After the break you’ll find a complete unboxing and review of the 7 liter Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cooker as well as an introduction to thermal cookers and why they matter to preppers.

Unboxing

First things first, here are some pictures documenting the unboxing process.

This is what is shipped to you, a fairly plain cardboard box with the shipping label, etc. attached.

Opening the box reveals a well packaged inner box cushioned by some foam peanuts.

Here is the inner box removed. It has a handle built into the box to facilitate removing the box from the packaging. It also makes a nice storage box for the cooker later on.

Saratoga Jacks has done a nice job in branding the box.

The full logo is on the side of the box.

Once the box is opened, there is an instruction sheet with some bad English translations. We’ve been told that a new set of instructions and a recipe book will be included in any cookers purchased in time for Christmas. The cooker is cradled by an upper and lower piece of Styrofoam to protect it while in the box.

Further protecting the finish on the cooker is a plastic bag.

Finally, the cooker is revealed. What you can’t see in these pictures is a sturdy fold down handle for carrying the cooker.

With the lid open, there is an pot lid and some foldable handles in evidence.

Removing the lid reveals a small pot inside a larger pot.

The small pot has been removed.

The thermal cooker with all the internal pots and lids removed.

What is a Thermal Cooker?

So, if you are like me you are wondering what a thermal cooker is and how does this fit into being a prepper? A thermal cooker is essentially a crock pot that does not use any electricty or fuel source to cook food. Given that cryptic explanation you might be asking yourself how this works. To illustrate this, let me explain how we recently cooked a nice dinner in our cooker. You might also want to review a post Jayce did several years ago on cooking oatmeal and cereals in a Thermos.

We started off by putting some rice in the small pot with some water. Next we put some chicken, chopped vegetables, potatoes and some stock and spices into the larger pot. Both pots were put on our gas stove and brought to a hard boil. After boiling for about 4 solid minutes we pulled both pots off the stove and placed them in the thermal cooker, sealing the lid.

Six hours later we opened up the cooker and had a nice, piping hot meal from straight from the cooker. The cooker is a highly insulated container which due to its insulation efficiency loses very little heat over time. When you place a partially cooked but hot meal into the cooker then seal it, the heat is contained in the cooker and the contents continue to cook due using the thermal mass of the meal itself.

Prepper Usage

From a prepper perspective this allows for a very efficient use of fuel. Rather than simmer something on the stove for hours you can instead minimize the amount of fuel consumed by putting the pots into the thermal cooker after a few minutes of heating. Your camping stove for example would be on for 5 minutes rather than for 40 minutes. We’ve also found that this is a great way to prepare food in advance to take along with us.

If we know we will be traveling for several hours we can prepare a meal in the thermal cooker and bring it along with us. After several hours, when it is time to eat, the meal has fully cooked without the need for continuous fuel use. This also removes the worry of leaving a crock pot on during the day while you are away. I don’t like to do this as it presents a possible fire hazard. A thermal cooker eliminates this concern for my family.

I don’t have direct experience with some other competing thermal cookers, but I do know that this product is made well from quality components. There are currently two sizes available, a 5.5 liter and a 7 liter model. In order to reduce heat loss to the air, you want to be sure to use the correct sized model for your needs. A partially filled cooker will not maintain heat with the same efficiency as a full cooker due to heat loss into the air gap above a partially full cooker.

The Thermal Cooker also makes for a nice cooler. In the same way that the cooker’s insulation seals in the heat, it can be used as a cooler to keep things cold for reasonably long periods of time. This provides a secondary usage for this tool and helps us to limit uni-tasker devices in our preps.

Critiques

The 5.5 liter model will cook a meal for 3-5 people while a 7 liter will hold a meal for 6-10 people. You’ll want to use the model that fits the size of the meal you are cooking. Sometimes it isn’t convenient to cook a larger meal just to fill a cooker, and I don’t want to have to buy two cookers to handle both small and large meals. To that end I hope that Saratoga Jacks comes up with an add on to the 7 liter model perhaps consisting of an insulated sleeve and a small pot that would allow you to efficiently cook a smaller meal in the larger cooker without needing to purchase a complete cooker.

