I would appreciate some input on you GI's as to how you're planning to heat up your meals, this winter, if you have no wood burning stove. I feel reasonably prepared, except for the heat and cooking factors. Just bought an Alpeca kerosene stove, which, according to the catalog I purchased it from, says it can be used for cooking and heating. However, upon opening the box, the only instruction that came with it says to use it outdoors only!

Back to square one.....may I ask what you'll be doing? Thanks for any advice.

-- Jo Ann (MaJo@Michiana.com), June 23, 1999

Answers

Coleman stove. Unless you are cooking in a closet, it won't hurt you.

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), June 23, 1999.

If you use K-1 Kerosene, you should have no problem using you Kerosene heater/stove, We have burned Kerosene indoors for many years without ill effect,(other than a bit more dust). If you are stll concerned, crack the window for a little fresh air.

I also agree with the Coleman stove suggestion, I have one of those to.

oboy

-- oboy (oboy@oboy.com), June 23, 1999.

Propane range. Bought a non-electric version so the oven would work. With my current range, the oven uses an electronic thermostat for controlling the temp. You could look into the small apartment size propane range (about $100 used, 250 new). Then purchase propane tanks based on your location. Being in the country, I have a pair of 1K gal. tanks. Burning wood for heat w/propane heat backup, I should be fine for about 10 years. Hope you have the same options. We will have to give up our bread machine which will be tuff. My wife makes great bread with it, but is slowing weaning herself from it. We will have the option of using electric since we have batts and inverter, but I am not counting on it. Preparing for the worst . . praying for what is best for the country.

-- Daryl (rushmore@dailypost.com), June 23, 1999.

Jo Ann,

Coleman or Primus propane stove. We took recent vacation to the Smokies and visited the Coleman store in Pigeon Forge. I asked the sales rep what all the folks preparing for Y2K were doing for cooking backup. He said the Coleman stove with the distribution tee and adapter hose to a 20LB. propane cylinder. Based on 1LB=6 hours of cooking time, this should give you 120 cooking hours or a mininum of 40 days of cooking time. This also works with the 1lb cylinders. We used these in fishing cabins in Canada many times without any ill effects indoors. God Bless.

-- trafficjam (judgemendday@ahead.soon), June 23, 1999.

Whatever form of stove you use indoors - kero or propane, it is important to leave a window or door cracked a little to allow for air circulation to avoid carbon monoxide buildup and poisoning. I highly recommend also using a battery powered carbon monoxide detector in the room the stove/heater is used and in sleeping quarters.

Using charcoal, wood, kero or propane can be safe if you use your head and avoid fire and carbon monoxide hazards.

-- Joe (rpja38a@prodigy.com), June 23, 1999.

Use colman/Sir Edward Hillery "propane only" stove inside($40-$60. Adaptors for 20# tanks can be located at Sears/Walmart/Kmart. The colman fuel/gas stove should only be used outside. About the kero single burner stove, I have no information on the ability to use it inside. See WWW.Toyostove.com for information on this product. As for heat, if you choose the kerosene route you can use something like a Kerosun/Toyostove/Corona portable kerosene heaters(23000 BTU). They work well in an emergency. If you want to go with propane for heat, you could go with something like vented or non-vented propane heaters from WWW.vermontcastings.com(very nice) or Comfortglow(cheeper). Make sure that they have the Oxygen sensor shutdown option.

Lastly and very important. Have 2 types of battery operated detectors, one for smoke and the other for Carbon Monoxide. They may save your life.

-- Ned P Zimmer (ned@nednet.com), June 23, 1999.

Its OK to use a propane Coleman stove or light inside. DO NOT use a Coleman gas stove or light inside. The gas stove will give off carbon monoxide. Kerosene is fine inside, just keep a window open a little to let in fresh air, and keep wicks clean.

-- && (&&@&&.&), June 23, 1999.

I'll fire up the generator, and use the "regular" stove, just like always...

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), June 23, 1999.

Indoor: Fondue pot with Sterno, and top of the Kerosun heater, for keeping a pot of water hot and heating soups. For serious indoor cooking, a new portable RV cooktop that is rated for indoor use with a window cracked or a fan running. Will not use that in the main structure, but indoors in an out-building, with window or door open. Will run that from outdoor propane (grill) tanks, via propane hose and fitting through the wall. Another option: electric buffet burner, small appliances, and even a microwave, if using the generator.

Outdoor: Charcoal grill, Colman propane camp stove (beyond my comfort level to have it indoors), butane backpacking stove (ditto), folding camp oven for Coleman, or just a wood fire, if all else fails (using Dutch oven and other camp cooking gear).

We don't have a fireplace, or that would have opened up a lot more choices. We aimed for multiple levels of cooking options, and we feel OK with what we've done. We had ordered one of the indoor kerosene cooking burners, but sent it back. We weren't pleased with the overall quality, and there were instructions in the (poorly-written) manual that referred to parts that weren't even on the cooker!

-- Y2K Betty (Crocker@thekitchen.stove), June 23, 1999.

