Solar cooking may be well known for being environmentally friendly mainly because it doesn't use electricity, fossil fuel, charcoal, or wood, but it certainly has a lot more to offer.
One advantage of using this type of household cooking is that the solar ovens are easily portable, allowing you to carry them almost anywhere. You can carry use them in the yard, in the park during picnics, or on the beach while on road trip vacation.
Another benefit is the huge amount of time that you get to save from using solar ovens. You don't have to spend much time preparing, tending or even cleaning up the food after cooking. This is because solar ovens are designed to produce even temperature that keeps the food from burning or from being overcooked. As a result, you get to enjoy and eat perfectly and evenly thawed and cooked food.
You also use this cooking implement during power outages. Because it doesn't make use of electricity, you can still boil water and cook food even during power outages.
Moreover, solar cooking is one of the most inexhaustible and least polluting means of cooking food. This cooking method is advantageous both for people living in tropical countries and those in colder regions.
Most importantly, solar cooking doesn't emit harmful elements into the environment that can be harmful to human health. Because it doesn't make use of charcoal or wood, there are no harmful chemicals or gas released to the environment, reducing or even eliminating the risk of acquiring various lung diseases, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and lung cancer.
Resource Box:
Sun Ovens International is a global manufacturer and distributor of solar cooking equipment called solar ovens. Based in Elburn, Illinois, the company touts solar powered ovens as the perfect alternative to traditional cooking devices not only because they are environmentally friendly, but they also can improve the taste of food. For more information, visit SunOven.com or call 1-630-208-7273.
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Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Does a Solar Battery Charger Actually Work?
A solar battery charger could soon as common as the cellular phone as technology continues to emerge in an effort to become a world that is more environmentally friendly.
How many times have you pulled out your cell phone or camera to use it and find that the battery or batteries are dead? It's frustrating, isn't it? A battery charger powered by the sun could be just what you need to keep that from happening again!
Why Choose a Solar Powered Battery Charger?
These gadgets are invaluable when it comes to powering up small appliances such as cellular phones, laptops, cameras, and more. What are the benefits?
* You'll have power readily available in remote locations where AC power is not available
* Solar battery chargers utilize renewable, clean energy - the sun's rays
* No need to return to the store yet again to purchase more batteries that will eventually need to be disposed of into the landfill and damage the environment
* An excellent and convenient way to go green and create less of an environmental footprint on the world
* Save money - on batteries, electricity, and gasoline
* Back up battery stores extra power even when not in use
Let's talk about why battery chargers powered by the sun are convenient to have no matter where you go. You could be in the city, the suburbs, or rural areas and a solar charger is going to provide power to your small appliance as long as the sun is shining. Many people have discovered that solar chargers can be invaluable in an emergency too.
We all know that children of today take along some sort of electrical gadget on vacation or trips to keep occupied, right? No matter what your destination, a solar battery charger can recharge an iPod, MP3 player, laptop, cell phone, or hand-held game after a long trip.
Do Solar Power Battery Chargers Really Work?
Yes, they do! Portable solar panels can provide even more power for larger appliances like cameras, laptops, and cellular phones. Smaller items like MP3 players and the like can usually charge pretty well with lower cost chargers. Higher priced solar chargers seem to receive the best customer reviews, especially when it comes to recharging cellular phones.
However, keep a few things in mind...
Obviously, if the sun is not shining, then using a solar charger is not going to work. The cost of a quality solar battery charger is $50-$250, depending on what it is you want to use it for and how much power you require.
Cellular phones require a lot more power than people think, so if you use your phone often and require it to be charged regularly, you may want to consider a universal hybrid solar charger. This type of solar charger can utilize both electric and the sun's energy.
Technology is gaining ground in the area of solar battery chargers, but there are still a few challenges with them. As long as you know and understand how they work, you may discover it's just the right fit for your going green lifestyle.
