(Indoor) SURVIVAL cooking and heating

meritaten

er - can I just point out that if there IS a big freeze and the power goes off - then dont worry about keeping food frozen........just put it outdoors! am thinking of stocking up on barbecue coals - at least cooking will then be done by my OH - I am NOT allowed to touch the bbq! I have plenty of spare duvets and crochet blankets!
must remember to stock up on deodorants though! my washing machine is in an unheated part of the house and the water pipes have frozen twice this year already despite being lagged!

Austin_Allegro

I'd say dont' bother with candles as they don't last long and are a fire risk (although they do provide a bit of heat). If you get a wind up lantern it will do for most situations. I also have a wind up torch and radio for emergency broadcasts. Might get one of those cookign candles as well, as I don' t have any outside space to cook in.

Make sure also you have thermal underwear! I can't stress how much a difference it makes. I spent some of this year in the Himalayas in unheated houses (not much above freezing most of the time) and my cheapo market stall thermals really helped.

ceridwen

Austin_Allegro wrote: »

I'd say dont' bother with candles as they don't last long and are a fire risk (although they do provide a bit of heat). If you get a wind up lantern it will do for most situations. I also have a wind up torch and radio for emergency broadcasts. Might get one of those cookign candles as well, as I don' t have any outside space to cook in.

Make sure also you have thermal underwear! I can't stress how much a difference it makes. I spent some of this year in the Himalayas in unheated houses (not much above freezing most of the time) and my cheapo market stall thermals really helped.

Oh yes...thermal underwear does help a LOT:). Having slippers that are "bootee" slipper type - rather than foot only type make a surprising amount of difference as well...and there are some very nice/fashion type ones around right now..

Vaila

i think long life food ie uht milk, juice, sugar,tinned veg,beans ,meat,pasta would be the obvious choices then theres energy foods like chocolate tinned puddings and dried fruit

i doubt anyone will need to go to such extremes
but we have a one hob travel stoves,plenty of large torches ,batteries, extra curtains,medicnes,candles,blankets etc

regarding the thermals.uniqlo do a good range

Alan_Cross

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Have you calculated how much drinking water you will need for those weeks, and prepared the storage containers to keep it fresh and not frozen
(

Yes, I have.

The most urgent matter I now need a solution for is the heating problem.

Charlton_King

Regarding the 'candle cooking' solution, I have found that this does work.

I use 8hr tea lights, which you can get from places like Robert Dyas. Arrange 6 of these in a group and light; position a lidded saucepan above and you can heat up two mugs of water for tea/coffee in about 12 minutes, starting from ambient. Still almost nothing gone of the candles!

Note that the saucepan should not be of thick, high calibre stainless as this takes a long while to conduct the heat. Something like a thin, camping mess can would do.

Heating: I agree that, for an all electric place where no grate exists, paraffin is the best solution, although you will still need to arrange for decent ventilation.

rachbc

Quote

"We also have a cast iron woodburning stove - we would need to connect a flue to it but we could use it inside to heat if things got really desperate and there is a wood at the back of us to get wood"

If the ground is frozen and covered ins now then any wood you collect won't burn well - wood for burning needs to be dry so if you are serious about using a stove/ open fire get some wood collected and seasoned now!

[Deleted User]

I have a few very special water filters that you can use in the likes of africa. They filter everything out of the dirtiest water. My water butt is full and that will do nicely. You can buy them from specialist places and they last for a lot of litres.

ceridwen

kittie wrote: »

I have a few very special water filters that you can use in the likes of africa. They filter everything out of the dirtiest water. My water butt is full and that will do nicely. You can buy them from specialist places and they last for a lot of litres.

I had a bit of a "dud" experience when trying to get sorted out with a "quality" water filter Kittie and I cant be arsed with anything "complicated". So - what did you get?

LizEstelle

Frankly I can only see the need for using water filters and the like if you have no room for storing the bottled variety which is very cheap.