The Poor Man’s Prepping

[ZombieGranny]

A thermos will stay hot longer if it is full.
Taking water/coffee out will let the air get in and cool it down.
(My folks always used them for coffee when I was a kid.)

[zombiepreparation]

I have been puzzling over cooking and the expenditure of fuel; electrical and Event cooking. Especially because I eat lots of grains, beans, legumes and what would I do? So I started researching the thermal cooking since after researching the solar box doesn't look like it will work on my allotment of sunlight.

Now I know that box cooker (box/aluminum foil/charcoal) will work (if I would get around to making one) but I was annoyed yesterday at how much electricity I used just for a pot of beans. I decided I needed a slow cooker and I'll be darned if I didn't find a free one last night.... with a removable inside.... which could possibly be used in a 'thermal' cooker. Maybe. I'm pretty sure it was duodecima who told me about the Wonder Box. I'm going that direction right now, modified with what I have on hand of course. I hope to do a test on this soon. I am still not comfortable with my 'situation'. It is feeling less stable. Not imminent but I am getting a nagging feeling all these prep things I'm doing are getting closer to being needed. One never knows when to expect zombies.

[zombiepreparation]

A thermos will stay hot longer if it is full.
Taking water/coffee out will let the air get in and cool it down.
(My folks always used them for coffee when I was a kid.)

hmmmm.... would that put a crimp in my idea of using it for a few hours throughout the day then? Oh. Is that why the coffee shop ones have that 'pump' and the other pot just unscrews a bit for pouring? To let as little hot out when you pour? Oh! And would I need to nest one I'm keeping hot in a 'cozy' type of thing too to aid in keeping them warmer?

[KnightoftheRoc]

A thermos will stay hot longer if it is full.
Taking water/coffee out will let the air get in and cool it down.
(My folks always used them for coffee when I was a kid.)

hmmmm.... would that put a crimp in my idea of using it for a few hours throughout the day then? Oh. Is that why the coffee shop ones have that 'pump' and the other pot just unscrews a bit for pouring? To let as little hot out when you pour? Oh! And would I need to nest one I'm keeping hot in a 'cozy' type of thing too to aid in keeping them warmer?

Any insulation you can add to the container will help extend the length of time it takes to change temperature- up or down from the start point. There does seem to be a practical limit one reaches with this, tho, so creating some kind of styrofoam Chinese puzzle box of thermal containers around a thermos of coffee would be going way past the point of practicality.

I take a thermal carafe of coffee with me to work every night. The coffee gets brewed around 9, and it stays warm enough to drink as coffee should be till nearly 3, so I can get about 6 hours out of it, with my drinking it the whole time. If I left it alone, I'd estimate 7-8 hours.
Of course, the higher the starting temp is, the longer you have until it hits a temperature you don't want. I used to install water heaters on contract, and the manufacturer claimed that in 24 hours, after it reached temp, it would lose only 1 degree F in 24 hours, assuming no draw on the heater. I was skeptical as to that particular claim, but I CAN say that the 3 inches of urethane foam insulation worked REALLY well.

[bacpacjac]

Try getting another shower rod or curtain rod for over your tub, and mount it out of the way for showering. Arrange the wet clothes on hangers, space out the hangers on this second rod, and you can let them drip-dry into the tub for as long as it takes, without having to clean up a mess.

Brilliant! Thanks KOTR! I've been scratching my head for a solution that uses the bathub without having to put a hole in the wall. So simple!

[Tater Raider]

Expanding on what GZ said, a thermos will work better if you preheat it. fill with hot water and let sit for 10 minutes, then dump out and fill with whatever you need to stay warm.

[zombiepreparation]

Expanding on what GZ said, a thermos will work better if you preheat it. fill with hot water and let sit for 10 minutes, then dump out and fill with whatever you need to stay warm.

Okay. So in an Event with no electricity, using only single burner wood gas stove, I would heat to boiling the amount of water the thermos will hold, pour it into the thermos to sit/preheat the thermos while heating to boil a second pan of water. Then switch out the newly boiled water to the thermos and use the water used to pre-warm the thermos for cooking a fair size amt of food to be used throughout the day. Got it.

I wonder if I could preheat the thermos effectively with less boiling water than the thermos actually holds. I suppose any amount of preheating will help with heat retention of course but perhaps it might effectively heat with half a thermos of boiling water.

Results of last night's heat test: I made 'satisfactorily' warm tea after eleven hours with the pot down to 3/4ths full. I consider that a success.

I have just preheated the pot for ten mins and replaced that water with freshly boiling water which I will use throughout the day for tea, dehydrated humus, dehydrated spinach (yum), dehydrated potatoes, instant rice, and dehydrated parsley to see how many hours I can 'cook' with the water from the thermos.

