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Preppers

cooking stove?

40 replies

Kacie123 · 14/11/2015 17:44

Hello! Hoping for some advice on a good emergency stove. It's unlikely to really be needed but am vaguely worried about power cuts after a rubbish one we had a while back, and thought it would be good to be able to boil water/heat beans indoors in an emergency.

Took a look on Amazon and just got confused. Any recommendations?! Ideally don't want to accidentally carbon monoxide us to death either...

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GingerIvy · 14/11/2015 18:02

We just have a small camping stove, which we would use out in the back garden.

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Zetetic · 14/11/2015 18:20

If you are totally electric then you either need to eat cold food in a power cut or get a camping stove which you would need to use outside (hope you are not in a flat). This link might give you an idea of different sorts of camping stove.

www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/outdoor-activity/10-best-camping-stoves-9495884.html

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Kacie123 · 14/11/2015 18:44

Yes, totally electric, and in a flat ... Would it be ok to just open windows do you think?

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Zetetic · 14/11/2015 18:45
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Zetetic · 14/11/2015 18:46

Oh sorry cross post. No don't use it in a flat. Do you have a communal garden?

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Kacie123 · 14/11/2015 19:04

Yes, there's some greenery outside, quite exposed though if it was windy etc!

Will look at the ones you've linked, thank you Smile

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JeffTheGodOfBiscuits · 14/11/2015 23:42

Why would you have to use the camping stove outside please? My cooker is gas but not outside Grin is camping gas different?

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Kacie123 · 15/11/2015 05:58

Camping stoves emit carbon dioxide and should only be used in very well ventilated areas (hence why I was vaguely wondering about opening windows, but I don't think they would be enough). People shouldn't even use them in tents or caravans really.

I guess proper cookers have better ways of dealing with it, although we have an electronic carbon monoxide detectors in our flat just in case after reading horror stories...

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JeffTheGodOfBiscuits · 15/11/2015 11:31

Thanks!

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BorderTerrierControl · 15/11/2015 12:26

Definitely don't use a stove inside a tent. Also be wary of those little portable BBQs- don't use them inside and don't bring them inside afterwards. They still emit carbon monoxide for quite a while after they've gone out.

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BorderTerrierControl · 15/11/2015 12:36

Should have added, if you're camping and want to keep a BBQ and what's left of the charcoal for the next day, but it's raining etc., wrap it in a couple of carrier bags (once it's completely cold all the way through) and weigh down with a couple of rocks.

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IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 15/11/2015 12:40

BBQ's emit CO when they're smouldering, as Jeff says, a fully burning Gas Stove is no different to a fully burning Gas Hob so no need to sit outside and burn more calories shivering than you'll get from the food after you've cooked it!!

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Zetetic · 15/11/2015 12:49

www.247homerescue.co.uk/carbon-monoxide-what-are-the-risks-and-how-to-stay-safe/

I'm no expert but this says.... Never use items such as barbecues and camping stoves indoors.

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IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 15/11/2015 15:46

We'll have to disagree then as most Gas camping stoves are designed to be used in a tent - when mountaineering no-one cooks outside for example. When out & about I often cook inside the porch area of my backpacking tent.

I have a trailer tent parked outside right now that has a camping stove built into it that can't be used outside.

Bell Tents have reinforced areas in the roof to allow the flue for a wood burning stove to safely go through.



As long as you're not sitting in an enlclosed, unventilated space with something burning away for hours (i.e. using it as a heat source) you'll be fine, although we used to have a gas heater for the trailer tent thinking about it!

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Zetetic · 15/11/2015 17:14

Why do all the sites have the opposite advice? This is a good Canadian one. Is it just best practice but some people get away with being fine because they know the danger signs and have a window or tent flap open?

www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/faq-eng.aspx

And how do you dehydrate humus!

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IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 15/11/2015 18:24

I think a lot of the advice is aimed at people that honestly have little or no clue.

I know to make sure there is ventilation when I'm using my gas stove in the porch of my small tent. Tracy & Steve who've just bought a "festival pack" from Argos may have no idea that the BBQ will kill them rather than warm them up.

Plus, there's a lot of arse covering by manufacturers & web pages - imagine the fuss if a camping page saying it was OK was found in the history of the deceased....

Law Suits Ahoy!!

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Zetetic · 15/11/2015 19:04

Grin See what you mean. Knowing my luck though I would manage to waft everyone to sleep......

Thankfully I don't have to make that choice as I have other ways to heat the house and cook.

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BorderTerrierControl · 16/11/2015 00:00

I agree IKnow and I always thought 'don't use in a tent' warnings referred to actually inside the tent, all zipped up and ready for kip. That's how I use them at least. The porch is obviously different, and often the only place you can get anything lit on the side of a hill with no other wind breaks.

But then we have 'warning, coffee may be hot' written on our take out drinks these days, so as a species we're not really winning at common sense Grin

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madwomanbackintheattic · 16/11/2015 00:08

In a dehydrator, zetetic. I have one. Grin I have a friend who dehydrates salsa as well. There are liners for th trays and you literally just spread a thin layer over the liner and switch it on. In the same way that you would make fruit leather. Some stuff will be dry and powdery/ crumbly, and some will turn into a leather you can roll up.

You can dehydrate anything, pretty much.



I have never bothered to dehydrate houmous, however I know someone who does it regularly...

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Zetetic · 16/11/2015 09:57

I suppose mountaineers on Everest don't have a lot of choice otherwise they would freeze to death or get frostbite, but if anyone is going to use one inside please would you open the window /tent flap and have a carbon monoxide alarm otherwise I will worry about you. You can get travel ones too.

A dehydrator is already sitting in my wishlist and this whole houmous thing is not helping me resist temptation. Smile

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atticusclaw2 · 16/11/2015 10:01

Ive just put two pineapples onto my dehydrator. Dehydrated pineapple is the food of the gods (and prevents me eating biscuits all day).

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Kacie123 · 16/11/2015 15:10

Dehydrators, interesting! Are they fairly easy to use or if you're dim like me with gadgets a bit of a palaver?

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atticusclaw2 · 16/11/2015 16:41

Very easy. Chop food, lay it on the racks, turn on and wait for it to dehydrate. It can then be kept for a very very long time (although the fruit doesn't last long in this house).

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Kacie123 · 16/11/2015 16:59

Christmas wish list updated Grin

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PomBearWithAnOFRS · 18/11/2015 01:36

I have a Cobb oven (a la Hairy Bikers Grin) and it is brilliant. That and a Kelly Kettle with all the doodads, and we are sorted for anything!
I have a heavy duty cast iron grill on legs in the garden too, and just build a fire under it for outdoors barbecue type stuff.

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