As an emergency communicator you are probably going to be responsible for your own food and water. If the emergency happens during winter, you are also going to be faced with keeping yourself warm. Let's look at some simple ways to do this.
Those of you that go camping a lot are probably already familiar with some of the items listed below. For those that do not go camping, all of this is probably unknown territory and a valuable resource that could save your life or at least make it a lot more comfortable and convenient.
First, a SMALL STOVE that is very inexpensive.
http://tinyurl.com/newe7gm
I am showing this on Amazon, but they are available at WallMart and many local stores and gun shops. Any place that sells camping or emergency supplies will have the items listed in this post. Prices will vary greatly, so it is best to shop around.
A LARGER STOVE
http://tinyurl.com/qawyaju
You will notice that both of these are meant to mount on top of a small 4 ounce propane/butane mixture in a 3 inch tall cylinder. However other fuel sources are available and there are even adapters that will allow you to use pure butane with these stoves.
ADAPTERS
These allow you to use your butane canisters with the little hiking/camp stoves that normally use pure propane or a propane/butane mixture. Get one of these and you can run your little single burner stove off of up to three different fuel sources.
http://tinyurl.com/pln98zo
http://tinyurl.com/nhco4pn
SINGLE BURNER STOVES
Lots of people have coleman stoves, but single burner stoves are more portable and they are ideal for quick use. During an emergency these can be left set up until the emergency is over.
http://tinyurl.com/ogyrojh
PROPANE ADAPTER HOSE
Lots of propane devices are designed to use the little 1 pound propane tanks, but maybe you want to run longer. There is a hose available that will adapt a 20 pound tank for use with many stoves designed only for the one pound canisters. The interfaces are not the same, but this hose takes care of that.
http://tinyurl.com/pddkk9s
PROPANE HEATERS
There are versions of these to work off of the 20 pound tanks and versions to work with the 1 pound canisters.
http://tinyurl.com/nuwmbvb
Can't decide between a stove or a heater? How about one device that does both?
http://tinyurl.com/ofytsal
There are also heater/cooker devices that mount directly on top of a 20 pound cylinder. Two functions, one device.
PROPANE DISTRIBUTION POST
Maybe you want/need to hook more than one device to your 20 pound propane tank? Got that covered, too.
http://tinyurl.com/qeqn34x
PROPANE SAFETY
There's a lot to know about propane and using/storing it safely. Fortunately, there is some expert info on the internet.
http://tinyurl.com/qzsljd3 (Part One)
http://tinyurl.com/q6pt7le (Part Two)
Please pay particular attention to the warnings about liquid propane and propane flash fires that can destroy your lungs instantly and leave you dead in about 15 minutes. Here is a real life example.
"If you connected a one pound
canister to a camp stove, with the canister either over-filled or upside
down, so that the output is liquid, instead of gas: Liquid propane
could jet out of the burners, it will quickly expand to a large cloud of
gas just when you’re trying to light it and something’s going to go
Boom! With any luck, the only thing that will get singed is your
eyebrows, but you could also destroy the equipment and even suffer eye
injuries that will be painful and take a long time to heal, just when
you don’t have the time to waste.
But, if it was a huge cloud of flame and you happened to be sharply
inhaling at the moment, such as from surprise at the huge cloud of flame
that’s currently enveloping your face, you’ll end up literally
breathing in the flame into your lungs. When you burn the lining of your
lungs, they will start oozing liquid to the point of filling up and you
will probably die of pneumonia within 15 minutes, if you’re lucky. If
you’re not lucky, it will take even longer.
I can promise you that it will be the most miserable 15 minutes of
your life. In a slightly different scenario, this actually happened five
years ago to someone for whom I cared a great deal, and Julie did die,
alone, on the floor of her kitchen, with her traumatized dog lying by her
side. The memory still makes me ill. So, I’m here to tell you that that
this type of deadly injury really can happen."
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You can fill 1 pound propane cylinders from 20 pound cylinders and vice versa. Complete instructions and pictures of the needed adapter and safe methods of doing so are in the articles. I hope you will take the time to read them. The adapters are available at Harbor Freight and any store that sells camping supplies. Wasatch Propane also has them. This time of year, even the Smith's Super Stores have them in their camping section.
There are many places to get propane tanks refilled. Some of them are rip off artists and some are VERY incompetent. The only source in Salt Lake City that I can recommend is Wasatch Propane.
Wasatch Propane
Address: 201 W 2700 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Phone:(801) 467-3722
The methods used to refill tanks at service stations resulted in a large number of fires, explosions, and deaths. That resulted in Congress mandating the use of OPD style tanks. These problems never happened with tanks filled at places like Wasatch Propane, but sometimes result with service station refills. Basically, the service stations were filling the tanks too full (in cold weather) and the campers were then going to warmer climates to use the tanks. Once "warmed up", the liquid propane began to convert some of its mass to gas (always does when temperatures go up). The overfill by the service station did not leave enough "free" space in the tank for the expansion, so it went out the safety pop-off valve. Propane is odorless and heavier than air (1.5 times as heavy) so you can be standing in two feet deep propane gas and not know it.
When that gas cloud moves to a flame source (or even a static electricity source) death and destruction quickly follow. If you lay down in your ground level sleeping bag where there is a propane cloud close to the ground (or if one later developes), the propane will displace the oxygen and you will suffocate.
Read the article and stay safe.
PROPANE/BUTANE MIX (4 ounce containers)
You probably noticed that the small camp stoves at the beginning of this post were mounted on the small 3 inch tall 4 ounce canisters containing a Propane/Butane mixture. These are only designed for single use and if filled with pure propane may explode because they are designed for a lower pressure Propane/Butane mixture. Use ONCE and then throw them away.
http://tinyurl.com/oume3ap
SIZES OF TANKS AVAILABLE.
20 Lb Cylinders
8 Lb Cylinders (lighter to carry and more convenient)
1 Lb Cylinders
Butane Canisters
A lot of this stuff is available at WallMart and the 20 pound (actually 18 pound) tanks are available at Costco, also.
NOTE: The trade in canisters you see in cages at many stores (including Home Depot) are a rip off. They are NEVER full by design. All of them have special outlets on them that prevent being refilled except by the manufacturer. Go to Wasatch Propane and pay about $2.75/pound for a propane refill. Do a trade in at a local hardware store and pay about $4.95 per pound.
TIP: You can sometimes get old propane tanks for free or no more than $5. Professional refurbishers like Wasatch Propane will give you $10 or $15 or $20 for a trade in toward a new canister with an OPD valve.
Propane and butane may be your only sources of fuel (other than wood) during a disaster, especially a prolonged disaster. It is a good idea to have some around, but if you don't know the safety rules you could wind up destroying your house or garage or killing members of your family. I hope the info in this post helps you prepare and stay safe.
-N7OZH-
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