Portable stoves question?


WANDERER
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Hi,

Sorting out my preparedness and doing firstaid kits and stuff as I've been pretty slack about things like this.

I was looking at 72 hour kits for ideas and I noticed that one of them had a hexi stove in it.

The pluses appear that it's a light and safe in terms of carrying fuel and that we can readily get them here. The fuel can be stored a longish while. The negatives appear that chemical fires and food ...well not sure it's a smart combination.

I came across a hiking trangia (methylated spirits stove) and liked the idea. A litre of methylated spirits goes a long way on one of these. I know it takes a bit longer to boil water on them. Not sure if it's safe for food or how long you can store methylated spirits (as they come in plastic bottles). The plus is that the stoves are simple and don't require a whole lot of knowledge about safety checks of gear and that the fuel is easily purchased when supermarket shopping. The negatives are for a 72 hour kit it's extra weight...but as a backup option in the home it's probably not a bad idea.

I looked at gas...but I really wouldn't use it all that often and storing gas in the home etc. Being a bbq nation the first thing that you can't purchase during a blackout situation is gas cylinders...they go quickly.

Another thing I wondered about is candle lanterns...do they work? And how good are the windup torches/windup radios and solar lights? I had a hand powered torch as a kid and I remember that the beam was next to useless.

Thanks in advance.

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I have about 45 cans of propane for my stoves and lanterns. I pick them up ever so often when I am in Costco. I keep them in 18 quart Rubbermaid containers in the garage. I also have a small portable camping stove that uses pressurized butane canisters. Also have several hundred pounds of charcoal for bbq.

Ben Raines

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As long as the charcoal is kept dry,and is NOT the kind that has the starter fuel in it, it should be safe enough to keep, and it should keep indefinitely.

I would keep it in a rubbermaid tote(or one similar) or a heavy duty plastic garbage can with lid.

I have a two burner stove that uses the small cans of propane. I only have two cans of propane - guess I should buy a case at least.

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Thank you Iggy. I was always under the impression that over time charcoal loses its ability. That's why I've never thought about a charcoal grill for preparedness. Now I do understand the kind that has the starter fuel in it. Perhaps I need to reconsider my thinking here and buy a small portable grill that uses charcoal as an alternative.

I do have a small portable grill that uses the propane. I've bought and stored many canisters for it. I watch for the end of the season sales and purchase some at that time.

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Guest GhostRider

I remember when I was young there was this stuff called sterno. Was a little stove that you could set up in about a min or so. worked great for the Scout mess kit. the cans of this stuff was about the size of a tuna can. Used to keep a few cans in the pack when hicking just incase I got stranded at night. all it took was one match and it lit up. would use a little bit to start kindling also. Havnt seen it around in a while. After i was introduced to MRE's (Ok 3 lies in one there lol) I havnt really thought about it due to all you need with those is a little bit of water because it has its own heater. Think I may need to talk somene at the ward about the parpardness kit stuff...kinda new to this soooo...

A cheap way for a quick anywhere stove...As pam says go to the end of the year sale. Look for just the grill part of a Charcole grill or a gas grill. all you need then is to find some rocks if you really get in a bind. set the rocks in such a way as to make the corners of a square. burn your wood that is handy ( dont use pine makes food taste bblah. use oak or another hard wood) so you have a good bed of coals. put the great on and start cooking adding small limbs as needed to keep the coals going. Remembered this as i was about to log off. Had to do this in scouts a few times. And the upside to this is that the cooking part of the grills weihgs about nothing. One time we had to use coat hangers to make a grill top. all ya need is a gerber tool. What I get for having a scout master that was hooked on McGyver!

Edited by GhostRider
had a thunk
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I was looking at 72 hour kits for ideas and I noticed that one of them had a hexi stove in it.

The pluses appear that it's a light and safe in terms of carrying fuel and that we can readily get them here. The fuel can be stored a longish while. The negatives appear that chemical fires and food ...well not sure it's a smart combination.

I use triox bars in my 72-hour kit, and they work well. I've only used them to boil water or heat up food in a cup, and they are perfectly safe for that as long as you have enough ventilation. I'm thinking about buying one of those little Esbit stoves and the tablets for it, which work about the same from what I've read about them.

I came across a hiking trangia (methylated spirits stove) and liked the idea. A litre of methylated spirits goes a long way on one of these. I know it takes a bit longer to boil water on them. Not sure if it's safe for food or how long you can store methylated spirits (as they come in plastic bottles). The plus is that the stoves are simple and don't require a whole lot of knowledge about safety checks of gear and that the fuel is easily purchased when supermarket shopping. The negatives are for a 72 hour kit it's extra weight...but as a backup option in the home it's probably not a bad idea.

