Posted on 11/02/2012 9:10:40 AM PDT by Kartographer
Weekly Preppers'Thread to post progress, good buys, DIY projects, advice and ideas ...
The Sterno people say it produces NO carbon monoxide. That might be true "when used as directed." If proper ventilation is not provided, it will produce CO due to incomplete combustion. It has to if it doesn't get enough oxygen. It is a carbon-based fuel. Nitrogen oxides are also produced.
Even catalytic heaters can produce CO in an partially oxygen depleted area.
http://zenstoves.net/COHazard.htm
Key section of the article:
"Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in tents is a real danger for those that use lanterns or stoves in tents and snow caves. CO is an odorless, tasteless, colorless, nonirritating gas formed by the incomplete combustion of stove fuels and has a way of sneaking up on unsuspecting campers. This poisonous gas can cause minor symptoms such as headache, nausea and fatigue, but can also result in long-term cognitive impairment or death. Between 1990 and 1994, there was an annual reported average of 30 fatal CO poisonings in tents or campers in the USA. And considering the frequency and amount of deaths caused by using stoves in enclosed spaces, it appears that the deadly dangers of using a stove in a tent are not common knowledge."
I probably would use sterno in a car, if I was awake, because the O2 consumption is so low. Much lower than other types of heat, but I'd darn sure have a little airflow going.
/johnny
That's the key.
A sooty flame is a warning sign there's not enough oxygen.
Here is a thread on a solar charger that you will probably find useful, I saved it for myself, and am keeping up with it.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?339218-Goal-Zero-Solar-Charging-of-Eneloops
Might stick with the inverter for the time being .. have a 30min quick charger that I know isn't optimal for the batts long term, but we're not talking long term here.
My truck will use about .175gal for 30min of idle, and the inverter has 3 recepts on it, so could charge a rack of 4 batts plus the laptop and something else low-draw for that same 1/2 gal.
Thanks for the info .. will poke around amazon about it in the next couple weeks .. don't want a Yugo, but don't need a Benz either.
Cheers
I have a 4 cell charger with a car adapter plug, and a solar trickle charger for the car battery, I think that, and my cheapo backpacking solar chargers will do me fine, until solar chargers get cheaper and more advanced.
You know that those little garden lights that use AA batteries have both usable (but low capacity) AA batteries in them, and that they can charge your other batteries in an emergency, it will take days to reach high capacity, but there it is.
Neither one of us will run out of battery life for as long as the batteries hold up, and eneloops are durable, and the newest ones take 1800 charge cycles.
Do people remember that those little ubequitas, solar, garden lights are little lamps that can be brought inside during the night, and charged during the day, or that the batteries can be taken out and used in radios and led flashlights, and then put back in for recharging?
Well, thanks again for the charger info .. 'night all
We can maybe take more, but space- and supply-wise, we are just about at the limit.
One good thing is, the new kids want to learn to shoot! Maniac embraced the rifle, Mocha the handgun. She’s tickled to death at all the new things she can do living with us: the beach, the shopping, the guns!
Mocha actually smacked her hubby saying “Why didn’t you tell me your family was so cool!”
I carry and use a Lithium (2)AA LED flashlight on my hip every day. Don’t know if the thing will ever go dead:)
Bride, read GraceG’s post at #68. Tell me your thoughts.
I have enough canned heat (and several Sterno stoves) to cook FOR A YEAR. I added up how long a specific size can would last and used the amount of time it took to bring liquid to a boil, then used the amount of time it would take to cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, and came to the amount I would need for a year.
Add that to the other methods and cooking fuel I have and I can cook as many years as I need to.
“I’ve known 2 folks that died from using fire for heat in small spaces when they slept.”
Would never have a fire burning when I sleep. I have a sleeping bag good down to 5 degrees (in fact I have two of them) and I’d sleep in that on my bed with my Yorkie in there, too - got to keep her warm.
