Firelight, smoke and cooking smell giving your position away

A backpacking stove gives off no smoke, although some of them are kind of loud and, of course, it requires fuel. MREs require no cooking. (M)eal, (R)eady ,to (E)at. Study how people survived in "Indian country" in the 18th century. Rogers Rangers survived while working deep in enemy territory during the F&I war. They didn't have MREs and only had fire as a means to cook. They built cooking/warming fires in holes they dug only at night and only in deep cover. You can learn a lot about surviving with little gear by reading about 18th century hunters, trappers, scouts, etc. They were the original ultralight backpackers!

a reply to: tovenar

Apocalypse Man on History Channel had a tip about cooking. He rigged a metal "hood" over sterno. As for the aroma, he didn't address that. He had tips about food. I believe there were only two episodes, but you can see them on Youtube. Worth watching for the river crossing scene (never travel without a crowbar!).

en.wikipedia.org...

There's a great thread here:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Dakota fire pit is probably one of the best mentions so far. Of course, you could also simply cook at night, unless a bright moon. Chances are, post SHTF, most humans will be safely sleeping somewhere in the dead of night. Ever go out in the woods at night? Can't see your hand in front of your face.