We have a colemen stove. Have used it for years in our cabin. Keep a window cracked. Also purchase a coleman oven that fits on top of the stove. If I remember it ran about $40.00 at walmart.

-- GI in Mich (champagne@triton.net), June 23, 1999.

Ok, I have to ask. If it's safe to use a gas range inside, why is it not safe to use a Coleman gas stove inside?

-- at work (fake@addy.com), June 23, 1999.

"Without a wood stove, how do you GI's plan to cook, this winter? "

Come on now. Even WITH a wood stove it's complicated.

Although we grasp the concept pretty well, we've never really cooked on a woodstove before (we're urbanites now living in the burbs). Our new stove seems to work OK but I'm guessing it eats up mucho wood, so we're piling that up -- but won't people be stealing wood from each other if they're cold? Also, what about fire control? One dumb mistake & you're camping out permanetly.

None of this makes me feel safe or confident. God I hope this really is a bump in the road.

-- persistant cookie (in@my.browser), June 23, 1999.

I'm not much of a cook in the best of times. I have an emergency kit cook thing which is a platform for a pan over sterno. That means hot drinks, soup, and Dinty Moore beef stew, if I think I can cook in the bedroom so the neighbors won't smell it. Otherwise, I will eat the soup and stew cold and just make hot water for instant coffee or tea. Unless my sister and I buy a house quickly in Florida and move. Don't know if we can or have time.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), June 23, 1999.

at work,

two different kinds of gas. A 'gas' range refers to natural gas, the coleman 'gas' stove uses gasoline

-- el (l@l.l), June 23, 1999.

At work, I guess you're asking re my remarks? It's just a personal, woman-thing. I simply prefer cooking on something that comes rated for indoors, looks and acts like what I'm used to using, and hasn't been banging around on camping trips. Nothing scientific at all. Just a matter of preference. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. Basically wanted to let others know that there is an option of an RV cooktop, if interested, without having to buy the whole RV.

-- Y2K Betty (Crocker@thekitchen.stove), June 23, 1999.

Amish-style wood cook stoves serve for a "10" (keep in mind the whole town will be gathering at your house, of course) but cooking on wood cook stoves is an art to itself and cooking on wood "heating stoves" should only be for true emergencies, IMO. If you can afford it, non-electric propane kitchen stoves (we got a new one for $230) are great for cooking APART from Y2K and you can get a year's supply of propane for $80 or so (milage varies). How do you beat that for comfort level and "real" cooking?

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), June 23, 1999.

BigDog-- Where can you buy a non-electric propane oven??

-- LindaO (thanks@hotmail.com), June 23, 1999.

Also agreeing with propane, with alternate Charcoal cooking. The beautiful thing about charcoal? it is easily made. The bad, you must cook outdoors.

There are RV propane ovens, and a person may be able to find an old propane oven mix. For Y2K and oven would not be a good idea as it uses propane up far to fast.

I have seen propane camp stoves for $60 Canadian. That must be around $40 American. Rent the tanks if you feel buying them is a bit much. Renting is dirt cheap and a couple of 100 lb tanks will last for months with moderate cooking. There are adapting hoses also to use the bigger tanks. Never keep a tank inside the house.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), June 23, 1999.

Plug the Microwave into the Trace inverter and Run off of the Solar Pannels....

Use the Bread machine the same way....

-- Electrical in (Sunny@California.com), June 23, 1999.

The power was off this week for two hours and we tried out our Aladdin lamps - boiled hot chocolate over the lamp, holding it in a little pot an inch above the chimney. You could use a metal tomato cage like a pyramid, as a platform to hold the small pot. At least you can make tea or soup and read as well.

-- Laurane (familyties@rttinc.com), June 23, 1999.

2-burner Coleman stove with propane canisters, using stackable cooking pans... works well outdoors while camping too... have an air vent when using indoors.

Another choice is fondue pots and sterno or votive candles... it works.

An outdoor campfire works as final back-up when theres no rain, in a fire pit or a barbeque pot. The indoor fireplace using cast iron cookware is another option.

Check out your local camping supply store.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), June 23, 1999.

Linda --- Our oven is propane as well. Can't remember the brand name of the stove (I'm out of town), but not fly-by-night. Email me.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), June 23, 1999.

We've cooked with wood all my life, winters only, using a Home Comfort. Kept the kitchen warm and saved money. I fail to see what is complicated about it. Start a fire, keep it going, put what you want cooked on top, stir as needed, take it off when it's done.

We just got an old home comfort at an auction for $15. Just bought it mainly for the grills as ours were shot after 25 years of use (after buying it used obviously, no telling how much use it got before that). Took out what we wanted and found someone to take the rest of it for free.

If you are worried about Y2K, get a way to heat and cook with wood. It doesn't need to be expensive, pretty, or convenient.

-- Gus (y2kk@usa.net), June 23, 1999.

Where I work, we are diligently working on an answer to that problem. Although I am at extreme risk for divulging this secret, let me say that on store shelves this fall, just in time for Christmas and Y2K, our company, Polly Technologies, will be selling *WIND-UP* MICROWAVE OVENS.