Results of last night's cold test on the coffee shop thermos: The temp of the water returned to average temp. Being used to also hold ice would probably hold the cold longer I assume though it does have a glass inner liner and I must be careful adding ice to a glass lined thermos because dropping ice into a glass thermos has the potential to crack/break the delicate glass lining. I am getting ready to test it with heat, using Tator Raider's preheat guidance.

[ZombieGranny]

Oh sure; you don't need to fill it completely to preheat it.
I used to put maybe a cup of boiling water in a thermos and then shake it up before filling with the fresh coffee.

[prepper7]

Most evenings I make a batch of hot tea in one of those 64-oz, screw-top, glass lined, conference room carafes (purchased off the clearance table of an office supply store). I pour in a few ounces of the boiling water, cap it, and swirl it to pre warm the container. I have a couple of cups of tea that evening, piping hot tea the next morning, and drinkabley hot tea the next early evening.

Filling these with hot water at the beginning of some disruption would be a good idea.

[ZombieGranny]

I was thinking...
If you are already boiling water to purify it, that could go right into the thermos to heat it, then you pour it into something else to cool.
That would mean you are not wasting water or the energy to heat it, and it will cool faster.

[zombiepreparation]

I was thinking...
If you are already boiling water to purify it, that could go right into the thermos to heat it, then you pour it into something else to cool.
That would mean you are not wasting water or the energy to heat it, and it will cool faster.

I will do this.

[Brain245]

I have been following and reading this forum for a few days now. Good stuff! One of my quirks is I like to read everything from beginning to end so it took me a bit to get through, but a great variety of topics and ideas have been discussed. Keep it up!

My recent frugal preps have been getting a good recipe down for scotch broth. It is an excellent survival food. You can search for more info and different recipes on the interweb, but the basics are:

1 part kidney beans
1 part garbanzo beans
2 parts barley (I like so I added more)
4 parts rice
2 parts dried peas (I added more)
1 part lentils

If storing for long term I separate in to various sizes and vaccu-seal with oxygen absorbers. Add 1 cup to 3-6 quarts of water (depending if you want soupy or stewy) and some bullion for flavor, boil for an hour or more. If you have a fire going or a crock pot it is nice to keep a pot going all the time. Better flavor. Or those straw cookers I saw earlier in this thread would be perfect for this. Add an occasional squirrel or scrounged veggies to add flavor and nutrition. One cup is cheap, small to store and WILL FEED YOU FOR TWO DAYS. A 5 gallon bucket of this would last you for months.

This stuff can be gourmet too if you have additions. Add any meat, bones or veggies to the stock and its great! The last 2 batches I made I added a ham bone and a few carrots and celery sticks and it was fabulous. I used to be a big fan of split peas soup, but prefer this now.

[zombiepreparation]

My mouth is watering just reading that. And this:

One cup is cheap, small to store and WILL FEED YOU FOR TWO DAYS. A 5 gallon bucket of this would last you for months.

Just what I needed; good tasting, cheap, small quantities will last for months. (and it can be gourmet'd up if I have the mixings )

THANK YOU.

[zombiepreparation]

I have now saved enough laundry money to buy the Breathing Mobile Washer.

Lehman's also sells that Wonder Washer item. <drool> Most of the things I read about the Wonder Washer are that it is sold by The Laundry Alternative, Inc. But I very much think it is "Buyer Beware" with The Laundry Alternative, Inc. because their customer service is virtually non-existent and they have lots of angry customers with broken products getting nowhere, ever, and this has been going on for years. I think these Washers are being produced at one single factory so I 'think' they are all going to be the exact same quality, which makes my deciding factor to be purchasing one from a seller who has good customer service... which The Laundry Alternative, Inc. ain't got.

And allllll my research is saying steer clear of alllll those little electric spin dryers. (rats) Lots of problems and lots of lemons. I don't even think I will ever be interested in the BIG salad spinner for a spin dryer either. It is said to be inefficient, costs big bucks, and I am still doing quite good with my bucket drainer and hand wringing.

Anyway, excitement over today's purchase of the Breathing Mobil Washer. I washed curtins of all kinds this week-end, none of which I have ever had $$ to wash before this hand laundering thing came up. With the B.M.W. I'm going to go for...... quilts & blankets!

[prepper7]

I have been following and reading this forum for a few days now. Good stuff! One of my quirks is I like to read everything from beginning to end so it took me a bit to get through <snip>

I personally think that's a great way to learn what's going on in a thread before posting!

