EMP, Grid Down, and other Sideways cooking

[MountainGirl]

1. Make a plan
2. Buy the materials/tools/equipment - NOW
3. Test your methods before you need to do it.

I know most of you here have already thought about all this, figured it out, and are already ready...
So this will just be a rambling thread that might be helpful to somebody.

Here's what we've got set up, or ready to set up quickly, if/when needed - for times of no power, no gas/propane, no bags of charcoal.
All methods are outside, use wood, or anything burnable.

Hot water -
Kelly Kettle. https://www.kellykettleusa.com/
We've got the Trekker. Boils water fast - instant coffee, soup packets, freeze-dried meals, etc

Light cooking -
Rocket Stove.
On the mountain, I made mine out of 25 cement bricks; just stacked them up, no mortar; put a gas stove burner grate thingy on it (8" square). It handles regular small pans, skillets, tea kettle, etc. I didn't use cast iron on this cause it was just to heat food quickly. Anything over 15-20 min would go on an open fire. Here's the one I built & used. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onMbSLuC7Oc (start at 2:00) I dont have one set up here, but I DO have the 25 bricks stacked up, and the grate, ready to go. After you build it once (to learn the setup) it's a 2 min build.

Long cooking -
Small fire-pit.
Made mine using curved landscape blocks, under 4' OD, 3 courses high, extra row along back, small gaps in front for good air intake. When the fire burned down some, either old grill grate laid on 4' rebar laid across blocks for grilling - or - cast iron set down on/in coals for cooking. We had a deep 8'dia fire pit on the mountain for burning big stuff... but it was a bitch to cook on so I built the small one and it worked great. Cant recall everything I made - but, along with the grilled burgers/steaks, I did beans, flour biscuits, cornbread all in cast iron, down on the coals.

Longer & bigger cooking/smoking
PO has his big thick steel smoker/grill that he uses all the time; I've got a smaller version of just the grill side; I haven't used it yet but it's ready to go.
22222

Other
There are also Solar Ovens.
I have no experience with them, but others apparently have had success; they would be a quiet, odorless, non-smoking alternative.. YouTube would be a good place to explore how to use them and the reviews on various models. You can also easily build one.


~~~~~~~~~~~

In my thinking - it's all really going to depend on what's going on outside the gate. Are there wanderers/marauders? Do we really want a long fire sending out smells & smoke? In any case - the cooking set-up should be as close to the house and as out-of-sight as possible... and until it's safe enough to long-cook - the fast hot water (Kelly Kettle) will be the ticket for us; for hot coffee, if nothing else.

One last thought about wood. If your place doesn't have a ready supply, or if you're too old and tired like us to run an axe, get some wood in now, cut, split & stacked - even if you have to buy it. Get a lot. Keep it under cover; dry, hidden and close by. A steel wedge and a heavy hammer (do it inside) can split the already cut pieces down to kindling size. That's what I do; no axe swinging now for either of us. :)

All thoughts/comments/ideas welcome.

[BucketBack]

I have a vacant camp 2000' from my tin shack. It has had 50 or so hippies camping and shooting there for long weekends in the past.

They know I'm too old to run, but know that I can still shoot. I know there will be contact with them in the future, and I'm unsure how to deal with them then.

Maybe put another shrimp on the Barbie ? Have a youngster do yard work for victuals ?

There's a skinhead group 2000' or so down the road. They shoot a lot, and behave and try to fit in with the neighborhood

There are 2 registered gun ranges about a 1/2 mile away, and all the neighbors have shooting benches and target berms.

So it's probably going to be join them or die, or stay here in the swamp.

Everybody knows everybody here though, and everybody over by the lake.

[MountainGirl]

I have a vacant camp 2000' from my tin shack. It has had 50 or so hippies camping and shooting there for long weekends in the past.

They know I'm too old to run, but know that I can still shoot. I know there will be contact with them in the future, and I'm unsure how to deal with them then.

