This page contains pointers to various topics that have a close association with the subject of Solar Cooking, or Camping, or trying experimental ovens. It includes the following topics:

• Understanding Clouds - How to determine good/bad so you can cook with confidence.
• Box Ovens
• Seasonal Considerations
• Reflector Ovens

Essentially, the more direct sunlight you have available, the better your chances are for a successful day cooking. However, the amount of sunlight available on any given day depends on where you live.

It takes longer to cook with this situation, but you can still get good results.

This section contains information you will find useful for cooking in the various seasons. It will describe just how cold it can be and still be able to use your solar oven.

In the New England area it's unlikely that you can cook all year long. I'm new at it and would guess that the winter months are too cold to make solar cooking practical. This assertion is based on personal experience using a barbecue grill in the winter. It always takes much longer and it's just nasty when it's cold out.

Autumn is here and the local sun angles are changing noticeably. There is also less time for solar cooking because the days are getting shorter.

What is a reflector oven? Basically, it's an oven that uses some external heat source to convert the radiant energy into heat and focus this energy into a small area. You then use the area for cooking. This type of oven is most often used with campfires, although you do not have to restrict its usage to just wood burning fires. Boy Scouts have long know about this type of oven.

Here is a box oven.

You ask, "why would I want this?"

Think about the time you may be camping and want - or planned on baking your food. A cloudy day can ruin your plans. This oven can save you from this situation. They can be handy when there is not enough sunlight and you still want to bake outdoors.