M.S. Rochell is the editor of http://www.Go-Green-Solar-Energy.com which offers education and inspiration on the benefits of going green with solar energy, DIY solar power, and affordable solar energy solutions. Please visit for more solar battery charger and portable solar tips, and for our free Affordable Solar Energy eBooks.
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Ten Ways to Use Less Energy
Lowering your energy use at your residence will also minimize pollution (from burning fossil fuels) on a worldwide scale and save you money. Methods to save energy are simple to implement and, when carried out, go a very long way.
1. Turn down the Thermostat
An effortless solution that will save you cash and save energy is to turn down the heat. Lowering your heat in cold weather by just only two degrees can cut your energy bill by almost 10 percent. Acquire an automatic or programmable thermostat to make it simple to save on heating. Program it to turn down when you're absent from home or you are asleep, and to turn back up half an hour before you'll be up and about.
2. Disconnect Gizmos
Electronic gear and devices consume energy even when they are off. They've in fact been called energy suckers.
Americans waste $1 billion a year powering items like TVs and DVD players despite the fact that they're turned off.
Therefore, unplug your Television, stereo, PC, microwave, and additional devices when you're not using them. Make sure to disconnect your cell-phone and MP3 chargers as soon as they are charged.
3. Set Computers to Sleep and Hibernate
Enable the "sleep mode" feature on your computer, permitting it to consume less energy during durations of inactivity. In Windows, the power management settings are found on your control panel.
Set your PC to "hibernate" routinely after thirty minutes or so of inactivity. The "hibernate mode" turns the PC off in a method that doesn't require you to boot everything when you turn it back on. Allowing your PC to hibernate saves energy and is more time-efficient than shutting down and restarting your computer. After you're done for the day, shut down.
4. Clean Clothes Efficiently
90%, of the energy consumed in the washing of clothes goes to heat the water, so washing in cold is an easy way to cut energy use dramatically. Wash just complete loads. When drying, be certain to check the lint screen prior to each load and clean it afterward. Furthermore, if you wish to take efficiency a step further, suspend some or most items and let them air-dry instead of running them through the dryer.
5.Take shorter showers and don't have baths
Hot water heating is one of the major uses of energy in any home. Showers are the best way save on energy consumption. Baths use much more water and heat than do baths unless you also decide to take very long showers.
6. Eat a smaller amount of Meat
Meat production requires plenty more energy and resources than raising vegetables or grains. In actual fact, eighteen percent of human-caused greenhouse gases comes from the livestock business. You need not have to be a true vegetarian to make a change in this area. Attempt skipping meat just one day a week. If every American had one meat-free day a week, it would cut emissions as much as taking eight million automobiles off the roads.
7. Do not drive to car often or leave it completely
Automobiles devour half of the world's oil, and spew 25% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions. Leaving your car at home even one day per week will save a lot of gas and reduce emissions. Attempt walking, cycling, carpooling, or taking the bus or subway. See if you can telecommute to work one day a week. Before you drive, be certain your tires are correctly inflated -- underinflated tires will cut your gas mileage by 5 percent.
8. Slash your flights.
Nothing else you do leads to so much climate change in such a short period of time
9. Try green living
Choose one small assignment you can perform in the house to cut back energy consumption. Substitute regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs consume roughly 1/5 as much energy as normal bulbs, and last about twelve times longer. Install a low-flow shower head that can save on water heating and use. Lessen the temperature of your water heater to one hundred twenty degrees, and insulate the boiler.
10. Repair the drafts
In an average house, up to twenty percent of warmth is lost through drafts. To experiment an area, simply hold the palm of your hand up alongside a door or window. If you feel cold air coming through, warm air is escaping. This is easy to repair and can save you hundreds on your yearly heating bill. In addition, to cut overall home energy consumption, you can also use highly reflective materials to lower surface temperatures of your roof by up to one hundred degrees. Cool roof methods perform best on smaller buildings in sunnier environments.
