Desert Island, or End-Of-World Cooker?

[realdocBBQ]

Much as I want to say one of my beloved stickburners...

I think I'd have to consider the practicality of a cooker in this scenario. I think I'm with STEbbq in thinking about a charcoal cooker. I'd have to make my own charcoal, but that's actually not too hard a deal, even to do in bulk, when I consider the EOTW cooker I'd be looking at using, most likely would be one of my least-used cookers to date.

Prolly my Super 55 drum cooker. With no electric, I don't think I know of a cooker out there that is nearly as efficient. I can load up a full burn pot of charcoal, which is about 15 lbs, I think, and it'll run a solid 250ºF for over 23 hours. Plenty of time to cook ANYthing, and doesn't need to be babysat, nothing like that. It doesn't have ginormous capacity, but it's more than something like my Weber, and the ability to run for a whole day without even tending it or adding anything to it is incredible. Just as people would be struggling for food, we'll be struggling for a lot of things, and having time to sit around and babysit a cooker - like a stickburner - probably would make it not too useful. I'd imagine we would have so many other 'survival' type things that needed doing, like building and maintaining shelter, hunting, planting, tending crops, patrolling perimeters and setting up traps (for food OR intruders), hauling water, tending any livestock, etc.

I just think something the most efficient and low-maintenance and versatile would be best. So something I can smoke or grill on and will run for hours and hours and hours without my touching it, maintaining low and slow cooks for some of those tough cuts we'll be bound to be utilizing from game animals, as well as for something like cold-smoking for preservation...

I dunno, I think the practicality would make something like that pretty useful.

[Mosca]

I was thinking maybe the Jack-of-all-trades Weber Kettle, but not having much information about fuel sources (even making charcoal might be difficult), I think I’d go with this:

[Donw]

Some cinder blocks to make a rocket stove. This one is a double but can be done as a single.

https://youtu.be/hl6tEfvbPhI

And a single:

https://youtu.be/4qwTTvMCOBk

[Oak Smoke]

I think I’d just stay with my kamado. It is after all a charcoal powered oven. I can make jerky, cook a pot of beans, bake biscuits, cook a squirrel or rabbit, and do a venison back strap justice.There’s a large stone fire place in the living room that would make a great place to cook and heat the room at the same time. Just a plain old camp fire and some coals can make a great meal. We are surrounded by oak and pecan trees for miles. Just the limbs that fall out of them would supply all the wood we need, what we used to call squaw wood. A burn pit or making charcoal could supply all the hot coals we need. Preserving your food would be the hardest part. When that freezer stops you need to start making jerky or canning right now. Killing anything larger than a chicken could mean the majority of the meat will spoil if you’re not ready to preserve it. Looking at all the beans and rice my converted preper wife has stashed all I need to do for a while is boil water. Hell I’m old what ever the easiest way to go is that’s the way I’ll go.

[bordercollie]

Your wife is on the right track.

[Potkettleblack]

If it’s the end of civilization, I want a cooker larger enough to function as a walk in. I’m a middle aged desk working city slicker. Not made for the end of civilization.

[jfmorris]

Considering my nephew is gonna take my offset in the next couple of weeks, I'll just go with my Weber kettle or my SNS Kamado, and I'll just chop down wood splits from the wood pile until they are small enough to use, once the charcoal stash runs out. After that, just a fire pit and spit or grate would do. There are enough woods and trees around to where making a fire should never be an issue. And I have thousands of rounds of ammo in different calibers, so hunting shouldn't be an issue. Squirrel, rabbit, deer, etc. The squirrels in my backyard have yet to learn fear of the Gamo pellet gun, which is quite effective...

Problem would be I live in N. Alabama and lots of hunters are around, so I imagine game would become scarce rather quickly. My dad says there are MANY more deer in the woods of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama than when he was a kid back in the 40's and 50's, but it wouldn't last.

[Donw]

These, and others, are still available and for sale at Lehman’s. Sale right now is 10% off.

[DavidNorcross]

Man that is good stuff.

[Johnny Booth]

If I could keep a cooker, it would be my offset. But its not very portable.
I am just as comfortable with a campfire to cook virtually anything I can put on a stick or a rock to cook.
If I can harvest meat, I will find a way to cook it, and it will be delicious. 😋

[Spinaker]

I would keep my steel grill. That thing is indestructible. Plus I can smoke, grill and whatever else I would need to do. It is easy and simple to use with lots of grill space.

[bordercollie]

If this scenario happens , I'll hopefully have enough stuff on the farm to cook food if the HB isn't around anymore, I have some of the old cast iron big, deep trailer truck rims.- the kind that was declared too deadly for use in past years because of the rim ring. I hold onto them for a reason. Katrina taught us a lot. No gas, power nor ATM make things scary if not dangerous. I know this for real. A wood burning grill or just a grate will help you provide a food cooking source and some light at night. Dried beans cooked over a fire ... no weapon needed unless it's for protection. Beans, beans, beans... good stuff . edit to say.. get a cast iron pot.

[Allon]

I'll just attach my Bronco to the trailer hitch and head for my preplanned site in the hills....

[Jerod Broussard]

A shovel. I'd be more worried about whether or not the game wardens will be out and about.

[Donw]

Having been a reserve game warden for 20 years and a volunteer State deer checker for longer than that I wouldn’t be at all worried about game wardens. What I would be worried about is all the first timer hunters out there looking for free meat that will shoot at anything moving if they even can figure out which way to point their gun. Boy, the stories I could tell.

[Jerod Broussard]

Donw Game Warden years ago told me about a guy who was from Houston with a brand new rifle and scope. GW asked how it shot and the guy had no idea. GW asked if he sighted it in and the guy said he didn't have to, the guy at the gun shop sighted it in with the laser thingee at the end of the barrel.

[FireMan]

I have a hand saw and a hatchet fer fuel to go along with a grill and stake outfit that will fit on a bag. Go and cook anywhere.

[RobertC]

All y'all think you're going to be around after the zombie apocalypse. I'm slow, have asthma, blind without my glasses, and, frankly, I kinda whine. If the zombies don't get me, my family will vote to sacrifice me. They don't have to be faster than the zombies, they just have to be faster than me.

[Huskee]

Zombies, eh? Well that puts a different spin on this. I am a zombie the first 1-2 hrs after I wake up, whether it's am or pm, and I am not chasing you so that you need to outrun me.

[STEbbq]

For a zombie apocalypse, we would have to be super portable so all of those huge wood smoking smoker dudes would die first. Thankfully, my PK300 would still be able to save my bacon and cook it too. Hahaha! I am still alive!