check this article out below on purchased Solar Ovens-they are sturdier and easy to use. I am going to save up for one! and some recipes to use to cook using food storage items.
http://www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/article_e6e34c6f-2700-5843-9353-8c87a4a7108e.html
Sun Ovens
Originally developed in 1986 by retired Wisconsin restauranteur Tom Burns, the Sun Oven is now used in more than 130 countries around the world. The Sun Oven is available from a variety of retailers in Utah, with units typically available for between $250
and $300. Sun Ovens has more than 20 affiliated dealers in Utah, including the Bosch Kitchen Center in Salt Lake City, Abundant Health in Spanish Fork and Blendtec in Orem.
In Utah: www.sunoven.com/usa/locate-dealer.php#UT
Sun Oven Society (SOS) Sport Solar Cooker
The Sport Solar Cooker is sold by the non-profit Solar Oven Society, based in Minnesota. The society ships its products to countries around the world, and to all 50 states.
On the Web: http://www.solarovens.org/
You may, at times, have heard someone describe a particularly hot day by saying, "It's a cooker out there." Perhaps you yourself have said on a sweltering summer afternoon, "I'm cooked!" Did you know, however, that you really can cook your food with nothing more than the heat generated by ordinary sunlight?
Actually, quite a lot of local people may know just that. Paul Munsen, an executive with Sun Ovens (www.sunoven.com), said that Utahns are big purchasers of his company's product. "Right now about 40 percent of our total production is being shipped to Utah each year," Munsen said.
He thinks it's most likely because of the emphasis placed on family emergency preparedness by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "In Utah it's a preparedness item," he said. Lots of people own a solar oven, in other words ... and keep it in a box in the basement.
Solar ovens are simple. They look sort of like a picnic-style food chest with a glass panel where its top would be. The Sun Ovens models use anodized aluminum solar-reflecting panels that fold out from it sides like cardboard box flaps to capture and channel reflected light through the glass oven top.
"As long as you have enough sun to cast a shadow, you can use it," Munsen said. Not only that, but you can use it anywhere, in any season -- even if there's a foot of snow outside.
The basic item can be pricey. Some models are almost $300. Some are sold with reflector panels included only as an optional extra. And it takes time to cook your food: up to four or five hours, in some cases. In other words, you can't get home from work and throw something in your solar oven for dinner.
The concept is bound to seem gimmicky to people who are used to cooking with a conventional oven that sits in the kitchen and plugs into your wall. Add to that the fact that availability is largely limited to Web-based dealers -- local preparedness superstore Emergency Essentials doesn't carry solar ovens -- and well, maybe it's not so hard to see why a lot of people own a solar oven but have never used it.
Tastes great
That's why, on a visit to the Beehive State at the end of June, Munsen, 58, was busy arranging public demonstrations of what you might say is the hybrid-electric car of household appliances. His message: Get that thing out its box and use it to cook your food!
The benefits are numerous. Solar ovens don't require electricity, which makes them both environmentally friendly and hugely cost-efficient. They're also simple to use. Lehi resident Natalie Barron, a married mother of four, had a vague fear that her oven might be complicated, but only until she tried it out. "It sets up in about 15 seconds," she said.
Solar ovens don't heat up as quickly as a conventional oven, and can take somewhat longer to prepare some foods. What may be one of their biggest selling points, however, is the end product. "There's no movement of air when you cook in a sun oven," Munsen said. "Food doesn't dry out."
Meats, for example. Munsen cooked up some chicken at a demonstration in West Jordan. "People were shocked at the taste and wondered what I had marinated it in," Munsen said. "It was just chicken."
There's also a noticeable effect on breads, Munsen said, which are lighter and fluffier. Barron, who operates a home business selling preparedness supplies with her husband, Michael, agreed. "If I'm making bread," she said, "it takes maybe 10 minutes longer to bake a loaf, but my bread turns out much less dry."
Barron, 40, has also used her solar oven to make brownies, which turned out "super moist" in the middle and had just the right thin crust on top. "They were just incredible," she said. "The pan was gone in, like, 10 minutes." The Barrons like the product so much that they've started selling it through their home business, Bee Provident Supplies (www.beeprovidentsupplies.com).
And while price can be a deterrent, there are economy models available. The Solar Oven Society (www.solarovens.org) sells a model that includes the oven, reflector panels, two cookpots, a thermometer and a gauge to measure water pasteurization all for $190.91 (shipping included).
All around the world
A solar oven is versatile, too. "You can use it to bake, boil or steam," Munsen said. (Yes, preparedness enthusiasts, you can use it to purify water by boiling.) "You could make rice, make pasta, make a casserole. Virtually anything other than fried foods can be cooked in it."
Not only that, but you won't screw up your favorite recipes. "It's the most forgiving method of cooking you'll ever find," Munsen said. "When you put food in the Sun Oven, it's completely even heat. Food heats all the way through." By putting a raw egg in a solar oven, Munsen said, he can make a hard-boiled egg without water.
That underscores another important aspect of Sun Ovens: the company takes its product to developing nations around the world, where water, and more importantly, fuel for cooking, are often scarce. In Haiti, Munsen said, some people spend up to 90 percent of their household income buying charcoal to cook with.
Using solar ovens solves two problems. It saves money previously spent on fuel. Perhaps more importantly, over the long haul, it's a boon to the environment. Haiti is almost completely deforested, Munsen said, but if the use of solar ovens were to become widespread in the island nation, it could replace "about 70 percent of the wood that's used there."
Not only that, but solar ovens reduce the risk of respiratory ailments commonly caused by cookfires and, if widely used, have the potential to reduce air pollution. "There's 2 billion people in the world who cook using wood, charcoal or dung as their primary source of heat," Munsen said.
A solar oven is also versatile: You can use it anywhere, in any season -- even if there's a foot of snow outside -- as long as the sun is overhead.
The disaster preparedness implications are obvious. Barron, who is LDS, said that she tries to store enough food to last one year. On the other hand, she said, "it would be very difficult to store enough fuel to cook food for a whole year. When we found the Sun Oven, it was like, 'Oh, this is the answer.' "
Barron's solar oven used to sit in its box, but you might say that she's seen the light. "I use it all the time now," she said. "If it's a sunny day, I'm using it."
Chicken Noodle Vegetable Soup (Food Storage Style)
• 2 12.5-ounce cans of chicken (reserve liquid)
• 5¼ cups of liquid (Combine reserved canned chicken liquid with water to make the 5¼ cups)
• 1⁄8 cup dehydrated onion
• ¼ cup dehydrated carrots
• ¼ cup dehydrated celery
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 small bay Leaf
Preheat solar oven. Place chicken, water, onion, dehydrated vegetables, bouillon, pepper and bay leaf in covered three-quart pot. Put in solar oven and simmer for about 1 hour (at about 250-300 degrees) or until dehydrated vegetables are cooked.
Add 1 cup of rotini noodles and ½ can cream-style corn to soup. Cover again and simmer for another 30-45 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Take pot out of Sun Oven.
Remove bay leaf and stir in 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Salt to taste.
-- Courtesy of Natalie Barron, Bee Provident Supplies
Tender Sunday Roast
• 3-4 pounds beef roast (sirloin tip recommended)
• ¼ cup Shirley J All-Purpose Seasoning
Preheat solar oven. Place roast in a covered three-quart enamelware roasting pan. Sprinkle seasoning all over the top of the roast. Place in solar oven.
Full Sun: To cook for a long time, aim the oven at where the sun will be two hours from now. This will ensure it is tender in about 4-5 hours. For a faster cook, aim the oven at the sun and adjust every 15 minutes for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Partial Clouds: If you have a few clouds in the area, add at least one hour to cooking time and adjust the sun oven to face the sun every half hour.
Variation: Add sliced carrots and potatoes about halfway through cooking time.
Cook until roast is falling apart and vegetables are cooked through.
-- Courtesy of Natalie Barron, Bee Provident Supplies
Hearty Cowboy Cookies
• Cream following ingredients together:
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter
Add:
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
Sift and add:
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
Add:
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1⁄3 cup coconut
• 1⁄8 cup chocolate chips
• 1⁄8 cup nuts (optional)
Preheat solar oven. Form dough into cookies and bake in solar oven at about 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (longer if temperature is lower) or until lightly browned on the edges.
-- Courtesy of Natalie Barron, Bee Provident Supplies
Honey Nut Granola
Combine in sauce pan:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Heat until all ingredients are mixed well.
Combine in large bowl:
3 cups of rolled oats (not quick oats)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Pour sauce pan mixture over oats, seeds and nuts, and stir until well blended.
Preheat solar oven. Bake half the mixture at a time in a three-quart enamelware pan and spread out evenly or place mixture in three uncovered pint jars. Bake (uncovered) in solar oven at about 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Granola will become crunchy as it cools.
-- Courtesy of Natalie Barron, Bee Provident Supplies
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Latter-day Preparations: What We Learned at Conference
Latter-day Preparations: What We Learned at Conference By Gary C. Lawrence
http://www.ldsmag.com/lineuponline/091006conference.html#
Remember General Conferences when we were told to grow gardens, put in a supply of food, prepare 72-hour kits, get out of debt, and put our houses in order by preparing every needful thing?
The Church’s instructions on provident living still stand, of course, and there are wonderful resources available to help us. But when was the last time such counsel received significant attention in General Conference?
As best I can recall, there was a turning point when President Hinckley, after an extensive sermon in a priesthood session on financial preparations, said, “Now that’s all I’m going to say about that.” It may have been the last time he mentioned physical preparations in a General Conference address.
During the five sessions of conference just completed, I attempted to write down every admonition, instruction, exhortation, suggestion or recommendation given by the speakers. I collected 430 items of counsel in all, but…
No one talked about food storageNo one advised putting together emergency kitsNo one exhorted us to get out of debtNo one said to grow a garden
There were only three references to financial matters (Elder Watson, Bishop Burton and Elder Christofferson) and all of them were warnings against excesses and greed, not about preparations.
Many sense that things could soon break loose – that it wouldn’t take much to put many prophesied events about the last days into motion. At this time of turmoil throughout the world, a roller coaster economy, crime, thugocracies, natural disasters, looming inflation and even nuclear threats, it would seem a natural time for our leaders to talk about nuts-and-bolts preparation – to tell us what we should do next.
Well, they did. But not in a direction some may have expected. (And the rumor du jour, that the call-out of Israel to flee to its tents was imminent, failed again – surprise, surprise.)
We’ve been hearing about food storage and other preparations since 1936. The way I see the talks this conference, those days are over. Members who haven’t prepared physically are not very likely to start now simply because two or three more General Authorities plead with them.
This is not to suggest we’ll never hear counsel about physical preparations again in General Conference, but rather it appears the emphasis is shifting from physical preparation to spiritual preparation – to build strength of heart, mind and spirit for whatever is coming, and especially to become more proficient at receiving personal revelation.
Those who watched conference hoping for a fish found that they instead were instructed how to fish. Of the 29 individuals who addressed us, 16 of them spoke about the Holy Ghost – how we can cultivate the gift of the Holy Ghost, how to improve our sensitivity to promptings, how to purify our lives so we can hear gentle spiritual communications, and related counsel – in other words, how we can gain personal instruction to guide us through coming events from the Source that knows everything. In speaking order:
Elder Scott: Consistently strive to recognize and follow the feelings prompted by the Spirit.
Sister Matsumori: Help others become more familiar with promptings of the Spirit.
Elder Clayton: Be humble so you can hear the word of the Lord.
President Uchtdorf: Listen for the Father’s voice for it leads to the ministration of the Holy Spirit.
Elder Oaks: Listen and feel of God’s love.
Elder Hales: Yield to the influence of the Holy Ghost.
Elder Watson: Be temperate in all things as guided by the Holy Ghost.
Elder Anderson: Turn away from pride, anger and impure thoughts.
President Packer: The Holy Ghost communicates to our spirit with promptings and impressions.
President Eyring: Learn to follow inspiration.
President Monson: Refrain from anger so you will have the Spirit with you.
Elder Perry: Listen to the Spirit for guidance.
Bishop Burton: Let virtue garnish your thoughts.
Sister Dibb: Use the safety equipment of scriptures, prophets, and the Holy Ghost.
Elder Nelson: Cultivate spiritual discernment.
Elder Ringwood: Be sensitive to the Holy Ghost.
The emphasis on these basic principles suggests that we haven’t been following them as we should. Which brings to mind the well-known story of Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers. Every season, even after the Packers had won two Super Bowls, Lombardi would address his players and start with the basics: “Gentlemen, this is a football.” (And Max McGee, the team’s star receiver who scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history, would say, “Not so fast, coach, not so fast.”)
There wasn’t a player who didn’t already know what Lombardi would say – blocking, tackling, mental alertness. But he said it over and over because they fell short on execution. Our leaders are obviously telling us it’s time to execute the basics better and bulk up our spiritual preparations to match whatever we’ve prepared for our physical survival.
Having a house full of wheat, beans and rice will be insufficient if we are not strong in spirit and mind as we face prophesied events.
http://www.ldsmag.com/lineuponline/091006conference.html#
Remember General Conferences when we were told to grow gardens, put in a supply of food, prepare 72-hour kits, get out of debt, and put our houses in order by preparing every needful thing?
The Church’s instructions on provident living still stand, of course, and there are wonderful resources available to help us. But when was the last time such counsel received significant attention in General Conference?
As best I can recall, there was a turning point when President Hinckley, after an extensive sermon in a priesthood session on financial preparations, said, “Now that’s all I’m going to say about that.” It may have been the last time he mentioned physical preparations in a General Conference address.
