Squat Candle?

[snor]

i know it's easy.... how the fuck do you make it?

 

[Adonis]

"A squat candle is an improvised stove/lamp which is very simple and remarkably effective for cooking, lighting and heating.

To make one, first make an "X" or loose spiral of cardboard just slightly shorter than the height of a metal can. It's best to then drip molten wax all over the cardboard so that it gets partially absorbed and coats some of it. Then slide the cardboard into the can, and fill in the gaps with small pieces of wax. Once there's some wax in it, you can light the cardboard and aggressively "feed" the squat candle wax chunks until it gets a good reservoir in the bottom. When using it, it's good to feed it from time to time, but even unfed a decent squat candle will burn for hours.

I've had excellent experiences with these, and have used them to make coffee in the mornings and elaborate stews at night.

Be sure to extinguish them by putting something non-flammable and flat over the top - if they're not covered when they go out, they'll let off a lot of nasty smoke."

Source: http://en.hitchwiki.org/?title=Squat_Candle
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[loam]

emergency candles are easy to steal and last twelve hours so you can use them several times. you can also make a pop can stove with lighter fluid and a pop can. put a ring of holes about the size of a pencil or as best as your knife can do it. pour like half an inch of fluid in the can and light it through the holes. charcoal works well too. it's not much for light but it cooks food fast and is a good choice if you are trying to go undetected by the bulls or nosy humbums.

 

[rideitlikeyoustoleit]

Props to Adonis! That was some useful info!

 

[bananathrash]

i think olive oil lamps work a lot better, and are less work.

 

[loam]

i think olive oil lamps work a lot better, and are less work.

true, true!

 

[RandomRaccoon]

This is the best diy page for scummy travelling kids I ever seen!!!
(scumminess not required)

 

[mbgeorge]

a friend of mine just kicked me down a whole suitcase of sterno, they are good for cooking shit and they kept my tent warm for a while here in oregon in the winter

 

[cranberrydavid]

these put out a lot of light

 

[EastCoast315]

^dude, what the hell is that? it looks cool!
I make squat candles from time to time, just make sure the can you use isn't lined with plastic, when that shit burns it reeks!

And how do you make an olive oil lamp? Seems like the only way that'd be cost effective is by stealing the olive oil, that shit can get expensive

 

[cranberrydavid]

It's how you light your hooch when you're living like this.

The small inside bottle has a hole for a cotton wick. It burns anything from alcohol to kerosene or diesel. NOT GASOLINE. If you get the glass jar and the airholes in the plastic chimney right the air swirls inside and it lights up 10 times brighter than without it. All materials can be improvised from beachcombing or dumpstering.

 

[Mr. Expendable]

ever since i discovered the wonders of vegetable oil and a cotton ball candles are a thing of the past.... just poor the oil into a really small improvised cup maybe a little bigger than a bottle cap( you can use tin foil) rool the cotton ball into a wick soak it all except the very tip and lean it on the side of you cup of oil light and the flame will last forever just carry around a small bottle of olive or vegetable oil some cotton balls and tin foil and a lighter and your good

 

[bananathrash]

your socks are probably greasy enough to use for candle. you can pretty much use any oil; try groc out.

Oil lamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Doc Road]

Sound cool, but I need to see one.