[MtnBikeMike]

Dont worry I read some posts after searching lol...

I live on the first floor of a condo, I have wood floors and a natural gas fireplace. I dont own I rent.

So with that being said my options are as follows (I think?)

A coleman portable stove? I used one as a kid camping the thing was always awesome we would be making home made fajitas while other campers looked over in ah as they ate theyre hot dogs. I loved that thing. So I gotta store lots of propane then? I just dont see that as an option for me, storage is limited already and I dont feel its a place to put all my eggs...

A smaller camping stove that uses propane Im thinking of having this as a back up to my coleman, Id imagine ill get both cuz the price is good and they work, I mean hell might even get me thru a weekend without power and that would be fine by me.

Something that burns wood? I dont have the ability to just go out front and chop down trees here in the good old suburbs of littleton co but I could buy a few things of wood i guess. Do people mostly rely on this as the main means of cooking?

Sun oven? never used or seen one in person, think they work good? Should I just make one? id imagine boiling water and things of the sort are out of the question?

And again I hope IM LONG GONE from this condo when something happens but who knows I cant be out front with a sun oven cooking pies while my neighbors are starving lol. I just need some experiences here, thoughts?

Thanks guys!

 

[MikeK]

That would be a hard situation to be in long term because of cooking and heating. Camp stoves are an option. Kerosene cookers are another if you have a source to get kerosene. It's hard to find and expensive in some areas. Kerosene has more heat per gallon than Coleman fuel and lasts longer. Coleman fuel has more heat per gallon than propane, but propane will last forever. It's just bulky to store very much of in a small space.

Wood cooking and heating is probably one of the most common methods because it's infinately sustainable, unlike a stove that runs on fuel that can run out.

Solar ovens are great, but might not work in Colorado so well in the winter anyway. You need a secure area to use them because they need to sit outside for so long.

 

[Rascals]

Cooking with your food smells going to your hungry neibors doesnt sound to cool. How long are you thinking for? Maybe get more foods you dont have to cook.Storage is a problem with everybody. We had to put up multiple root cellars ect to store just our food stocks our fuels are in the ground and we use differnt methods at differnt times. We even have a huge 56" Fresnel lens we can use for cooking,heating starting fires and we have a desalinator that works kinda like a still we ca use to get water out of our river kinda brackish. We dont like to depend on the pond or well totally and like to have options.

 

[Booker]

I use a combo of propane, white gas, and butane.

The butane burners can be purchased in most Asian Groceries for less than $20. They use a cylinder and are safe to use inside. They look like the burners you find at a breakfast buffet.

The propane burners just work, but are safer to use outside or on a balcony or patio.

The Coleman burners I have a mutli-fuel.

I can also cook on my wood buring stove.

Options are good. If you live in Colorado, it's my belief that you should have mutliple heat sources and at least one 4x4 vehicle.

 

[PSYOP Soldier]

MBM...

All about the layers mate....

First off, obtain foods that don't require much cooking...

Second, foods that can be cooked in one pot, etc...

Third, get that coleman gas stove, i have one that uses white gas, kerosene and unleaded...

I also have a pressure cooker to use on it too..one pot meals..

In addition, a small propane stove and those mini tanks are good...

Finally, get a Volcano Grill, they use wood, charcoal or propane...
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=161778&highlight=volcano+grill

Buy yourself a small cast iron set and you should be able to cook anything, on any heat source...

Learn how to make a 16 brick stove...http://www.survivaltopics.com/forums/survival-tech/12503-16-brick-rocket-stove.html

 

[dontbuypotteryfromme]

you can buy all sorts of portable heating and cooking attachments that go on your average BBQ gas bottle. (We use LPG by the way just because it is common.)

I also have a portable suitcase burner as a bakc up and a camping stove in my BOB.

Look. It will get you buy for a few weeks If your power is out or gas shuts of as well as the Alien invasion and I believe is worth the investment.

Otherwise I have a brazier with a metal floor thingy and a carbon steel camp oven that I can use outside. cooks with wood or heatbeads.
If I had wood floors I would be iffy about using it on them or buy a really good base for it. (Mabye a pallet or something?)

 

[MtnBikeMike]

Thanks for the posts guys these are great options.

I do need a 4x4 my camry isnt gonna cut it in the snow lol. However I dont make enough money for a car payment and rent. After getting "retired" early from the army I may never recover from the paycut.

I think ill go the coleman options first then worry about doing the wood thing. I just need a job that pays me something worth while, Not that it will happen in this horrific economy but hey.

Thanks again tho guys im gonna look into that volcano grill and a 16 brick stove thats great stuff! Thanks for sharing!

 

[PSYOP Soldier]

I was at lowes foods today and they had a small propane grill blue rhino brand for 30.00 and a 4 pack of small bottles for 10.00..you get that grill and a couple cases of bottles, a small coleman multi fuel stove and a gal of gas, and you are good for a bit...

 

[Kansas Terri]

Is it a real fieplace?

During a 3 day power failure during an ice storm, we cooked in our fireplace. The outside grill worked better but we started out with the fireplace as I did not have to stand on ice to cook.

Boiling things was dead easy. I boiled noodles, drained them, and stirred in tuna and cream of mushroom soup. That was our first dinner.