Word of Caution

One additional note that perhaps doesn’t need to be said. The thermal cooker is NOT meant to be heated directly. You heat the inner pots OUTSIDE the cooker, then place the hot pots into the cooker. The cooker has plastic components which will melt should you attempt to put the cooker over a flame or other heat source. Heat the pots, not the cooker! :)

Conclusion

Overall my wife and I have both enjoyed using this new tool. It has the potential to save us money on gas and electric bills and can reduce fuel consumption in an emergency. If you are interested in this, give them a call. If there is enough interest we may try running a group buy as well to save our readers some cash on these cookers.. Please post a comment below and we can answer any questions you might have about this review.

These are new (unused) food-grade plastic bladders housed in new/used metal cages. 285 gallons! And it stores in a lot less space than you’d think. While I’m aware of others having stacked their tanks three high, due to space constraints (and a lack of a death wish) ours are stored two high. I’ve now had mine stored in the garage for three years without any incident; I rotate one tank every six months.

This is a new food grade plastic bladder housed in a metal cage. Approximate weight when empty: 130 lbs. Approximate dimensions: 4′ H x 3′ W X 4′ L. Here is my setup (click to enlarge):

The metal cages allow you to stack the tanks, if desired, and protect the hard plastic bladder. These are fantastic tanks because they have a cap on the top for easily filling them w/ your garden hose (or other source), and a spout on the bottom so that gravity is used to create water pressure. This is a far superior system to your standard 55 gallon blue water tanks, which are nearly impossible to stack well, and which require a pump to draw the water up and out.

Each tank is $295, and delivery is $30 per location (so if you order two tanks, you only pay one $30 fee). However, you must live within 15 miles of Point of the Mountain in Lehi. If you live further away and would like to participate in this order, please arrange to have your tank delivered to somebody’s home that lives within that distance.

These tanks are rarely offered for direct consumer purchasing that I’ve seen, and through many other outlets can easily cost double this price! See here for one comparable tank that is over $500! I haven’t found any cheaper than that. So this group buy is $200 off the lowest retail price.

Please email me at cboyack{at}gmail{dot}com if you would like to participate in the order. I will confirm your total price and provide you with payment instructions. The group buy is open through Sunday, June 19. Deliver should occur within three weeks of that.

Feel free to share this order with friends!

I’ve contacted the Volcano Grills company and they have agreed to a group buy on the Volcano Collapsible Propane regularly $149.95 with 20 orders we can each receive a 20% discount on this amazing product. The group price will be $120.15. The deadline for this buy is April 15th (See details below). This is a great product; see the review post to make sure it’s something you want. Some of the stove’s highlights: it uses three types of fuel – propane, charcoal or wood. It is built to work with a regular 12″ dutch oven and collapses to 5″ for easy storage. The stove is also very efficient, it only needs 12 briquettes to cook one meal.

Now a bit of the background story on me and the stove. I’ve been gathering the necessary preparations for my own family and my thoughts have turned to cooking stoves and fuel. After doing a bit of research on this website I found Connor’s review of the Volcano Stove. After reading that I’m now fully convinced of the design and efficiency of this product and must have it.

I made several calls to a few local retailers and found the product to be out of stock nearly everywhere. Following Connor’s example, I decided to call Volcano Grill company and they are very friendly and willing to offer a group buy discount. The people at Volcano Grill tell me the recent popularity of this item has caused shortages everywhere. Most places are backordered 6 weeks and the places like Costco may not receive delivery even as late as this fall. I’m excited to receive a discount and share this with as many as possible.

So thank you Volcano Grill and Connor for helping out. Here are the details on the group buy.

• Product: Volcano Collapsible Propane Grill aka Volcano II
• Discount Price: $120.15, 20% off regular price with minimum of 20 paid orders
• Deadline: April 15th at 5pm
• How to Order: Send me an email at jon@jrbond.com with: full name, email address, phone number, and quantity desired. Once we have at least 20 stoves committed for purchase, I will then give you instructions on how/where to call in and place the order directly with the company.
• Order will be ready 2nd week in May
• Delivery Option: Pickup/Delivery Option: 1) Pickup your own order from the Springville office (preferred) 2) $12 shipping for northern Utah delivery

Please spread the word to your community and groups. Ask any questions below in the comments section. Thanks.