During the five sessions of conference just completed, I attempted to write down every admonition, instruction, exhortation, suggestion or recommendation given by the speakers. I collected 430 items of counsel in all, but…
No one talked about food storageNo one advised putting together emergency kitsNo one exhorted us to get out of debtNo one said to grow a garden
There were only three references to financial matters (Elder Watson, Bishop Burton and Elder Christofferson) and all of them were warnings against excesses and greed, not about preparations.
Many sense that things could soon break loose – that it wouldn’t take much to put many prophesied events about the last days into motion. At this time of turmoil throughout the world, a roller coaster economy, crime, thugocracies, natural disasters, looming inflation and even nuclear threats, it would seem a natural time for our leaders to talk about nuts-and-bolts preparation – to tell us what we should do next.
Well, they did. But not in a direction some may have expected. (And the rumor du jour, that the call-out of Israel to flee to its tents was imminent, failed again – surprise, surprise.)
We’ve been hearing about food storage and other preparations since 1936. The way I see the talks this conference, those days are over. Members who haven’t prepared physically are not very likely to start now simply because two or three more General Authorities plead with them.
This is not to suggest we’ll never hear counsel about physical preparations again in General Conference, but rather it appears the emphasis is shifting from physical preparation to spiritual preparation – to build strength of heart, mind and spirit for whatever is coming, and especially to become more proficient at receiving personal revelation.
Those who watched conference hoping for a fish found that they instead were instructed how to fish. Of the 29 individuals who addressed us, 16 of them spoke about the Holy Ghost – how we can cultivate the gift of the Holy Ghost, how to improve our sensitivity to promptings, how to purify our lives so we can hear gentle spiritual communications, and related counsel – in other words, how we can gain personal instruction to guide us through coming events from the Source that knows everything. In speaking order:
Elder Scott: Consistently strive to recognize and follow the feelings prompted by the Spirit.
Sister Matsumori: Help others become more familiar with promptings of the Spirit.
Elder Clayton: Be humble so you can hear the word of the Lord.
President Uchtdorf: Listen for the Father’s voice for it leads to the ministration of the Holy Spirit.
Elder Oaks: Listen and feel of God’s love.
Elder Hales: Yield to the influence of the Holy Ghost.
Elder Watson: Be temperate in all things as guided by the Holy Ghost.
Elder Anderson: Turn away from pride, anger and impure thoughts.
President Packer: The Holy Ghost communicates to our spirit with promptings and impressions.
President Eyring: Learn to follow inspiration.
President Monson: Refrain from anger so you will have the Spirit with you.
Elder Perry: Listen to the Spirit for guidance.
Bishop Burton: Let virtue garnish your thoughts.
Sister Dibb: Use the safety equipment of scriptures, prophets, and the Holy Ghost.
Elder Nelson: Cultivate spiritual discernment.
Elder Ringwood: Be sensitive to the Holy Ghost.
The emphasis on these basic principles suggests that we haven’t been following them as we should. Which brings to mind the well-known story of Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers. Every season, even after the Packers had won two Super Bowls, Lombardi would address his players and start with the basics: “Gentlemen, this is a football.” (And Max McGee, the team’s star receiver who scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history, would say, “Not so fast, coach, not so fast.”)
There wasn’t a player who didn’t already know what Lombardi would say – blocking, tackling, mental alertness. But he said it over and over because they fell short on execution. Our leaders are obviously telling us it’s time to execute the basics better and bulk up our spiritual preparations to match whatever we’ve prepared for our physical survival.
Having a house full of wheat, beans and rice will be insufficient if we are not strong in spirit and mind as we face prophesied events.
Monday, October 5, 2009
How to Prepare a 72 hour kit
great article on 72 hour emergency kits
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/emergency/061010surviving.html
Surviving the Unthinkable
By Carolyn Nicolaysen
In 1989, just minutes after "The Pretty Big One" — a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in San Francisco — a policeman walked up to a news camera in the Mission District surrounded by collapsed houses, fires and human frenzy, and warned the people of his city: “You're on your own for 72 hours!”
Being prepared for sudden disaster is different than laying aside a year’s supply, which involves motives of thrift and provident living. It’s about surviving the “unthinkable.” And because sudden disasters are unthinkable to so many, most are unprepared for the survival issues that will immediately confront them.
Already, we are moving on from the lessons of Hurricane Katrina. The unused emergency trailers that were stockpiled by the hundreds just outside the hurricane zone stood unused for lack of timely distribution, and are now being auctioned or simply given away to states and Indian reservations.
Levees in New Orleans that were rebuilt and reinforced may not withstand future storms much better than the last, according to those who rebuilt them. And so it goes in our own communities. We are all vulnerable to something — hurricane, earthquake, flood, wildfire, ice storm, pandemic, or terrorist event.
During the first 72 hours of a large-scale emergency, first responders’ will be stretched far beyond their normal planning and resources. Demands on their response will be heavy, even with a full staff, but in reality, they are likely to be shorthanded.
A recent survey by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health they found that 40 percent of public health workers say they would be unlikely to report to work during a pandemic. There were two main reason —first the fear of infecting their family; and second, the need to care for their own family's needs.
The Johns Hopkins survey points out that a 40% absentee rate is consistent with emergency response during past disasters. Public health workers, firefighters, police, relief agency volunteers, and even the National Guard have their own families in need of care. Responsibilities at home, isolation due to bad roadway conditions, loss of communication via phone lines and cell phones, all make response within the first 72 hours difficult.
With limited resources, public and private relief agencies must focus on the most life-threatening situations first. There will be people trapped, people with health emergencies who need to be transported, power and phone lines down, ruptured gas and water mains to repair, fires to extinguish, looting to curtail, and all this with a limited staff.
FEMA has warned us to prepare for at least 72 hours on our own. The Department of Homeland Security has warned us to prepare. Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, has warned us to prepare. And most importantly, church leaders have warned us for over 70 years to take personal responsibility for preparedness.
President Gordon B Hinckley said the following in General Conference of October 2005:
I do not hesitate to say that this old world is no stranger to calamities and catastrophes. Those of us who read and believe the scriptures are aware of the warnings of prophets concerning catastrophes that have come to pass and are yet to come to pass… If anyone has any doubt concerning the terrible things that can and will afflict mankind, let him read the 24th chapter of Matthew... What we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future. What do we do? …Someone has said, it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came."
To help you take action, here are my 14 favorite tips for getting started on the first step of your family emergency plan, a 72-hour kit:
1. All great 72-hour kits begin with a great backpack. There are many places to purchase kits online, but not all packs are created equal. Make sure your pack is large enough for both your survival and personal items. You do not want to be forced to carry a second pack as the goal is to keep your hands free to care for children or pets, and to clear debris.
Packs should have padded shoulder straps for comfort and be supported from the waist when carried, for optimum support. A pack with several compartments will allow you to separate items and organize your kit, enabling you to find things quickly. Purchase a bright colored backpack which can easily be found in a cluttered closet or cupboard at the last minute. If you decide you want a pack with wheels make sure it is also a backpack.
If possible, load the pack and try it on before you purchase one. Many times rolling backpacks are very uncomfortable to wear because the frame hits your back or hips. You will not regret spending a little more to get a good backpack, but you will regret buying a cheap one and adding a backache to your stress.
Each member of the family should have his own backpack. Nothing will help children feel more secure than having their own things. Purchase a pack that is sized so your child can carry it easily.
2. Food in your kits should be rated for a five-year shelf life. MRE’s and high calorie energy bars are the best choices. Be realistic here. Unless you are very disciplined, you will not rotate these items every 6 months. Don’t be caught in the “penny wise and pound foolish” trap. You will end up spending more money on food you throw away than if you had bought the “good stuff” to begin with.
It is not recommended that you store dried foods such as oriental noodles or instant oatmeal, because these will require your precious water supply to prepare. Canned foods are very heavy and will also need to be rotated. One last tip… remember your eating utensils.
3. Purchase pouched or boxed water that has a five-year shelf life. Bottled water purchased at the store is good for just 6-12 months. In all likelihood, water supplies will be very limited. For this reason, never add jerky, salted nuts, or other salty foods to your kit because they will increase your thirst.
4. Matches… now this is a controversial issue. I recommend a flashlight and glow sticks in your 72-hour kit instead of matches. In the first 72 hours after a disaster it is likely there will be gas line ruptures or water heaters whose pilot lights have gone out. Many people have lost their homes after the initial threat was passed because they lit a match. Matches should only be included in a grab and go kit for use after the original threat is passed. Never store batteries in your flashlight or radio. Store them together in an outside pocket of your backpack.
5. Keep an extra set of keys: home, office, vacation house, RV, car(s), safety deposit box, etc. at the top of your kit or in a front pocket for fast access. Also keep your flashlight and a whistle easily accessible (a whistle, because it can be heard farther and for longer than your voice can carry).
6. Each member of the family should have an identification card in his kit. In addition to their own cards, parents should also have a copy of each child’s ID card in their kit. During an emergency you may not be able to remember important information. Each card should include: Parent’s names, address, and home and cell phone numbers plus numbers for close family and friends. Also include the name, address and phone number for a local contact person, an out of state contact person, the name and phone numbers of your doctor, dentist, optometrist, and church leaders. List any medications, special medical conditions, and allergies on the card as well.
7. Each kit should have several family photos. Include individual photos of each family member as well as a family group photo. Individual photos may be used to post if you are separated from a family member. A family photo can be used to prove a relationship if there is a question when you are reunited by emergency personnel.
8. A multi-function tool or pocketknife is a must. These can provide everything from can openers to screw drivers. When you purchase a multi-function tool, look for one that has a sheath with a belt loop. It will be a great help to have your tool readily available as you deal with the aftermath of a disaster.
9. At least one AM/FM radio should be available per adult family member. You might consider having one radio that can be operated with a hand crank or by solar power. Also make sure your radio has both AM and FM bands.
10. Everyone, including children, should have basic first aid items in their own kit. However, a child’s kit should not include medications such as pain relievers. A larger, more complete first aid kit should be included in a grab-and-go kit or kept in your car. Consider including as well, a backup pair of prescription glasses.
11. Emergency blankets are amazingly versatile. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and should be included in every 72-hour kit and kept in every vehicle you own.
12. You won’t find this on many lists, but I consider them a must have — biohazard bags. These can be used for sanitation as a porta-potty liner or to dispose of medical or hazardous waste. Their bright red color and large labels make them easy to identify so children can be easily warned to stay away.
13. The Boy Scout Handbook is an incredible resource for all types or emergency information and solutions. Include one per family in your 72-hour kits.
14. This should probably be number 2 after your good backpack, and the first thing to add — a small set of scriptures appropriate to the age of the family member. Nothing will be more comfort in an emergency than the voice of the Lord in scripture.
Take a small step every week and shortly you will be prepared to meet the future without fear. If you have experience from using your 72-hour kit, please share what you learned with us.
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/emergency/061010surviving.html
Surviving the Unthinkable
By Carolyn Nicolaysen
In 1989, just minutes after "The Pretty Big One" — a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in San Francisco — a policeman walked up to a news camera in the Mission District surrounded by collapsed houses, fires and human frenzy, and warned the people of his city: “You're on your own for 72 hours!”
Being prepared for sudden disaster is different than laying aside a year’s supply, which involves motives of thrift and provident living. It’s about surviving the “unthinkable.” And because sudden disasters are unthinkable to so many, most are unprepared for the survival issues that will immediately confront them.
Already, we are moving on from the lessons of Hurricane Katrina. The unused emergency trailers that were stockpiled by the hundreds just outside the hurricane zone stood unused for lack of timely distribution, and are now being auctioned or simply given away to states and Indian reservations.
Levees in New Orleans that were rebuilt and reinforced may not withstand future storms much better than the last, according to those who rebuilt them. And so it goes in our own communities. We are all vulnerable to something — hurricane, earthquake, flood, wildfire, ice storm, pandemic, or terrorist event.
During the first 72 hours of a large-scale emergency, first responders’ will be stretched far beyond their normal planning and resources. Demands on their response will be heavy, even with a full staff, but in reality, they are likely to be shorthanded.
A recent survey by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health they found that 40 percent of public health workers say they would be unlikely to report to work during a pandemic. There were two main reason —first the fear of infecting their family; and second, the need to care for their own family's needs.
The Johns Hopkins survey points out that a 40% absentee rate is consistent with emergency response during past disasters. Public health workers, firefighters, police, relief agency volunteers, and even the National Guard have their own families in need of care. Responsibilities at home, isolation due to bad roadway conditions, loss of communication via phone lines and cell phones, all make response within the first 72 hours difficult.
With limited resources, public and private relief agencies must focus on the most life-threatening situations first. There will be people trapped, people with health emergencies who need to be transported, power and phone lines down, ruptured gas and water mains to repair, fires to extinguish, looting to curtail, and all this with a limited staff.
FEMA has warned us to prepare for at least 72 hours on our own. The Department of Homeland Security has warned us to prepare. Michael Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, has warned us to prepare. And most importantly, church leaders have warned us for over 70 years to take personal responsibility for preparedness.
President Gordon B Hinckley said the following in General Conference of October 2005:
I do not hesitate to say that this old world is no stranger to calamities and catastrophes. Those of us who read and believe the scriptures are aware of the warnings of prophets concerning catastrophes that have come to pass and are yet to come to pass… If anyone has any doubt concerning the terrible things that can and will afflict mankind, let him read the 24th chapter of Matthew... What we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future. What do we do? …Someone has said, it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came."
