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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 2538 Location: New Jersey, USA
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Posted: Thu Jun 27, 24 2:22 pm Post subject: Solar Cooker |
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I have a faint memory that once upon a time Himself made a solar cooker for me. Did a search here on Downsizer but nothing on solar cookers came up. Perhaps the climate is not suitable?
Why has this come to my mind? Daughter and son-in-law have bought a tiny, 768 sq ft cabin in Colorado as a vacation get-away. Rustic, to say the least - listing indicated it had 3/4 of a bathroom - there's an outhouse and they use a bucket st night.
Their location in Colorado is rather arid, at 6,600 ft elevation, near many huge scenic areas. Out there our daughter is trying to be stingy with electricity. I had the idea that a solar cooker might be just the thing.
Solar cooker is supposedly able to reach similar temps to a slow cooker. No good for high heat stir fly, no good unless the sun is shining. Simple materials at its most basic - cardboard, piece of glass or plexiglass, some insulation, black paper, tape.
Here's a picture of one from a local green fair back in 2013.
Any experience with a solar cooker, comments, suggestions? TIA for your thoughts. |
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Posted: Thu Jun 27, 24 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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handy for slow cooking if the sun shines and you ensure that the food has reached a safe temp(electric probes are cheap and effective)
is there any bio fuel? frass and twigs, dried dung, timber? etc? available
for personal/family off grid cooking, my choice is now wood gasification stove and gillie kettle
re pans etc, steel wok, cast iron pot(+hay box or i spose "solar haybox"), skillet, steel mug*
best kit i have used real world in assorted "settled" circumstances
technical but simple, and they work all year round, not expensive, my stove and gillie kettle were less than $100, and they work with assorted fuels
*if moving, the gasification stove and a pint mug are plenty and very light |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15836
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Posted: Fri Jun 28, 24 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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gasification stoves are ace, better than most small stoves in most circumstances
my little one was about £30(half price offer)
very multi fuel, a bit of wick and fat, twigs, wood chip (or pellet, some folk are daft enough to buy and carry fuel for them), dried herbivore dung, charcoal is impressive in them(handful of fuel two hours cooking), mine has a dish for fat and gel fuels( fat yep, gel fuel is still buy and carry)
not bad in wind rain etc.
get a stainless steel or titanium one
a grill rack for holding larger pans is wise as the stove top pot stands are quite narrow diameter for the size of pot or skillet these can heat
gillie kettles hardly need my praise, 2 pints of boiling water in minutes(depending on ambient temp and fuel choice it can be a minute)
LPG, petrol, paraffin etc will all burn, fossil, costly(in several ways) and a bit dangeroos in stoves designed for them
hexamine is horrid to cook on(no comment on other ways to use it) ditto the horrid metaldehyde tablets
meths stoves work but i find the smell and dangers ridiculous, some folk like trangias but a fuel spill can be more than exciting
handful of twigs etc vs costly dangeroos fuels, no contest
iirc Colorado can be quite hot in summer and very cold in winter
both give problems with gas and liquid fuels
in summer a solar cooker/haybox might work well for a slow pot cook started on a stove
in winter a well insulated haybox is the best bet for slow cook, "sticks" are a reliable fuel if you have means of sub zero ignition, etc |
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 2538 Location: New Jersey, USA
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Posted: Fri Jun 28, 24 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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at altitude, a pressure cooker is able to make a decent cup of tea* or cook rice, etc
bit of a lump if you have to carry it, as base camp cook kit perfect
i might be called a brit but tea is never on my list of why unless tis the best way to know the water is biologically reasonably safe(see brit army SOPs etc) or nice in a nice far east style
that might be west from NY
re winter ingress, if you have a location to aim for, with essentials such as kit, food stores from summer, etc tis a matter of learning how best to do it
winter, cabin, up a mountain etc sounds charming |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15836
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 2538 Location: New Jersey, USA
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 2538 Location: New Jersey, USA
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 46052 Location: yes
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Posted: Mon Jul 01, 24 11:20 am Post subject: |
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the no flush is good
finding a source that feeds the tanks by gravity or a force pump or a windmill or whatever would avoid the reliance on infrastructure or man with truck
wealth is not what you can get, it is how little you need to get when you use it wisely
that is quite relevant to water
from how you describe it isn't the price of water but reliability of availability that seems an issue
both tanks full, and stuff to make sure the water is biologically safe after storage might be sensible
a few base camp off grid things that are useful include
evaporation fridge of some sort, many types can be improvised, some are commercial
hole in a breezy dark corner with fresh leaves on the twig cover, wet unglazed pottery in a wind is good, wet cloth, etc
re electric for basics like phones, CB, GPS, torches etc
my folding panel can manage that most days, a few battery banks and rechargeable in item batteries, relevant wire plugs and such like and there is no need for big leccy
ps i have no idea if phones work there, GPS probably will and even cheap hand held CB is surprisingly effective over a few miles even in difficult landscapes. if they are folk that amble off on foot for a stroll having both is sensible up a mountain
ditto whistle on a string
hi tech or low tech, whatever works is best
are there any decent maps and is a compass reliable there? colorado has a reputation for minerals
i was in a place in scotland, a bit not noted for minerals, and north swung 15 degrees by walking a few paces due to which ice age dropped rock was near, beware such things and adapt if necessary
off grid is delightful and can be made safe and easy summer or winter
a good map and reliable compass is useful or life saving off grid |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15836
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 2538 Location: New Jersey, USA
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15836
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