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1. Turn down the Thermostat
An effortless solution that will save you cash and save energy is to turn down the heat. Lowering your heat in cold weather by just only two degrees can cut your energy bill by almost 10 percent. Acquire an automatic or programmable thermostat to make it simple to save on heating. Program it to turn down when you're absent from home or you are asleep, and to turn back up half an hour before you'll be up and about.
2. Disconnect Gizmos
Electronic gear and devices consume energy even when they are off. They've in fact been called energy suckers.
Americans waste $1 billion a year powering items like TVs and DVD players despite the fact that they're turned off.
Therefore, unplug your Television, stereo, PC, microwave, and additional devices when you're not using them. Make sure to disconnect your cell-phone and MP3 chargers as soon as they are charged.
3. Set Computers to Sleep and Hibernate
Enable the "sleep mode" feature on your computer, permitting it to consume less energy during durations of inactivity. In Windows, the power management settings are found on your control panel.
Set your PC to "hibernate" routinely after thirty minutes or so of inactivity. The "hibernate mode" turns the PC off in a method that doesn't require you to boot everything when you turn it back on. Allowing your PC to hibernate saves energy and is more time-efficient than shutting down and restarting your computer. After you're done for the day, shut down.
4. Clean Clothes Efficiently
90%, of the energy consumed in the washing of clothes goes to heat the water, so washing in cold is an easy way to cut energy use dramatically. Wash just complete loads. When drying, be certain to check the lint screen prior to each load and clean it afterward. Furthermore, if you wish to take efficiency a step further, suspend some or most items and let them air-dry instead of running them through the dryer.
5.Take shorter showers and don't have baths
Hot water heating is one of the major uses of energy in any home. Showers are the best way save on energy consumption. Baths use much more water and heat than do baths unless you also decide to take very long showers.
6. Eat a smaller amount of Meat
Meat production requires plenty more energy and resources than raising vegetables or grains. In actual fact, eighteen percent of human-caused greenhouse gases comes from the livestock business. You need not have to be a true vegetarian to make a change in this area. Attempt skipping meat just one day a week. If every American had one meat-free day a week, it would cut emissions as much as taking eight million automobiles off the roads.
7. Do not drive to car often or leave it completely
Automobiles devour half of the world's oil, and spew 25% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions. Leaving your car at home even one day per week will save a lot of gas and reduce emissions. Attempt walking, cycling, carpooling, or taking the bus or subway. See if you can telecommute to work one day a week. Before you drive, be certain your tires are correctly inflated -- underinflated tires will cut your gas mileage by 5 percent.
8. Slash your flights.
Nothing else you do leads to so much climate change in such a short period of time
9. Try green living
Choose one small assignment you can perform in the house to cut back energy consumption. Substitute regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs consume roughly 1/5 as much energy as normal bulbs, and last about twelve times longer. Install a low-flow shower head that can save on water heating and use. Lessen the temperature of your water heater to one hundred twenty degrees, and insulate the boiler.
10. Repair the drafts
In an average house, up to twenty percent of warmth is lost through drafts. To experiment an area, simply hold the palm of your hand up alongside a door or window. If you feel cold air coming through, warm air is escaping. This is easy to repair and can save you hundreds on your yearly heating bill. In addition, to cut overall home energy consumption, you can also use highly reflective materials to lower surface temperatures of your roof by up to one hundred degrees. Cool roof methods perform best on smaller buildings in sunnier environments.
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Monday, October 18, 2010
Homemade Cough & Cold Remedy
It is getting to be that time of year again where everyone in our house is sniffing and coughing and just plain miserable. I have decided that this year I will tryout some home remedies. I will share some of the recipes with my readers of this blog.