Bee Keeping is fun and relatively inexpensive.

I took this class last year and obtained my equipment through Maple Mountain bees. It has proven to be a fun and rewarding experience for my family and I. The 60lbs. of honey we got our first year wasn’t bad either!

Bryan Esquivel of Maple Mountain Bees authored a guest post for us in May of last year about how he got started in bee keeping. You can find the article here.

When:

April 17th (2pm-4pm).

Where:

1475 North 900 West Mapleton, Utah.

Cost:

FREE!!

Description of Class:

This class is aimed towards anyone interested in becoming a bee keeper. The first year beekeeper who is looking gain basic knowledge about bees, the problems, swarming, honey harvests etc.

If there is anyone serious about getting bees please contact Maple Mountain Bees as soon as possible. They need to put a deposit down on the bees to ensure package availability for all new bee keepers.

I will update this post with package pricing, etc. as soon as it is available.

What you Should Bring:

Pen, paper, questions

Notes:

Please RSVP for the class no later than April 10th.

How to RSVP:

Contact Bryan Esquivel of Maple Mountain Bees with your name, phone number, email address and number of the students that will be participating. You are welcome to contact him via email, snail mail or phone.

General Contact Information:

Email:

maplemountainbees@q.com

Mailing Address:

Maple Mountain Bees
1475 North 900 West
Mapleton, Utah 84664

Phone Numbers

801-489-1286
or
801-362-1891

Coupon Code: prepxmas

How are your Sanitation Preps?  Do you have a bucket toilet lid sitting around?  Or one of those portable toilets?  That’s what I had until recently.  A few weeks ago I learned about a set of sanitation products that, when used together, provide preppers with a toilet solution that equals no mess, low smell and biodegrades all your waste for you!  Through a set of fortuitous events, I was in a position to arrange a group buy of 25% off all of their products and offer it to all preppers for Christmas.

Their system is called the GottaGo Toilet system.  It’s basically a cardboard disposable (after about 100 uses) emergency toilet that uses biodegradable bags and a microbial sand.  Once you’ve filled up a bag you can dig a hole and bury the bag – yes, bury it – within 30 – 90 days it will be completely broken down.  You can also burn your toilet once you’re done with it.  Basically you can go on a family campout and have everyone use this toilet system and not have to carry any of it home to dispose of it.

They sell the toilet, sand, bags and a privacy hut all separately or in one of several packages.   Probably the best all around kit to grab for your family is the Complete Toilet Kit which has everything you need but the privacy hut and is normally $50.

Also check out the smokin’ deal on their 3 Month and One Year Supply packages!

I’ve used their products and fully endorse and recommend them.  The group buy that I’ve been able to arrange is 25% off all their products through Christmas!  You can apply the discount before you check out by using the coupon code: prepxmas

You are welcome and encouraged to share this post, repost it, email it – whatever you would like.  There are no restrictions on using the coupon code!

So here’s the details.  The prices listed below are the retail prices for the mill and accessories.  Purchase during the group buy time and take 10% off those prices.  All orders that include a mill will ship free, orders of accessories only will incur a nominal shipping charge.  You do NOT have to live in Utah to take advantage of these prices.  The mill will ship directly to you.  Contact me by email with the items you would like to order and I’ll get your total to you and the address you can mail the payment to.  Orders are due by December 1st to ensure plenty of time for delivery before Christmas.

Country Living Mill: $395.00
Spare Grinding Plates: 99.95
Stainless Steel Corn/Bean Auger: 34.95
Power Bar: 24.95
High Impact Polymer Flour Bin: 24.95
Just In Case Kit: 27.95
Motorization Kit: 419.00
Wall Mount Kit: 57.95
Hopper Lid: 14.95
Country Living Case (case only): 34.95
Complete Country Living Case: 195.00

I would highly recommend adding the corn/bean auger to your mill as that increases the usability of the mill by allowing you to easily grind larger grains like beans and corn.

Here’s the descriptions of the accessories in no particular order taken from Country Living’s site (my comments in parentheses).

