# I don't know about you but a hot meal



## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

Definitely makes a survival situation a whole lot more comfortable. There are a number of inexpensive single burner butane table top grills Robot Check available.

For about a year I worked away from the house 3 days on 3 days off. I used a grill like this for most of my cooking needs from soups to coffee.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

ROM, curious why butane over propane for the application you described. Other than no carbon monoxide?


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

Nothing wrong with instant smoke free fire but I usually use a small fire if I want to boil water or cook. Unless the food has to be heated/cooked I'm fine with eating it cold. I do not like anything hot to drink or eat, warm is fine or even cold. 

I like to travel light so carrying a proper stove isn't in the cards. That's just my choice, not saying my way is the right way.


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

Understand both questions. First Watch - we had seen these and used them while I was in Korea. Butane seems to be what they settled on as a standard. The little cans are real easy to insert into the stove and they automatically open when inserted and close when you remove the can. We've got several oriental markets that stock the cans as well as bass pro. Op - for a BOB it's not ideal, however for minor emergencies - like a power outage - or even a moderately short shtf scenario it's a great item if you are in a fixed base.

They've also got a portable heater that uses the same butane cans - these run about 40 dollars - and I used one about 30 years ago as portable heat when camping in my van


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

Real Old Man said:


> Understand both questions. First Watch - we had seen these and used them while I was in Korea. Butane seems to be what they settled on as a standard. The little cans are real easy to insert into the stove and they automatically open when inserted and close when you remove the can. We've got several oriental markets that stock the cans as well as bass pro. Op - for a BOB it's not ideal, however for minor emergencies - like a power outage - or even a moderately short shtf scenario it's a great item if you are in a fixed base.
> 
> They've also got a portable heater that uses the same butane cans - these run about 40 dollars - and I used one about 30 years ago as portable heat when camping in my van


I totally agree, I have a couple Coleman stoves and a propane grill.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

I agree with ROM that in a survival situation a warm meal is awesome. It would definitely be a morale booster for me. Yeah I've ate cold stuff camping but a warm meal feels soothing especially when temperatures are below freezing. Nice tip.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I have a couple of Coleman stoves and a heater all run by propane. I decided to standardize so I can just store the small camp bottles and the tanks. ROM is right. A hot meal in a bad situation can make it a bit more tolerable.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Agree on a hot meal, even though I can eat cold without a thought. Likely from my longstanding bachelor days. Now my family, they are pampered and stare at me when I enjoy a nice cold canned meal.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Good tip Real Old Man, I like that stove and the price is right.

I carry the Solo Stove in my truck, all you need is some cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly and some twigs/sticks and you can boil water in a few minutes.

The #1 Wood Burning Backpacking Stove by Solo Stove


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

Slippy said:


> Good tip Real Old Man, I like that stove and the price is right.
> 
> I carry the Solo Stove in my truck, all you need is some cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly and some twigs/sticks and you can boil water in a few minutes.
> 
> The #1 Wood Burning Backpacking Stove by Solo Stove


Actually slip old buddy, it you look hard enough you'll find some at just over $10.00.

Sorry about over charging. The little camp heaters also run on the same fuel, are good enough to heat a small room 10 x 10 for about 5 - 8 hours. for us in the not so cold zone it's enough to keep us comfortable until I can get the fire place cranked up


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

A Watchman said:


> Agree on a hot meal, even though I can eat cold without a thought. Likely from my longstanding bachelor days. Now my family, they are pampered and stare at me when I enjoy a nice cold canned meal.


I still eat Corn Beef Hash right out of the can cold. LOL My wife just stares at me shaking her head. We ate a lot of cold meals growing up so it does not bother me in the least.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

^^^^^^ good stuff, right up there with cold beans.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Slippy said:


> Good tip Real Old Man, I like that stove and the price is right.
> 
> I carry the Solo Stove in my truck, all you need is some cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly and some twigs/sticks and you can boil water in a few minutes.
> 
> The #1 Wood Burning Backpacking Stove by Solo Stove


I have been looking at these Slippy.Easy to start I am told and I don't have to carry the fuel. They work well?


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Prepared One said:


> I still eat Corn Beef Hash right out of the can cold. LOL My wife just stares at me shaking her head. We ate a lot of cold meals growing up so it does not bother me in the least.


I know a guy who loves creamed corn cold from the can.... ewww lol

I could do the corned beef hash cold though love that stuff!


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

You all must be a lot younger than me. I gave up cold rats when I retired from the Guard in 2000. Yeah Hawg I am that old thank you


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Prepared One said:


> I have been looking at these Slippy.Easy to start I am told and I don't have to carry the fuel. They work well?


