# refridgeration



## eightstring (Dec 15, 2008)

i noticed there was no word as to keeping perishable food of any sort from spoiling without the aid of electrical appliances. while i suppose the most obvious method is to submerge the food in running water or in some cases snow (im canadian), this is not always an option. the other method i can attest to makes use of a burlap or denim sack suspended from a tree (also good a good measure to keep bears out of it) and kept wet. it works just like sweating works for us bipeds, the water absorbs heat and in doing so it evaporates and takes that heat away with it. i thought this was dubious at best when first i heard about it but was surprised just how well it works. 
wasnt too sure how many knew about this so i thought id share.


----------



## Speedy (Dec 16, 2008)

Hangin it from a tree a night is good. If you have a container, you can dig a hole and place your food in the ground during the day, just cover th top of the whole. If you were to hang it at night that should preserve it enough to last during the day, if you put it in a cool place. I wouldnt think it would be a prob in canada.


----------



## Dameon (Dec 16, 2008)

A well insulated container kept underground somewhere where it's shady can work great. If you have a long term squat in the woods, try getting a cooler out there, digging a hole, putting it in, and keeping your stuff in there. You can even go a step further and bury it all the way. If you manage to get a bag of ice in it, it should last days.


----------



## dVEC (Dec 16, 2008)

http://www.brinq.com/workshop/archives/2005/01/08/keeping-it-cool-clay-pot-refrigeration/



That Page said:


> Keeping it Cool - Clay Pot Refrigeration
> 
> Who: Mohammed Bah Abba Where: Nigeria What: For less than $2 for a clay pot system to refrigerate up to 12 kg of produce. This is a relatively old story but a great one. In 2000 Mohammed Bah Abba was awarded the Rolex Award for Enterprise for his innovative Pot-in-Pot system to provide affordable, electricity free, refrigeration in arid Nigeria. Mohammed took an old local understanding of the cooling properties of evaporating water, combined it with the ancient tradition of making clay pots, and turned into a useful, world-changing innovation: a “desert refrigerator” that helps reduce food spoilage and increases income by increasing the shelf-life of farmers’ produce for sale. “Eggplants, for example, stayed fresh for 27 days instead of three, and tomatoes and peppers lasted for three weeks or more. African spinach, which usually spoils after a day, remained edible after 12 days in the Pot-in-Pot storage.” *The Pot-In-Pot system consists of two earthenware terracotta pots of different diameters, one placed inside the other. The space between the two pots is packed with sand, the sand is kept wet by pouring water into the sand about twice a day. Produce is placed within the inner pot and then covered with a damp cloth, and the system is left in a dry ventilated area. As the water in the sand evaporates throughout the day, the law of thermodynamics ensures the tempature in the inner pot drops. Our bodies use the same technique to keep us cool.* How well does it cool? Well, one quantative study was performed in Ramona, CA by student Garret Rueda in his 2003 entry to the state Science Fair. Rueda found that average daily temparature drop inside the sytem was 14 C (23.5 F), aka keeping produce at 15 C (59 F) while the outside temparature is 28 C (82.4 F). Finally, the Rolex Awards Committee makes a great point about ideas vs. innovation in their article about the Pot-in-Pot award: “Good ideas are indeed rare, but good ideas that actually become good projects and bring lasting benefits are even rarer still,” In other words, an innovation is an idea that is brought to life and changes people’s lives. Related Links A Short History of Refrigeration from the History Channel. Terracotta Water Cooler for the office. The Coolgardie Safe - An Australian invention from the turn of the 20th century, but a bit more complicated, metal and heavier than two clay pots! Amish Water Cooler - in use by the Amish for decades, link courtesy of WorldChanging



I assume the pots have to be un-glazed so the water can evaporate through the sides well... Like the flower pots you find at garden departments in big box stores....


----------



## finn (Dec 17, 2008)

*refrigeration*

The clay pot refrigeration uses the same principle as the round canteens with the wool on the sides- water turning into a gas (evaporating) uses up heat and takes it away, but it requires that the air be dry enough and for there to be something of a breeze. The pot doesn't have to be unglazed, but it would help.

In a humid place with stagnant air, you're pretty much out of luck with that technique.


----------



## eightstring (Jan 1, 2009)

that pot-in-a-pot is a great idea! 
and no, keeping things cold isnt such a problem in canada this time of year, the real problem is bears. what i like about the wet sack in a tree is that its well out of the bears reach. ive had more than one camp busted up by hungry black bears.


----------



## KEVIlgeNius (Feb 22, 2009)

alternating layers of food and salt (mostly for veg) in any size container can keep food for quite a while. I picked up a book called ``back to the basics`` similar to john seymore`s work with self sufficiency, most of the info can be transfered to small every day portions


----------



## sharks77 (Feb 24, 2009)

yeah the ancient egyptians actually used to keep stuff cool in tall narrow clay pots that were wet, but they had slaves or servants or whatever to fan them all day to help the water evaporate.
if you have ice and want to get something cooled down quickly putting salt in with the ice water makes it really cold really fast


----------



## katiehabits (Feb 25, 2009)

if your keeping food in a wet sack while it's really warm out wouldn't that provide a perfect breading ground for bacteria? i know alot of us eat trash anyway but i'm leary as o this method keeping food good.....


----------



## finn (Feb 25, 2009)

katiehabits said:


> if your keeping food in a wet sack while it's really warm out wouldn't that provide a perfect breading ground for bacteria? i know alot of us eat trash anyway but i'm leary as o this method keeping food good.....



Well, it's supposed to be in a ceramic/glass covered container and then the wet cloth goes over it, but yeah, without that container there'll be mold and bacteria fighting over your food if you're not in a dry environment. If you are in a pretty dry place, the cloth will never get wet enough for bacteria or mold to set in much.


----------



## Angela (Feb 25, 2009)

eightstring said:


> i noticed there was no word as to keeping perishable food of any sort from spoiling without the aid of electrical appliances.



I think this oversight in the threads is mostly due to the fact that most of us without appliances/electricity just don't try to keep perishable food because of the hassles. There's so many foods nowadays that don't need any kind of refrigeration that it's just so much easier to not have to deal with it at all. But unfortunately it is a skill that we probably should learn since it's probably not that good an idea to be dependent on canned soup, peanut butter and ramen noodles.


----------



## thunderson5 (Sep 2, 2009)

*keeping fresh meat*

if you have a cooler-icechest might look into useing dry ice to keep meat and stuff fresh a little longer,has to vent a little though or it could blow up your icechest:hysterical:


----------



## wartomods (Sep 2, 2009)

*keeping fresh meat*

imo its not worth the effort


----------



## finn (Sep 2, 2009)

*keeping fresh meat*

Okay I might be seen as a hardass, but you are completely missing the point of wilderness squatting and you really should put more thought in your ideas before you post them. 

First, where are you going to get dry ice from? Second, coolers are typically not made in a way to actually blow up from overpressure, the lid just opens. Third, dry ice put directly on the meat will freezer burn the meat and turn part of it into a gooey mess when it thaws. And why would you store raw meat there? There so many animals that would tear up a cooler just to get to it.


----------

