Solar Cookers

[Old CW4]

Do any of you folks use and/or experiment with solar cookers for hiking, camping, or to have for a survival situation?

You can make a pretty effective small cooker with a cardboard box, some aluminum foil and tape, and a piece of plastic for the 'window' to admit the sunlight into the enclosed box.

Such a device is also foldable and very light. My idea would be to have several (two or three) smaller solar cookers pre built rather than one large unit. One could cook or heat two or three items simultaneously.

You can pop vent holes in canned food (the darker colored the can, the better) and get them darned hot on a sunny day in only an hour or two. Also good for drying meat, fish, or whatever.

Advantages for survival: No smoke or flames to give away your location and no need for fuel so long as you have sunshine.

If interested, go to Google, enter 'solar cookers' and become informed.

 

[sasha]

I acutaly been looking at it. I consider it as part of the earthquake survival kit for the home. I got some of the supplies i would need to make an oven and a way to boil water. I want it large enough to boil atlist a gallon a day. Then build 3-4 of them to make sure i got enough water supply. Also a large enough oven to cook a meal for a few people at the time. Now all this of course means i stay in one place...

Sasha

 

[gadgetgeek]

I knew of a guy when I was in high school who would cook turkeys and such in a solar oven. if you get them efficient enough they work great. he used his in the winter, and up here the sun doesn't get that far above the horizon. I seem to remember his utilized parabolic dishes to guide the light, but it could be seen from a ways off from the glow!

 

[lukus]

I've always wanted to take one of those big old satellite dishes (you know, those 5' diameter things from the 70's) and spray glue some shiny mylar onto it. The end of the boom where the receiver is should be the focal point. Aim it at the sun and you could turn a turkey into charcoal in a few minutes. Or just boil a bunch of water, but what's the fun in that?

You could also use those ubiquitous DirectTV dishes that are on the corner of every other house. A little small, but should work.

 

[markisharp]

If you enjoy kephart, I believe he talks about solar cookers (and a really cool homemade cooler) in his Camping and Woodcraft book. Might be worth a look. Either way its a great read if you dont have it.