Posted: 1/20/2008 6:28:29 PM EDT
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I need to do some shopping. 1) Two burner LPG stove. One that connects to a bulk cylinder without too many adapters and connectors. Which one and where to buy? 2) LED lanterns. What kind and where to buy. Duracells from Costco good for batteries? 3) Mountain home food. I have some canned stuff for the occasional storm or power outage, but I need something long term. Where can I get a good price. 4) Rice and beans. Bulk food. What should I get and how should I store it? |
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For a packable LED hiking lantern Coleman mades a 3-4 LED model that works great for a BOB: http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=5319-700&categoryid=1110 For an LED lantern that gives off a bit more light you might consider the following: http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2000000264&categoryid=1110 |
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1. Any stove that runs off of the standard one pound propane bottles is going to have a small regulator that is included with the stove. For less than $20 you can get a nice 6-10 foot hose which will adapt your standard 20 pound barbeque propane tank to the regulator's input. Recently I got a propane powered shower for camping and bought a 10 pound bottle for it. So as long as I was toting propane I switched over my lantern and bought a barbeque grill. Here in the summer time the parks restrict the use of charcoal so I would always have to sneak the cooking of the meat ... and did so for +20 years. So for a few months a year during fire season I carry the propane grill. I've also switched over to a propane lantern. 2. I bought 3 twenty LED lanterns that run off of four AA batteries. I try to standardize everything as much as possible on AA batteries as I've got dozens of the rechargable batteries. They've got an adjustable output on them and make for a nice tent light - you're not going to read for long with them though. The set of three with a carry case was like $40 at Sportsman's Guide. 3. I watch the sales and pick up case lots when I find a good one. I like www.beprepared.com for my food supplies as they have pretty fresh stock. I also buy cases of real canned meat from the www.internet-grocer.com - cheap and sized right. I get my MRE's for free. I also buy extra MRE parts to bump them up. 4. I don't do beans but do rice. I buy 50 pound bags of white bulk rice at my local Asian market. I use DE to coat each grain - one cup of DE per 50 pounds in a 6 gallon bucket. I use a gamma lid that screws on and off of the bucket. We have between 50 and 200 pounds at any one time - we pop open the oldest bucket and put it in the kitchen pantry and when it's empty it gets filled back up and put in the back. For protien I've got cases of real canned meat and TVP. Store your MRE's and other food indoors where the temperature is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Storing MRE's in a hot garage can cut their lifespan by a factor of 10. Left in a freezing cold garage a can can freeze soild and burst. Come spring you're greated with the best smells. |
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Protus, I've appreciated the info over the years...I have a friend who was showing me your info before I even thought of getting a committed SF outlook. Thanks! |
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long term can meat an potatoes - dinty moore beef stew - buck a can now at family dollar - shellf life some say 10 year some say indefinite - i buy the rechageable AA or AAA china EBAY - 12 for 6 bucks - and if i have things that use C or D - I buy the little cases you put AA batteries in instead of having C and D batteries i have a cheap solar rechargeable unit that charges my 9 volts but it will charge the AAA and AA too. i also buy the 3 - 6 - 9 or 7 -14 - 21 or the 18 - 27 -36 LED head band lights uses AA batteries china EBAY 6 to 9 bucks - they last on low settin about 80 or so hrs withut recharging and u can hang em anywhere Beans an rice an corn an hard red wheat in a plastic bag that have been frozen for a cupla days - i put in a good quality 5 gal bucket with a screw on lid or seal the bucket - sometimes i squirt some co2 in bag before i seal ziplock bag up an sometimes if i have a lot of co2 i put some in bucket before i put lid on - i know some people say mylar bag - but when u broke a ziplog bag is awful cheap and i aint had anything go bad since 91 - used to vac pack those ziplock bags till sealer went bad - cheaper to do it without the mylar and sealer - but if you got the bucks go for it. |
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