I don't have one myself, but a lot of people seem to swear by the little alcohol-fueled stoves. They work best if you use denatured alcohol (can be found in the paint section of the hardware store). They burn cleaner than triox or hexi tablets. They aren't much good in very cold weather, though.

I'm not sure how long the alcohol would last in storage, but from what I've read it's best not to keep it near your food (it will make it taste awful), and you should make sure that the bottle you use to store it has a very tight-fitting lid.

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I remember when I was young there was this stuff called sterno.

Sterno is still around. To date I have seen it in two sizes. Small tuna can and Large tuna can size. WalMart, Fred Myer, Ace Hardware, True Value all carry it. I would guess that any place that has camping gear will sell it.

The problem with sterno is you can't cook much of a meal with it. Like you can on a two burner cook stove or a barbecue grill.

One note though. With those portable grills-hibachis-two burner (or larger) cook stoves. Be careful where and what you set it on. If the surface is burnable be assured it WILL BURN. I set my two burner propane stove on the porch railing. The railing nearly caught on fire! Even though the stove was sitting on its little metal feet- there was only an inch of space between the bottom of the stove and the wood railing.

From then on (till the freeze was over and I got electricity back) I set the stove on two bricks. With the bricks at each end of the stove, and plenty of air space between the stove bottom and the porch railing.

I also had a barbecue made out of a 50 gallon drum. The drum was on its side and I only had half of it. Sure wish I had the whole drum, so that I could have a lid.

I used empty tin cans to hold up oven racks inside of the drum, and used wood or charcoal for my fires. I have cooked roasts along with the typical steaks and hamburgers. I also used foil roasting pans as lids over the roasts. One way to cook a roast in an open fire is to cover it with heavy duty foil (I got mine at restaurant supply store). You will need at least four layers. Then, bury the roast in the fire. I got the coals good and hot, then dug a hole in the center, put the roast in and covered the roast with hot coals. For a 6lb pork roast that had onions, potatoes,carrots (cut in half) & celery stalks all around it, it took about two hours to cook.

For a while I didn't have a range/oven in the house - so I was real thankful for this huge barbecue. It was old when I was using it, and then one day, three years after I moved into the house, the bottom fell out of the barbecue.

Finding 50 gallon drums was not an easy thing to do. Once I am settled in my last home. Never to move again. I will get a 50 gallon drum. Season it, paint the outside with plenty of heat resistant paint, and have the inside welded with stays for the oven racks to rest on. No more tin cans holding the racks up. I will also have the drum cut not in half- length wise, but more like 2/3. Then I will have the top 1/3 hinged, that will be the lid.

I will also have a door cut into the bottom, hinged and with a wing-lock so that it will be easier to empty the ashes out.

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Guest GhostRider

Iggy...sounds to me that u want to get a smoker. I am actually thinking about getting one. Not so portable. but they are awesome to have. The one I had was HUGE. 1.5 55gall drums. the fire box was such that you could actually heat up sides on it. Had a rack setting under the cooking part for charcol. Mind you that mine was a custome made one but you can find them out there. attached is a good one that a friend of mine had or its very simalar

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Iggy...sounds to me that u want to get a smoker. I am actually thinking about getting one. Not so portable. but they are awesome to have. The one I had was HUGE. 1.5 55gall drums. the fire box was such that you could actually heat up sides on it. Had a rack setting under the cooking part for charcol. Mind you that mine was a custome made one but you can find them out there. attached is a good one that a friend of mine had or its very simalar

Only if it will barbecue along with being a smoker. I was able to "roast" a complete dinner in mine. Pork Roast with the vegetables in with it. Even baked dinner rolls (yeast bread) in a cast iron dutch oven. I figured those would take as long as the roast- they didn't, but cold fully baked dinner rolls are preferable to hot dinner rolls cooked after the dinner has been eaten :lol: Yes, that pic looks like what I want, except for that big square thing on its side.

I had drawn out how I wanted 55 gal drum cut and where I wanted the rack stays welded on. I also wanted the lid to be in two parts. So that I could have one part covered, as I cooked on the other side - like a pan with beans in it.

I even had a guy who was going to do the cutting and welding. I just never was able to get the drum.

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I have about 45 cans of propane for my stoves and lanterns. I pick them up ever so often when I am in Costco. I keep them in 18 quart Rubbermaid containers in the garage.