Maybe put another shrimp on the Barbie ? Have a youngster do yard work for victuals ?

If you start that, once word gets out that you're sharing food, you have created your own demise.


EDIT: With your edit ^^ it's a different story. Thanks for the PM; I thought 'hippies' meant :hippie:

[Jester-ND]

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[MountainGirl]

https://practicalpreppers.com/product/pioneer-princess-amish-wood-burning-cookstove/?utm_source=Google%20Shopping&utm_campaign=Copy%20PPLLC%20Products&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=9084&srsltid=AfAwrE7p7-2Byf2XTEFj4a7k7bb6_p1cbBLXvPyIctnDi7nnEpnGaC5dVaQ

Wouldn't that be great to have! For us, though, if there's going to be any wood burning in the house - it'll be in a woodstove for the occasional winter chill. Of course...it could be out on the porch... :thumb:

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For a long term set-up, it would be good to have that in the house, especially in the northern areas.

[Prepared One]

I think we have our cooking needs taken care of. We have options depending on what is going on outside the gate. I would love a wood burning stove but it would have to go outside as we have no room inside.

[MountainGirl]

I think we have our cooking needs taken care of. We have options depending on what is going on outside the gate. I would love a wood burning stove but it would have to go outside as we have no room inside. ...and too much heat, 10 months out of 12, to use it... without A/C running.

[red442joe]

I have a vacant camp 2000' from my tin shack. It has had 50 or so hippies camping and shooting there for long weekends in the past.

They know I'm too old to run, but know that I can still shoot. I know there will be contact with them in the future, and I'm unsure how to deal with them then.

Maybe put another shrimp on the Barbie ? Have a youngster do yard work for victuals ?

There's a skinhead group 2000' or so down the road. They shoot a lot, and behave and try to fit in with the neighborhood

There are 2 registered gun ranges about a 1/2 mile away, and all the neighbors have shooting benches and target berms.

So it's probably going to be join them or die, or stay here in the swamp.

Everybody knows everybody here though, and everybody over by the lake.

Vegans are meat.
The strong will eat.
Hippies tast like patchouli and fear...ick...fertilizer.

Joe

[red442joe]

If you start that, once word gets out that you're sharing food, you have created your own demise.


EDIT: With your edit ^^ it's a different story. Thanks for the PM; I thought 'hippies' meant :hippie:

Do Not Feed The...you know, the thing...

Joe

[BucketBack]

Do Not Feed The...you know, the thing...

Joe

Joe, watch some of the themed videos from this morning

[MountainGirl]

Ran across this vid - and it fits right in here.
It's the most wonderful, peaceful 15 minutes I've had in a while...
Grab some coffee, relax, and sit a spell. Enjoy!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRsUz8XQZ_E

[Slippy]

Very simple and nice!

My only problem was dude kept referring to "mama". Was that his Mother or his Wife? Either way, kinda weird if he has breakfast with his mother every day and she packs his sausage, or if its his wife, calling your wife "mama" is a few shades of messed up.

Thanks!


Ran across this vid - and it fits right in here.
It's the most wonderful, peaceful 15 minutes I've had in a while...
Grab some coffee, relax, and sit a spell. Enjoy!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRsUz8XQZ_E

[MountainGirl]

Very simple and nice!

My only problem was dude kept referring to "mama". Was that his Mother or his Wife? Either way, kinda weird if he has breakfast with his mother every day and she packs his sausage, or if its his wife, calling your wife "mama" is a few shades of messed up.

Thanks!

LOL you didn't watch the whole thing, didja :biglaugh:

It's his wife, he introduces her and a young fella, on camera at the end. She's young and pretty.
PO calls me mama, I call him papa... but both only when we're talking to our kid (the dog).
And yeah... we're likely many shades of messed up... like two wacko puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly. :mocking:

[Box of frogs]

This is my grid down wood burning alternative stove/oven
I can cook on both levels.