Doing the catering stuff was all field expedient. You never knew what you were walking into, just that 250 plates had to be ready to go at 1pm.
I've had electronics schools and commo schools and management schools, and all the other technical, admin, logistics, and management stuff. But to be honest? I learned more at culinary school and during my slave labor internship and in the kitchen than all the rest.
/johnny
That is why I had to switch to rechargeables, my (high quality) leds never used up the batteries, and I wanted to avoid leakage.
My old Lightwave 4000 for instance, uses 3 D batteries and will burn for a solid month (720 hours), it never needed fresh batteries, when I realized that it had many years old batteries in it, I had to start taking them out because of leakage fears. My rechargeables are only AAA and AA at this point.
Here is the Lightwave 4000 review from 2001. These were something back then, and still are, I also have the 3000 in white and green.
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/lightwave_4000.htm
I have the newest Sanyo eneloops rechargeable batteries, bunches of them (AA) I got recently, plus the C battery shells for the AA battery insert. Have to get more C shells.
I got a fold out solar panel that will charge 4 AA or 4 AAA in 4 hours. The AAs are in a recharge pack - take the pack anywhere you are and charge upscale cell phones and Ipad and Kindle. It is strong enough for any smaller type electronic device but not strong enough to charge a laptop. Fully charges an Ipad in 2 hours. Think the Kindle would be about the same and I have a Kindle, don't have Ipad.
Have three other solar chargers for any size batteries but it takes a long time with those, like a day or more.
Have 3 d solar lanterns. One of those is strong enough to light my living space with enough light to read.
Have two Energizer Sportsman Lanterns that can be separated and hung from an overhead light fixture, has three settings and LED bulbs, or can set on a surface to light an area.
Have two flashlight/lanterns with LED bulbs that sit on a surface for a lamp setting, has high and low and nightlight setting and is really a flashlight with these adaptations.
Have enough jar candles to LAST A YEAR. Figured how long the jar candle would burn, how many hours a night they would be needed, calculated that and got enough for a year.
I will have light for as long as I need it.
It is the Lightwave 2000 (AA) and 4000 (D) that I have, not the C battery version, the 3000.
That is one fine post.
You are one serious prepper, and you are right about many of us never being without light again, in a few years, everyone will be in that position as those little $3.00 solar lamps stuck in our yard proves, we are approaching that stage of everyday technology.
The ability to use adapters to make the AA batteries usable in C and D powered devices is important, but the coolest, and what is becoming the most useful as we become a AA and AAA world, is the AAA to AA adapter.
Everyone should buy some of these.
http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S002973
That is not enough power for me as I need many D batteries for battery fans and the two lanterns. One battery fan takes 4 D cells. I have to stick to the AA to a D shell and even that doesn't make me happy. The high power rechargeable D's won't be around much longer and their price has gone out of reach. Top battery makers still make them and I don't mean the brands you buy at Walmart.
What is disgusting, is, Rayovac, Energizer, Duracell new rechargeable D's have been knocked down to a AA size inside them but they are still charging high power D prices.
Really, I researched this to death within the past three weeks due to those D shells turning up. I thought, “What the hell is this?” Now, I know.
The AAA to AA are not to REPLACE the AA, it is to give you depth and options if you need it, for instance if you don’t have any AAs.
The AA to D adapters do the same thing, you can make D powered devices work, if AAs are all that you have.
Don’t under estimate that, I use adapters that use 2 AAs in a D adapter, that gives me about 5000 Mahs per adapter to replace a 10 to 11,000 Mah D battery, I have to recharge more often, but it works fine.
If you want to spend the money, buy some Tenergy 10,000mah Ds, or Maha POWEREX 11,000mah Ds.
Figure out if you need to invest in those batteries and make them a part of your life and long term plans and maintenance and replacement, or if those devices need to be sold off and replaced.
Don’t chase the appliance by searching for the battery, let the batteries help you decide which appliance to buy.
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