I got to thinking the other day, as I often do, about where my “weakest links” are regarding preparedness. If I’m being perfectly honest, there are more than I prefer, but I’m only one man and I can only do/afford so much, which is why priorities matter.
One of those priorities is water conservation because, let’s face it, few of us preppers have a truly sustainable way to get fresh water for months on end without spending tons of money on items like massive water storage containers or water wells. Thus, if you’re like me, it’s all about conservation.
And one of the ways I realized I can save on water usage when times get tough is by minimizing the water used to clean with, in this case, dishes. So, I got to thinking about the main ways I’m likely to cook with. Those would be using a pan, pot, or baking sheet…or some variation. And I got to thinking that I would be most likely to use my solar oven(s) as much as possible in order to save firewood and propane, but this idea still applies to any cooking method.
The thing is that when I used to use my sun oven regularly, I never worried about cleanup because I always had readily available water. Again, when times get tough, water may be scarce, which means it’s priority #1.
Ultimately, my plan will be (with some exceptions) to line pans and baking sheets (and possibly even pots at times) with aluminum foil or parchment paper in order to avoid needing to use water for cleaning purposes. Granted, I know there are other ways to clean pots and pans besides using water, and I realize that you can’t line every pot and pan for every meal, but it’s a possibility in most cases. Ultimately, it’s one more way to reduce water usage for a purpose that most of us don’t give a second thought, but which will be crucial post-disaster.
And because aluminum foil and parchment paper last almost indefinitely, there’s no harm in stockpiling more than you might normally keep around. If you shop at a warehouse store, such as Sam’s Club or Costco, you can often get these items in bulk.
Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to simply buy these items without them also being useful for other survival purposes. For instance, aluminum foil has dozens of survival uses. That said, parchment paper isn’t nearly as useful for survival purposes; there are even some cooking scenarios where parchment paper is not advisable for use, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be useful in some cooking situations…you just need to be aware of when and how.
Last, like any survival item, it’s difficult to get what you need once everyone else comes to the same conclusion. If you think aluminum foil and/or parchment paper can prove useful to you in a survival situation, then I encourage you to add it your shopping list and grab a few rolls the next time you’re out.
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