Dat Solar Cooker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2JKVzz6cRs&feature=player_embedded#at=11

In A quest to lower our carbon imprint on society and also for times where just plain camp cooking is involved The DAT solar cooker makes an excellent folding portable addition to any kit.
They are really easy to make as you can see in the video. For me I found it easier to make them using a skill saw. Each Cooker takes twelve pieces of cardboard covered with aluminum foil or a highly reflective Mylar.
glue one side of each piece of cardboard and let dry place the pieces together with a sacrificial piece of cardboard on top and bottom. Mark out the pieces according to the plans available at
http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Solar_cooker_plans

Now Clamp the pieces together mark out the pattern as shown.
 Drill the two holes on the ears at the back and cut them out.

align the pieces together and tape along the long edge.

forming a ring

Join the pieces together with a piece of string inserted through the holes that you drilled.

Take a stick and twist taking up the slack forming a barabolic shape to the back of the cooker

This will show how the outside of the back should look once you have gotten this far.

Here is the interior of the cooker so far.. Now you need to put sticks through to make the shelf to support the cooking pot.

This shows the placement and construction of the pot shelf. you will need to cut or drill holes to your cooker to put through the unit.

A stand can be fashioned out of wood or cardboard to hold the cooker at the right angles..
This is a simple and easy to build solar cooker. You never know when one will be needed. This unit can be folded down to be easily carried with you. In another blog I will show you how to make a flat foldable solar cooker that is only one piece of cardboard covered with tin foil. I hope you enjoy this project and build one soon. This makes a suitable youth group project. The same unit can also be used as a solar hot water collector although a trough model is easier and more efficient to build ..
A simple one pot cooking recipe for this cooker is

Imitation ham bean soup.
1/2 cup of Ham TVP ( soaked)
1 Tbsp. of smokey ham soup base.
3/4 cup of White beans ( pre soaked overnight)
1 Carrot diced
1 potato cubed.
1/4cup diced onion bits
1/4 cup celery bits
Place the beans and ham flavoring in the pan with two quarts of water. Let simmer on the stand for two hours. Then add the tvp ,Carrots and potato, Celery and diced onion bits Let cook another two hours on solar cooker. Once cooked this makes a great imitation Ham bean soup out of your food stock enjoy.. You can also make dumplings to drop in at the same time the last ingredients are put in. depending on how strong the sun is will depend on cooking time.