If I build the fire underneath I have metal sides that go on to hold in heat for oven cooking.
The top piece of metal has cut outs like a stove top range for pots and pans.
It can be used to grill meat over too.
The bitch weighs a ton especially with the sides on it. Made it in the shop at work out of spare steel.
BoF

22223

[Box of frogs]

Every damn picture I post goes up sideways !!!
Dam it all.

[MountainGirl]

Every damn picture I post goes up sideways !!!
Dam it all.

No worries, we can turn our heads. Mine used to do that too - till I realized a trick (when some pics did, some didn't)

Trick: Right after I take a pic I want to post - I edit it a tiny bit right there in the camera app thingy...usually just by trimming off an edge a little. There's something in either the Edit or Save step that keeps it from going sideways. Well, on mine anyway.
Before I found that trick - I had to open it in Paint (yes, the old Paint) and rotate it, then save it in my pics files, then post it from there. But like I said, it's no big deal... unless it's something you want us to read, LOL. (In which case I'd grab it, rotate it myself, then read it.)

[Slippy]

BUSTED! Didn't watch the end, MAMA!. :verysorry: :)




LOL you didn't watch the whole thing, didja :biglaugh:

It's his wife, he introduces her and a young fella, on camera at the end. She's young and pretty.
PO calls me mama, I call him papa... but both only when we're talking to our kid (the dog).
And yeah... we're likely many shades of messed up... like two wacko puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly. :mocking:

[MountainGirl]

This is my grid down wood burning alternative stove/oven
I can cook on both levels.
If I build the fire underneath I have metal sides that go on to hold in heat for oven cooking.
The top piece of metal has cut outs like a stove top range for pots and pans.
It can be used to grill meat over too.
The bitch weighs a ton especially with the sides on it. Made it in the shop at work out of spare steel.
BoF

22223

That is a great idea. Have you used it some?

[Slippy]

Every damn picture I post goes up sideways !!!
Dam it all.

Here you go! Very nice I might add!

22224

[MountainGirl]

BUSTED! Didn't watch the end, MAMA!. :verysorry: :)

LOL no worries!

I'm guessin you didn't see the parts where he got into his philosophy either; i.e., kids need to learn how to do things for their own damn selves rather than relying on others to take care of them. He railed on that pretty good. Kinda reminded me of you. :)

[T-Man 1066]

This is my grid down wood burning alternative stove/oven
I can cook on both levels.
If I build the fire underneath I have metal sides that go on to hold in heat for oven cooking.
The top piece of metal has cut outs like a stove top range for pots and pans.
It can be used to grill meat over too.
The bitch weighs a ton especially with the sides on it. Made it in the shop at work out of spare steel.
BoF

22223

Looks like industrial grating, steps for a mezzanine or something?

[Box of frogs]

That is a great idea. Have you used it some?

Never tried it out. I know the theory will work.
I made it when I first started prepping.
I figured at some point wood cooking was going to be a necessity.
I have the sides and top plates around here somewhere. I should find them.
When we moved to the farm some of the bigger /heavier stuff got shoved into storage buildings.
BoF

[Box of frogs]

Looks like industrial grating, steps for a mezzanine or something?

Exactly T-man. The grate is left over expanded metal floor from building a mezzanine around a mixing tank. The legs are just angle iron

[Mad Trapper]

Got to know how just get by first of all. Out in the woods , steak/venison/trout on a stick.

SHTF and on the run I have a MSR dragonfly dual fuel (whitegas/gas diesel/kero)

Home.

Two Webbers big and small, both run on wood and biggest ones you can smoke on if you know how.

3-burner Coleman, 2-burner propane stoves. Adaptor to refill 1-lb bottles of propane from big tanks. Primus 2-burner counter top kerosene stone

Big wood stove. Not good summer time. You NEED hot water, 6-gal SS pot.

