Having just recently had to 'survive' almost totally unprepared, no power for nearly 2 weeks, in winter, with only a tiny generator keeping just the furnace running (and that at a very low heat setting), being 'stoveless' was part of a good reality check (read "Kick in the Pants" which is why I found this place).
We cooked outdoors. Mostly on the BBQ but also on a camp stove. The camp stove set off the garage fire alarm so outside it went.
A buddy of mine would have probably died during the same storm without battery-powered CO alarms. He had inadvertently put his genny upwind of his house with the prevailing wind pushing exhaust fumes into the eave vents. He was already feeling woozy when his alarms went off.
I've used sterno type stoves. They aren't exactly what you'd call high-heat and certainly not something I'd want to have to rely on for the long term.
A lot of today's gas stoves have safeties on them that require electricity to open the gas valve when lighting. Be very careful when selecting a modern gas stove. Ask if the stove can be lit with a match and no power.
Also, it makes a difference if your gas comes from a street line or a stand-alone tank. It would take a major disruption to stop a street line, but it could be shut off as a safety procedure in a heavily damaged neighborhood - then you are SOL. A tank has to be rationed. Especially if roads are impassible for a refill.
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