Ben Raines

Ben, I've thought about getting extra propane tanks like you mention, but I'm a little nervous about having that much around. Is it dangerous? How long do the tanks keep? I have heard the nozzles/fittings can get corroded over time.

I haven't really considered much as part of my preparedness plan of what to do for cooking if gas or electricity is scarce for an extended tine. Good ideas here.

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Jack that has been my concern as well in storing too much fuel in one small area. The safety of the whole thing. In the case of a natural disaster...would the canisters be compromised and cause more of a disaster? Did they store well over time? Those are my same questions.

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When I worked at True Value, we had to pick them up and heft them to make sure there was fuel in them. Sometimes they came empty. ((off topic here- have you ever gotten home with your canned groceries to find that you had a can of tomato sauce or vegetables that was empty?? I have quite a collection gathering on my kitchen window sill of empty cans. I caught it before I opened them so they are intact.))

ALSO- If you can't find the Coleman canisters - the fat ones, you can always go to where the welding stuff is and get the skinny canisters instead. Propane is propane. As long as your stove, light, heater, can handle the long skinny one, they are generally CHEAPER!! My two burner stove has plenty of room for the longer one. I would rather pay 1.79 compared to 3.59 any day! Oh, they both hold the same amout of fuel too.

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All the ones I buy at Costco or wherever I find them have plastic caps that cover the tops, where the valve is. I buy the 8 qt Rubbermaid tubs when they are on sale and store the cans there. The cans would be very hard to destroy in a natural disaster other than a fire. I keep them in the garage so they are subject to heat in the summer but have never had any problems with them and some I have had for seven years. I also have two of the big propane tanks, 5 gallon ones. I plan on buying two more in the near future.

I have a large two burner stove by Camp-Mor. I also have two Coleman stoves. One that uses the propane tanks and one that uses white gas. I have one lantern that uses white gas and two that use the propane tanks. I also have over 100 pounds of charcoal. Charcoal last forever as long as it is kept dry. I just keep it in the garage on a top shelf. The bbq I use is a Weber.

I have looked at the smoker bbq as shown in the earlier picture. That would be the perfect choice. You can bbq with it, you can grill with it, you can smoke things with it. I also have six dutch ovens of various sizes.

Best way to do biscuits in a dutch oven is to heat it up in advance. Get it nice and hot and then take it off the heat source and add your biscuits. With just the heat of the oven it will cook the biscuits. They come out a nice toasty brown.

Ben Raines

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My oldest brother belongs to a group of Mountain Men. I really need to 'pick his brain' regarding out door cooking. Though I would prefer to cook on colemen stoves or even barbeque's- he cooks over an open fire. I really am not keen on squatting and kneeling when I cook- kills my knees and hips. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the info on the propane canisters. My storeroom gets up to 130 degrees in the summer- so I will have to wait until I move to Oregon before I really store up on the canisters.

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Guest GhostRider

Some good reiepes can be found in some early Pioneer books or even google cowboy cooking. one of the things I am planning on doing in the near future (ie when I move) Is to get a list of things i will need for this sort of thing. cooking being priority. that and water.

Ben..My Dad has one of the HUGE propane tanks that he uses to heat the garage in the winter time. believe it or not when the power goes out..that thing will literally heat the house..he just hookes up the generator.. pulls out a fan and presto..instant heat. in the summer he uses it to fire up the grill. just attach a longer hose.

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Okay, I got a good one for all of you.

Came across it while I was reading a new novel: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon.

This couple are in the wilderness, it is the winter of 1769. They have built a crude cabin and are hoping to survive the winter there.

This is taken directly from the book:

I took my snow inside and tipped it into the large cauldron, feeling, as I always did, rather like a witch.

" 'Double, double, toil and trouble' " I muttered, watching the white clumps hiss and fade into the roiling liquid.

I had one large cauldron, filled with water, which bubbled constantly on the fire. This was not only the basic supply for washing but the means of cooking everything that could not be grilled, fried, or roasted. Stews and things to be boiled were put into hollow gourds or stoneware jars, sealed, and lowered on strings into the bubbling depths, to be hauled out at intervals for checking. By this means, I could cook an entire meal in the one pot, and have hot water for the washing afterward.

I dumped a second basket of snow into a wooden bowl and left it to melt more slowly; drinking water for the day.

When I read that, I knew I had to mark the passage and pass this information on to all of you.

Off topic: Ghost- I finally read your entire signature and the one about Adrenaline absolutely cracked me up. Made my sides hurt from laughing!

Edited by Iggy
to add Off Topic
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The square briquettes are actually a mixture of sawdust, and they can last a long time if they're kept dry and they don't have the lighter fluid in them. Charcoal made from wood is more expensive, but they burn for a very long time and also stores well as long as it's kept dry.