We could not cook more than 3 eggs at a time in the skillet, as there are hot spots and if there were several eggs in the skillet it is likely that some will burn. The house was cold and we wanted eggs every morning. Fortunately, the house was cold and the counter made a dandy refridgerator.

 

[WSierra]

I don't know if it's the best way.. but it's relatively inexpensive...

A single burner propane stove, and if practical, a full sized propane tank. That would burn for a long long time.

Also.. look into a 'Dakota fire hole/pit'. Costs nothing. ..but you need a little bare ground to dig it.

 

[MtnBikeMike]

Awesome thanks ill watch these vids when I get home, and I am also sold on that volcano its happening soon!

 

[dontbuypotteryfromme]

I have been meaning to get an Ozpig one day.

 

[kev]

How about something like the coleman perfectflow stove? Propane stores forever.

 

[Monique]

Get some cans of Sterno for short-term use. If nothing else, you can boil water, which gives you lots of options. After Katrina, this was my fuel source for a week. I set the sterno can down in a sturdy loaf pan, had a small rack from an old slow-cooker which fit perfectly on top, used a small aluminum coffee pot (percolator without its insides) to boil the water. One can of sterno gave me two or three rounds of boiling water. You could also put any excess into a thermos.

 

[MtnBikeMike]

How about something like the coleman perfectflow stove? Propane stores forever.

‪Cooking on a Coleman Perfectflow Stove‬‏ - YouTube

This is a great idea! Maybe this is what I used as a kid, im just not sure if it was the coleman fuel or the propane? Hmmmm I will need one of these and a volcano then ill feel good! Thanks for the input Kev!

And monique thansk for your experience thats a great idea too, dont take this wrong but its nice to hear that you have done something in "real life disaster" and have the insight to share with people!

Thanks again everyone!

LOVE THIS FORUM lol

 

[oaksnroses]

I also cooked an egg over a candle. Yummi.com has very inexpensive candles. I put one in a jar and then on a stand I add the egg to a glass cooking dish. This took about 10 min. This is a great way to reheat food and it will give some light at the same time.

 

[fwshooter]

Wait so you do not have a stove or you are looking for backup solutions?

If you do not have a stove but have stove hookup the check out CL and find a cheap one. If not go pick up a couple electric single burners. These are going to be cheaper options in the long term.

If you are looking for alternative ways to cook then a lot depends on your area...

For example solar oven here is only going to be an option for a couple months a year.

My backups are gas grill, charcoal grill, smoker, firepit, wood fireplace. I also have a couple camp stoves that I picked up cheap from a Coleman multifuel to a backpack stove. Personally I try to use the charcoal/grill/firepit more in emergency situations because the fuel is way cheaper and in the case of the firepit/fireplace I get the added benefit of heat.

Oh I have also used the kerosene heater as a way to warm up food since the top of it gets freaking hot.

 

[wyldflwr]

Sun ovens are fine for when it's sunny outside, but not so good if you have cloud cover. With a bit of cloud cover in Phx AZ I was only able to get about 200 degrees out of mine. Fine for slow cooking usually, but not for regular baking. I love my sun oven, and I would have it no matter where I lived, but that is the one drawback. Other than that, it's not even as heavy as a suit case. So yes, a sun oven would be a fantastic addition to your preps. You can boil water in it as well, again though you need the sun.

Buy some wood for the fireplace, if there's no gas you can still use it for heating, cooking etc if you're going to shelter in place, but keep in mind this will attention to your location.

Backpacking stoves are a great idea, as well as regular camp stoves. They all have their uses. You didn't mention whether you're sheltering in place or buggin out?

 

[fwshooter]

The other thing is make sure you check your local laws. Around here if you are in an apartment and decide to use a grill the fire department will be over and they will be bending you over in fines.

 

[birddog1]

Dont worry I read some posts after searching lol...

I live on the first floor of a condo, I have wood floors and a natural gas fireplace. I dont own I rent.

So with that being said my options are as follows (I think?)

A coleman portable stove? I used one as a kid camping the thing was always awesome we would be making home made fajitas while other campers looked over in ah as they ate theyre hot dogs. I loved that thing. So I gotta store lots of propane then? I just dont see that as an option for me, storage is limited already and I dont feel its a place to put all my eggs...

A smaller camping stove that uses propane Im thinking of having this as a back up to my coleman, Id imagine ill get both cuz the price is good and they work, I mean hell might even get me thru a weekend without power and that would be fine by me.

Something that burns wood? I dont have the ability to just go out front and chop down trees here in the good old suburbs of littleton co but I could buy a few things of wood i guess. Do people mostly rely on this as the main means of cooking?

Sun oven? never used or seen one in person, think they work good? Should I just make one? id imagine boiling water and things of the sort are out of the question?

And again I hope IM LONG GONE from this condo when something happens but who knows I cant be out front with a sun oven cooking pies while my neighbors are starving lol. I just need some experiences here, thoughts?

Thanks guys!

If I was in your situation I would buy some type of stove that you can configure to run off the small propane bottles and 20lb tanks to use for short term emergencies.

If you are talking about a long term collapse you need to buy a small portable back packing stove so that you can throw it in your pack and walk to somewhere else where you will actually have a chance at survival, as I don't think you can do that living in a condo in a decent sized town.