Doing Without Gas

[Freelander]

I wish I could go without so much gas.

 

[Walt]

You CAN go without gas - you can go l-o-n-g periods without cooking at all. Without much discomfort. Dried meats, veggies, and fruits - combined with mild fasting and exercise is actually very nice for most bodies.

 

[NctryBen]

I’m always wondering what options are best and think about the what if’s... so, Mr Paranoid here of course brings the standard gas one... butane and little green bottles of LP. Black stone grill with 20 bottle of LP. MSR Dragonfly which uses white gas... and my pocket rocket, and we know what kind of fuel that uses... haha.

 

[vanbrat]

I use a Jackery and my Microwave. If fire is allowed, I can use a BBQ or a stick and a hotdog or? The Jackery is also rechargeable with the solar panels. We have a small sterno thing but have never used it. Also have a super small 'air fryer' but mostly use the microwave. I am known to be the queen of the zapper.

 

[RoamerRV428]

from your post: but I hope we can get away from the increasingly crowded campground scene someday again soon.

there are tons of very primal state cgs and fed cgs and COEs that DO provide electric actually of course that has to suit your personal travel locations to work for you and can easily save you a ton of money on cgs etc. Solar is your next step if you want off propane tanks of any kind and want to cook (a 1 shot crockpot or simple 1 infared burner with low drain etc can be done) ....then a campfire of course. So where you are and what locations you camp are key to what resources are available at a very low cost, then ya got solar for use of an appliance to cook and good ol' fire next if you want off bottles. Wishing you the best way forward to work for you!

 

[Catalyst1]

I’m always wondering what options are best and think about the what if’s... so, Mr Paranoid here of course brings the standard gas one... butane and little green bottles of LP. Black stone grill with 20 bottle of LP. MSR Dragonfly which uses white gas... and my pocket rocket, and we know what kind of fuel that uses... haha.

I saw Bob Wells demonstrate cooking in a solar oven. Looked pretty good when it was done, too.

 

[VanFan]

Catalyst1: Some of the best food I've prepared has been in a DIY solar cooker. The skies did not cooperate with me for a extended period though. Hope this is a better year for that around here!

 

[VanFan]

Time to 'fess up! Since I started this thread in 2020, I've had a lot of fun using gas-free cooking methods. I can seriously cook some awesome meals with very little charcoal or in a solar cooker, but neither of those is always possible. Since January 2022, following a long beach stay eating mainly cold food (still tasty) I've come full circle and am once again using propane as our primary fuel source, sans the green bottles.

Those green bottles really were the biggest issue for me, it turns out. I purchased a "gas growler" like this: https://ignik.com/products/gas-growler-deluxe There are cheaper options, but I really like the convenience of this package. It was a splurge for sure (although it was less expensive when I got it, and they sent me a 15% off coupon with newsletter sign-up and offered free shipping).

I took a hacksaw to one of the shelf supports on the plastic 3-drawer cart in the back, velcroed the cart at the rear to the bed frame so it wouldn't be top-heavy with the remaining drawer, and now have a perfect "house" for the propane. It's easy to tip forward, grab the handle and carry to a table.

No more green bottles falling out on my feet. No more valves failing (the worst!). No more disposal hassles. And I can cook in the wind (mostly) without setting brush on fire or smoking out any neighbors.

There is some serious pain though: I really miss the dutch oven! A Coleman folding oven has been added to the crew, but it is poor consolation. I'll post something about that later.