As for myself, I have a propane camp stove and one propane canister, but I really need to stock up on those. I also have a BBQ and charcoal, but I realized today that I need more bags to have on hand. I had a white gas stove, but it sprang a leak, and all I can say is that I'm glad I had a fire extinguisher with me at the time.

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Okay this is probably going to be a dumb question because I'm just not a bbqer except on a gas grill. But if storing the briquettes..would I also need to store lighter fluid?

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Okay this is probably going to be a dumb question because I'm just not a bbqer except on a gas grill. But if storing the briquettes..would I also need to store lighter fluid?

Not a dumb question at all. I know that some briquettes are really hard to light and stay lit. Personally I would use those sawdust and wax fire starters that you use in the fireplace or wood stoves.

I used to take presto logs and cut them into rounds and use them as fire starters in my wood stove. I have used both - which ever was cheapest. I just do NOT have the patience to fool around to get a fire going.

I have also used them in my barrel barbecue- along with the fire starters. I really hate the liquid stuff- to me the food picks up that flavor :mad:

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Guest DeborahC

I made a rocket stove for our house.

It works GREAT on very small pieces of wood.

I've tried it out camping several times, cooking a large pot of soup.

I'm making one now for my mother.

Highly recommended. If you need directions you can PM me.

You can find instructions online.

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I prefer propane and a propane camp stove for emergency cooking. Like Ben Raines it is simple to store propane and when used in a camp stove it nearly duplicates the speed and comfort of your kitchen range. In emergency situations you don't need to be further inconvenienced with a new way of preparing your meals. Simply put this is basic preparing and is necessary to go along with your food storage plan. The test results of consumption will show that you really don't need much propane to be prepared for months of meal cooking.

Below are some of the questions I have been asked about propane. Hope it is helpful in making your decisions.

Propane: How much is used for basic meal preparations and how many one pound cylinders or pounds of propane do I need to store for a predetermined number of meals?

Posted Image

I conducted this test to determine how much propane is used in a propane camping stove for basic cooking tasks. My camp stove is almost 30 years old and the burner is rated @ 10,000 BTU’s per minute. The newer propane stoves can come with 12,000 BTU burners so they will consume a bit more propane per minute. The results below are for one burner in operation at a time, obviously two burners burning at the same time will double the propane consumed.

Percolated coffee:

I used my 8 cup percolator for this test (also can be used on a campfire).

Turning the burner on high it took 13 minutes to begin to perk.

It took another 5 minutes to complete the brew.

Total time the burner was on start to finish was, 18 minutes.

Total propane consumed was 1.8 ounces for the 18 minute burn time.

Heating a can of soup:

A typical can of soup is 2 cups and this is the amount I used for the test.

Turning the burner on high it took 5.0 minutes to bring it up to a boil.

Total time the burner was on start to finish was, 5.0 minutes.

Total propane consumed was .5 ounces for the 5.0 minute burn time.

Test results:

My burner consumes .1 ounce of propane per minute on highest setting.

A one pound cylinder will burn 160 minutes or 2.6 hours continuous.

A one pound cylinder will make 9 pots of coffee.

A one pound cylinder will heat 32 cans of soup.

A one pound cylinder will burn for 16, 10 minute cycles for general meal preparations.

A 20 pound RV tank will provide 320, 10 minute cycles for general meal preparations.

A 30 pound RV tank will provide 480, 10 minute cycles for general meal preparations.

A 40 pound RV tank will provide 640, 10 minute cycles for general meal preparations.

One of the common questions about propane is: What is the shelf-life of propane?

Propane has an indefinite shelf-life. As long as the tank or cylinder is sound condition and doesn’t leak it will last as long as the tank that contains it.

Another question is: Do the one pound camping cylinders leak over time?

Well it is possible because there is a mechanical valve that makes the seal.

So I checked eight of my one pound cylinders that I have had in storage for just over 15 years and none of those have leaked any propane out. This was verified by using a gram scale and checking the weight each cylinder and found they were within 2 grams of each other and the same weight as two brand new cylinders.

Note:

I own and do recommend the 40 pound RV tanks for SHTF or for a remote retreat because they hold a good amount of propane and they are still very portable. Just be aware that if you buy used ones they have a maximum of a 10 year refilling life from the “date of manufacture” stamped on the surrounding valve protection and hand hold shield. If the tanks are older than ten years you can’t get them refilled and you’re out the money for the tanks. New ones are around $70.00 each.

Hope this helps with your planning!

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