To help you take action, here are my 14 favorite tips for getting started on the first step of your family emergency plan, a 72-hour kit:
1. All great 72-hour kits begin with a great backpack. There are many places to purchase kits online, but not all packs are created equal. Make sure your pack is large enough for both your survival and personal items. You do not want to be forced to carry a second pack as the goal is to keep your hands free to care for children or pets, and to clear debris.
Packs should have padded shoulder straps for comfort and be supported from the waist when carried, for optimum support. A pack with several compartments will allow you to separate items and organize your kit, enabling you to find things quickly. Purchase a bright colored backpack which can easily be found in a cluttered closet or cupboard at the last minute. If you decide you want a pack with wheels make sure it is also a backpack.
If possible, load the pack and try it on before you purchase one. Many times rolling backpacks are very uncomfortable to wear because the frame hits your back or hips. You will not regret spending a little more to get a good backpack, but you will regret buying a cheap one and adding a backache to your stress.
Each member of the family should have his own backpack. Nothing will help children feel more secure than having their own things. Purchase a pack that is sized so your child can carry it easily.
2. Food in your kits should be rated for a five-year shelf life. MRE’s and high calorie energy bars are the best choices. Be realistic here. Unless you are very disciplined, you will not rotate these items every 6 months. Don’t be caught in the “penny wise and pound foolish” trap. You will end up spending more money on food you throw away than if you had bought the “good stuff” to begin with.
It is not recommended that you store dried foods such as oriental noodles or instant oatmeal, because these will require your precious water supply to prepare. Canned foods are very heavy and will also need to be rotated. One last tip… remember your eating utensils.
3. Purchase pouched or boxed water that has a five-year shelf life. Bottled water purchased at the store is good for just 6-12 months. In all likelihood, water supplies will be very limited. For this reason, never add jerky, salted nuts, or other salty foods to your kit because they will increase your thirst.
4. Matches… now this is a controversial issue. I recommend a flashlight and glow sticks in your 72-hour kit instead of matches. In the first 72 hours after a disaster it is likely there will be gas line ruptures or water heaters whose pilot lights have gone out. Many people have lost their homes after the initial threat was passed because they lit a match. Matches should only be included in a grab and go kit for use after the original threat is passed. Never store batteries in your flashlight or radio. Store them together in an outside pocket of your backpack.
5. Keep an extra set of keys: home, office, vacation house, RV, car(s), safety deposit box, etc. at the top of your kit or in a front pocket for fast access. Also keep your flashlight and a whistle easily accessible (a whistle, because it can be heard farther and for longer than your voice can carry).
6. Each member of the family should have an identification card in his kit. In addition to their own cards, parents should also have a copy of each child’s ID card in their kit. During an emergency you may not be able to remember important information. Each card should include: Parent’s names, address, and home and cell phone numbers plus numbers for close family and friends. Also include the name, address and phone number for a local contact person, an out of state contact person, the name and phone numbers of your doctor, dentist, optometrist, and church leaders. List any medications, special medical conditions, and allergies on the card as well.
7. Each kit should have several family photos. Include individual photos of each family member as well as a family group photo. Individual photos may be used to post if you are separated from a family member. A family photo can be used to prove a relationship if there is a question when you are reunited by emergency personnel.
8. A multi-function tool or pocketknife is a must. These can provide everything from can openers to screw drivers. When you purchase a multi-function tool, look for one that has a sheath with a belt loop. It will be a great help to have your tool readily available as you deal with the aftermath of a disaster.
9. At least one AM/FM radio should be available per adult family member. You might consider having one radio that can be operated with a hand crank or by solar power. Also make sure your radio has both AM and FM bands.
10. Everyone, including children, should have basic first aid items in their own kit. However, a child’s kit should not include medications such as pain relievers. A larger, more complete first aid kit should be included in a grab-and-go kit or kept in your car. Consider including as well, a backup pair of prescription glasses.
11. Emergency blankets are amazingly versatile. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and should be included in every 72-hour kit and kept in every vehicle you own.
12. You won’t find this on many lists, but I consider them a must have — biohazard bags. These can be used for sanitation as a porta-potty liner or to dispose of medical or hazardous waste. Their bright red color and large labels make them easy to identify so children can be easily warned to stay away.
13. The Boy Scout Handbook is an incredible resource for all types or emergency information and solutions. Include one per family in your 72-hour kits.
14. This should probably be number 2 after your good backpack, and the first thing to add — a small set of scriptures appropriate to the age of the family member. Nothing will be more comfort in an emergency than the voice of the Lord in scripture.
Take a small step every week and shortly you will be prepared to meet the future without fear. If you have experience from using your 72-hour kit, please share what you learned with us.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Home Emergency Kit
This information is to help anyone begin or fine tune their Physical Self Reliance. Take these lists and put into a spreadsheet format with columns showing what has been purchased, what still needs to be purchased, the cost, where it is located in your house, and ay other information you might want to keep track of.
ITEMS TO BUY FOR EMERGENCY
Blanket, Bedding, Sleeping Bag
Buckets for water and waste
Candles, long-burning
Can opener
Canteen
Clothing
Duct tape
Fire extinguisher
First aid kit
Flashlight with batteries
Food, non-refrigerated (3 days)
Fuel for heating and cooking
Garbage bags
Knife
Lamps, oil or battery
Lantern
Matches (waterproofed)
Money, cash, credit cards
Plastic sheeting
Pots and pans
Radio, AM/FM with batteries
Rope
Soap, hand and laundry
Shovel
Stove for cooking or heating
Telephone numbers
Tent
Tissue, facial and toilet
Toilet, portable
Towels, paper and cloth
Utensils for cooking (Spatula, spoon, knife, fork)
Utensils for eating (Plates, cups, flatware)
Water in containers
Water purification tablets
Keep your first aid kits in a bathroom or in all your cars. They can be elaborate and include all the items listed or they can be simple with bandages and some first aid cream. Cross off the items you do not want to include. Start with a container for the kit whether it's a drawer or a shoe box.
LIST OF FIRST AID SUPPLIES
Aloe Vera lotion
Bandages, assorted
Bandage, elastic
Calamine lotion
Cotton balls, cotton swabs
Cream, hydrocortisone or first aid cream
Emergency telephone numbers
First aid manual
Gauze dressing
Gauze pads
Hydrogen peroxide
Ice bag or ice pack
Insect repellent
Needle
Ointment, antibiotic
Safety pins
Scissors
Sunburn cream
Tape, adhesive
Thermometer
Tongue depressors
Tweezers
Medications
Analgesic, aspirin
Antihistamine or decongestant
Cough drops
Eye drops, artificial tears
Ipecac syrup
Nose drops
Pain reliever
Prescription medications
Throat spray
Vitamins or herbal remedies
Keep your first aid kits in a bathroom or in all your cars. They can be elaborate and include all the items listed or they can be simple with bandages and some first aid cream. Cross off the items you do not want to include. Start with a container for the kit whether it's a drawer or a shoe box.
LIST OF FIRST AID SUPPLIES
Aloe Vera lotion
Bandages, assorted
Bandage, elastic
Calamine lotion
Cotton balls, cotton swabs
Cream, hydrocortisone or first aid cream
Emergency telephone numbers
First aid manual
Gauze dressing
Gauze pads
Hydrogen peroxide
Ice bag or ice pack
Insect repellent
Needle
Ointment, antibiotic
Safety pins
Scissors
Sunburn cream
Tape, adhesive
Thermometer
Tongue depressors
Tweezers
Medications
Analgesic, aspirin
Antihistamine or decongestant
Cough drops
Eye drops, artificial tears
Ipecac syrup
Nose drops
Pain reliever
Prescription medications
Throat spray
Vitamins or herbal remedies
In preparing for an emergency, a 72 Hour Kit is often mentioned. This Kit is prepared now in anticipation of emergency evacuation away from your home because of natural or manmade disaster. The contents of this Kit could help you survive for 3 days (72 hours) without help from government agencies, family or friends. Once a disaster strikes, it's too late to gather these items. Prepare a Kit now for each member of your family and keep them in a backpack ready to place on the back before you leave the disaster area.
Column One--What you need to buy and put in each Kit
Column Two-Six--Mark off when Kit is complete for each member of your family or household
Column Seven--Cost of each individual item to pre-plan the budget
Column Eight--Estimated cost to complete each item for all of the Kits for your budget planning.
Purchase items as you can afford them. Rotate the food every year for freshness and the clothing as clothing sizes change. Not every Kit will need every item. Each Kit should have water, food and clothing for the person. Inside each Kit put an identification label with the person's name, address, telephone number, and emergency contact information and any special medical needs.
72 Hour Kit
ITEMS TO BUY FOR EMERGENCY 72 HOUR KIT
Container for Kit--Backpack, Suitcase, Plastic bucket, Duffle bag
Water--Bottled, Plastic container, Canteen
Water purification tablets or portable filter
Food--Dried fruit or fruit leather
Canned meat (Fish, chicken, ham)
Chili, Soup, Beef stew
Dried meat (Jerky)
Freeze dried foods
Powdered drink mixes (lemonade, hot chocolate, fruit punch, tea, coffee)
Bouillon cubes
Sugar packets
Hard candy
Granola and energy bars
Crackers / Popcorn
Nuts
Cereal
Utensils--Cooking
Cooking pot or pan with lid
Pancake turner
Cooking spoon or ladle, fork
Knife
Hot pad
Sheets of aluminum foil
Sheets of paper towels
Garbage or plastic bags
Can opener
Utensils--Eating
Metal or plastic plates / bowls
Metal or plastic spoon, fork, knife
Drinking cups
Napkins or paper towels
Clothing--
Shirt (tops), Sweater
Pants (bottoms)
Coat
Hats, gloves
Socks, sturdy shoes
Belt
Light--
Flashlight
Extra batteries
Emergency, long-burning candle
Road flare
Communication--
Cell telephone or GPS locator
Radio with extra batteries
Mirror for signaling
Compass / Maps
Whistle / Balloon for distress signal
Personal care needs
Toilet paper / Facial tissue
Soap / Shampoo / Conditioner
Toothbrush / Toothpaste / Dental floss
Insect repellent
Feminine hygiene products
Lip balm / Lotion
Towel / Washcloth / Moistened towels
Drivers license
Telephone calling card
Money--
Cash, including change
Credit and debit cards
Check
Automobile with gasoline tank filled or bicycle
Wagon, Stroller or Wheelbarrow might help you move your personal belongs out of area
Tool Kit--
Ax
Camp shovel
Knife
Pliers, Wrench, Screwdriver
Fire extinguisher
Saw
Wire
Duct tape
Rope
Scissors
First Aid & Medications--See First Aid Kit
Buckets for water and waste
Gasoline can and funnel
Pen or pencil, small pad of paper
Camera with film
Infants--Add these items
Formula / Bottles
Diapers
Baby food
Pacifier
Baby blanket
Small toy
Car seat or stroller
Before you leave your home, if there is time, Shut off water; Shut off natural gas; Turn down the furnace or turn off the electricity if needed; Close and lock windows and doors; Board up windows if necessary; Gather family heirlooms, photographs, computer, etc.
This information is to help anyone begin or fine tune their Physical Self Reliance. Take these lists and put into a spreadsheet format with columns showing what has been purchased, what still needs to be purchased, the cost, where it is located in your house, and ay other information you might want to keep track of.
ITEMS TO BUY FOR EMERGENCY
Blanket, Bedding, Sleeping Bag
Buckets for water and waste
Candles, long-burning
Can opener
Canteen
Clothing
Duct tape
Fire extinguisher
First aid kit
Flashlight with batteries
Food, non-refrigerated (3 days)
Fuel for heating and cooking
Garbage bags
Knife
Lamps, oil or battery
Lantern
Matches (waterproofed)
Money, cash, credit cards
Plastic sheeting
Pots and pans
Radio, AM/FM with batteries
Rope
Soap, hand and laundry
Shovel
Stove for cooking or heating
Telephone numbers
Tent
Tissue, facial and toilet
Toilet, portable
Towels, paper and cloth
Utensils for cooking (Spatula, spoon, knife, fork)
Utensils for eating (Plates, cups, flatware)
Water in containers
Water purification tablets
Keep your first aid kits in a bathroom or in all your cars. They can be elaborate and include all the items listed or they can be simple with bandages and some first aid cream. Cross off the items you do not want to include. Start with a container for the kit whether it's a drawer or a shoe box.
LIST OF FIRST AID SUPPLIES
Aloe Vera lotion
Bandages, assorted
Bandage, elastic
Calamine lotion
Cotton balls, cotton swabs
Cream, hydrocortisone or first aid cream
Emergency telephone numbers
First aid manual
Gauze dressing
Gauze pads
Hydrogen peroxide
Ice bag or ice pack
Insect repellent
Needle
Ointment, antibiotic
Safety pins
Scissors
Sunburn cream
Tape, adhesive
Thermometer
Tongue depressors
Tweezers
Medications
Analgesic, aspirin
Antihistamine or decongestant
Cough drops
Eye drops, artificial tears
Ipecac syrup
Nose drops
Pain reliever
Prescription medications
Throat spray
Vitamins or herbal remedies
Keep your first aid kits in a bathroom or in all your cars. They can be elaborate and include all the items listed or they can be simple with bandages and some first aid cream. Cross off the items you do not want to include. Start with a container for the kit whether it's a drawer or a shoe box.
