Food & Cooking

Calories + hot water + controlled fuel. If one fails, the food plan fails.

Non-negotiable: freeze-dried food only works if you can boil water indoors, safely, every day.

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1) Planning Baseline (Calories + Days)

Plan in calories. Containers mean nothing without numbers.

• Adults: 2,000 calories/day baseline
• Cold + stress: many adults need 2,300–2,600 calories/day
• Children: 1,200–1,800 calories/day

Fast calculation:

Household daily calories =
(adults × 2,000) + (children × 1,500)

30 days = daily calories × 30
60 days = daily calories × 60
90 days = daily calories × 90

Rule: If you cannot state your household calorie number and day target, you do not have a plan.

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2) Food Strategy

This plan prioritizes food that is:

• shelf-stable
• compact per calorie
• water-first (boil → pour → wait → eat)
• low odour
• minimal cleanup
• easy to portion

Primary: Freeze-Dried / Dehydrated Meals

• fast coverage for 30–90 days
• high calorie density
• short heating time
• controlled portions
• minimal fuel waste

Routine:
Boil water → pour into pouch → seal → wait → eat.

No simmering. No frying. No long flame time.

Supplement: Calorie-Dense Boosters

These prevent calorie drop without increasing fuel use.

Examples:

• nut butters
• olive oil
• protein powder
• energy bars
• instant oats
• trail mix
• shelf-stable meat pouches

These reduce how many full boils you need.

Morale: Hot Drinks

Hot drinks reduce stress and improve compliance.

• coffee
• tea
• electrolytes
• broth

Meal fatigue is real. Morale food prevents under-eating.

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3) The Hot Water System (The Enabler)

This plan assumes:

• non-electric kettle
• indoor-rated propane stove
• lid used every time
• controlled batch heating

Electric kettles are typically 1,500 watts.

A 2,000Wh battery could power:

• a 1,500W kettle for about 1 hour 20 minutes total
• typical boil time: about 4–5 minutes per litre
• realistically: about 15–18 full boils before the battery is drained

Battery power is not the primary plan.

Propane is.

Water Reality (Food Depends on Water)

Freeze-dried meals require stored water. Plan water for:

• rehydration
• hot drinks
• minimal cleanup

If water volume is tight, reduce drinks and shift some calories to no-cook food.

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4) Fuel Planning (Disciplined + Counted)

Assumption:
5 boils per day per person
Using a camping kettle (0.5–1.0L per boil)

Realistic planning number:

2 × 1-lb propane tanks per person per week

Why two?

Because real-world efficiency is not perfect:

• cold water
• drafts
• inconsistent flame discipline
• occasional longer heating cycles

Weekly Fuel Per Person

30 days (per person): about 8–9 × 1-lb cylinders

60 days (per person): about 16–18 × 1-lb cylinders

90 days (per person): about 24–26 × 1-lb cylinders

Better approach:

Use 20-lb tanks for storage.
Refill 1-lb refillable cylinders for indoor control.

1 × 20-lb tank ≈ 20 × 1-lb equivalents

5) Fuel Discipline Rules

• boil once per cycle and use it for multiple items
• lid on every time
• use a wind shield
• keep daily water inside the warm core
• do not simmer
• do not reheat repeatedly
• standardize meal times

Fuel is counted, not guessed.

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6) No-Cook Fallback (Prevents Forced Movement)

If boiling becomes unsafe or impossible, you still need calories.

Minimum: 3–7 days of ready-to-eat food per person.

• bars
• nut butter
• crackers
• canned or pouch meats
• trail mix

This prevents the “we need to go out” decision.

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7) Food Handling Indoors

Keep all food inside the home before disruption.

No garage reliance.

Organize into:

• meal bins (clearly labelled with total calories)
• booster bin
• drink bin
• no-cook bin

Label every container with:

• purchase date
• replace-by date
• total calories inside

Tools That Prevent Failure

• manual can opener
• long spoon for pouches
• trash bags and wipes for cleanup

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8) Food Rotation (Simple)

Freeze-dried foods usually have long shelf life.

Rotation method:

• inspect annually
• replace anything nearing the manufacturer date
• keep newer purchases at the back
• do not overcomplicate rotation

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9) Indoor Safety (Mandatory)

Cooking indoors adds real risk.

Required:

• carbon monoxide alarm
• fire extinguisher within reach
• stable cooking surface
• clear area around flame
• two ignition methods (lighter + matches)

Fuel-burning equipment indoors or in poorly ventilated spaces increases CO risk.

If the CO alarm activates:
Shut the stove down immediately.
Ventilate.

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10) Micronutrients

Calories keep you alive.
Micronutrients keep you functioning.

Long indoor periods reduce sun exposure and fresh food intake.

Recommended baseline:

• daily multivitamin
• vitamin D3 especially during winter or limited sunlight

Optional but practical:

• electrolyte mix to support hydration and energy stability

These require no fuel, take little space, and help prevent avoidable fatigue.

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11) Quick-Start Checklist (Up to 90 Days)

• calculate household calorie baseline
• choose 30, 60, or 90 days
• purchase freeze-dried base to match calories
• add calorie boosters
• add morale drinks
• acquire indoor-rated stove and kettle
• plan 2 × 1-lb tanks per person per week
• store bulk propane outside
• refill small cylinders for indoor use
• install CO alarm and extinguisher
• add 3–7 days of no-cook calories

Hard rule:

If you do not have:

• counted calories
• a safe hot-water method
• counted fuel

You do not have a food system.