So you’re tired of hauling ice every morning, but still need to preserve a lot of food. There are methods to preserve food other than freezing or refrigerating, which include canning (the subject of a future post) and dehydrating, otherwise known as drying. Properly dried, food enzymes are deactivated to prevent discolouration, vitamins are preserved, and the moisture content is too low for bacteria or mould to form. Additionally, food becomes much lighter and sees a reduction in volume, making it easier to store. The question is how to dry food effectively?
Electric food dehydrators are available, but their obvious downfall is their reliance on electricity. They are still quite useful in preparing emergency rations for short-term problems like power outages or being house bound due to inclement weather. However, for those looking for a longer-term solution, or a sustainable one, I would suggest a solar food dehydrator.
This particular (pdf) dehydrator has been extensively researched and tested in laboratory studies. With some creativity and common sense I’m sure you can find ways to improve the design for your own use as well. For starters, how about foregoing the expensive stainless steel mesh and simply using off-the-shelf cooling racks instead?
If you’re going to make your own solar dehydrator, just make sure it doesn’t turn into a solar oven instead.
This looks like an excellent resource.
Update: the link to the site has been updated.
Most of us will never find ourselves lost in the woods with night falling. Most of us would also not know what to do if we did end up in that situation. Luckily, there is an excellent article explaining how to build a debris hut out of materials easily found out in the bush.
A debris hut is nothing more than a pile of debris, like leaves, dry grasses, branches, and whatever else is lying around, with a spot for you to sleep and some protection from blowing away. Think of it as a tent within a tent. Build a tent skeleton from sticks, pile as much debris on as you can, add another tent of branches to keep your pile from blowing away, and you’ve got a cozy nest to sleep in.
This method could also be easily adapted for the urban environment. Paper, cardboard, and plastic wrap would replace debris, and posts, bars, lengths of wood or steel could be the structural elements. Of course, in an urban environment you’re more likely to find shelter of a more permanent and secure sort, but it’s good to have options.