LIST OF FIRST AID SUPPLIES
Aloe Vera lotion
Bandages, assorted
Bandage, elastic
Calamine lotion
Cotton balls, cotton swabs
Cream, hydrocortisone or first aid cream
Emergency telephone numbers
First aid manual
Gauze dressing
Gauze pads
Hydrogen peroxide
Ice bag or ice pack
Insect repellent
Needle
Ointment, antibiotic
Safety pins
Scissors
Sunburn cream
Tape, adhesive
Thermometer
Tongue depressors
Tweezers
Medications
Analgesic, aspirin
Antihistamine or decongestant
Cough drops
Eye drops, artificial tears
Ipecac syrup
Nose drops
Pain reliever
Prescription medications
Throat spray
Vitamins or herbal remedies
In preparing for an emergency, a 72 Hour Kit is often mentioned. This Kit is prepared now in anticipation of emergency evacuation away from your home because of natural or manmade disaster. The contents of this Kit could help you survive for 3 days (72 hours) without help from government agencies, family or friends. Once a disaster strikes, it's too late to gather these items. Prepare a Kit now for each member of your family and keep them in a backpack ready to place on the back before you leave the disaster area.
Column One--What you need to buy and put in each Kit
Column Two-Six--Mark off when Kit is complete for each member of your family or household
Column Seven--Cost of each individual item to pre-plan the budget
Column Eight--Estimated cost to complete each item for all of the Kits for your budget planning.
Purchase items as you can afford them. Rotate the food every year for freshness and the clothing as clothing sizes change. Not every Kit will need every item. Each Kit should have water, food and clothing for the person. Inside each Kit put an identification label with the person's name, address, telephone number, and emergency contact information and any special medical needs.
72 Hour Kit
ITEMS TO BUY FOR EMERGENCY 72 HOUR KIT
Container for Kit--Backpack, Suitcase, Plastic bucket, Duffle bag
Water--Bottled, Plastic container, Canteen
Water purification tablets or portable filter
Food--Dried fruit or fruit leather
Canned meat (Fish, chicken, ham)
Chili, Soup, Beef stew
Dried meat (Jerky)
Freeze dried foods
Powdered drink mixes (lemonade, hot chocolate, fruit punch, tea, coffee)
Bouillon cubes
Sugar packets
Hard candy
Granola and energy bars
Crackers / Popcorn
Nuts
Cereal
Utensils--Cooking
Cooking pot or pan with lid
Pancake turner
Cooking spoon or ladle, fork
Knife
Hot pad
Sheets of aluminum foil
Sheets of paper towels
Garbage or plastic bags
Can opener
Utensils--Eating
Metal or plastic plates / bowls
Metal or plastic spoon, fork, knife
Drinking cups
Napkins or paper towels
Clothing--
Shirt (tops), Sweater
Pants (bottoms)
Coat
Hats, gloves
Socks, sturdy shoes
Belt
Light--
Flashlight
Extra batteries
Emergency, long-burning candle
Road flare
Communication--
Cell telephone or GPS locator
Radio with extra batteries
Mirror for signaling
Compass / Maps
Whistle / Balloon for distress signal
Personal care needs
Toilet paper / Facial tissue
Soap / Shampoo / Conditioner
Toothbrush / Toothpaste / Dental floss
Insect repellent
Feminine hygiene products
Lip balm / Lotion
Towel / Washcloth / Moistened towels
Drivers license
Telephone calling card
Money--
Cash, including change
Credit and debit cards
Check
Automobile with gasoline tank filled or bicycle
Wagon, Stroller or Wheelbarrow might help you move your personal belongs out of area
Tool Kit--
Ax
Camp shovel
Knife
Pliers, Wrench, Screwdriver
Fire extinguisher
Saw
Wire
Duct tape
Rope
Scissors
First Aid & Medications--See First Aid Kit
Buckets for water and waste
Gasoline can and funnel
Pen or pencil, small pad of paper
Camera with film
Infants--Add these items
Formula / Bottles
Diapers
Baby food
Pacifier
Baby blanket
Small toy
Car seat or stroller
Before you leave your home, if there is time, Shut off water; Shut off natural gas; Turn down the furnace or turn off the electricity if needed; Close and lock windows and doors; Board up windows if necessary; Gather family heirlooms, photographs, computer, etc.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Self Reliance Handout #5- Solar Ovens
It is important to have food stored in case of emergencies, but it is just as important to have a plan for how to cook that food in the same emergencies. Even if some of us have a way to cook food in a short term emergency such as a Propane Grill, Coleman Stove or perhaps an indoor wood burning fireplace, those are not realistic long term strategies. Solar Ovens can be a long term solution that uses the heat from the sun to cook food similar to a crock-pot; lower temperatures for a longer time. It is free, safe, healthy, it won’t burn the food so you can leave it in the morning and your food will be cooked by the afternoon while you have other chores to attend to.
What is a Solar Oven?
A solar oven uses the heat of the sun much like the inside of a car with the sun shining thru the windows. The sunshine is reflected inside a trapped container that cannot let the heat back out, even on a cold day, just as the interior of a car can heat up quickly even in winter. A solar oven requires a reflective surface that is focused on a blackened pan or cooking container. The container is enclosed inside something to keep the air that is heated trapped; it can be a plastic bag or a clear Pyrex bowl with a lid. It can be used to cook food, or to boil water for pasteurization. How hot it can get inside the oven dependends on the number of reflectors, the sun’s intensity and it’s duration.
When and why did solar cooking start?
People have probably used the sun in some format to heat or cook foods since the beginning. Solar Cooking actually has some early recorded beginnings with the documented efforts of French-Swiss Physicist Horace de Saussure in 1767. In the last 30 years, it has resurfaced as a way to help people in developing countries cook their food.
“The burden for gathering the fuel wood and cooking falls mainly on women and children. Joseph Kiai reports from Dadaab, Kenya: "Women who can't afford to buy wood start at 4 am to go collecting and return about noon... They do this twice a week to get fuel for cooking... The rapes are averaging one per week." From Belize: "Many times the women have to go into the forest dragging their small children when they go to look for wood. It is a special hardship for pregnant and nursing mothers to chop and drag trees back to the village... they are exposed to venomous snakes and clouds of mosquitoes." (Anna K.) (Quoted in newsletters by Solar Cookers International.)”
“And the forests are dwindling in many areas. Edwin Dobbs noted in Audubon Magazine, Nov. 1992, "The world can choose sunlight or further deforestation, solar cooking or widespread starvation..."
“Americans should be prepared for emergencies, incident to power failures. A Mormon pioneer noted in her journal: "We were now following in their trail traveling up the Platte River. Timber was sometimes very scarce and hard to get. We managed to do our cooking with what little we could gather up..." (Eliza R. Snow) quoted from http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm retrieved June 23, 2009
These same reasons to use Solar Cooking can apply to us:
Safety from danger when trying to gather wood
Better health from not inhaling fumes and smoke on a daily basis
Not having to spend limited financial or time resources on wood if that becomes required.
Easy to start meals and leave them safely while other chores are completed- no danger from unattended fires.
What types of Solar Ovens are there and how much do they cost?
There are many solar ovens that can be purchased and cost from $60 to over $400. The advantages to these manufactured ovens are that they are much more durable, can get wet, can travel easily and many of these fold up into a box, and the results are more consistent. The generally reach a higher internal cooking temperature, though any dish with water will not get above boiling temperature no matter how high the reflected temperature gets.
The greatest disadvantage of course is the cost.
But the good news is that is is easy to make your own solar Oven from materials most of us have or have access to. There are many different patterns that can be used to make your own solar Oven and can be found at this website: http://solarcooking.org/plans/
They fall into 3 basic styles: Panel, Parabolic and Box and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The Instructions below are from a modification of a panel style created by BYU Professor Dr Stephen Jones. But another popular and easy to make style is a box oven which is just like it sounds. Instructions for that plan are all given at the above website.
How to Build Your Own Solar Funnel Cooker
What You will Need for the Funnel Cooker:
1. A piece of flat cardboard, about 2 feet wide by 4 feet long. (The length should be just twice the width. The bigger, the better.)
2. Ordinary aluminum foil. (I prefer the Heavy Duty so it lasts longer- RL)
3. A glue such as white glue (like Elmer's glue), and water to mix with it 50-50.( I have found that is too thin, I use more like 25% water- RL) Also, a brush to apply the glue to the cardboard (or a cloth or paper towel will do). Or, some may wish to use a cheap "spray adhesive" available in spray cans. You can also use wheat paste.
4. Three wire brads-- or small nuts and bolts, or string to hold the funnel together.
5. For a cooking vessel, I recommend a canning jar ("Ball" wide-mouth quart jars work fine for me; the rubber ring on the lid is less likely to melt than for other jars I've found. A two-quart canning jar is available and works fine for larger quantities of food, although the cooking is somewhat slower.).
6. The cooking jar (or vessel) should be spray-painted black on the outside. I find that a cheap flat-black spray paint works just fine. Scrape off a vertical stripe so that you have a clear glass "window" to look into the vessel, to check the food or water for boiling. (I have placed Scotch tape and then pulled it off after the paint dries works just as well- RL)
7. Dr Jones originally had used a block of wood on the bottom, but in more recent versions, a rack, trivet or small Pyrex 8x8 turned upside down allows even more reflection on the bottom of the pan- RL
8. A plastic bag is used to go around the cooking-jar, to provide a green-house effect. Suggestions:
• Reynolds™ Oven Bag, Regular Size works great: transparent and won't melt. (Cost about 25 cents each in U.S. grocery stores.)
• Any nearly-transparent HDPE bag (High-density Polyethylene). Look for "HDPE" stamped on the bag. I've tested HDPE bags which I picked up for free at my grocery store, used for holding vegetables and fruits. These are thin, but very inexpensive. Tested side-by-side with an oven bag in two solar funnels, the HDPE bag worked just as well! (Caution: we have found that some HDPE bags will melt should they contact the hot cooking vessel. For this reason, we recommend using the oven-safe plastic bag wherever possible.)
• An idea attributed to Roger Bernard and applied now to the BYU Funnel Cooker: place a pot (having a blackened bottom and sides) in a glass bowl, and cover with a lid. Try for a tight fit around the bottom to keep hot air trapped inside. The metal pot or bowl should be supported around the rim only, with an air space all around the bottom (where the sunlight strikes it). Put a blackened lid on top of the pot. Then simply place this pot-in-bowl down in the bottom of the funnel - no plastic bag is needed! This clever method also allows the cook to simply remove the lid to check the food and to stir. I like this idea - it makes the solar cooker a lot like cooking over a fire. See Photographs for further details. (The thinner plastic bags tend to melt on the cooking pan, but you can build a small wire frame around the pan that holds the plastic bag away from the pan so that he bag can be reused many times- RL
Construction Steps
#1 Cut a Half-circle out of the Cardboard
Cut a half circle out of the cardboard, along the bottom as shown below. When the funnel is formed, this becomes a full-circle and should be wide enough to go around your cooking pot. So for a 7" diameter cooking pot, the radius of the half-circle is 7". For a quart canning jar such as I use, I cut a 5" radius half-circle out of the cardboard. ( I have cut a 10 inch circle for our demonstration model-it is easier to fold RL)
#2 Form the Funnel
To form the funnel, you will bring side A towards side B, as shown in the figure. The aluminum foil must go on the INSIDE of the funnel. Do this slowly, helping the cardboard to the shape of a funnel by using one hand to form creases that radiate out from the half-circle. Work your way around the funnel, bending it in stages to form the funnel shape, until the two sides overlap and the half-circle forms a complete circle. The aluminum foil will go on the INSIDE of funnel. Open the funnel and lay it flat, "inside up", in preparation for the next step.
#3 Glue Foil to Cardboard
Apply glue or adhesive to the top (inner) surface of the cardboard, then quickly apply the aluminum foil on top of the glue, to affix the foil to the cardboard. Make sure the shiniest side of the foil is on top, since this becomes your reflective surface in the Funnel. I like to put just enough glue for one width of foil, so that the glue stays moist while the foil is applied. I also overlap strips of foil by about 1" ( or 2 cm). Try to smooth out the aluminum foil as much as you reasonably can, but small wrinkles won't make much difference. (If even cardboard is not available, one can simply dig a funnel-shaped hole in the ground and line it with a reflector, to make a fixed solar cooker for use at mid-day.)
#4 Join side A to side B to keep the funnel together.
The easiest way to do this is to punch three holes in the cardboard that line up on side A and side B (see figure). Then put a metal brad through each hole and fasten by pulling apart the metal tines. Or you can use a nut-and-bolt to secure the two sides (A & B) together.
Be creative here with what you have available. For example, by putting two holes about a thumb-width apart, you can put a string, twine, small rope, wire or twist-tie in one hole and out the other, and tie together.
When A and B are connected together, you will have a "funnel with two wings". The wings could be cut off, but these help to gather more sunlight, so I leave them on.
Tape or glue a piece of aluminum foil across the hole at the bottom of the funnel, with shiny side in. (I have placed a heavy slat stone on mine covered with foil to weight down the oven so it doesn’t blow away!-RL)
This completes assembly of your solar funnel cooker.
For stability, place the Funnel inside a cardboard or other box to provide support. For long-term applications, one may wish to dig a hole in the ground to hold the Funnel against strong winds.
Final Steps
At this stage, you are ready to put food items or water into the cooking vessel or jar, and put the lid on securely. (See instructions on food cooking times, to follow.) (Remember this shows a piece of wood as the base- you can do this but a clear Pryex 8x8 holds the pan up and allows reflection to go on below-RL)
Next, gather the top of the bag in your fingers and blow ai
r into the bag, to inflate it. This will form a small "greenhouse"
around the cooking vessel, to trap much of the heat inside.