Grills and grates, numerous for outside.

Cast iron stuff: fry pans, kettles, dutch ovens.

NOW HOW ABOUT REFIRGERATION?

[BucketBack]

When we get home, first thing spoken is " Mama's Home, Daddy's home" for Maggie Mae, Kasey Mae, and KiKi . Then throughout the rest of the day / night.

[Sasquatch]

I think we'll be able to eat. I've got my bbq, two fire pits (one gas one wood), smoker and camping stoves. If those all fail I'll order a pizza.

[Mad Trapper]

How ya gonna order a pizza?

Got Mexicans next door with wood?

[MountainGirl]

...

NOW HOW ABOUT REFIRGERATION?

There isn't any, sorry. This is permanent lights out. If your place is lucky enough to have a stream/creek/spring on it - you might be able to develop a cool-box, using the water's cool temp to slow spoilage.

What we're doing is all our food stocks don't require refrigeration; all canning is done so that contents are consumed in one sitting (no leftovers to spoil). As time allows, I'm taking meats out of the freezer and putting them up. I'll likely be doing another doz pints of butter soon; eggs are good to go (40 doz) but might still do more later.

[Inor]

There isn't any, sorry. This is permanent lights out. If your place is lucky enough to have a stream/creek/spring on it - you might be able to develop a cool-box, using the water's cool temp to slow spoilage.

What we're doing is all our food stocks don't require refrigeration; all canning is done so that contents are consumed in one sitting (no leftovers to spoil). As time allows, I'm taking meats out of the freezer and putting them up. I'll likely be doing another doz pints of butter soon; eggs are good to go (40 doz) but might still do more later.

Why would you insist on living without refrigeration just because the lights went out? That seems like it is making life far more difficult than it needs to be. There are dozens of ways to remove heat from air/objects without requiring power or a stream or spring.

[MountainGirl]

Why would you insist on living without refrigeration just because the lights went out? That seems like it is making life far more difficult than it needs to be. There are dozens of ways to remove heat from air/objects without requiring power or a stream or spring.

Please do share!

Kindly recall the thread is based on no electricity, gas, propane, charcoal, etc.

[BucketBack]

How ya gonna order a pizza?

Got Mexicans next door with wood?

Yes I do.

[Inor]

Please do share!

Kindly recall the thread is based on no electricity, gas, propane, charcoal, etc.

Many chemical reactions absorb heat as part of the reaction. In my case, I will use ammonium-nitrate mixed with water since ammonium-nitrate is available in abundance here from all the livestock.

Also, why would you live without charcoal? That is really easy to make as well.

[BucketBack]

I have plenty of oak on the ground just from the winter

[Mad Trapper]

There isn't any, sorry. This is permanent lights out. If your place is lucky enough to have a stream/creek/spring on it - you might be able to develop a cool-box, using the water's cool temp to slow spoilage.

What we're doing is all our food stocks don't require refrigeration; all canning is done so that contents are consumed in one sitting (no leftovers to spoil). As time allows, I'm taking meats out of the freezer and putting them up. I'll likely be doing another doz pints of butter soon; eggs are good to go (40 doz) but might still do more later.

I posted this before. My grandparents had a milk/ice house. Harvested ice and stored it under sawdust.

[MountainGirl]

Many chemical reactions absorb heat as part of the reaction. In my case, I will use ammonium-nitrate mixed with water since ammonium-nitrate is available in abundance here from all the livestock.

And then what do you do with the solution? This is really fascinating stuff, Inor.
What kind of cooling device will it employ and how often would you need to charge it??
For that matter, how do you extract/contain the NH₄NO₃?

(Maybe I'll get PO talked into a horse yet...:D)



Also, why would you live without charcoal? That is really easy to make as well.

Oh c'mon. You know I meant store-bought briquettes. I'll try and be more specific for ya.

