Survival guides · Water & Food

Cook Without Power

WHEN TO USE THISNo electricity or gas. Every flame goes outdoors — carbon monoxide kills.

1. Cook outside

   • Charcoal or propane grill — outdoors only. Never inside, never in a garage.
   • Camp stove, or a fire with a grate.
   • Or flat rocks around a fire to hold a pot.

2. Make a small stove

   • Canned heat (Sterno) burns a couple of hours per can.
   • Can stove: a big coffee can, a hole cut near the bottom to feed sticks, the pot on top. Uses very little fuel.
   • Cinder blocks stacked the same way work too.

3. Carbon monoxide

   • NEVER indoors: grills, propane heaters, camp stoves, generators.
   • No smell, no color — it kills in minutes.
   • An attached garage with the door open is NOT safe.

4. Stretch your fuel

   • Lids on.
   • Small pieces cook faster. Soak beans and grains first.
   • One-pot meals.
   • Boil, then wrap the pot in towels — it finishes cooking on its own.

Sources: FEMA / Ready.gov · USDA Emergency Cooking Safety

General information to help in an emergency — not a substitute for training or professional care.