If history has taught us anything, it’s the simple but ruthless fact that during any large scale calamity – man-made or natural – the civic amenities that we build are lives around are usually among the first things to get wiped out. Electricity, water supply, gas – there will be severe scarcity of these basic essential resources – that’s just inevitable no matter where you live.
Even the so called First World is not immune from this – let alone the developing countries.
That’s precisely why so many people these days are increasingly becoming inclined towards developing the basic survival skills – skills that teach us how to fend for ourselves during troubled times – skills that kept our forefathers alive under the harshest of conditions imaginable– skill that the modern man nowadays considers unnecessary (and occasionally ends up paying for harboring that gross misconception).
When it comes to developing one’s survival skills, learning how to make and use a home-made solar even is definitely amongst the most fundamental skills that you would ideally want to get started with (along with knowing how to make your own water purifier).
Here’s how you are supposed to do it:
Items you will need to make your own DIY solar oven
You will require:
- Two medium to large cardboard boxes that fit inside each other with approximately 4-inches of free space in between.
- A large piece of cardboard for the reflector. Make sure that its width is as wide as the widest part of the larger box. Recommended length is 2-3 feet.
- 75 feet of aluminum foil (one roll will do)
- A carefully chosen plastic or glass piece that is large enough to fit atop the larger box.
- Tape measure
- Glue
- Razor knife
- Construction paper or black spray paint (must be black)
- Duct tape
- Several news papers – use them to fill the bottom row as well as the sides in between the boxes
Procedure to make your own DIY solar oven
- Start by putting the smaller cardboard box inside the larger one – make sure that there’s at least 4-inches of space between the sides of both boxes. Fill the gap with shredded newspaper so it can act as an insulator.
- Line the internal walls of the smaller box with black construction paper – this is to help ensure that the set up can easily absorb heat
- Now cut the flaps from the other cardboard sheet. It is advisable that you cut them in the shape of slightly flared squares. The width must be proportionately sized with the walls of the box because they will be attached there. Also, make it a point to make width of each of flared end larger than that of the narrow end.
- Cover both boxes with the foil. It is important that the foil sits tightly around the reflector (a mirror) without any fold or wrinkles (use tapes if required).
- Attach the reflectors to the top-end of one side of the larger box. Use glue, stapler or anything else that you think will serve your cause the best.
- Prop the reflectors up at an angle of 45 degree. You can stack something underneath the reflectors so as to ensure that they remain in place. If you are using rods, then glue the reflectors to the rod for stability.
- Place the food you want to keep inside the smaller box and then place the entire set up in full sunlight. This technique works best if you keep the food inside a jar or small, dark baking pan.
So, that would be the simplest way to make your own solar even using simple household items. It’s easy to use, affordable and do not require any external fuel source other than sunlight.
Have you ever used a DIY solar oven like this? Share your results with us.