1. The Power Bar. Reduce the effort of grinding grain by 40%! This steel extension attaches quickly and easily to the flywheel of your Country Living Grain Mill, creating more torque and making for an easier grind. (This is what makes it so easy for your kids to help!)2. Wall Mount Kit. (If you’re real crafty, you can probably just make this yourself.) If you don’t have any available counter space the Country Living Wall Mount Kit offers an easy and effective solution to your dilemma. Comes with pre-drilled holes and equipped with the necessary hardware to mount your mill and shelf to the wall. It is designed to be mounted to a single stud, or into two studs spaced at standard 16″ centers. natural wood.3. Corn and Bean Auger. Now your Country Living Grain Mill can be even more versatile! Use the large auger to mill corn, beans, and coffee. To use, simply replace the standard spring auger with this larger auger. The large auger is cast from stainless steel. (You’ll want this if you’re planning on grinding cornmeal or bean flour.)4. Grinding Plates. With normal, one-family use, your plates should last 3-4 years. Is it time for you to order a replacement set? Your Country Living Grain Mill will be an essential, life-sustaining product during times of emergency. Having a spare set of grinding plates on hand will give you peace of mind. Be prepared and order a set today!5. High Impact Polymer Bin with Lid. This beautiful, clear bin with etched wheat pattern is designed to fit snugly underneath your Country Living Grain Mill hopper. After grinding, simply place the protective lid on the Country Living Bin for perfect storage of your freshly ground flour. This attractive bin has an 8-cup capacity! (I use a bread pan to catch my flour, but it doesn’t hold as much as this bin does.)6. Motorization Kit. While there is still power, motorize! The motorization kit includes 1″ wooden baseboard, motor with pulley, belt and belt guard, and miscellaneous hardware (washers, screws, Allen wrench).7. Country Living Case. This handsome hand-stained hardwood case is perfect for storing your Country Living Mill accessories. It will hold an extra set of Grinding Plates, the Corn & Bean Auger, the Power Bar Extension Handle, and the Just-in-Case Repair Kit. This case comes empty, and does not include any accessory parts.

or Complete Country Living Case (with all the stuff). Get the Country Living Grinding Plates, Corn & Bean Auger, the Just-in-Case Repair Kit, and Power Bar Extension Handle together in a handsome, hand-stained hardwood case at no additional charge.8. Just In Case Repair Kit. Includes 2 replacement bearings, proper size bolt, nut, 2 custom-cut washers to match bearings while pressing, 12 standard washers, stainless steel spring auger, snap ring, 2 long keys, and 2 short keys. (and instructions).9. Hopper Lid. Keep the hopper of your Country Living grain mill clear of dust and hungry rodents with this handsome lid constructed from natural wood. Designed to fit snugly inside the lip of the hopper. (Again, if you’re crafty, you could probably make yourself one of these.)

First, you’re probably surprised that you can even get butter and cheese in a can. Second, you’re probably thinking that it’s nasty. Well, to be honest, I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say, but I’ve read enough favorable reviews and spoken to enough people that have that I’m convinced and will be adding some to my stores untasted. It’s interesting how things such as this as so common in other parts of the world and yet to foreign to most of us here in the United States.

This product comes from Australia and New Zealand. In a cool, dark place it should store indefinitely. I’m sure excited to have real butter and cheese to cook with instead of just the powders I have stored away. You can’t slice a powder and make a sandwich. You can’t spread a powder on hot, whole wheat griddle cakes. For additional product information, I suggest you view Internet Grocer’s product pages on canned cheese and butter, MRE Depot’s page on canned cheese, and MRE Depot’s review.

I would be willing to organize additional pick-up locations (such as Kaysville and Southern Utah County) if there us sufficient interest.

Soft White Wheat; Picture credit: northlandorganic.com

Hi Friends,

We have the opportunity of buying 44,000 lbs of organic soft white wheat for just $10.00 for a 50 # bag. This is the price for clean bagged wheat. This is well below any price I have seen. The only catch is I have to take all 44,000 lbs of it or I don’t get any of it. Last year people were screaming for wheat and they paid a much higher price.

