The Survivalist Pledge:

To help all that can be helped,
To defend all that can be defended,
To save all that can be saved,
To free all that seek freedom,
To stay alive as long as I can and stay free as long as I live.

Since most disasters knock out the utilities, microwaves, gas ranges, and electric stoves are probably not going to be available for your use. If you camp, you may wish to simply using your camp stove or building a camp fire. (This will work with most disasters EXCEPT for a nuclear war aftermath or a time when your neighbors might turn you in for having food the government was supposed to "take care of" for you.)

For those using candles for lighting and have freeze-dried or other "water" dishes, then it's even possible to warm a cold meal in a "casserole dish"--real or improvised.

Small camping stoves that require special fuel are ideal for an occasional hot meal, but not too practical for long-term utilization since storing fuel for them becomes a problem. If you wish to use a camp stove, check an outdoor/camping store. If possible, purchase a stove that uses solid fuel rather than liquid or gas. This are easier to store food for and less dangerous as well. An excellent emergency cooking stove (and camping stove) is the "Zip Stove." It's compact and buns almost anything from scraps of wood and paper to grass or charcoal. The stove does need one "C" cell battery to operate--be sure to stock up. (The single battery will keep the small fan going for about eight hours—long enough to do about a week's worth of cooking for an average-sized family).

Cost of the Zip Stove with several pots and a grill that fit it is $53. A "Zip Oven" that has a built-in temperature gauge is also available to go with the stove unit for an additional $30. Both are available from Nitro-Pak.

Alcohol Stoves are good for warming small meals or MREs. When you run out of alcohol, the stove can be fueled with paper, cardboard, or other expedient kindling if you need to do so. One important point: don't try to run any stove or build a fire indoors or in a shelter if you can't vent it's smoke and fumes outdoors. Charcoal or some other stoves can burn inside without producing smoke while they DO produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

Unless you wish to kill yourself, avoid using any portable stove inside.

To minimize clean-up, "lick the platter clean" after each meal with each member of your family keeping their own utensils so they can use them for the next meal. For short-term emergencies, paper plates and MREs are ideal since they can be easily discarded to minimize clean up chores. Whenever possible, have one person eat directly from the serving dish after everyone has got their portion from it. This will cut by one the number of plates you need.

Give some thought to your food storage for emergency use and the utensils and equipment you'll need to prepare and serve food. Someday, you may be very, very glad you did.

 

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