What To Do When Cooking Will Attract Hungry People Your Way?

A prepper will have enough food to see them through an emergency or at least long enough for them to figure out how they'll get more food [through gardening, rearing animals for food, foraging when it's safer, hunting, etc]. However there's a possibility that the delicious smell of whatever you are cooking could attract unwanted attention.

To avoid attracting dangerous, hungry people, should most of the food you stock up be "no-cook" food?

 

If you were in a true survival situation and I like to think along the lines of a dooms day scenario where marauders will come to take what you got, huge wall, a pack of dogs, and enough guns and ammo to fend them off is all you need.

People who aren't survivalist or preppers will blow their money and time on other things and they will think that you are nuts for prepping. But when the sh*t hits the fan, these people will come running to you for shelter and food. It is the dooms day way. You protect your own, and keep what you built up. Defend it by any means necessary.

That is the preppers way in a dooms day scenario. Do not get this mistaken with every day life.

 

I have to agree with everyone else when it comes to the straight up Apocalypse.

I'd have to say it really depends on who it is that's wondering up to my place. If I didn't fell they were a threat I'd probably take them in. Say, a family with small children or an infant, I wouldn't be able to sleep if I'd turned them away. But, I would probably turn away a group of grown men and keep guard in case they returned.

 

I don't believe in stinginess with regard to food whatever the circumstances. I follow the spiritual law of scattering bread and it will locate you in as many days taught by the Saviour. When a prepper cooks, they should have a small portion for the stricken, the instinct for survival not withstanding. Then wash the food down your throat with a packet of glucose and you will survive for many days. In any case, with the right mindset, one can even fast for a whole month. Give it to the human body to withstand adversity huh!

 

As others have stated, chances are these people who come "running" will be in worse shape than you are...and probably just trying to find your home base will be more than a challenge for them (especially if you set up deterrents like trip wires, etc). Depending on who comes crawling out of the underbrush, I'd probably share my food. I wouldn't be able to tolerate living well while others within close proximity are suffering. I might be a lone wolf, but I also believe in showing kindness and compassion. However, if those in the area are known to be dangerous (armed bandits, etc.), I'd probably stick to a more raw diet (salad greens, fruits, vegetables that can be quickly stir-fried) until I knew I was in the clear.

 

Very true! And a good point. I was thinking more on the terms of children or a family, as they're bound to be less seditious in the long run.

 

Like lonewolf had said, stock mostly no need to cook type of food. Not only it will save your time and fuel to prepare for every meal, but you will also be able to avoid unwanted attention from the smell of cooking.

I know there are situations you have to cook. For example, if you have stored raw grain as staple food. Or if you have just fished or hunted. In these cases, there are certain precautions you have to take before/during cooking.
If you had to cook something, make sure your surrounding is safe with no one suspicious nearby.
If you are a loner, then set some traps or alarms to protect yourself.
If you have companions, then always have someone on the watch is absolutely needed.

 

If that situation would occur, we are pretty safe from hungry intruders because our stock of canned goods are all ready to eat. We already had experienced eating corned beef from the can when our rented house was flooded in 1997. The ground floor was inundated by waist-high floodwater so we stayed on the second floor from lunch time until over the night. Our food was crackers and pate and also corned beef.

In 2013 when typhoon Yolanda hit the southern provinces, food was scarce because almost everything was washed out by the great tidal wave. With dead people scattered everywhere, I don't think you would get hungry. For those able to find a safe place, their only problem was cooking because everything was wet. They survived for several days eating raw vegetables and root crops. That's the story from the family of our former housemaid.

 

Build the right fire and cook the right way and unless you are seen you won't be smelt or found.
A small hot fire using very dry wood has very little smell or smoke.
Use a lid on the pot and keep the pot on the fire and very little cooking odour.

By having a very hot dry fire the heat plume rises very high before it drifts! so unlikely to be smelt before it is too dispersed to smell.

So a small fire surrounded by rocks on three sides and very dry wood, keeping well clear of trees or rock walls etc.
and lids on all pots and pans.

ps your mess kit should have lids also.
I run stainless steel bowls with lid and folding handles for cooking and eating!
Do not be tempted to use aluminium if you want long term use.

 

Well, you do not have to cook in the bush. In fact, I would be nervous if there are some bushes or lots of tall grass / trees nearby in a situation like this. I'd definitely find a place where it is easier for me to pay attention to surroundings than it is for any intruders to stalk and sneak up to me. Places like a cave or anywhere with a good distance to only one entrance or direction to worry about would be my choice.

 

If it came to a situation that you would be at risk of hungry raiders wanting to pillage your food then the sensible consideration would be for you to stock up on food that does not need cooking because it may not be possible to cover all angles that an attack may come from. So, in order to prevent the smell of being at a level to attract intruders, you could open a can of food and place it into some hot water to make it warm as opposed to heating in a saucepan which may probably more broadcast the smell of the food.

 

If you are traveling during SHTF-days, then become invisible and silent and do no cooking. When pulling guard duty / walking perimeter, carry snacks and clean water.

If you are cooking on your own turf and some unprepared people want you to redistribute your stuff, then distribute some lead in their head. Put a hook just inside their Achilles tendon and hang them up from telephone poles to as to instruct anybody else in the consequences of trespassing. They have the opportunity to prepare even as we speak. If they don't, then they get Darwinized.