[MountainGirl]

I posted this before. My grandparents had a milk/ice house. Harvested ice and stored it under sawdust.

Nice they had ice to harvest.

Different areas call for different solutions, absolutely.
For example - I could sun-dry (dehydrate) up on the mountain, but not down here with the 80+% humidity.

[Mad Trapper]

Many chemical reactions absorb heat as part of the reaction. In my case, I will use ammonium-nitrate mixed with water since ammonium-nitrate is available in abundance here from all the livestock.

Also, why would you live without charcoal? That is really easy to make as well.

Best nitrogen chemical fertilizer!!!! Can't get that since 9/11, here .

Tell me can you? I can get urea. 46 % N

[Jester-ND]

Nice they had ice to harvest.

Different areas call for different solutions, absolutely.
For example - I could sun-dry (dehydrate) up on the mountain, but not down here with the 80+% humidity.

we have an outdoor freezer 6 months out of the year... refrigeration almost another 3... I am curious how the southerners will enjoy no A/C???

[Inor]

Best nitrogen chemical fertilizer!!!! Can't get that since 9/11, here .

Tell me can you? I can get urea. 46 % N

Yes, it is available here. As it turns out, the largest manufacturer of ammonium-nitrate in AZ is just about 20 miles from us. It is a company called Apache Powder. They make it for the local mining companies for blasting. But it works as a fertilizer or for making ice. You do not need a special permit to buy it but you do need to fill out a government form, similar to a 4473. And it is dirt cheap - cheaper than the crappy fertilizer they sell at Tractor Supply!

I have not made my own from scratch yet but that is on the plan for this summer. I know that pig and chicken shit will work but I am also going try steer shit. I have extracted it from lawn fertilizer but I am told that kind of fertilizer is no longer available.

[Slippy]

we have an outdoor freezer 6 months out of the year... refrigeration almost another 3... I am curious how the southerners will enjoy no A/C???

We lose AC and we are royally and fully red hot poker style skaruude! Hell on earth, literally.
Except a moist and wet moldy fungus hell.

So basically screwed with a red hot poker dipped in mold and fungus.

[MountainGirl]

we have an outdoor freezer 6 months out of the year... refrigeration almost another 3... I am curious how the southerners will enjoy no A/C???

Slippy nailed it. :thumb:

Our prep for that is direct solar-powered fans for daytime, and a dedicated solar-generator to power a fan for nights/sleeping.
It wont be pleasant.

[Prepared One]

we have an outdoor freezer 6 months out of the year... refrigeration almost another 3... I am curious how the southerners will enjoy no A/C???

I once went two weeks without AC and no generator after a hurricane back in the 80's. Think hell on earth. I was living in a small apartment with one door and one window in the back room. There was zero cross breeze. Besides, if you left everything open then you have the bugs and the Masquetos and the god awful humidity. Everything is wet or flooded and hot as hell. No fun.

That's why we have 2 generators, one solar generator and plenty of screened doors and windows. Long term we will have to cope, but not till every other option available to us has been exhausted.

[SOCOM42]

We lose AC and we are royally and fully red hot poker style skaruude! Hell on earth, literally.
Except a moist and wet moldy fungus hell.

So basically screwed with a red hot poker dipped in mold and fungus.


I can live without AC, I have it but it is used only 2-5 days each summer.

We live in the shade of basically a forest, pines that are 4 foot plus in diameter surround us and other types also.

It is the winters that are my problem, if the place freezes I loose my water pipes, plus my ass under certain conditions.

We lost a pipe in early March to minus 20 below weather, had to cut out a hole in the floor 3 feet X 10 inches to get to it.

Kid listened to where the water was hitting the floor, I can't hear shit like that, hearing really sucks.

Some rodent stripped out some insulation off the joisting under an unheated floor,

did a temporary fix on it with Tygon tubing until warm weather allows me to go under it.

It will be redone over all the way with PEX-B tubing, insulation and sheet aluminum will cover the whole run.

