Photo By: Instructables.com

I recently read an article on Freedom Prepper™ regarding the making of “bushcraft pizza” by a survivalist named Survival Lilly, who is reported to be incredible, talented, and very beautiful. The article can be seen in it’s entirety here, and the gist of this writing isn’t an accolade to the claim that Survival Lilly’s pizza is in fact “delicious looking”, (there’s something about a wood ash dusting on melted cheese that puts me in the ditch theoretically), however, her cooking technique is awesome, specifically her quaint method of creating a minuscule Dutch Oven from nothing more than what she finds laying around the wilderness. This brings me to the topic of today’s conversation, the many uses of a Dutch Oven when out in the bush. We previously discussed a commercial style solar powered oven that you can take with you while camping; however, I want to expand that notion to the realm of extremes survival situations, or at the least, military surplus tent adventures. So, here are four uses for a Dutch Oven in the bush. (Perhaps next I will delve into the many ways of making a dutch oven, but the theory is pretty sound and simple. It is, in effect, an oven within an oven… you’re smart, you can figure out how to get that). Here are four uses for a survival Dutch Oven:

1. To make survival pizza. I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of this notion, especially while I’m sitting at McDonald’s using their internet connection and sipping hot coffee out of a paper cup; however, if I were in the bush for a few days, that dust encrusted bit of flatbread might appear Heavensent. You be the judge…
2. To make acorn cakes. I have given this recipe before and acorns are plentiful all over the nation. I will only say, however, you better learn how to remove the tannins from your flour or you are in for a bitter surprise.
3. To cook a meal unattended. There is nothing more rewarding to me than consuming the flesh of one of God’s creatures that I battered the life out of myself, skinned, and placed on a spit over a hot bank of coals, however, I do find it tedious having to spit cook the thing and spend so much time preparing my victuals. It is much better to set up the food, and be able to busy myself doing other things while the oven cooks it.
4. Making survival bread. This oven will bake any type of bread that you choose to put together and will often keep it from getting too dry providing that you keep an eye on it.