Some good candle advice

Some advice from an old homesteader here in AK I've been visiting with and trying to learn as much as I can. I'm always up for more info!
I carry a small candle for use in firestarting, when I put it in my kit I never thought of this use.
"Here in AK" he said, "make sure you have a decent sized candle with you in case you fall through the ice or get so cold your hands don't work."
He said, "you light the candle first so you can always warm your hands, if you lose the use of your hands to the cold, your dead." "You won't get your kindling and wood gathered in time before your hands freeze, keep a candle in your pocket youg man, it will give you some to save your skin."
"A candle that has been lit and extinguished is easier to light then a new candle."
I'll be passing these tidbits along as I get more from him. Always learning I say!
A great guy who is not long for this Earth and has many interesting stories and advice to share.

A new candle usually has the wick waxed making it harder to light. If wet a longer candle breaking off an inch will give you a nice dry, lightly waxed wick.

Good stuff, guys!!! Thanks.

That is some great advise there.
Thanks!

Same subject, different application. What is the best candle for home light over the long run, say months and months of candle only, what last long, does not smoke, puts out most light.I want to buy about 12 hours per day, 4 months, or about 1,500 hours worth of candle time. What is "Plumbers Candle"

This reminded me of 'To Build A Fire' by Jack London. The man's hand was going numb from the cold and the candle idea would have helped. The thing that I got out of it was, he should not have built the fire under the spruce tree. Granted this was fiction, but it made sense.

http://www.kingkong.demon.co.uk/gsr/fire.htm

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sourdough

Same subject, different application. What is the best candle for home light over the long run, say months and months of candle only, what last long, does not smoke, puts out most light.I want to buy about 12 hours per day, 4 months, or about 1,500 hours worth of candle time. What is "Plumbers Candle"

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Plumbers candles are the same thing (or darn close) to what people call emergency candles. They will burn for about 8 to 10 hours. I’ve used them. “Naked” they don’t give off any more light than a plain ole candle. http://www.preparedness.com/emcan.html

I like the UCO candle lanterns. They use a similar candle to the plumbers candle (a little shorter and wider) and burn for about 8 hours in the lantern. http://www.amazon.com/UCO-Uco-Candle.../dp/B00266H4LY

One that I have not tried, but should is the Nuwick Candle. Using one wick you are supposed to get 120 hours of use from it. http://www.campingsurvival.com/120hourcandle.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crashdive123

One that I have not tried, but should is the Nuwick Candle. Using one wick you are supposed to get 120 hours of use from it. http://www.campingsurvival.com/120hourcandle.html

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You know I had to test one, right? Quality Control and all......... :innocent:

I lit one last spring, using only one wick at a time. I set it on my kitchen counter about 4 feet from an open window (with screen). We usually had calm or light air outside, only a few light breezes. It burned (never unattended) during a period of over two months - some days for an hour, others for as much as five hours. I always covered it after each use.

The total burn time was.................
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A smidgen over 134 hours.

I guess I'll be getting a few. Thanks for another fine QC review.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crashdive123

I guess I'll be getting a few. Thanks for another fine QC review.

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Q.C. at your service! :)

One thing - keep the wick trimmed so that the flame isn't too high and doesn't touch the wax itself. I suspect that a breeze from air conditioners or fans will shorten it's burn life. I wanted to see how long I could get it to burn, so I made sure it got as little draft as possible. I also used different wick locations to ensure as even a wax melt as possible, although this wax doesn't melt (puddle) like a regular candle.

Thanks Ken and Crash, I'll definetly have to get me some!

Hey, by the way, I have a candle warning for all of you!

Several years back, I visited the Yankee Candle Shop (the "Mother Store" - cool car museum there.....) in South Deerfield, MA.

Of course, my then significant other had to leave with a trunk full of candles and accessories.

Included in this investment was a large Vanilla candle and a jar shade that looked something like this:

http://www.yankeecandle.com/yc/image.../L_1124355.jpg

Well, on a frigid winter night, ole "Killer Ken" :innocent: set the romantic mood by lighting the thing in the bedroom. A couple of hours (!!!!!) later, we fell asleep with the damn thing still burning.

It didn't set off a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector, but when we woke up, our throats and noses were sore and a spot on the ceiling was black from the soot that candle gave off. There was soot on the furniture, windows, damn near all over the place.

I never again lit one in the house. I'm not sure if the jar shade caused the soot, but I really didn't care to experiment again. Too bad, because the Vanilla, Sugar Cookie, and Raspberry Chambord scents contributed nicely to the ........... never mind. :blushing:

I'll have to ask this. Why not a kerosene lantern instead of a candle??
http://www.rivakka.net/potinkara/lyhty.jpg

While those lanterns are great, if you look at the OP, you'll see that in the scenarios presented it wouldn't be practical to carry lanterns and fuel.