The leak blew out an added $350.00 on my spring water bill which I just paid 20 minutes ago.


My secondary heat sources require no electric to run, propane wall heaters, Kerosene heaters and wood stoves.

Those Kerosun heaters work real well.

Gen sets will run furnaces and freezers, I watch the freezer thermometers, they are outside remote monitoring types.

start gensets when needed to cool down in summer, in winter, I can just put the stuff in a shelter if I have to.

All eight temperature receiver heads are in one place in the home.

It is usually colder outside than in a fridge.

[Mad Trapper]

I can live without AC, I have it but it is used only 2-5 days each summer.

We live in the shade of basically a forest, pines that are 4 foot plus in diameter surround us and other types also.

It is the winters that are my problem, if the place freezes I loose my water pipes, plus my ass under certain conditions.

We lost a pipe in early March to minus 20 below weather, had to cut out a hole in the floor 3 feet X 10 inches to get to it.

Kid listened to where the water was hitting the floor, I can't hear shit like that, hearing really sucks.

Some rodent stripped out some insulation off the joisting under an unheated floor,

did a temporary fix on it with Tygon tubing until warm weather allows me to go under it.

It will be redone over all the way with PEX-B tubing, insulation and sheet aluminum will cover the whole run.

The leak blew out an added $350.00 on my spring water bill which I just paid 20 minutes ago.


My secondary heat sources require no electric to run, propane wall heaters, Kerosene heaters and wood stoves.

Those Kerosun heaters work real well.

Gen sets will run furnaces and freezers, I watch the freezer thermometers, they are outside remote monitoring types.

start gensets when needed to cool down in summer, in winter, I can just put the stuff in a shelter if I have to.

All eight temperature receiver heads are in one place in the home.

It is usually colder outside than in a fridge.


Did you get screwed with white pines coming down last heavy storm?

My place seems like yours, I have 200 year old pines, they shed branchs every storm. Last hard storm , you got too, was a mess.

I use a farm tractor, put out a 3/8" chocker chain and pile the debris but side to choker. Then I can pull huge piles at once. I spent a whole day doing that, with a helper. And the little shit is still there. When I do that small stuff will harvest pine cones, awsome for starting the woodstoe.

[BucketBack]

In '70 Mom, Dad, and me walked 2 miles into the woods to find pine trees. We dug a white pine tree and put it in 5 gallon bucket, walked back and planted it.

We did this 3 times over the weekend before heading back to The Motor City.

In 2019, I paid $250 to have the 3 dropped across my drive, then I bucked and bucked.

Never fear, over the years there are plenty of babies around.

[MountainGirl]

In '70 Mom, Dad, and me walked 2 miles into the woods to find pine trees. We dug a white pine tree and put it in 5 gallon bucket, walked back and planted it.

We did this 3 times over the weekend before heading back to The Motor City.

In 2019, I paid $250 to have the 3 dropped across my drive, then I bucked and bucked.

Never fear, over the years there are plenty of babies around.

Moving forward always, no reason looking back.

[SOCOM42]

Did you get screwed with white pines coming down last heavy storm?

My place seems like yours, I have 200 year old pines, they shed branchs every storm. Last hard storm , you got too, was a mess.

I use a farm tractor, put out a 3/8" chocker chain and pile the debris but side to choker. Then I can pull huge piles at once. I spent a whole day doing that, with a helper. And the little shit is still there. When I do that small stuff will harvest pine cones, awsome for starting the woodstoe.

Oh, yes for sure, storm took a lot down, have to take the chain saw to some to be able to move them,

about a 1/4 of a cord worth, will start on that in a week or two, I have a huge pile of branches, other things to do first,

always is, some are up to 5-6 inches in diameter, all long dead and dried out before they came down.

A lot of the small pieces find their way inside, via the dogs, have enough at the end of a week to start a fire in the wood stove.