Fireless Cookers and Solar Lighting

[helwen]

Two things:

1) oakmouse has an excellent post on fireless cooking. I highly recommend it: Fireless Cooking. Thanks Oakmouse!

2) Was at the post office at Ingleside Mall yesterday and next to it is Christmas Tree Shops. So I poked through their stuff briefly, and came across their collection of solar lights. These are meant to be used outdoors, but some have flat bases, and one type was even attractive-looking, for not too much money. It reminded me of the emergency preparedness question someone had, about lighting and cooking that didn't have flames (allergy/asthma concerns). For lighting, these solar lights could possibly be the answer... set them in a window during the day, and have at least enough light to move around by at night -- good way to extend the life of any battery-powered lights you may have, since you wouldn't need those for ambient lighting.

Also, while the haybox cookers (see #1) still require you to have something else to start the cooking on, I'd think that only having to use a camp stove (with ventilation) for 15-30 minutes and then finishing up the cooking in a haybox could be an excellent way to minimize exposure to cooking fumes, and also stretch out how long the fuel would last. Or again, depending on what type of natural disaster struck and the time of year, one could do some of the cooking outdoors and/or in a sheltered porch.

Comments

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

While I do not use nalgene if possible ( parabens ) you can refit a solar light to be the cap in a nalgene water bottle.
There's a lid available at Eastern Mountain called the Firefly. It's a battery/led light which uses the water as the amplifier.
There's an instructable on how to make a solar lantern fit into a canning jar.
Hybridize those, and have fun!

The only reason I do not cook dinner at the shop while we are working is fear of heavy metals. If we get a new forge installation this year, I will be cooking there.

I have been known to stick eggs and potatos into sawdust compoo piles to cook them. I also cook on my manifold. I am looking for solutions to aluminum foil or parchment wrapping, with no luck so far, but I am hopeful.

[fitzw.livejournal.com]

Aluminum foil -> dutch oven.

Parchment paper -> appropriate leaves, such as grape leaves.

Just an idea...

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

and good ideas both, though not for on the manifold.
I use parchment for non-permeable lining, and foil as a container for odd fits. Hmm.. I know there are tropical leaves which have a skin which is used instead of plastic wrap. Thanks, I'll go digging.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

L also suggests green corn husks (when in season...)