Camping / Bug out cooking

Its far more likely that i'll be camping with this gear then in a evacuation situation, so as with most my gear I plan for the former and that covers both. This is a quick peek at the "cooking kit" I keep at the ready in my garage.  I planned it out to work with the type of camp and emergency food I keep just as it is. but given time I would also grab some heavier pots from my kitchen.  The key is the kit contains essentials so I don't forget anything.

The pots and pans are sackable teflon camp cookware and fit together to save space.  There are measuring cups, a spatula, mixing spoons, and a bunch of cutlery sets. 2 of my 6 mess kits, and very cool Coleman folding camp dish washing station.  I also keep 2 pair of cut-proof butchers gloves for food preparation without injury, and of course one of 3 can openers that are spread among my Preps.

One of my key methods for preparing food in a grid down or and evac situation would be the use of my thermal cooker.  In a nutshell, a thermal cooker is a stainless steel soup kettle that fits inside a highly insulated holder with a locking top.  

After bringing whatever you are cooking to a boil in the inner pot, you place it in the thermal holder where it will continue to slow cook from the reflected heat without using additional fuel. Especially helpful if fuel is at a premium or if you want to have a small heat signature.

Here are a couple of my "Thermal cooker" recipes I developed from my shelf stable emergency food

Crisis Gumbo

Bring 6 cups of water and a box of Zaterain's Gumbo with rice mix.  Cut up some Vienna sausages and add in a can of chicken.  Seal it in the thermal cooker and an hour later its ready.

One-Pot Spaghetti 

Bring pasta, dash of salt, spoon full of oil, and required water to a boil in base pot and seal in thermal cooker.  After half hour or so open and pour off water. Stir in can of spaghetti sauce, tomatos and canned ground beef  over a heat source. (this is just to warm up the canned ingredients).   Now place it back in thermal cooker and let it sit.  The cooker will keep the meal hot and ready to eat for few hours. 

Meals like this can be a tasty way to raise spirits in a crisis.  The canned and dry food requires no refrigeration and they "handle the road" very well if need be, and using the thermal cooker you can make a full meal for 4 with a rocket stove and just a few pine cones or a hand full of sticks for fuel.