Here is the first one:
Ginger Tea
* 1 inch or so fresh ginger root, sliced thin or grated
* 1/2 a fresh lemon, sliced (peel & all)
* 1 clove garlic, mashed
* ~2 c water
* Very generous spoonful honey
Place water, ginger, lemon, & garlic in saucepan; bring to boil, then turn down heat and simmer gently for 20 min. Strain into mugs and add lots of honey. The tea will get stronger if you let it sit! Most invigorating!
The garlic adds a bit of bitterness, but the honey masks that. This tea is very soothing to the throat and warms and opens the chest and nasal passages. Plus there are a lot of those vitamins and other good things! Make this tea at the first sign of a cold. It is a lot more effective than the commercial hot lemon remedies, and of course cheaper!
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Here is the first one:
Ginger Tea
* 1 inch or so fresh ginger root, sliced thin or grated
* 1/2 a fresh lemon, sliced (peel & all)
* 1 clove garlic, mashed
* ~2 c water
* Very generous spoonful honey
Place water, ginger, lemon, & garlic in saucepan; bring to boil, then turn down heat and simmer gently for 20 min. Strain into mugs and add lots of honey. The tea will get stronger if you let it sit! Most invigorating!
The garlic adds a bit of bitterness, but the honey masks that. This tea is very soothing to the throat and warms and opens the chest and nasal passages. Plus there are a lot of those vitamins and other good things! Make this tea at the first sign of a cold. It is a lot more effective than the commercial hot lemon remedies, and of course cheaper!
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Alcohol Camping Stoves
Alcohol camping stoves are the perfect choice for the backpacker looking for a small, lightweight, easy-to-use and inexpensive stove.
The alcohol camping stoves are very simple, they have very little moving parts, no jets or orifices to clog and clean. Alcohol is a renewable resource and is a non-petroleum based product. If you have a spill in your backpack, it will evaporate quickly, leaving no tell-tale odor. It's the perfect "green" fuel.
Ok, let's look at the pros and cons for the alcohol camping stoves...
PRO
1. Simple - No Pumping, Pressurizing, Priming or Pre-lighting.
2. Fuel - Renewable, Evaporates quickly, Burns clean (no soot), Not oily or smelly.
3. Lightweight - Can weigh as little as a few ounces.
4. Reliable - They light first time every time, as long as you guard your match against the wind.
5. Safety - Fuel evaporates quickly and will not explode (non-inflammable).
6. Fuel Transport - Easy; can be carried in a plastic bottle. Do not use an untreated aluminum bottle. If you're not sure, don't use it. See the note at the bottom of the page.
7. Fuel Availability - Everywhere; can be found in drug stores to hardware stores.
8. Noise - Very quiet and generally cannot be heard. This can also be a con.
CON
1. Noise - As I said above, being quiet can be a pro or a con. Pro in that it is quiet, but a Con because you sometimes cannot tell if you have a flame or not.
2. Flame - Alcohol burns clear (slightly bluish) and this makes it very difficult to see. Especially in the daylight.
3. Heat Output - Alcohol camping stoves put out about half of the heat per ounce other liquid fuel stoves produce, i.e. white gas, kerosene, Coleman style fuels, and butane or propane.
4. Group Size - A small group of 1 or 2, maybe 3, is best, because of the slower cooking time. This isn't really a con, but it is something to consider.
5. Cooking Time - Is slower because of the reduced heat output, but for 1 or 2 people it is just fine.
6. Safety - NEVER, NEVER fill the stove with more fuel while it is still burning or hot. This actually goes for ALL stove types.
7. Cold - Alcohol camping stoves are not very reliable in freezing weather. As the temperature drops, the evaporation rate of the alcohol drops. This makes them very hard to start. A work-around for this is to pre-heat the stove with a candle.
8. Durability - Since they are so small and lightweight, they can be fragile. They can be bent, crushed or destroyed easily without the proper care.
Do-It-Yourself (DIY): Alcohol camping stoves are perfect for the DIY crowd. The internet is full of instructions on how to make an alcohol camping stove.
