Being able to eat in a grid down or SHTF scenario is more complicated than just having your long-term food storage needs taken care of. There are quite a few other considerations preppers need to keep in mind.

How will you cook the food you have stored? How will you get rid of the trash in a disaster situation? And how will you avoid ringing the dinner bell for everyone in the neighborhood? Depending on the types of foods you have in your storage, these could all become issues.

While there are some aspects of prepping that are complicated, this can be easily remedied with a little foresight, planning and operational security. Most people would not give a second thought to firing up the BBQ in a disaster, but as preppers we know (or should know) the dangers that could bring.

SPP267 Grid Down Cooking Options and Considerations for Preppers

Today I had Ryan from TheTinyLife.com on because he recently put together a fantastic review of 6 different solar ovens. As preppers, we hear about the All American Sun Oven quite often, but there are a few alternatives, one at a fraction of the cost of the All American.

We also covered some of the dangers and precautions we should take when cooking in a disaster scenario, and even some other cooking options along with the solar cooking option.

Grid Down Cooking Dangers and Precautions

When it comes to a disaster or SHTF situation, there is more to think about when it comes to food than just food storage. Everything we do from preparing that food to removing the waste (including human) created by eating need to be considered.

Depending on what we are cooking and how we are cooking it, it’s going to be difficult to mask the fact that we have food, when others may not. Cooking a juicy steak in a SHTF situation may be delicious, but firing up the propane grill may ring the dinner bell for the neighbors. 

A situation like this would also mean no running water, no sewage, and no trash removal. These days we don’t give these a second thought, but in a longer term disaster we need to have plans in place to combat these challenges. 

As preppers we should all be prepared for the dangers and precautions that come with cooking. everything listed above could be indicators to hungry people that we have food, while they are starving. 

Solar Cooking Options

Ryan recently put together a great review on 6 of the top solar ovens available, as well as a free DIY solar oven plan. In the show we talked about a few of these that stood out to me like the SunFlair, the GoSun and the UGLI solar oven.

In the preparedness community the All American Sun Oven seems to be the solar oven of choice. I have one and I love it! With that said, there are other options available that might fit your needs a little better. The SunFlair is lightweight, portable, and a fraction of the cost of the other leading solar ovens. 

Having a good food storage plan is only the first part of the story.