a fireless cooker, for,
although cheap, they are very apt to rust from the confined moisture.
Enamelware kettles are satisfactory.

EXTRA SOURCE OF HEAT

Fireless cookers are adapted to a much wider range of cooking if they
are provided with an extra source of heat in the form of a soapstone,
brick, or an iron plate which is heated and placed underneath the
cooking kettle. This introduces a possible danger from fire, in case the
hot stove plate should come into direct contact with inflammable packing
material such as excelsior or paper. To avoid this danger, a metal
lining must be provided for the nest in which the cooking vessels and
stone are to be placed.

[Illustration: _Fig._ 42.--Tightly fitting lid]

COVERING PAD

A cushion, or pad, must be provided, to fill completely the space
between the top of the packing material and the cover of the box after
the kettle is in place. This should be made of some heavy goods, such as
denim, and stuffed with cotton, crumpled paper, or excelsior. Hay may be
used, but it will be found more or less odorous. Figure 43 shows the
vertical cross-section of a home-made fireless cooker.

[Illustration: _Fig._ 43.--Vertical cross-section of fireless cooker. A.
Outside container; B. packing or insulating material; C. metal lining of
nest; D. cooking kettle; E. soapstone plate, or other source of heat; F.
pad of excelsior for covering top; G. hinged cover of outside
container.]

DIRECTIONS FOR FIRELESS COOKER--NO. II

(Single Cooker)

Materials required: Galvanized iron can, No. 3, with a cover; some
sawdust; a covered agate pail (to be used as a cooking pail); and two
yards of denim; any old linen, cotton, or woollen material may be used
instead of denim.

METHOD OF MAKING

Place loose sawdust in the bottom of the can to a depth of about three
inches. Measure the depth of the cooking pail. Turn a fold two inches
greater than this depth the entire length of the denim or other material
and make a long bag. Lay the bag flat on the table and fill it with an
even layer of sawdust, so that when completed it will still be half an
inch wider than the depth of the pail. Roll the bag around the cooking
pail, so that a smooth, firm nest is formed when the bag is placed
upright in the can on the top of the sawdust. From the remaining denim
or other material make a round, flat bag (the material will have to be
pieced for this). Fill this bag with sawdust and use it on top of th