My recent frugal preps have been getting a good recipe down for scotch broth. <snip>

Thank you! This sounds delicious (and just the sort of "real food" food storage I need to start making). It is also a perfect start to developing the "making a meal with whatever staples are in the cupboard" skills that reading MJOTZY made me realize I was lacking. _I will begin experimenting w/ variations and creating vac-sealed packets ASAP.

[goofygurl]

I have now saved enough laundry money to buy the Breathing Mobile Washer, which is the heavy plastic version of the Rapid Washer. (excitement!) The Rapid Washer being the original 19th century design made out of tinned steel, not plastic. Several people have said in the internet that the R.W. is heavier, prone to rusting if not always dried, and 'can' damage clothes with its sharp edges if it gets bent so I chose the plastic version. They are both sold at Lehman's. I don't really know anything about the store myself, I just keep reading its name in my research.

Lehman's also sells that Wonder Washer item. <drool> Most of the things I read are about the Wonder Washer is that it is sold by The Laundry Alternative, Inc. But I very much think it is "Buyer Beware" with The Laundry Alternative, Inc. because their customer service is virtually non-existent and they have lots of angry customers with broken products getting nowhere, ever, and this has been going on for years. I think these things are all coming from one single producer/original seller so I 'think' they are all going to be the exact same quality, which makes my deciding factor to be buying from a seller who will have good customer service... which The Laundry Alternative, Inc. ain't got.

And allllll my research is saying steer clear of alllll those little electric spin dryers. (rats) Lots of problems and lots of lemons. I don't even think I will ever be interested in the BIG salad spinner for a spin dryer either. It is said to be inefficient, costs big bucks, and I am still doing quite good with my bucket drainer and hand wringing.

Anyway, excitement over today's purchase of the Breathing Mobil Washer. I washed curtins of all kinds this week-end, none of which I have ever had $$ to wash before this hand laundering thing came up. With the B.M.W. I'm going to go for...... quilts & blankets!

Yay! Congrats! I had a quilt. My washer ate it. I haz no quilt now and just a regular blanket.

In all seriousness, congrats and tell me how you like it please!

[duodecima]

My recent frugal preps have been getting a good recipe down for scotch broth. It is an excellent survival food. You can search for more info and different recipes on the interweb, but the basics are:

1 part kidney beans
1 part garbanzo beans
2 parts barley (I like so I added more)
4 parts rice
2 parts dried peas (I added more)
1 part lentils

snip One cup is cheap, small to store and WILL FEED YOU FOR TWO DAYS. A 5 gallon bucket of this would last you for months.

This stuff sounds very tasty! I just have to nitpick the nutrition. 1 cup of that mix (dry, proportions as given) gives 660 kcal, 2.9 g fat and 29 g protien. 2c/day would be decent rations, but 1 cup/2 days would not be a survivable diet in the long term. Still, sounds like a great home made just-boil meal, and the garbanzos mean you're getting a little fat, which is important. (also sounds yummy to me!)

[NamelessStain]

I watched Modern Marvels last night and the topic was "Beans". I thought Pinto would be the #1 bean, I wasn't even close. Garbanzo or Chick Peas was the world's #1 bean. Amazing what this can be cooked to make. Just amazing.

[goofygurl]

Hey ya'll? Told you I'd keep an eye out for peanut butter deals. I don't have a deal to go with it yet but there's a $1.00 off 2 Planters peanut butter coupon coming out in this Sunday's Smartsource insert..(i.e. the newspaper).

[goofygurl]

Hey all, Sam's Club is having a free weekend. Non Members are welcome w/no extra fees. Details and the link to register for it are in my post linked below.

free weekend at Sam's Club.

[prepper7]

Thank you, Goofygurl.

[zombiepreparation]

Hey all, Sam's Club is having a free weekend. Non Members are welcome w/no extra fees. Details and the link to register for it are in my post linked below.

free weekend at Sam's Club.

Thanks.

[goofygurl]

Hey all, Sam's Club is having a free weekend. Non Members are welcome w/no extra fees. Details and the link to register for it are in my post linked below.

free weekend at Sam's Club.

If there were only one in my neck of the woods. Dang. Thanks though.

I know. I don't have one nearby either...closest one is around 40 miles away (I think..) and that's not worth it for me.

[zombiepreparation]

FYI, if you have a WalMart near you, you can get a magnesium bar for about the same price as a 4 pack of new Bic lighters.

I finally got the WalMart magnesium bar yesterday with the rest of the money I have saved from using my bucket laundry washing. I thought I would know how to use it but I don't. There is a small rod-like thing on one side and the rest of it is this good sized rectangular thing.

The instructions say one is the flint and one is the magnesium. Which is which? Do I scrape off slivers of the big peace then spark them using the rod-like thing on the side?