True, though I was counting on this thread already being off topic. As in people considering the best candle to use during power shortage, etc..

Gotcha. Options I guess then.

@ NCO...Kerosene lanterns work great for a home use.I have 12 or so of the old Dietz lanterns and love them.I picked up a Mill Lantern from 1912 last weekend.Needs a little TLC but I think I can get it working in no time.

I've made a few of these candles and they burn great with a larger flame than reg. type candles. They burn a long time and when they get low on wax, just keep a baggie of old chopped candles (pieces left over from candles that are too short) and throw them in there to refill the can.
The wax soaked cardboard is what makes it last so long.
Just get a can (tuna for smaller, vegetable for med, #10 for large) use twine soaked in wax as wicks, cut and push down in the cardboard before adding wax, use 2-3 wicks for the#10 can.
Strips of corrugated cardboard rolled tightly
slip the rolled cardboard into the can
melt wax on stove and pour into can until the cardboard is just covered and has absorbed all that it can.
These are good for food, light, and to heat, blow out, and put in your clothing/bag to keep you warm. I don't know about how much smoke tho.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...pictureid=1542
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...pictureid=1541


You might be interested in these also

http://site283.webhost4life.com/afms...camp-stove.htm

vagabond/Tin Can Stoves

How to make and use

Judy Bober
53 Calgary Guides, Camp Advisor
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
A tin can stove can make it easy for everyone to cook their own food. A large can is the stove or oven and a small can holds the heat giving you the use of a frypan, a pot and an oven all rolled into one.
Materials:

one large can-1 kg coffee can or large juice tin
one small can-salmon, tuna or pet food can
strip of corrugated cardboard as wide as the small tin is deep
a few candle wicks
two cakes of paraffin wax
tinsnips,regular can opener, punch can opener
a strip of tin foil
Method

1. Cut out one end of the large can with a can opener if not already done.
2. On the side and at the same end, cut an opening slightly larger than the small tin; bend in the cut tab.
3. Punch two smoke holes near the sealed end of the larger can.
4. Roll the corrugated cardboard and fit it snugly into the small tin. Trim the cardboard flush with the top of the tin and insert a few candle wicks.
5. Melt the wax in a double boiler.
6. Carefully fill the tin with hot wax and wait until the cardboard has soaked up much of it. Then refill the tin to the top and leave to cool.
The smaller tin is called the buddy burner
To use the stove

1. Set the open end of the large can on the ground.
2. Light the buddy burner and slide it under the large can. The wax and cardboard fuel will burn for about 90 minutes.
3. For easier cleanup, put a piece of tin foil over the top of the large can and cook on it or you may wrap food in foil.
4. A strip of foil is useful as a damper as it allows you to control the heat of your stove. The tins can be refilled with wax and used many times. You will know when to throw out the burner.
Tiger's Tips


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tiger
Guide Guider/Pathfinder, Guider/Trainer, Scouter/Trainer
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
You can melt wax slowly in a double boiler or if I am at a meeting hall, I melt the wax in a coffee can set in an electric frying pan with a couple inches of water in the bottom of the pan. Watch for the water evaporating and add more when needed. If you are doing this at a meeting, melt the wax at home first, then simply reheat. ALWAYS attend the melting wax - it is very flammable and DO NOT allow children to come close. If you are pouring from the coffee can itself, bend a serviceable spout in the can first to allow for better pouring later.

Punch out a few vent holes around the rim of the can (top). Cut a flap from the open portion of the can large enough to allow the burner to slide inside easily. If you are using the can and burner in the snow, use a juice can but punch a hole to remove the juice (usually tomato) and do not remove an end. This way, all the ashes will remain in the can, and you are less likely to lose the whole thing by melting to the ground! All sharp edges are filed down to prevent cuts. The flap can be cut away or left on and simply bent up or inside the can.

The burner consists of a tuna can, cardboard, wax and a wick. Be careful of cans that have flip tops - the edges are sharp to work with. Cut strips of corrugated cardboard, wide enough that when tightly rolled inside the can, the cardboard does not appear over the lip of the can. If the cardboard sits too high, it will not properly be covered with wax and when lit, will burn away to an empty can. Make sure the strips are not so tightly wrapped that the wax cannot flow through to the bottom. Fill with wax and insert a piece of string or two for a wick or stick 3 or 4 matches standing up into the cardboard, so you only have to strike the matches on cement or such to light them.

Here is a thread to several tests on home made stoves including a candle stove.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...survival+stove

Has anyone here made a candle with bacon grease? I always thought it'd be a great way to put bacon grease to work, plus, your home could smell like bacon all day.

Yes and I've posted on it. There is no odor at all and depending on the size of the wick, no smoke. Here you go...

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...t=bacon+candle

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