Close off the bag with a tight twist tie or wire. Important: the
bag should not touch the sides or lid of the cooking vessel.
The bag may be called a "convection shield," slowing
convection-cooling due to air currents. Place the entire bag
and its contents inside the funnel near the bottom as shown
in the Photographs.
Place the Solar Funnel Cooker so that it Faces the Sun
Remember: Sunlight can hurt the eyes: Please wear sunglasses when using a Solar Cooker! The Funnel Cooker is designed so that the hot region is deep down inside the funnel, out of harm's way.
Put the Solar Funnel Cooker in the sun pointing towards the sun, so that it captures as much sunlight as possible. The design of the funnel allows it to collect solar energy for about an hour without needing to be re-positioned. For longer cooking times, readjust the position of the funnel to follow the sun's path.
It helps to put the Solar Funnel Cooker in front of a south-facing wall or window (in the Northern Hemisphere) to reflect additional sunlight into the funnel. A reflective wall is most important in locations farther from the equator and in winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, put the Solar Funnel Cooker in front of a North-facing wall or window to reflect additional sunlight into your cooker.
After Cooking
Remember that the cooking vessel will be very hot: Use cooking pads or gloves when handling! If you are heating water in a canning jar, you may notice that the water is boiling when the lid is first removed - it gets very hot!
Open the plastic cooking bag by removing the twist-tie. Using gloves or a thick cloth, lift the vessel out of the bag and place it on the ground or table. Carefully open the vessel and check the food, to make sure it has finished cooking. Let the hot food cool before eating.
Helpful Hints
1. Avoid leaving fingerprints and smudges on the inside surface of the cooker. Keep the inner surface clean and shiny by wiping occasionally with a wet towel. This will keep the Solar Funnel Cooker working at its best.
2. If your funnel gets out-of-round, it can be put back into a circular shape by attaching a rope or string between opposite sides which need to be brought closer together.
3. For long-term applications, a hole in the ground will hold the Funnel Cooker securely against winds. Bring the funnel inside or cover it during rain storms.
4. The lids can be used over and over. We have had some trouble with the rubber on some new canning-jar lids becoming soft and "sticky." "Ball canning lids" do not usually have this problem. Running new lids through very hot water before the first use seems to help. The lids can be used over and over if they are not bent too badly when opened (pry off lid carefully).
5. The jar can be suspended near the bottom of the funnel using fishing line or string (etc.), instead of placing the jar on a block of wood. A plastic bag is placed around the jar with air puffed inside, as usual, to trap the heat. The suspension method allows sunlight to strike all surfaces of the jar, all around, so that heats faster and more evenly. This suspension method is crucial for use in winter months. (or as previously mentioned, use a trivet, a rack or a clear dish to support it underneath- RL)
6. Adjust the funnel to put as much sunlight onto the cooking jar as possible. Look at the jar to check where the sunlight is hitting, and to be sure the bottom is not in the shadows. For long cooking times (over about an hour), readjust the position of the funnel to follow the sun's path. During winter months, when the sun is low on the horizon (e.g., in North America), it is helpful to lay the funnel on its side, facing the sun.
7. Vegetables (Potatoes, carrots, squash, beets, asparagus, etc.)
Preparation: No need to add water if fresh. Cut into slices or "logs" to ensure uniform cooking. Corn will cook fine with or without the cob.
Cooking Time: About 1.5 hours
8. Cereals and Grains (Rice, wheat, barley, oats, millet, etc.)
Preparation: Mix 2 parts water to every 1 part grain. Amount may vary according to individual taste. Let soak for a few hours for faster cooking. To ensure uniform cooking, shake jar after 50 minutes. CAUTION: Jar will be hot. Use gloves or cooking pads.
Cooking Time: 1.5-2 hours
9. Pasta and Dehydrated Soups
Preparation: First heat water to near boiling (50-70 minutes). Then add the pasta or soup mix. Stir or shake, and cook 15 additional minutes.
Cooking Time: 65-85 minutes
10. Beans
Preparation: Let tough or dry beans soak overnight. Place in cooking jar with water.
Cooking Time: 2-3 hours
11. Eggs
Preparation: No need to add water. Note: If cooked too long, egg whites may darken, but taste remains the same.
Cooking Time: 1-1.5 hours, depending on desired yolk firmness.
12. Meats (Chicken, beef, and fish)
Preparation: No need to add water. Longer cooking makes the meat more tender.
Cooking Time: Chicken: 1.5 hours cut up or 2.5 hours whole; Beef: 1.5 hours cut up or 2.5-3 hours for larger cuts; Fish: 1-1.5 hours
13. Baking
Preparation: Times vary based on amount of dough.
Cooking Times: Breads: 1-1.5 hours; Biscuits: 1-1.5 hours; Cookies: 1 hour
14. Roasted Nuts (Peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seed, etc.)
Preparation: Place in jar. A little vegetable oil may be added if desired.
Cooking Time: About 1.5 hours
15. MRE's and prepackaged foods
Preparation: For foods in dark containers, simply place the container in the cooking bag in place of the black cooking jar.
Cooking Times: Cooking time varies with the amount of food and darkness of package.
Basic tips to for success:
Dark colored, thin metal pots ( On days that are cloudy, a cast iron pan as in a Dutch oven style may work better as it holds the heat longer, though it is slower to warm up)
Any pan can work if it is dark and can fit in the size of solar oven you are using. You can use black flat spray paint if you find a pan with a tight fitting lid but it is too shiny
There are several ways to trap the heated air around the pan: an oven bag, a clear plastic bag as the type bread comes in though it will melt eventually, a clear Pyrex bowl with lid that encases the cooking pan, or find a way to cover your oven tightly with a glass or Plexiglas cover. This works well with the box style solar ovens.
Something to rest the cooking pan on that allows reflective rays to reach the bottom of the pan
Keeping the reflective surface unsmudged. Wrinkles don’t mater, but glue residue or dirt, or finger prints eventually lessen the effectiveness of the foil
We live in an area that has sudden windstorms. It is a good idea to plan for ways to weigh down the funnel and bucket if that is the style of solar Oven you are using
In order to keep the costs as low as possible, look thru your own things to see what you can adapt to use for this. You can also try thrift shops or garage sales to limit the cost of cooking pans in you don’t have anything that will work- be creative.
Recipes:
*As a general rule, any crock pot recipe will work in a solar oven
*If cooking meat, additional water is not required as this is a high humidity type of cooking
*You can cook breads, rolls, cakes, biscuits and cookies, as they will brown. You will have to check for
doneness as each oven and each day can vary the amount of time required
*A thermometer helps to determine how fast the food is cooking.
Easy French Bread
1 package yeast
2 cups water
4 1/2 cups white flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Dissolve yeast in one cup lukewarm water. Sift flour with sugar and salt into a large bowl. Stir in dissolved yeast. Add just enough of the second cup of water to hold dough together. Mix until dough is sticky. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled. Butter or grease a round roaster and add dough to dark pan. Let rise another half hour. Cover. Bake in solar oven until golden
brown, about 2 hours.
Foolproof Whole Wheat Bread
2 tablespoons dry yeast
5 cups hot water
2/3 cup oil
12 cups whole wheat flour (or 7 cups whole wheat flour & 5 cups white flour)
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons salt
2/3 cup honey or sugar
Sprinkle yeast into 1/2 cup warm water. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Combine the
remaining 4 1/2 cups hot water with 7 cups whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Add salt, oil and honey or sugar. Continue mixing until well blended. Add 1 cup flour to mixture. Add prepared yeast to mixture and blend thoroughly. Add 3 to 4 more cups of flour. Knead for 10 minutes or until there is a consistency like cookie dough. A stickier dough will result in moister bread. Oil hands and divide dough into 4 parts. Mold into loaves on oiled counter. Place in oiled pans. Oil top of loaves if soft crust is desired. Cover loaves with damp cloth and let rise 1/3 in bulk. Place loaf pans in dark pans with lids, or insert an empty loaf pan on top of each loaf of dough. Cover. Place in solar oven by 11 a.m. Cook 2 1/2 hours.
Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZzUfPcEQMg shows cooking in a solar oven in 9 degree temperatures in Minnesota in January
http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm Dr Stephen Jones from BYU- with directions for funnel cooker
Windshield Shade Solar Funnel Cooker
Materials needed:
A reflective accordion-folding car sunshade (abt $5-6)
A Cake rack (or wire frame or grill)
12 cm. (4 ½ in.) of Velcro
Black pot
Bucket or plastic wastebasket
plastic baking bag
1. Lay the sunshade out with the notched side toward you, as above.
2. Cut the Velcro into three pieces, each about 4 cm. or 1 ½ inches long.
3. Hand sew one half of each piece, evenly spaced, onto the edge to the left of the notch; sew the matching half of each piece onto the underneath size to the right of the notch, so that they fit together when the two sides are brought together to form a funnel. (see below) Note: I first tried sewing these on a sewing machine, but found it cut through the reflective material.
4. Press the Velcro pieces together, and set the funnel on top of a bucket or a round or rectangular plastic wastebasket.
5. Place a black pot on top of a square cake rack, placed inside a plastic baking bag. A standard size rack in the U.S. is 25 cm. (10 in.). This is placed inside the funnel, so that the rack rests on the top edges of the bucket or wastebasket. Since the sunshade material is soft and flexible, the rack is necessary to support the pot. It also allows the suns rays to shine down under the pot and reflect on all sides. If such a rack is not available, a wire frame could be made to work as well. Note: the flexible material will squash down around the sides of the rack.
The funnel can be tilted in the direction of the sun. A stick placed across
from one side of the funnel to the other helps to stabilize it in windy
weather. (see below) After cooking, simply fold up your “oven” and slip the
elastic bands in place for easy travel or storage. This totally simple solar
oven is extremely practical, as it is so lightweight and easy to carry along
anywhere. But in addition, it has reached a higher temperature in a shorter time than all the other models the creator experimented with so far - a little above 350 degrees Fit has been used to cook black beans in about the same amount of time as on a gas stove; It has been used it to bake breads, granola, brownies, lasagna, all sorts of vegetables, and to purify water.
What is a Solar Oven?
A solar oven uses the heat of the sun much like the inside of a car with the sun shining thru the windows. The sunshine is reflected inside a trapped container that cannot let the heat back out, even on a cold day, just as the interior of a car can heat up quickly even in winter. A solar oven requires a reflective surface that is focused on a blackened pan or cooking container. The container is enclosed inside something to keep the air that is heated trapped; it can be a plastic bag or a clear Pyrex bowl with a lid. It can be used to cook food, or to boil water for pasteurization. How hot it can get inside the oven dependends on the number of reflectors, the sun’s intensity and it’s duration.
When and why did solar cooking start?
People have probably used the sun in some format to heat or cook foods since the beginning. Solar Cooking actually has some early recorded beginnings with the documented efforts of French-Swiss Physicist Horace de Saussure in 1767. In the last 30 years, it has resurfaced as a way to help people in developing countries cook their food.
“The burden for gathering the fuel wood and cooking falls mainly on women and children. Joseph Kiai reports from Dadaab, Kenya: "Women who can't afford to buy wood start at 4 am to go collecting and return about noon... They do this twice a week to get fuel for cooking... The rapes are averaging one per week." From Belize: "Many times the women have to go into the forest dragging their small children when they go to look for wood. It is a special hardship for pregnant and nursing mothers to chop and drag trees back to the village... they are exposed to venomous snakes and clouds of mosquitoes." (Anna K.) (Quoted in newsletters by Solar Cookers International.)”
“And the forests are dwindling in many areas. Edwin Dobbs noted in Audubon Magazine, Nov. 1992, "The world can choose sunlight or further deforestation, solar cooking or widespread starvation..."
“Americans should be prepared for emergencies, incident to power failures. A Mormon pioneer noted in her journal: "We were now following in their trail traveling up the Platte River. Timber was sometimes very scarce and hard to get. We managed to do our cooking with what little we could gather up..." (Eliza R. Snow) quoted from http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm retrieved June 23, 2009
These same reasons to use Solar Cooking can apply to us:
Safety from danger when trying to gather wood
Better health from not inhaling fumes and smoke on a daily basis
Not having to spend limited financial or time resources on wood if that becomes required.
Easy to start meals and leave them safely while other chores are completed- no danger from unattended fires.
What types of Solar Ovens are there and how much do they cost?
There are many solar ovens that can be purchased and cost from $60 to over $400. The advantages to these manufactured ovens are that they are much more durable, can get wet, can travel easily and many of these fold up into a box, and the results are more consistent. The generally reach a higher internal cooking temperature, though any dish with water will not get above boiling temperature no matter how high the reflected temperature gets.
The greatest disadvantage of course is the cost.
But the good news is that is is easy to make your own solar Oven from materials most of us have or have access to. There are many different patterns that can be used to make your own solar Oven and can be found at this website: http://solarcooking.org/plans/
They fall into 3 basic styles: Panel, Parabolic and Box and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The Instructions below are from a modification of a panel style created by BYU Professor Dr Stephen Jones. But another popular and easy to make style is a box oven which is just like it sounds. Instructions for that plan are all given at the above website.
How to Build Your Own Solar Funnel Cooker
What You will Need for the Funnel Cooker:
1. A piece of flat cardboard, about 2 feet wide by 4 feet long. (The length should be just twice the width. The bigger, the better.)
2. Ordinary aluminum foil. (I prefer the Heavy Duty so it lasts longer- RL)
3. A glue such as white glue (like Elmer's glue), and water to mix with it 50-50.( I have found that is too thin, I use more like 25% water- RL) Also, a brush to apply the glue to the cardboard (or a cloth or paper towel will do). Or, some may wish to use a cheap "spray adhesive" available in spray cans. You can also use wheat paste.
