BASICS…
Equipment, preparations, skills, supplies. Like all else, this is a work in progress. Hope something in here inspires & helps you along your path.
BASIC EQUIPMENT
In my experience living a more self-contained than average life and watching the world from that perspective, these are pieces of gear I would suggest to everyone to have, and know how to operate, regardless of where or how you live. I’ll start with five and we’ll expand from there.
1.
Compact portable stove. Because disasters and power outages don’t give a shit who you think you are or about your theories of what will always be available to you. You have to be able to cook, you may have to be able to boil water, and - with SUPREME amounts of caution - you might need a plan C or D to keep yourself from freezing to death. There are a wide variety of “Camp stoves” available, from the green metal suitcase Coleman stoves Grandpa took on fishing trips to the pocket sized Trangia alcohol stoves of today’s backpacker or train rider. There are a about eight million and sixty three videos on all kinds on YouTube. I’ve used a few different stoves myself. The old Colemans are great, and the more modern one or two burners that run off of the small disposable green propane bottles are fine. My current choice is a single burner powered by a butane canister. I have a Gas One version I bought at an Asian supermarket for $15, and a blue Coleman version that’s slightly better made at $30. They work the same, as do any of the other branded examples. You have a lever that locks & engages the butane can (which looks like any other aerosol can) and a dial that ignites and adjusts your flame. Having one or two of these in the closet with a case of fuel (and extras to give to your neighbors who looked at you like you were some bunker survivalist wackjob for bringing it up in the first place before hurricane season) is a no-brainer. If it is life or death and this cooktop is all you have to save you, you have failed… but you still deserve to live, so be sure you don’t use it for heat in a completely closed room. Flames consume oxygen, and a stove is not designed to be a heater - it has no safety shutoff. But if, say, you’re somewhere where it doesn’t freeze often, with only electric heat and no plan B, and a winter freeze knocks everything out for a week… sit in front of it to heat you, don’t try to heat the whole room with it. Most of the time, though, just have fun with it out at the beach or on road trips. You’re not going to juggle 4-course meals for five on it, but you can come up with a handful of delicious one-pan meals and refine them and it’s a blast.
(More coming)
2. Blue water containers
3. Camping toilet
4. A good knife
5. Solar power station