Volcano Stove

The Volcano 2 is your solution to cooking without electricity.  You can use almost any fuel: wood, charcoal, propane (you pay a little more for this attachment), even this product....  It is light weight (about 20lbs) and VERY easy to set up, clean, and take down.  It will hold all kinds of pots, and works great with dutch ovens.  It can set on the ground or on a table without overheating things around it.  You can buy a lid for it to convert it to an oven (~$25) so you can BAKE, although I haven't tried this and don't know how well it works.  Another cool thing about the lid is you can put it on over your dutch oven to keep it heating properly instead of setting coals on top of the lid.  Also consider the Handy Handle (~$12), a lid-lifter which will allow you to remove your dutch oven lid and rest it on the side of the Volcano.  When you catch a sale, expect to pay about $130 for your Volcano 2 with the propane attachment.  (By the way, it is called the Volcano "2" because the first Volcano was non-collapsing.)  Of note, I have read several times that you only need 300lbs of charcoal to cook with the Volcano for a YEAR.  Click here for a written review.

Check it out:

Homemade Electrolyte Drink

Most likely, you are aware of the dangers of diarrhea and dehydration, especially in the event of an emergency.  In fact, if you do not have clean water and proper sanitation, you can bet you will have to deal with it.  Diarrhea and dehydration is life threatening!  Here, from Rehydrate.com, is a recipe to making your own electrolyte drink, because plain water won't be enough! 

An inexpensive home-made solution (for adults) consists of:

• 1  litre of water (about 34 ounces or a little over 4 cups), mixed with
• 8  teaspoons of sugar,
• 1 teaspoon of  table salt.

A half cup of orange juice or half of a mashed banana can be added to each liter to add potassium and improve taste.

The amount of rehydration that is needed depends on the size of the individual and the degree of dehydration. Rehydration is generally adequate when the person no longer feels thirsty and has a normal urine output. A rough guide to the amount of oral rehydration solution (or ORS) needed in the first 4-6 hours of treatment for a mildly dehydrated person is:

• Up to 11 lb: 200 – 400 ml
• 11-22 lb: 400 – 600 ml
• 22-33 lb: 600 – 800 ml
• 33–44 lb: 800 – 1000 ml
• 44-66 lb: 1000 – 1500 ml
• 66-88 lb: 1500 – 2000 ml
• 88 lb +: 2000-4000 ml

Click here for a printable guide on rehydrating your children!


Don't forget zinc tablets!
"The best treatment for diarrhoea is to (1) drink lots of liquids and oral rehydration salts (ORS), properly mixed with clean water from a safe source, and (2) take zinc tablets or syrup for 10–14 days."

"Medical Corps" Website

Look through these safety handouts and print them for your preparedness notebook.

Also consider printing the medical info on this page for reference, especially this one on antibiotics.  I will be discussing the purchasing and storing of antibiotics for long term soon.

Basic Storage Recipes

Here's some resources for recipes with "basic" food storage, which is what most cannery items are considered to be. This may help some who do not know what to do with these items! The internet is also FULL of LDS blogs and resources for recipes. Try to PRINT whatever you find useful.

Cannery Cookbook "Deseret Recipes"

New Ideas For Cooking with Basic Home Storage

This is also a good resource, although it is not a recipe book. 
Essentials of Home Production and Storage

There are also some good books on my sidebar.  Usually cheapest at Amazon.

How to Can Ground Beef

LDS Preparedness Manual

One of the best guides on preparedness that I have looked into is the LDS Preparedness Manual.  It is not distributed or published through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but is many writings compiled by an LDS member.  You can download and print this 222-page manual for FREE (make sure to choose "duplex" on your printer settings to print double-sided!  Less paper, less bulk).

Storable Fuel: Charcoal

Even if you don't have a grill, consider stocking up on charcoal.  Look for deals on charcoal, especially near the end of summer.  You CAN store this great fuel source long term, so STOCK UP.  Keep in mind not all charcoal brands may be equal.  I've heard Kingsford burns the longest.  Store charcoal in a moisture-protected container.  Humidity is bad for it.  Use tight-sealing buckets or drums.

From the Homeland Security website:

Charcoal is the least expensive fuel per BTU that the average family can store. Remember that it must always be used out of doors because of the vast amounts of poisonous carbon monoxide it produces. Charcoal will store for extended period of time if it is stored in air tight containers. It readily absorbs moisture from the surrounding air so do not store it in the paper bags it comes in for more than a few months or it may be difficult to light. Transfer it to airtight metal or plastic containers and it will keep almost forever.

Fifty or sixty dollars worth of charcoal will provide all the cooking fuel a family will need for an entire year if used sparingly. The best time to buy briquettes inexpensively is at the end of the summer. Broken or torn bags of briquettes are usually sold at a big discount. You will also want to store a small amount of charcoal lighter fluid (or kerosene). Newspapers will also provide an excellent ignition source for charcoal when used in a funnel type of lighting device.

To light charcoal using newspapers use two or three sheets, crumpled up, and a #10 tin can. Cut both ends out of the can. Punch holes every two inches around the lower edge of the can with a punch-type can opener (for opening juice cans). Set the can down so the punches holes are on the bottom. Place the crumpled newspaper in the bottom of the can and place the charcoal briquettes on top of the newspaper. Lift the can slightly and light the newspaper. Prop a small rock under the bottom edge of the can to create a a good draft. The briquettes will be ready to use in about 20-30 minutes. When the coals are ready remove the chimney and place them in your cooker. Never place burning charcoal directly on concrete or cement because the heat will crack it. A wheelbarrow or old metal garbage can lid makes an excellent container for this type of fire.

One of the nice things about charcoal is that you can regulate the heat you will receive from them. Each briquette will produce about 40 degrees of heat. If you are baking bread, for example, and need 400 degrees of heat for your oven, simply use ten briquettes.

To conserve heat and thereby get the maximum heat value from your charcoal you must learn to funnel the heat where you want it rather than letting it dissipate into the air around you. One excellent way to do this is to cook inside a cardboard oven. Take a cardboard box, about the size of an orange crate, and cover it with aluminum foil inside and out. Be sure that the shiny side is visible so that maximum reflectivity is achieved. Turn the box on its side so that the opening is no longer on the top but is on the side. Place some small bricks or other noncombustible material inside upon which you can rest a cookie sheet about two or three inches above the bottom of the box. Place ten burning charcoal briquettes between the bricks (if you need 400 degrees), place the support for your cooking vessels, and then place your bread pans or whatever else you are using on top of the cookie sheet. Prop a foil-covered cardboard lid over the open side, leaving a large crack for air to get in (charcoal needs a lot of air to burn) and bake your bread, cake, cookies, etc. just like you would in your regular oven. Your results will amaze you.

To make your own charcoal, select twigs, limbs, and branches of fruit, nut and other hardwood trees; black walnuts and peach or apricot pits may also be used. Cut wood into desired size, place in a large can which has a few holes punched in it, put a lid on the can and place the can in a hot fire. When the flames from the holes in the can turn yellow-red, remove the can from the fire and allow it to cool. Store the briquettes in a moisture-proof container. Burn charcoal only in a well-ventilated area.