4. Three wire brads-- or small nuts and bolts, or string to hold the funnel together.
5. For a cooking vessel, I recommend a canning jar ("Ball" wide-mouth quart jars work fine for me; the rubber ring on the lid is less likely to melt than for other jars I've found. A two-quart canning jar is available and works fine for larger quantities of food, although the cooking is somewhat slower.).
6. The cooking jar (or vessel) should be spray-painted black on the outside. I find that a cheap flat-black spray paint works just fine. Scrape off a vertical stripe so that you have a clear glass "window" to look into the vessel, to check the food or water for boiling. (I have placed Scotch tape and then pulled it off after the paint dries works just as well- RL)
7. Dr Jones originally had used a block of wood on the bottom, but in more recent versions, a rack, trivet or small Pyrex 8x8 turned upside down allows even more reflection on the bottom of the pan- RL
8. A plastic bag is used to go around the cooking-jar, to provide a green-house effect. Suggestions:
• Reynolds™ Oven Bag, Regular Size works great: transparent and won't melt. (Cost about 25 cents each in U.S. grocery stores.)
• Any nearly-transparent HDPE bag (High-density Polyethylene). Look for "HDPE" stamped on the bag. I've tested HDPE bags which I picked up for free at my grocery store, used for holding vegetables and fruits. These are thin, but very inexpensive. Tested side-by-side with an oven bag in two solar funnels, the HDPE bag worked just as well! (Caution: we have found that some HDPE bags will melt should they contact the hot cooking vessel. For this reason, we recommend using the oven-safe plastic bag wherever possible.)
• An idea attributed to Roger Bernard and applied now to the BYU Funnel Cooker: place a pot (having a blackened bottom and sides) in a glass bowl, and cover with a lid. Try for a tight fit around the bottom to keep hot air trapped inside. The metal pot or bowl should be supported around the rim only, with an air space all around the bottom (where the sunlight strikes it). Put a blackened lid on top of the pot. Then simply place this pot-in-bowl down in the bottom of the funnel - no plastic bag is needed! This clever method also allows the cook to simply remove the lid to check the food and to stir. I like this idea - it makes the solar cooker a lot like cooking over a fire. See Photographs for further details. (The thinner plastic bags tend to melt on the cooking pan, but you can build a small wire frame around the pan that holds the plastic bag away from the pan so that he bag can be reused many times- RL
Construction Steps
#1 Cut a Half-circle out of the Cardboard
Cut a half circle out of the cardboard, along the bottom as shown below. When the funnel is formed, this becomes a full-circle and should be wide enough to go around your cooking pot. So for a 7" diameter cooking pot, the radius of the half-circle is 7". For a quart canning jar such as I use, I cut a 5" radius half-circle out of the cardboard. ( I have cut a 10 inch circle for our demonstration model-it is easier to fold RL)
#2 Form the Funnel
To form the funnel, you will bring side A towards side B, as shown in the figure. The aluminum foil must go on the INSIDE of the funnel. Do this slowly, helping the cardboard to the shape of a funnel by using one hand to form creases that radiate out from the half-circle. Work your way around the funnel, bending it in stages to form the funnel shape, until the two sides overlap and the half-circle forms a complete circle. The aluminum foil will go on the INSIDE of funnel. Open the funnel and lay it flat, "inside up", in preparation for the next step.
#3 Glue Foil to Cardboard
Apply glue or adhesive to the top (inner) surface of the cardboard, then quickly apply the aluminum foil on top of the glue, to affix the foil to the cardboard. Make sure the shiniest side of the foil is on top, since this becomes your reflective surface in the Funnel. I like to put just enough glue for one width of foil, so that the glue stays moist while the foil is applied. I also overlap strips of foil by about 1" ( or 2 cm). Try to smooth out the aluminum foil as much as you reasonably can, but small wrinkles won't make much difference. (If even cardboard is not available, one can simply dig a funnel-shaped hole in the ground and line it with a reflector, to make a fixed solar cooker for use at mid-day.)
#4 Join side A to side B to keep the funnel together.
The easiest way to do this is to punch three holes in the cardboard that line up on side A and side B (see figure). Then put a metal brad through each hole and fasten by pulling apart the metal tines. Or you can use a nut-and-bolt to secure the two sides (A & B) together.
Be creative here with what you have available. For example, by putting two holes about a thumb-width apart, you can put a string, twine, small rope, wire or twist-tie in one hole and out the other, and tie together.
When A and B are connected together, you will have a "funnel with two wings". The wings could be cut off, but these help to gather more sunlight, so I leave them on.
Tape or glue a piece of aluminum foil across the hole at the bottom of the funnel, with shiny side in. (I have placed a heavy slat stone on mine covered with foil to weight down the oven so it doesn’t blow away!-RL)
This completes assembly of your solar funnel cooker.
For stability, place the Funnel inside a cardboard or other box to provide support. For long-term applications, one may wish to dig a hole in the ground to hold the Funnel against strong winds.
Final Steps
At this stage, you are ready to put food items or water into the cooking vessel or jar, and put the lid on securely. (See instructions on food cooking times, to follow.) (Remember this shows a piece of wood as the base- you can do this but a clear Pryex 8x8 holds the pan up and allows reflection to go on below-RL)
Next, gather the top of the bag in your fingers and blow ai
r into the bag, to inflate it. This will form a small "greenhouse"
around the cooking vessel, to trap much of the heat inside.
Close off the bag with a tight twist tie or wire. Important: the
bag should not touch the sides or lid of the cooking vessel.
The bag may be called a "convection shield," slowing
convection-cooling due to air currents. Place the entire bag
and its contents inside the funnel near the bottom as shown
in the Photographs.
Place the Solar Funnel Cooker so that it Faces the Sun
Remember: Sunlight can hurt the eyes: Please wear sunglasses when using a Solar Cooker! The Funnel Cooker is designed so that the hot region is deep down inside the funnel, out of harm's way.
Put the Solar Funnel Cooker in the sun pointing towards the sun, so that it captures as much sunlight as possible. The design of the funnel allows it to collect solar energy for about an hour without needing to be re-positioned. For longer cooking times, readjust the position of the funnel to follow the sun's path.
It helps to put the Solar Funnel Cooker in front of a south-facing wall or window (in the Northern Hemisphere) to reflect additional sunlight into the funnel. A reflective wall is most important in locations farther from the equator and in winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, put the Solar Funnel Cooker in front of a North-facing wall or window to reflect additional sunlight into your cooker.
After Cooking
Remember that the cooking vessel will be very hot: Use cooking pads or gloves when handling! If you are heating water in a canning jar, you may notice that the water is boiling when the lid is first removed - it gets very hot!
Open the plastic cooking bag by removing the twist-tie. Using gloves or a thick cloth, lift the vessel out of the bag and place it on the ground or table. Carefully open the vessel and check the food, to make sure it has finished cooking. Let the hot food cool before eating.
Helpful Hints
1. Avoid leaving fingerprints and smudges on the inside surface of the cooker. Keep the inner surface clean and shiny by wiping occasionally with a wet towel. This will keep the Solar Funnel Cooker working at its best.
2. If your funnel gets out-of-round, it can be put back into a circular shape by attaching a rope or string between opposite sides which need to be brought closer together.
3. For long-term applications, a hole in the ground will hold the Funnel Cooker securely against winds. Bring the funnel inside or cover it during rain storms.
4. The lids can be used over and over. We have had some trouble with the rubber on some new canning-jar lids becoming soft and "sticky." "Ball canning lids" do not usually have this problem. Running new lids through very hot water before the first use seems to help. The lids can be used over and over if they are not bent too badly when opened (pry off lid carefully).
5. The jar can be suspended near the bottom of the funnel using fishing line or string (etc.), instead of placing the jar on a block of wood. A plastic bag is placed around the jar with air puffed inside, as usual, to trap the heat. The suspension method allows sunlight to strike all surfaces of the jar, all around, so that heats faster and more evenly. This suspension method is crucial for use in winter months. (or as previously mentioned, use a trivet, a rack or a clear dish to support it underneath- RL)
6. Adjust the funnel to put as much sunlight onto the cooking jar as possible. Look at the jar to check where the sunlight is hitting, and to be sure the bottom is not in the shadows. For long cooking times (over about an hour), readjust the position of the funnel to follow the sun's path. During winter months, when the sun is low on the horizon (e.g., in North America), it is helpful to lay the funnel on its side, facing the sun.
7. Vegetables (Potatoes, carrots, squash, beets, asparagus, etc.)
Preparation: No need to add water if fresh. Cut into slices or "logs" to ensure uniform cooking. Corn will cook fine with or without the cob.
Cooking Time: About 1.5 hours
8. Cereals and Grains (Rice, wheat, barley, oats, millet, etc.)
Preparation: Mix 2 parts water to every 1 part grain. Amount may vary according to individual taste. Let soak for a few hours for faster cooking. To ensure uniform cooking, shake jar after 50 minutes. CAUTION: Jar will be hot. Use gloves or cooking pads.
Cooking Time: 1.5-2 hours
9. Pasta and Dehydrated Soups
Preparation: First heat water to near boiling (50-70 minutes). Then add the pasta or soup mix. Stir or shake, and cook 15 additional minutes.
Cooking Time: 65-85 minutes
10. Beans
Preparation: Let tough or dry beans soak overnight. Place in cooking jar with water.
Cooking Time: 2-3 hours
11. Eggs
Preparation: No need to add water. Note: If cooked too long, egg whites may darken, but taste remains the same.
Cooking Time: 1-1.5 hours, depending on desired yolk firmness.
12. Meats (Chicken, beef, and fish)
Preparation: No need to add water. Longer cooking makes the meat more tender.
Cooking Time: Chicken: 1.5 hours cut up or 2.5 hours whole; Beef: 1.5 hours cut up or 2.5-3 hours for larger cuts; Fish: 1-1.5 hours
13. Baking
Preparation: Times vary based on amount of dough.
Cooking Times: Breads: 1-1.5 hours; Biscuits: 1-1.5 hours; Cookies: 1 hour
14. Roasted Nuts (Peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seed, etc.)
Preparation: Place in jar. A little vegetable oil may be added if desired.
Cooking Time: About 1.5 hours
15. MRE's and prepackaged foods
Preparation: For foods in dark containers, simply place the container in the cooking bag in place of the black cooking jar.
Cooking Times: Cooking time varies with the amount of food and darkness of package.
Basic tips to for success:
Dark colored, thin metal pots ( On days that are cloudy, a cast iron pan as in a Dutch oven style may work better as it holds the heat longer, though it is slower to warm up)
Any pan can work if it is dark and can fit in the size of solar oven you are using. You can use black flat spray paint if you find a pan with a tight fitting lid but it is too shiny
There are several ways to trap the heated air around the pan: an oven bag, a clear plastic bag as the type bread comes in though it will melt eventually, a clear Pyrex bowl with lid that encases the cooking pan, or find a way to cover your oven tightly with a glass or Plexiglas cover. This works well with the box style solar ovens.
Something to rest the cooking pan on that allows reflective rays to reach the bottom of the pan
Keeping the reflective surface unsmudged. Wrinkles don’t mater, but glue residue or dirt, or finger prints eventually lessen the effectiveness of the foil
We live in an area that has sudden windstorms. It is a good idea to plan for ways to weigh down the funnel and bucket if that is the style of solar Oven you are using
In order to keep the costs as low as possible, look thru your own things to see what you can adapt to use for this. You can also try thrift shops or garage sales to limit the cost of cooking pans in you don’t have anything that will work- be creative.
Recipes:
*As a general rule, any crock pot recipe will work in a solar oven
*If cooking meat, additional water is not required as this is a high humidity type of cooking
*You can cook breads, rolls, cakes, biscuits and cookies, as they will brown. You will have to check for
doneness as each oven and each day can vary the amount of time required
*A thermometer helps to determine how fast the food is cooking.
Easy French Bread
1 package yeast
2 cups water
4 1/2 cups white flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Dissolve yeast in one cup lukewarm water. Sift flour with sugar and salt into a large bowl. Stir in dissolved yeast. Add just enough of the second cup of water to hold dough together. Mix until dough is sticky. Cover with a cloth and let rise until doubled. Butter or grease a round roaster and add dough to dark pan. Let rise another half hour. Cover. Bake in solar oven until golden
brown, about 2 hours.
Foolproof Whole Wheat Bread
2 tablespoons dry yeast
5 cups hot water
2/3 cup oil
12 cups whole wheat flour (or 7 cups whole wheat flour & 5 cups white flour)
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons salt
2/3 cup honey or sugar
Sprinkle yeast into 1/2 cup warm water. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Combine the
remaining 4 1/2 cups hot water with 7 cups whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Add salt, oil and honey or sugar. Continue mixing until well blended. Add 1 cup flour to mixture. Add prepared yeast to mixture and blend thoroughly. Add 3 to 4 more cups of flour. Knead for 10 minutes or until there is a consistency like cookie dough. A stickier dough will result in moister bread. Oil hands and divide dough into 4 parts. Mold into loaves on oiled counter. Place in oiled pans. Oil top of loaves if soft crust is desired. Cover loaves with damp cloth and let rise 1/3 in bulk. Place loaf pans in dark pans with lids, or insert an empty loaf pan on top of each loaf of dough. Cover. Place in solar oven by 11 a.m. Cook 2 1/2 hours.
Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZzUfPcEQMg shows cooking in a solar oven in 9 degree temperatures in Minnesota in January
http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm Dr Stephen Jones from BYU- with directions for funnel cooker
Windshield Shade Solar Funnel Cooker
Materials needed:
A reflective accordion-folding car sunshade (abt $5-6)
A Cake rack (or wire frame or grill)
12 cm. (4 ½ in.) of Velcro
Black pot
Bucket or plastic wastebasket
plastic baking bag
1. Lay the sunshade out with the notched side toward you, as above.
2. Cut the Velcro into three pieces, each about 4 cm. or 1 ½ inches long.
3. Hand sew one half of each piece, evenly spaced, onto the edge to the left of the notch; sew the matching half of each piece onto the underneath size to the right of the notch, so that they fit together when the two sides are brought together to form a funnel. (see below) Note: I first tried sewing these on a sewing machine, but found it cut through the reflective material.
4. Press the Velcro pieces together, and set the funnel on top of a bucket or a round or rectangular plastic wastebasket.
5. Place a black pot on top of a square cake rack, placed inside a plastic baking bag. A standard size rack in the U.S. is 25 cm. (10 in.). This is placed inside the funnel, so that the rack rests on the top edges of the bucket or wastebasket. Since the sunshade material is soft and flexible, the rack is necessary to support the pot. It also allows the suns rays to shine down under the pot and reflect on all sides. If such a rack is not available, a wire frame could be made to work as well. Note: the flexible material will squash down around the sides of the rack.
The funnel can be tilted in the direction of the sun. A stick placed across
from one side of the funnel to the other helps to stabilize it in windy
weather. (see below) After cooking, simply fold up your “oven” and slip the
elastic bands in place for easy travel or storage. This totally simple solar
oven is extremely practical, as it is so lightweight and easy to carry along
anywhere. But in addition, it has reached a higher temperature in a shorter time than all the other models the creator experimented with so far - a little above 350 degrees Fit has been used to cook black beans in about the same amount of time as on a gas stove; It has been used it to bake breads, granola, brownies, lasagna, all sorts of vegetables, and to purify water.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
What is Square Foot Gardening?
What is Square Foot Gardening?
By Mel Bartholomew
It's a very simple, easy, and unique method of gardening that eliminates all of the hard work, heavy tools, and time-consuming chores of traditional, single-row gardening.
Because of all these advantages, gardening can now be easily done by not only the very young, the very old and everyone in between. It adapts to any location in the world. Since we don't dig up or try to improve the existing soil; we need no tools and no work. It's the greenest of the green methods of gardening, because it uses only 20% of the space, 10% of the water, 5% of the seeds, and only 2% of the work of a traditional, single-row garden, yet produces over 100 % of the harvest..
Basically, the method involves building a shallow box that sets on the ground, removing any weeds or grass inside the box, laying down a weed cloth or landscape fabric inside the box, and then filling the box with a perfect soil mix of three all organic, all natural materials. A one foot grid is then laid on the soil surface, dividing it up into individual square feet. The standard size for a Square Foot Garden is 4' x 4', producing 16 square feet. You walk around the garden box, and reach in to tend your garden, hence, never packing down the soil by walking on it, and you never have to dig it up and turn it over again every spring.
What are the main advantages of Square Foot Gardening?
No work, no weeding, no digging, no tilling, no thinning, no kidding! What more advantages could you want and still be able to produce 100% of the harvest in only 20% of the space? In addition, the planting method allows you to continuously harvest just enough rather than a whole lot from a 20 ft row all at once. The SFG method not only saves seeds, but it saves water. The other big advantage to S F G is because it takes up such a small space, it's very easy to protect. Protect from what? From the weather, from pests, and anything else that can harm your garden. The biggest benefit for the average gardener, especially beginners, is that you will be successful. Follow the 10 steps, and you can't go wrong.
Who can benefit the most from SFG ?
Because you don't do any heavy labor, and the only tool you need is a hand trowel, it's very easy for the elderly, and those with arthritis or limited mobility, to be able to garden this way. Since there are no weed seeds in the soil mix, there're no weeds to pull, hence no hard work. The box can be built with a plywood bottom, and lifted onto a table, so that someone can garden in a wheelchair, or sit down to garden, or can stand up to garden with a little higher table. You will never have to stoop, bend, or do any strenuous physical movements. Because Square Foot Gardening is no work, and takes very little time for maintenance, those busy households with both husband and wife working can still have a garden, and time to enjoy it. Since Square Foot Gardening takes only 20% of the space, it is so condensed that instead of locating it way out back, where the weeds will grow, and people finally decide not to go out there anymore by July and August because of the overgrown weed garden, SFG can be located right near the house, and since there's no weeds, it never becomes unsightly. This allows people with small back yards, in fact those with just a porch, or deck or rooftop, to easily garden the Square Foot way.
What is the cost compared to single row gardening ?
The cost implications are extremely favorable. Since you don't have to rototill your big garden every Spring, you don't need a rototiller, or don't need to pay someone to do that, You don't even dig up your existing soil every year so you don't have to buy any heavy expensive tools like shovels, rakes, and spades which are ultimately rust and break. Since there's no weeding, there's no hard work, hence no heavy weeding tools, like hoes. Because we plant seeds in a spaced pattern, we don't end up pouring out a whole packet of seeds every time we plant, there's no need to buy seeds every year. We tell you how to save the unused portion for the next year, and the next year. Just another major savings in cost.
Building a box can be very simple. You can get free wood at any construction site and build your own, or you can buy ready made-box kits from the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. The first year, you buy the special soil mix but only that very first year. You never replace that, you don't throw it out every year, you merely add a handful of compost to each Square Foot as you replant it after each crop is finished. You can make your own compost, that is not only green and kind to the environment, it's free, and it also eliminates a lot of waste material that presently is trucked to the land fill. We use NO fertilizer with SFG, a great saving in cost. Since you use only 10% of the water, there's a huge savings in water plus again, kind to the environment. Folks, we are running out of water in this world, long before we run out of oil. If you had to carry a bucket of water for 5 miles as many 3 rd world countries do, that's a huge savings in energy and time. The savings of 90% of the water to grow your own crops is a huge implication for our environment.
When did you invent Square Foot Gardening ?
I invented it for the Bicentennial Celebration in 1976 after I retired from my engineering carrier My first book, 1981, was titled, “Square Foot Gardening”, and became the largest selling garden book in America, ever and sold over 1 million copies. My 30 minute television show, was on PBS for 5 years, and was broadcast on every PBS station in the country. It later went on the Discovery Network and the Learning Channel, for another 3 years, Then I retired again in 1991. That lasted for almost 5 years.
In 1996 I came out of retirement again, (can't seem to stay still) to create a non profit 501 C-3 Foundation to take SFG into schools with a Square Yard in the School Yard program. Then moved to Salt Lake City and got involved in many humanitarian projects happening all over the world. Our program teaches the mother of the family how to improve her children's nutrition with a Square Meter Garden. And it works. No giving a man a fish here.
Over the past 15 years, we have made 10 major improvements to SFG, making it now even easier and simpler, and more economical. These improvements are, not only, outlined on our website, but are included in the brand new book, “ All New Square Foot Gardening”. This is in all color, with lots of photographs and drawings for easy and quick reading. Hope this will encourage you to give Square Foot Gardening a try.
The website, http://www.squarefootgardening.com is the official site of the Square Foot Gardening Foundation, and Mel Bartholomew, the inventor, originator and author.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 1999-2009 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
By Mel Bartholomew
It's a very simple, easy, and unique method of gardening that eliminates all of the hard work, heavy tools, and time-consuming chores of traditional, single-row gardening.
Because of all these advantages, gardening can now be easily done by not only the very young, the very old and everyone in between. It adapts to any location in the world. Since we don't dig up or try to improve the existing soil; we need no tools and no work. It's the greenest of the green methods of gardening, because it uses only 20% of the space, 10% of the water, 5% of the seeds, and only 2% of the work of a traditional, single-row garden, yet produces over 100 % of the harvest..
Basically, the method involves building a shallow box that sets on the ground, removing any weeds or grass inside the box, laying down a weed cloth or landscape fabric inside the box, and then filling the box with a perfect soil mix of three all organic, all natural materials. A one foot grid is then laid on the soil surface, dividing it up into individual square feet. The standard size for a Square Foot Garden is 4' x 4', producing 16 square feet. You walk around the garden box, and reach in to tend your garden, hence, never packing down the soil by walking on it, and you never have to dig it up and turn it over again every spring.
What are the main advantages of Square Foot Gardening?
No work, no weeding, no digging, no tilling, no thinning, no kidding! What more advantages could you want and still be able to produce 100% of the harvest in only 20% of the space? In addition, the planting method allows you to continuously harvest just enough rather than a whole lot from a 20 ft row all at once. The SFG method not only saves seeds, but it saves water. The other big advantage to S F G is because it takes up such a small space, it's very easy to protect. Protect from what? From the weather, from pests, and anything else that can harm your garden. The biggest benefit for the average gardener, especially beginners, is that you will be successful. Follow the 10 steps, and you can't go wrong.
Who can benefit the most from SFG ?
Because you don't do any heavy labor, and the only tool you need is a hand trowel, it's very easy for the elderly, and those with arthritis or limited mobility, to be able to garden this way. Since there are no weed seeds in the soil mix, there're no weeds to pull, hence no hard work. The box can be built with a plywood bottom, and lifted onto a table, so that someone can garden in a wheelchair, or sit down to garden, or can stand up to garden with a little higher table. You will never have to stoop, bend, or do any strenuous physical movements. Because Square Foot Gardening is no work, and takes very little time for maintenance, those busy households with both husband and wife working can still have a garden, and time to enjoy it. Since Square Foot Gardening takes only 20% of the space, it is so condensed that instead of locating it way out back, where the weeds will grow, and people finally decide not to go out there anymore by July and August because of the overgrown weed garden, SFG can be located right near the house, and since there's no weeds, it never becomes unsightly. This allows people with small back yards, in fact those with just a porch, or deck or rooftop, to easily garden the Square Foot way.
What is the cost compared to single row gardening ?
The cost implications are extremely favorable. Since you don't have to rototill your big garden every Spring, you don't need a rototiller, or don't need to pay someone to do that, You don't even dig up your existing soil every year so you don't have to buy any heavy expensive tools like shovels, rakes, and spades which are ultimately rust and break. Since there's no weeding, there's no hard work, hence no heavy weeding tools, like hoes. Because we plant seeds in a spaced pattern, we don't end up pouring out a whole packet of seeds every time we plant, there's no need to buy seeds every year. We tell you how to save the unused portion for the next year, and the next year. Just another major savings in cost.
Building a box can be very simple. You can get free wood at any construction site and build your own, or you can buy ready made-box kits from the Square Foot Gardening Foundation. The first year, you buy the special soil mix but only that very first year. You never replace that, you don't throw it out every year, you merely add a handful of compost to each Square Foot as you replant it after each crop is finished. You can make your own compost, that is not only green and kind to the environment, it's free, and it also eliminates a lot of waste material that presently is trucked to the land fill. We use NO fertilizer with SFG, a great saving in cost. Since you use only 10% of the water, there's a huge savings in water plus again, kind to the environment. Folks, we are running out of water in this world, long before we run out of oil. If you had to carry a bucket of water for 5 miles as many 3 rd world countries do, that's a huge savings in energy and time. The savings of 90% of the water to grow your own crops is a huge implication for our environment.
When did you invent Square Foot Gardening ?
I invented it for the Bicentennial Celebration in 1976 after I retired from my engineering carrier My first book, 1981, was titled, “Square Foot Gardening”, and became the largest selling garden book in America, ever and sold over 1 million copies. My 30 minute television show, was on PBS for 5 years, and was broadcast on every PBS station in the country. It later went on the Discovery Network and the Learning Channel, for another 3 years, Then I retired again in 1991. That lasted for almost 5 years.
In 1996 I came out of retirement again, (can't seem to stay still) to create a non profit 501 C-3 Foundation to take SFG into schools with a Square Yard in the School Yard program. Then moved to Salt Lake City and got involved in many humanitarian projects happening all over the world. Our program teaches the mother of the family how to improve her children's nutrition with a Square Meter Garden. And it works. No giving a man a fish here.
Over the past 15 years, we have made 10 major improvements to SFG, making it now even easier and simpler, and more economical. These improvements are, not only, outlined on our website, but are included in the brand new book, “ All New Square Foot Gardening”. This is in all color, with lots of photographs and drawings for easy and quick reading. Hope this will encourage you to give Square Foot Gardening a try.
The website, http://www.squarefootgardening.com is the official site of the Square Foot Gardening Foundation, and Mel Bartholomew, the inventor, originator and author.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 1999-2009 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Preparing for the Second Wave of the H1N1 Virus
Articel from Meridian Magazine May 12, 2009
Preparing for the Second Wave of the H1N1 Virus
By Carolyn Nicolaysen
The world has been re-awakened to the specter of the pandemic – how quickly and uninvited they arrive, and how alarmingly fast they can spread to many nations. Historically, there are records of pandemics going back to the days of Hippocrates, which was 2400 years ago. Records kept since then show that pandemics have occurred about every 20-40 years. Since the Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968, we are at 41 years.
Similarities that make us wary of H1N1
The H1N1 swine flu outbreak of the last three weeks has much in common with flu pandemics of the 20th Century, including the devastating 1918 H1N1 flu.
Like the first wave of the 1918 flu, the 2009 outbreak has been relatively mild, with the exception of cases in Mexico City . Additionally, the first wave of the 1918 outbreak lasted only a few weeks, as this current outbreak appears to be doing. There was widespread flu, but a limited number of deaths.
