation houses that have been uninhabited for months. I could easily prevent that by leaving a couple of faucets to drip constantly.

As for heating, I'm with you in this ragards. I don't mind the cold much, although my SO would have something to say in the matter... smile

The house itself has a pretty good insulation and, with proper clothing and warm food and beverages, we could easily go on without heating for several days and no serious consequences.

I still wouldn't mind having that type of woodstove that all families in my region had in their houses, including that of my grandparents, until a few decades ago. It would heat a room but you could also cook on it.

Something along this lines.
www.woodcookstoves.ca/wood-cook-stove-rosa-xxl.html

Top
#290505 - 09/12/18 02:49 PM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: gonewiththewind]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Coffee...
Originally Posted By: Montanero
DO NOT FORGET THE COFFEE!!


I make my own cold-brew-coffee (CBC). It’s super easy, directions are available on-line. While I normally take my hot coffee with all the chemicals (cream & sugar), I cut the cream & sugar in half for CBC. What you brew is a concentrate which normally requires two additional parts of water/milk. Think of it as cold espresso. CBC has a low acid content which makes it palatable strong and black. It still has all the caffeine though, so use a small cup wink

Top
#290508 - 09/12/18 06:45 PM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: Russ]
CJK Offline
Addict

Registered: 08/14/05
Posts: 601
Loc: FL, USA
Few thoughts.....
Cooking: We too have the gas grill (propane). Large cylinder. usual grill style with side burner. Could be used multiple ways.

In addition we have a an old Coleman 2 burner camp stove. White gas or small propane canisters (with the adapter). Can also be run off the large cylinder.

Last resort is our old MSR Whisperlite International. Single burner and can use white gas, gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel.... almost everything but urine.....

Keeping of food.... after Irma, we did the usual run through the refrigerated food, then the frozen. Then we started in on our supplies. One thing we DID find out.....Our chest freezer.... the lift the lid style.... maintained refrigeration temperatures for 4 (or 5) days and looked like it'd go for longer! Even with opening it numerous times! Enough large blocks of 'ice' (frozen bottles of water) kept it cold for AWHILE! It stayed below 38 degrees F! In Florida! Better 'conservation' of cold (less opening) and it could probably go longer. Plan was and is to move (refrigerator) things into it on day 2 of an event.

Top
#290512 - 09/12/18 07:05 PM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: Russ]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
All empty space in our freezers are filled with frozen water bottles, trying to prevent thawing for as long as possible. Once thawed they are more drinking water.

Top
#290516 - 09/12/18 11:33 PM Re: Cooking when the power goes out [Re: dougwalkabout]
EMPnotImplyNuclear Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 09/10/08
Posts: 382
Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
Originally Posted By: Russ
We use a thermal pot for various slow cooking menu items (stew, chili, whatever). It’s very efficient; put the stainless steel inner pot on the stove burner (electric/induction/gas) just enough time to get it hot and then into the insulated outer container.


That's very interesting -- I had heard of a traditional "haybox" for that purpose, but had no idea they were available commercially.

Given the cooking pots, insulation and other materials in a modern home, do you think an efficient version could be improvised? When the thawing meat in a freezer needs to be cooked, for example?

Hi
Instead of hay in a closed box , use blankets in a closed box, and you're done smile
Use a food thermometer for knowing if safe
4 inches of blankets will do the job
You can also use a bucket instead of a box
You can also use a basket instead of a box
You can also use a bag instead of a box
You can also use a cooler as your box
You can also use styrofoam+aluminum instead of blankets.
Popsicle or pencil standoff where rigid bottom.

Design Principles for a Retained Heat Cooker | Improved Biomass Cooking Stoves

Green Pail Retained Heat Cooker


https://energypedia.info/wiki/Heat_Retainers_-_Thermos_Flasks_and_Fireless_Cookers
....
Construction manual of a heat retention bag ...
Guide to Designing Retained Heat Cookers ...
Performance Test ...
Pilot study ...


https://energypedia.info/wiki/General_Kitchen_Management_Practices

compare r-value like an inch of sawdust is r-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_insulation_materials#List_of_building_insulation_materials

http://www.nienhuys.info/ics-wood-stoves.html
Sjoerd Nienhuys. 2012. How to make a Heat Retention Box (HRB) for two pots, saving > 50% cooking fuel. Technical Working Paper #21, with design drawing in annexe, 20 pages, 4.2 MB,

Top
Page 2 of 4 < 1 2 3 4 >



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, chaosmagnet, cliff 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 324 Guests and 6 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:21 PM
Zippo Butane Inserts
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:11 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Using a Compass Without a Map
by KenK
02/28/24 12:22 AM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.