We love re-purposing trash into treasure. With the right mindset and a little ingenuity, it’s possible to turn discarded junk into useful items. These quick DIY projects can boost morale in a survival situation, and also yield useful tools for the long-term. Take for example the soda can alcohol stove, bicycle generator, PVC pipe bow, or plastic bottle cordage.
Clay flowerpots are plentiful in most urban areas — you may have some in your own backyard already, but if you don’t, you’ll find stacks of them at any hardware store or garden center. This means that they should be easy to find, even in a SHTF scenario.
The heat-resistant properties of these pots would make them a good candidate for cooking vessels, but most of them are designed with drainage holes at the base. So, we can make use of this ventilation and turn them into a DIY flowerpot smoker and grill. Being able to smoke food is especially useful, since it adds flavor, kills bacteria, and acts as a natural preservative for long-term survival situations.
The video below from Cook with Meat shows the technique — just prepare your ears for a loop of upbeat guitar and synthesizer, or get ready to mute the audio.
Here’s a checklist of the materials you’ll need for your flowerpot smoker/grill:
- Two large clean terracotta clay flower pots, identical diameter
- Perforated metal pan to hold coals
- Round grill grate to fit inside pot (this could be made from wire if pre-welded grills are unavailable)
- Drill or awl to add air holes to the pots
- Fireproof gasket material, such as nomex or high-temperature silicon RTV (found at hardware stores)
- Charcoal fuel and wood chips for smoking
- Optional: foil pan heat deflector, meat thermometer, handle
