Before coal, petroleum, LPG and natural gas there was............charcoal! Charcoal, the wonder substance, used for cooking fuel, heating, filtering water, providing the energy needs for blacksmithing and smelting, and a raw material for black powder, useful for blasting and as gunpowder. There are many primitive technolgies products that charcoal is useful for. Sure you can buy it by the bagfull at Wallmart or Home Depot, but it is not all that difficult to manufacture yourself if those and other sources of charcoal dry up. The link below will take you step by step through the process.......much of the Third World still relies on charcoal for their energy needs, and many make their own charcoal using these low tech methods. http://www.greatnorthernprepper.com/category/wilderness-survival/ http://www.pioneerliving.net/charcoalmaking.htm