This has been on my need to get list for a while ........ cant decide on the solo or titan though.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

hawgrider said:


> I know a guy who loves creamed corn cold from the can.... ewww lol
> 
> I could do the corned beef hash cold though love that stuff!


I really like to freak my wife out and put a little hot sauce in as I eat it.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

A Watchman said:


> This has been on my need to get list for a while ........ cant decide on the solo or titan though.


Been on mine as well. I really just need to pull the trigger. It's not like they cost a lot of money.


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## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

I haven't served in the military so I can't vouch for this personally but from what I've read there is nothing that boost's a soldiers moral like hot food after being in the bush for a long time


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Real Old Man said:


> You all must be a lot younger than me. I gave up cold rats when I retired from the Guard in 2000. Yeah Hawg I am that old thank you


20 years in the service retired?

I'm double nickels.. do you have that beat?


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

hawgrider said:


> 20 years in the service retired?
> 
> I'm double nickels.. do you have that beat?


Oh yeah. I'm guessing that your born in the year of the rat too.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Real Old Man said:


> Oh yeah. I'm guessing that your born in the year of the rat too.


"I've been pissing people off since 1960":joyous:


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

that's great. but you haven't really pissed anyone off until you do it in bulk. Had to condemn a 13 story apartment building about two years ago after one of their tennants set off the sprinklers. 78 families all on the street in one stroke. Fire alarm wouldn't work, sprinkler system couldn't be reset. And the water shorted out the elevators.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

A Watchman said:


> ROM, curious why butane over propane for the application you described. Other than no carbon monoxide?


If oxygen levels are low, burning butane will supposedly produce CO more easily. Anything that burns will produce CO.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

I think hot food is sorta over rated. It don't bother most of us old married guys to eat it cold or right out of the can.


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

bigwheel said:


> I think hot food is sorta over rated. It don't bother most of us old married guys to eat it cold or right out of the can.


As one old fart to another speak for your self.


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

Operator6 said:


> Nothing wrong with instant smoke free fire but I usually use a small fire if I want to boil water or cook. Unless the food has to be heated/cooked I'm fine with eating it cold.* I do not like anything hot to drink or eat,* warm is fine or even cold.
> 
> I like to travel light so carrying a proper stove isn't in the cards. That's just my choice, not saying my way is the right way.


The above bolded is odd. I can understand being able to eat cold food when necessary, but why do you not LIKE food or drink to be hot? I am very curious about this.


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

Hot meals are awesome in cold environments, cold meals are good in hot environments.

The benefit of cooking something in a cold place is that you can also use it as heat which is spoiling yourself, not quite as much as a hot shower but spoiling none the less.

Hot food is chemically more active so it often has more flavour, so if your food has flavour you like heating it will probably make it taste better.

If you smoke it really doesn't matter, your luxury is a cigarette.

Personally I prefer wood fire and smoke, over chemical smoke from fuels for cooking. I find that working with toxic fuels is more dangerous than edible woods. Fire is fire though. I think for a rural situation lots of places have natural fuels, natural fuels will always be refined petros. In urban areas you need to work with what you got. If you are living anywhere without trees, why? If trees can't grow there, can humans?


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Will2 said:


> ...
> Personally I prefer wood fire and smoke, over chemical smoke from fuels for cooking. I find that working with toxic fuels is more dangerous than edible woods. Fire is fire though. I think for a rural situation lots of places have natural fuels, natural fuels will always be refined petros. In urban areas you need to work with what you got. If you are living anywhere without trees, why? If trees can't grow there, can humans?


Will2, we must be related as I agree with the first part of the statement above. :encouragement:

As far as people living in areas without trees, there are many around the world. The Inuit People of Canada, Alaska, Greenland who live in the Arctic Regions, The Bedouins of the Syrian and Arabian Desert, and the Sherpa of Tibet.

So yes, humans can thrive in areas with no trees.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I picked up one of these cheap at ChinaMart, and just stuck it in the basement.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

how does butane work at higher elevations or extreme temperatures?
I understand the necessity to produce a fire on a stove ect. for cooking and if you are not able to build a fire such as inside a tend or building even the back of a van ok I get it but wood is everywere and can be collected for free so if you got some smok'em so to speak. as well as some of those stoves get cumbersome to pack around.
and the concept of a hot meal was contemplated about 5 seconds after cave man discovered fire .
don't get me wrong I think a small portable stove is a must have but not a need.


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## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

A hot meal on a cold day is a moral booster. Your body uses extra calories to warm you and the food you eat. Not good in a cold climate. I've got my choices of using a 1,2, or 3 burner Coleman stoves. Got to have my morning coffee.


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