Chances are that you are familiar with at least a few different fire-building techniques that you can utilize in an emergency, and these are important skills to have. However, a lot of people don’t think about how they will cook once those survival fires are burning. It’s important to remember that we may not always have a grill or skillet to put food on, and using rocks is a great way to overcome this challenge.
Rock grilling is very easy, and you can use it in conjunction with many different types of fires. The most-common method is to use a long, flat and thin piece of rock as an improvised skillet, but you can also use large stones as a way to boil water or keep food warm as well.
Let’s take a look at how you can put these techniques to work for you in order to save time, energy and resources in the midst of a crisis.
Rock Table
You can use this technique with any fire that is constructed in a pit or bowl. The basic idea is to build the fire normally before putting a log on each side that will support the rock. Place the rock on top and start the fire. Let the fire heat the rock as it burns down, and the surface should be hot enough to cook on by the time the fire is reduced to embers. You can also dig out a channel beneath the rock table so you can add wood if you want to keep the fire burning as well.
Expect to heat the rock for at least 30 minutes before the surface will be hot enough for cooking. However, the actual time it takes will depend on the type of rock being used in addition to its thickness. Try to pick a rock that is as flat as possible, and look for a piece that doesn’t have a lot of holes, cracks or crevices on the surface as well. Finally, you want to coat the rock with some oil or grease before cooking foods that don’t contain a lot of fat in order to prevent items from sticking to the surface.
One drawback associated with using this method is that it will be difficult to control how much heat the rock absorbs. Consequently, if the rock is too hot, then foods may char on the outside before cooking all the way through. If the rock is too cold, then foods may not properly-cook at all. However, you should be able to get a sense of what to expect with some experimentation and practice.
Other Rock Uses
You can use smaller stones to heat water in metal containers, and they can also be grouped together at the edge of fires to support foods that are wrapped in foil or in cans as well. Just let the rocks heat up in the fire before carefully positioning them around the edge or adding one or two to the container or can.
Take some time to practice these techniques, and you’ll quickly discover how using rocks can transform your ability to cook meals in a survival situation.