Our chief designer, a highly respected, nationaly-known, Certified Electronics Technician, based in Birmingham, Alabama has come-up with an amazingly simple concept this amazing breakthrogh device. Keen awareness has been paid to the modern consumer's requirements, such as an internal capacity able to handle five-gallon buckets.

For additional infromation, please contact us at WWW.DerBonker.com

Jam n Joe

-- Put Jam In Your Pockets, Cause We're Toast (Jam@Joe's.Garage), June 23, 1999.

Gibson makes a non-electric propane stove. We got ours thru our propane dealer--had to order it but was here in two days. Under $300. Imagine all the brands have a non-electric brand if you ask. Taking out my flat top electric hurt but I prefer to have a big oven for bread baking.

-- MUTTI (windance @train.missouri.org), June 23, 1999.

Indoors: propane stove.

Outdoors: Hibachi BBQ, propane camp stove (small bottles), large fixed BBQ (still remains to be built), & solar stove.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 23, 1999.

We have an outfitted fireplace for a dutch oven & hanging 'cauldron', also an RV with propane & a coleman stovetop collapsable oven with thermostat. EcoFuel stove, propane BBQ & regular charcoal BBQ (outside only), kerosene heater for heating water. Have a wood stove out in the shop, may reinstall it in the kitchen (took it out years ago).

-- Sammie Davis (sammie0@hotmail.com), June 24, 1999.

I use a camp stove that uses white gas.it's very colapsable for bugging out and it doesn't give off a smoke signal for the neighbors to come eat my food

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), June 24, 1999.

There has been confusion on what camping stoves use what fuel, natural gas stoves, and more. Here is what I understand:

- Coleman gas stoves: uses a liquid called "white gas". They produce CO (carbon monoxide) which can kill you if it builds up too much. CO is colorless and odorless, so you won't know it's there.

- Other coleman stoves: use propane. This also makes CO gas so you need to crack a window for 24 sq inches of air.

- Natural gas stoves: These will work in the event of a power outage, but the igniters will not. You can easily light them with a match. They produce water vapor when NG burns. I don't know if they produce CO, possibly in small amounts. I've heard warnings not to use your NG stove for heating, i.e. leaving it on a lot, because CO can build up.

- Kerosene heaters: you must use K1 kerosene. Manufacturers also recommend you crack open a window (24 sq inches) when using these.

How will I keep warm? At night I will set up our dome tent in a spare room. And all of us (2 adults and 1 child) will get in. The small space will trap the heat and keep us warm. We will also wear socks and hats (you lose most of your bodyheat through your head) and use sleeping bags. I have slept outdoors where the temperaturs reached 25 degrees F. While I was in a tent in a sleeping bag, I was warm, except for my face. I could still see my breath, so I guess the temp must have been around 35 F. There was on frost inside the tent because of the trapped heat.

Hint for staying warm: wear layers of clothing. Wear first, a tshirt, then sweatshirt or regular shirt, then a sweater, or sweatshirt with a hood. Whenever you get cold, wear the hood and you'll warm right up!

-- Chuck (robertsc@accn.org), June 24, 1999.

We also have a small 2 burner Coleman propane stove. 2 burners is great. It's a real pain to have just 1 burner. We also have a propane BBQ, which I think I could put charcoal in if I had to.

I also bought a pump type water filter which will make drinking water. I didn't go for the $250 gravity filter (called Berkefield) which filters 1/2 gallon per hour. (I'd love to have one.) Because I don't think the power will be out more than a few days in January 2000.

See my y2k page at http://ww w.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/y2ksurv.htm. Hints, tips, and sources for heat, food, water.

-- Chuck (robertsc@accn.org), June 24, 1999.

Oops. About NG stoves. The NG system in cities is powered by another power source. But if the embedded chips in those distribution systems fail, you will NOT have natural gas, regardless if you have power in the NG system or not. These distribution systems need to pump the NG from place to place.

See my y2k page at http://ww w.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/y2ksurv.htm. Hints, tips, and sources for heat, food, water.

-- Chuck (robertsc@accn.org), June 24, 1999.

Sorry about the bad links. Here is the right one:

See my y2k page at http ://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/3959/y2ksurv.htm. Hints, tips, and sources for heat, food, water.

-- Chuck (robertsc@accn.org), June 24, 1999.

We have 3 Coleman stoves (we camp alot!). One uses propane, one is for Coleman fuel and one is a dual fuel (Coleman fuel or gasoline). We have an El Dorado grill for big jobs, such as bread baking day. I will use a smaller grill for small baking needs, or a cardboard box oven. Got rid of my propane stove a couple of years back, wish I had it now. We have propane heating that does not require electricity, but will look for a used wood burning heater this year. I do have my rv's propane oven and refrigerator, but the oven leaves alot to be desired.

The thing I worry most about cooking outdoors is the smell of food drifting over the neighborhood. How many times have you driven through a residential area, and said "someone's barbequing"? Even foods heated on the stoves will be smelled, and if there is a breeze, alot of people are going to know its supper time at your house!!

-- Dian (bdp@accessunited.com), June 27, 1999.