Cooking options

[mcfd45]

So I am still busy preparing my apartment for whatever comes. I am thinking of bugging in while everything blows over then living on the remains of whatever is left. So my plan is to stay in my place for a while. What do i have in the way of cooking options, I mean to replace my electric stove. I was thinking a hibatchi (sp) that runs on those green coleman propane tanks. I have a coleman lamp that runs on those and think the 2 would be a good combo. I don't like the idea of storing a whole bunch o propane in my place (seeing as i live below ground) and it would take up a bit of space. So what are my options?

[RBB]

So I am still busy preparing my apartment for whatever comes. I am thinking of bugging in while everything blows over then living on the remains of whatever is left. So my plan is to stay in my place for a while. What do i have in the way of cooking options, I mean to replace my electric stove. I was thinking a hibatchi (sp) that runs on those green coleman propane tanks. I have a coleman lamp that runs on those and think the 2 would be a good combo. I don't like the idea of storing a whole bunch o propane in my place (seeing as i live below ground) and it would take up a bit of space. So what are my options?

That would take an awful lot of green Coleman propane bottles. If you were to go the propane route - and you intended to stay put - I'd get a large propane bottle and get adapters to hook it up to your hibatchi - or better yet - just get a propane camp stove:

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=5466AA50&categoryid=2010

[crashdive123]

MCFD45 - Here is a thread that may have some options that work for you. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4115&highlight=indoors

[mcfd45]

thanks, I was also thinking of a coleman stove. I think i will start to look at the garage sales or craigslist for a cheap used one. thanks for the advice.
Edit
I am looking at a dual fuel stove. Can i store the fuel containers outside in say a shed like building (no heat or ac)?

[reluctantpawn]

You have to watch for fumes in any enclosed space no matter what you use to cook with. Have you thought about drying or salting/pickling food for long term storage? It might better suit your needs.

reluctantpawn

[tsitenha]

Just be sure that your cooking area and all, can be vented so that you don't accumulate any CO or CO2 needlessly.
Try storing foods that are precooked and require a limited amount of preparation and cook time. More on the warming style rather than all out cooking.
Make sure that water is also an item stored as it takes water to properly digest food, and of course the later result of eating the elimination of waste solid and fluid.

[Badawg]

I have an old 'white gas' coleman stove that I have successfully run on Kerosene and diesel oil... Those things are getting harder to find but are quite versatile. The later model ones also burn unleaded quite well.

Another thought would be a Winiarski Rocket stove should you have outdoor space for cooking. You can feed them on sticks and trash...

[wareagle69]

i have gotten used to eating allot of foods cold over the years ie; canned food, i keep lots of peanut butter and chocolate(dark) m&m's and lots of mixed nuts, amazing how full you can get on just that and how long those supplies will last, when you do need to cook there are the camping stoves in used one quite a bit in my younger more frugal days,just be sure to ventilate properly also look at the sterno cans have used those to heat my kettle which hot water goes along way will dehydrated foods.

[crashdive123]

I am looking at a dual fuel stove. Can i store the fuel containers outside in say a shed like building (no heat or ac)?

Yes you can. I store my fuel in outside storage sheds with no climate control (propane, isobutane, coleman fuel, gasoline). If you are storing gasoline, be careful of the fumes. Remember that if you are bugging in and need it, your vehicle's gas tank is fuel storage.

[mcfd45]

Yeah I am thinking with going with the dual fuel lantern and stove. That way I can store more fuel and I can use gas as a backup. Heck every vehicle in my town could be used for lights and food prep.

[Alpine_Sapper]

Except, while you are bugging in, everyone else is looting the remaining vehicles for salvageable stuff, especially something as useful as gasoline.

[MCBushbaby]

I think it'd be a proactive approach to this whole SHTF scenario, which for the record I think it utter bollocks, is to be the raider rather than the bug-in shut-in. Rather than storing up on all your pre-thought food and fuel and reserves, I'll just hunt down caches every month or so. Make a game out of it. By the way, mcfd45, where are you? :D

[bulrush]

You don't want to be running propane/butane/kerosene lanterns too much indoors as they create CO and CO2 fumes also. I stick with candles. Tapers give off more light than pillar candles, but only last about 4-5 hours. But I can make them by hand too, if I have the wax.

Alcohol stoves also give off CO and CO2 so be careful.

[SARKY]

If you are thinking about scavaging fuel from other vehicles, go to your local junkyard and snag an electric (12volt dc) fuel pump. Add some hose and wire up to a battery. If you had to you could drain a 20 gallon gas tank in less than 10 minutes. It would also allow you to pull fuel out of underground storage tanks provided you had enough hose to reach bottom on the tank.

[MCBushbaby]

you might want to try messing with a plastic bellows or foot pump with one-way valves. Would serve the same purpose what Sarky is describing but without the added weight of a wet cell, potential mechanical problems, or noisy operation. You want to be sneaky right? So I don't hear you :ninja:

EDIT: foot powered bilge pump
Use one on the sailboat, pretty simple