Baking Potatoes In Tin Cans

Ken — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:15:21 +0000

Primitive baking often uses mud as a heat buffer and defuses the heat more evenly. My article “Mud Spuds” describes the simplicity of this method. But for folks who aren’t inclined to use mud, you can use a modern alternative: a tin can. The goal of baking is to achieve even heat to cook your food more thoroughly and preferably without charring. If you are out camping and have brought some provisions, you can save the tin cans from your beans or soup for this purpose and keep the lids as well.

I decided to give this “can baking” a try and tested two methods: a single can using it’s lid as a cover, and a double can arrangement with a larger can inverted over a smaller can. I favor cans with pull-tab tops that require no tools to open and also provides a “handle” for managing the lids. This works well with the single can method. However, in my double can set-up I used a P38 can opener to remove the lids on both cans which allowed the second slightly larger pull-tab can to be used as a cover over a conventional can. I put two medium sized potatoes in each can set-up.

The best results for baking will come from the radiant heat of coals. I built a campfire and let it burn down to establish coals, then cleared a spot in the middle and placed the cans in the center. I fed small kindling around the edges to keep the coals alive and minimize the smoke. Slower cooking temps with a longer cooking time will penetrate the food deeper for more even cooking. I also turned the cans occasionally to help promote even heat. As usual, cooking times will vary based on heat source, can set-ups and the mass of the objects being baked. In the end, the double can potatoes took 35 minutes to bake to perfection while the single can took an additional 5 minutes due to the less efficient heat containment.

So next time you have tin cans and a campfire, experiment with them for baking different foods and become familiar with this baking method.

My uses for the P38 Can Opener

Ken — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:00:48 +0000

The P-38 collapsible can opener was developed during World War II and has been indispensable ever since. It has exceeded it’s original purpose of opening cans and can perform many other duties in a pinch. I have listed below some of the ways that I have used this versatile keychain tool.

– tin can opener (duh!)
– tasting spoon
– striker for ferrocerium rod
– hearthboard coal transfer
– screw driver
– pry bar
– paint can opener
– shipping box opener
– letter opener
– label removal
– staple remover
– thumbtack remover
– paint spot scraper
– putty knife
– clean under finger nails
– privacy door knob key
– Velcro hook pad dethatcher

For more uses and ideas, you can use various web search engines that will provide many other lists to choose from. I’d love to hear from you in the comments section on different ways that YOU have used a P38. If you don’t have a P38 of your own, you can purchase one in the Survivaltek Store.

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Baking Potatoes In Tin Cans

My uses for the P38 Can Opener