Items need for constuction:
2 square patio blocks
23 bricks
one gas stove burner
hammer
chisel
A rocket stove can be a god send since you can find cheap fuel for it anywhere. But if you plan on bugging out you'll want a professional made one which is light weight and compact. As you can see, mine is not. The one above is for people who will be staying put.
For fuel all you need is dry twigs and small pieces of wood, wadded up paper, dry leaves or dry grass clippings or some cotton balls with petroleum jelly on them. Make a small fire using the paper, leaves or cotton balls and some twigs. Once the fire is going good add the bigger pieces of wood. When they are going well you're ready to cook.
Place a gas stove top burner or some other rack that won't melt and will allow air to circulate on top of the rocket stove. Add your pan and let it get hot. Add food, cover with a lid, and let it cook. Make sure to keep feeding the fire and in about 15 minutes you can have hot water for a cup of tea and a fried egg for a sandwich.
You can cook anything on a rocket stove but it will take a little practice. The one above is the first one I've ever made or cooked on. The water came to a boil and the egg cooked through, all in under 15 minutes. Made a yummy egg sammie and a good cup of tea.
I'll be building two more of these in the near future to have on hand when life takes us back to the age of fire-cooked food all the time. I'll need three to cook a complete meal and by building those three myself I'll have them at a price much less than purchasing just one.
Cheap, easy and fast to build, and easy to use. A home made rocket stove should be in everyones preps.
Prepping Granny