FUEL
1. Isopropyl - NOT Recommended. This can be purchased from any drug store, but it will always have too much water mixed with it. It's never just pure alcohol.
2. Denatured - This fuel comes mixed with other poisonous chemicals. Many times the label will say that it is suitable for marine stoves. I would go with that brand. Another way to tell if the denatured that you have will be any good, is to burn some of it in a metal dish and check for any residue left behind. Do not use it if there is any residue.
3. Grain - Alcohol works well, but can be expensive. Stay away from the colored grain alcohols and go for the clear such as the Everclear brand. Keep in mind that you brought it to use in the stove and not to keep your belly warm. P.S. This is the only fuel than can be consumed by humans. ALL the others are poisonous.
4. Methyl - Other names are methanol, wood alcohol, methyl hydrate, liquid fondue fuel, gasoline line antifreeze. This is a highly poisonous fuel. However, methanol evaporates faster than ethanol at all temperatures and you would have a better chance of starting your stove in cold weather. Store this fuel and the stove that uses it from your food and pots.
5. Gelled Alcohol - Such as Sterno, Canned Heat, Jelled Alcohol. This is good for keeping food warm, but not for cooking. Not enough heat output.
6. Diethylene Glycol - Extremely poisonous and is Not Recommended.
Types of Alcohol Camping Stoves
1. Open Flame - This is the simplest of all the alcohol camping stoves. It's basically an open shallow metal container that you pour the alcohol in and you light it. The pot is sitting on a wire frame above the stove. They are simple to build and operate, but are not the most efficient with the fuel to heat ratio. However, they are a very reliable stove.
2. Chimney or Updraft - This style of stove utilizes the updraft created by the heat of the fire, up a chimney, to the top of the stove and heating the pot. It mixes the air with the fuel at the bottom of the stove to get a better controlled flame at the top. The pot sits on a stand above the stove. It has a good heat output and is very reliable.
3. Low Pressure Side Burner - This utilizes the low pressure draft created like the Chimney stove, but the pot sits directly on the stove. Same stove as the Chimney stove, just a different way of using it. It has good heat output and does not need a pot stand.
4. Open Jet - This stove works by vaporizing the fuel and shooting it out little jets. The fuel is poured in through the top center; it is very lightweight and will simmer, but is only good for small pots. You will need to have a pot stand to keep the pot off the stove.
5. Hybrid Side Burner Jet - This is like the Open Jet, but the vents are on the side. The pot sits right on the stove top so a pot stand is not needed.
6. Pressurized Jet - This is like the Open Jet stove, but the center is closed allowing the fuel gasses to build up pressure. It burns hot and does not allow for simmering. You will need a pot stand for this stove.
Points to Consider
1. Consider making an alcohol camping stove for yourself.
2. Are you going to be doing a lot of extreme cold weather cooking?
3. Burner style - You do not have to settle for just one style. You can have a different style depending on weather conditions and/or altitude.
4. Boil time to fuel usage ratio - This ratio is how long does it take to boil 1L of water to how much fuel is used. This is very important when you are determining how much fuel to carry with you.
5. Flame control - Do you want to be able to simmer or not?
6. Size of group - Remember that 1-2 people are best per stove.
Note: Aluminum: "SIGG, one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of reusable aluminum bottles, actually lines their aluminum with an FDA approved coating that prevent toxins from leaching." According to Elizabeth Borelli of Nubius Organics.
For more on this topic go to http://hubpages.com/hub/BPA-Free-Reusable-Water-Bottles-Containers/.
About Me
Hello, I'm Clayton Hay. I have over 50 years of camping, hiking and backpacking experience. Most of it has been through the Boys Scouts of America in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, and New Mexico and the rest with family and friends.
If you want to learn more about backpacking tips, backpacks, tents, stoves, food, nutrition, sleeping bags and travel, then visit me at http://fossilbackpackinggear.com.
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