Like the 1918 Spanish flu, the 2009 edition of H1N1 swine flu first appeared after the seasonal flu period had ended. In 1889, a flu strain first appeared in London in May, but the 1918 flu virus arrived in March. The 1957 flu virus hit the U.S. in September, and the 1968 virus arrived in July.
Like the 1918 flu, the current H1N1 has affected mostly young adults and older teenagers. The traditional flu usually has a greater affect on the very young and the old. During the 1918 outbreak, pregnant women were the group with the highest death rate.
Like the 1918 flu, the 2009 flu is an H1N1 variety. It includes elements of the seasonal flu, bird flu and swine flu.
The work underway now, behind the scenes
As we know, pandemics traditionally arrive in waves, the first being the shortest and least deadly. It is likely we will see a second and possibly even a third wave. Just when everyone has gone back to life as usual and dismissed the first wave as just a strange little flu, the second wave hits and everyone is caught off guard.
Scientists at Winnipeg 's National Microbiology Laboratory were the first to successfully complete a genetic blueprint of the H1N1 virus. British scientists have also announced they have produced a “map” of the virus. These will help to explain how the virus infects people and what the next steps are to produce a vaccine. Scientists are quick to remind us, however, that a vaccine may not be available for four to six months.
In past pandemics, the time between the first and second waves has been six months. The current flu strain first appeared in late March which would place the second wave some time around the end of September – plus or minus a few weeks. The vaccine may not be available until the end of September, at the very earliest. What this means for all of us is that we need to continue preparing as though there will be no vaccine in time for the second wave.
What if the vaccine is available? Will there be enough? Who will get it first? What about developing countries? And of course, will it be effective if the virus has mutated before it returns?
What if the second wave never comes? In a word: Wonderful. Then we are more prepared for whatever else may come our way, and free to enjoy our lives with a little more thanksgiving in our hearts.
Nine things we have learned from past pandemics
What have we learned from past pandemics so we can be prepared in case this virus resurfaces in a few months?
One: The second wave is more deadly than the first. This helps us to respond more proactively when we hear the flu has resurfaced somewhere in the world. We can immediately stock up on any last minute supplies we may need, if they are available. We can fill our gas tanks so we have that extra fuel for trips to the doctor or to use for our generators if the power should fail.
Two: The incubation period for a pandemic flu virus is 1-4 days. This means that once a family member, classmate or fellow worker shows signs, you have been exposed.
Three: Quarantines work. In schools that shut their doors as soon as they suspected a case of the flu, it did not spread. Those who waited for confirmation of the illness saw more cases emerge. Once a school was closed and students who were ill quarantined, the spread slowed down or stopped. During the 1918 pandemic the evidence strongly highlights the value of isolation. See our Meridian Magazine article: Pandemic or Not Are You Ready For the Swine Flu? Quarantines should last until 24 hours after all symptoms and fever have passed.
Four: Those living in rural areas survived the best. If you have a few acres of land you are much more likely to remain healthy - if you self-quarantine early. In past pandemics, those with land planted gardens and continued to have food to eat. Those in the city became desperate and often violent as the food chain was disrupted and store shelves emptied. We saw signs of this problem emerge in reports from Mexico City last month.
Five: All public gatherings should be avoided completely - church, school, work, everything. If you have to go into a public setting, you should maintain a six foot separation between yourself and others and follow all the cautionary instructions regarding the wearing of N95 face masks, etc. (in a pandemic scenario).
Six: Infrastructure will fail. First responders will become ill. Once this occurs we may find ourselves dependent on our own resources. During the aftermath of Katrina it took only hours before looting and civil unrest began because there were not enough first responders. Staying home, working from home (if possible), schooling at home, and worshipping at home during those critical days and weeks may be the best strategies.
Seven: Multiple emergencies can happen at once. While we have fought the flu the last few weeks, there were earthquakes in Mexico City , California and China ; volcanic unrest in Alaska ; a firestorm in Santa Barbara ; deadly thunderstorms in the Midwest , and tornados in the East. If any of these happen during a pandemic, utilities will be slow to restore since many workers will be quarantined with their families, or ill. Damaged power grids and water systems may remain unrepaired for longer periods.
Eight: Schools and workplaces are not prepared. Many of the schools which closed in the first wave were not able to send work home with their students. Employers sent out memos urging good hygiene habits, but little more. If your school or workplace had a great plan they were able to implement, please send me a copy. If your school or workplace does not have a plan, now is the time to strongly encourage them to get one. If your school is not prepared this would be a good time for you to get some books, workbooks, flashcards, and/or DVDs with which to teach your children. If your workplace is not prepared, now is a great time to encourage them to look at their organization and design ways that people can work from home, or work in shifts that downsize the number of people in the office at one time. You cannot maintain a six foot distance from a co-worker if you are in a crowded work environment.
Nine: The majority of deaths during a pandemic are caused by dehydration and the complications that follow, such as pneumonia. Be prepared with plenty of fluids to keep the healthy hydrated and to re-hydrate those who are ill.
Prepare today
Get copies of medical records for all members of the family. You will use these when talking with medical personnel over the phone. Even your doctor may be working from home if he becomes ill, and away from any records.
Get a three month supply of the foods you normally eat and inventory it so you know what you really have.
Get basic medical supplies to fight the symptoms of the flu, headache, fever, diarrhea, cough and vomiting.
Teach your family proper hygiene habits and practice them
Design a plan to communicate with family and friends during a period of quarantine.
Prepare to live without electricity and a clean source of water.
Get a supply of foods and drink for those who are ill or recovering from the flu.
Purchase items to have on hand to entertain in case of quarantine.
Do Not Panic: There is no need to panic. There is still time to be ready for a second wave if it arrives this summer or fall.
Do Not Stockpile Tamiflu: Tamiflu was only 10% effective on last year's seasonal flu. Once this virus mutates it may not be effective at all. In addition, it is very expensive.
Do Not Purchase pills or remedies on advice from a friend or internet sales pitches, without plenty of research. Too many of the claims made are for products with little or no real health value. Homeopathic remedies can be wonderful, but please check out everything very carefully and look for scientific evidence to back up claims. Funds are limited for all of us - use them wisely as you prepare.
There is time enough to be prepared for this and other emergencies that may pass our way. The scriptural counsel that comes to mind is “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing…” (D&C 88:119). Stay informed. Be proactive. Put first things first. Have faith. Help others to do the same.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 1999-2008 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
Preparing for the Second Wave of the H1N1 Virus
By Carolyn Nicolaysen
The world has been re-awakened to the specter of the pandemic – how quickly and uninvited they arrive, and how alarmingly fast they can spread to many nations. Historically, there are records of pandemics going back to the days of Hippocrates, which was 2400 years ago. Records kept since then show that pandemics have occurred about every 20-40 years. Since the Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968, we are at 41 years.
Similarities that make us wary of H1N1
The H1N1 swine flu outbreak of the last three weeks has much in common with flu pandemics of the 20th Century, including the devastating 1918 H1N1 flu.
Like the first wave of the 1918 flu, the 2009 outbreak has been relatively mild, with the exception of cases in Mexico City . Additionally, the first wave of the 1918 outbreak lasted only a few weeks, as this current outbreak appears to be doing. There was widespread flu, but a limited number of deaths.
Like the 1918 Spanish flu, the 2009 edition of H1N1 swine flu first appeared after the seasonal flu period had ended. In 1889, a flu strain first appeared in London in May, but the 1918 flu virus arrived in March. The 1957 flu virus hit the U.S. in September, and the 1968 virus arrived in July.
Like the 1918 flu, the current H1N1 has affected mostly young adults and older teenagers. The traditional flu usually has a greater affect on the very young and the old. During the 1918 outbreak, pregnant women were the group with the highest death rate.
Like the 1918 flu, the 2009 flu is an H1N1 variety. It includes elements of the seasonal flu, bird flu and swine flu.
The work underway now, behind the scenes
As we know, pandemics traditionally arrive in waves, the first being the shortest and least deadly. It is likely we will see a second and possibly even a third wave. Just when everyone has gone back to life as usual and dismissed the first wave as just a strange little flu, the second wave hits and everyone is caught off guard.
Scientists at Winnipeg 's National Microbiology Laboratory were the first to successfully complete a genetic blueprint of the H1N1 virus. British scientists have also announced they have produced a “map” of the virus. These will help to explain how the virus infects people and what the next steps are to produce a vaccine. Scientists are quick to remind us, however, that a vaccine may not be available for four to six months.
In past pandemics, the time between the first and second waves has been six months. The current flu strain first appeared in late March which would place the second wave some time around the end of September – plus or minus a few weeks. The vaccine may not be available until the end of September, at the very earliest. What this means for all of us is that we need to continue preparing as though there will be no vaccine in time for the second wave.
What if the vaccine is available? Will there be enough? Who will get it first? What about developing countries? And of course, will it be effective if the virus has mutated before it returns?
What if the second wave never comes? In a word: Wonderful. Then we are more prepared for whatever else may come our way, and free to enjoy our lives with a little more thanksgiving in our hearts.
Nine things we have learned from past pandemics
What have we learned from past pandemics so we can be prepared in case this virus resurfaces in a few months?
One: The second wave is more deadly than the first. This helps us to respond more proactively when we hear the flu has resurfaced somewhere in the world. We can immediately stock up on any last minute supplies we may need, if they are available. We can fill our gas tanks so we have that extra fuel for trips to the doctor or to use for our generators if the power should fail.
Two: The incubation period for a pandemic flu virus is 1-4 days. This means that once a family member, classmate or fellow worker shows signs, you have been exposed.
Three: Quarantines work. In schools that shut their doors as soon as they suspected a case of the flu, it did not spread. Those who waited for confirmation of the illness saw more cases emerge. Once a school was closed and students who were ill quarantined, the spread slowed down or stopped. During the 1918 pandemic the evidence strongly highlights the value of isolation. See our Meridian Magazine article: Pandemic or Not Are You Ready For the Swine Flu? Quarantines should last until 24 hours after all symptoms and fever have passed.
Four: Those living in rural areas survived the best. If you have a few acres of land you are much more likely to remain healthy - if you self-quarantine early. In past pandemics, those with land planted gardens and continued to have food to eat. Those in the city became desperate and often violent as the food chain was disrupted and store shelves emptied. We saw signs of this problem emerge in reports from Mexico City last month.
Five: All public gatherings should be avoided completely - church, school, work, everything. If you have to go into a public setting, you should maintain a six foot separation between yourself and others and follow all the cautionary instructions regarding the wearing of N95 face masks, etc. (in a pandemic scenario).
Six: Infrastructure will fail. First responders will become ill. Once this occurs we may find ourselves dependent on our own resources. During the aftermath of Katrina it took only hours before looting and civil unrest began because there were not enough first responders. Staying home, working from home (if possible), schooling at home, and worshipping at home during those critical days and weeks may be the best strategies.
Seven: Multiple emergencies can happen at once. While we have fought the flu the last few weeks, there were earthquakes in Mexico City , California and China ; volcanic unrest in Alaska ; a firestorm in Santa Barbara ; deadly thunderstorms in the Midwest , and tornados in the East. If any of these happen during a pandemic, utilities will be slow to restore since many workers will be quarantined with their families, or ill. Damaged power grids and water systems may remain unrepaired for longer periods.
Eight: Schools and workplaces are not prepared. Many of the schools which closed in the first wave were not able to send work home with their students. Employers sent out memos urging good hygiene habits, but little more. If your school or workplace had a great plan they were able to implement, please send me a copy. If your school or workplace does not have a plan, now is the time to strongly encourage them to get one. If your school is not prepared this would be a good time for you to get some books, workbooks, flashcards, and/or DVDs with which to teach your children. If your workplace is not prepared, now is a great time to encourage them to look at their organization and design ways that people can work from home, or work in shifts that downsize the number of people in the office at one time. You cannot maintain a six foot distance from a co-worker if you are in a crowded work environment.
Nine: The majority of deaths during a pandemic are caused by dehydration and the complications that follow, such as pneumonia. Be prepared with plenty of fluids to keep the healthy hydrated and to re-hydrate those who are ill.
Prepare today
Get copies of medical records for all members of the family. You will use these when talking with medical personnel over the phone. Even your doctor may be working from home if he becomes ill, and away from any records.
Get a three month supply of the foods you normally eat and inventory it so you know what you really have.
Get basic medical supplies to fight the symptoms of the flu, headache, fever, diarrhea, cough and vomiting.
Teach your family proper hygiene habits and practice them
Design a plan to communicate with family and friends during a period of quarantine.
Prepare to live without electricity and a clean source of water.
Get a supply of foods and drink for those who are ill or recovering from the flu.
Purchase items to have on hand to entertain in case of quarantine.
Do Not Panic: There is no need to panic. There is still time to be ready for a second wave if it arrives this summer or fall.
Do Not Stockpile Tamiflu: Tamiflu was only 10% effective on last year's seasonal flu. Once this virus mutates it may not be effective at all. In addition, it is very expensive.
Do Not Purchase pills or remedies on advice from a friend or internet sales pitches, without plenty of research. Too many of the claims made are for products with little or no real health value. Homeopathic remedies can be wonderful, but please check out everything very carefully and look for scientific evidence to back up claims. Funds are limited for all of us - use them wisely as you prepare.
There is time enough to be prepared for this and other emergencies that may pass our way. The scriptural counsel that comes to mind is “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing…” (D&C 88:119). Stay informed. Be proactive. Put first things first. Have faith. Help others to do the same.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 1999-2008 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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