Just a word about wheat. The reserves of wheat in the United States are gone. The same with sorghum and corn. There is a blight condition in the soft red wheat and soft white is becoming much harder to come by because they are substituting soft white. We are at an all time low for wheat in the United States.

If you are interested in some wheat I need to know immediately because I am dealing directly with the farmer and need to quickly arrange for the cleaning and bagging. You can Email me or call me at 801-423-3987.

We also have some extra olive oil. Please let us know if you are interested in either of these.

Carol

One caveat: I haven’t personally purchased through this contact before but I do plan on purchasing several bags of wheat.

I don’t want to sound like an alarmist but for those who haven’t been keep up to date on agricultural markets, here are some links that may help you decide to begin storing wheat and other food or convince those you know to begin storing and preparing.

Where’s the Wheat?
US government completely out of wheat
A time bomb for world wheat crop

During my church’s recent emergency preparedness drill, I discovered that while many people are doing well on their three month supply of food storage, very few had any type of water storage system. To help correct that, we have arranged for group buys on two different high-capacity water tanks, both of which store the equivalent to five 55 gallon drums!

Group Buy Option 1

The first is the same 285-gallon water tanks I was able to purchase last year. These are new (unused) food-grade plastic bladders housed in new/used metal cages. 285 gallons! And it stores in a lot less space than you’d think. While I’m aware of others having stacked their tanks three high, due to space constraints (and a lack of a death wish) ours are stored two high. This is a food grade plastic bladder housed in a metal cage. Approximate weight when empty: 130 lbs. Approximate dimensions: 4′ H x 3′ W X 4′ L. Here is my setup (click to enlarge):

The metal cages allow you to stack, if desired, and protect the hard plastic bladder. These are fantastic tanks because they have a cap on the top for easily filling them w/ your garden hose (or other source), and a spout on the bottom so that gravity is used to create water pressure. This is a far superior system to your standard 55 gallon blue water tanks, which are nearly impossible to stack well, and which require a pump to draw the water up and out.

Group Buy Option 2

The second option is the 275 gallon “doorway” tank by SureWater. This tank is oval shaped and designed to fit through all standard 29″ doorways and only uses 7 square feet of floor space (less than half the space as 55 gallon drums). It also has a spigot at the bottom allowing for complete drainage, but it also includes one two feet up making it easy to fill a bucket or pan. It also includes a man hole in the top that can be used to get inside for some reason (such as cleaning). The biggest benefit by far is convenience. There is no solution easier than this for accessing and rotating your water supply. While 55 gallon drums require siphons or pumps to retrieve the water, the SureWater tank allows you to simply turn a spigot as you would at your kitchen sink.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to buy the 285 gal. bladder tanks (Option 1)

You must live between Payson and Salt Lake City in the valley (email me for possible exceptions). The price is $245 per tank, plus $25 home delivery fee for anywhere in Utah valley. (So, as an example, two tanks would be $515.) You’re welcome to get together with others and consolidate your orders in order to save on the delivery fee. These tanks are rarely offered for direct consumer purchasing, and through many other outlets can easily cost double this price! See here for one comparable tank.

Checks only, made out to PROVCO (not me!). Checks should be mailed to me. When you comment below or email me with the number you would like to order, I will email you my mailing address to which you can send the checks. I will collect these checks and forward them all on to the company processing them. They will not be cashed until the order is processed. Estimated delivery date is somewhere during the week of June 29 – July 3. I will email those who have placed an order w/ any updates I receive. If you cannot be home during the delivery day/time, they will simply be left on your driveway.

If you wish to order a tank, please email me with the quantity you desire to purchase. You will then be emailed your total amount due as well as my mailing address. Remember, I must receive all checks by June 20 – no exceptions! (I’m mailing the order out on the following Monday morning.)

How to buy the SureWater 275 gallon “doorway” tank (Option 2)

The price for the SureWater tank will depend on how many orders we get. The more interested parties, the lower the price will get. With enough orders, we can get the units for $345. Delivery in Utah and Salt Lake Counties to group locations is included as well as the essential parts to install and use. For other locations in the continental US, the cost of shipping is $45-$65. Email Wade to place your order by June 20.

Feel free to share this order with friends!

Here’s some information from Chirine: