Survival: The Survival Candle & DIY Stove

When I was young & dumb I hitchhiked from Denmark to Barcelona.

My "survival equipment" was: A tobacco pouch, rolling paper, a lighter and two military wool blankets.

You don`t need much when you are convinced you are immortal...

I got stuck outside of Lille/France and had to seek shelter in an empty phone box at a decommissioned truck stop along the highway.

It was February and FREEZING and I basically gave up to hitch another ride (less than 40 km from there, a nice and warm bed at a former school friends place was waiting for me....) I took some candles from a cross, marking an accident.

Those candles gave off enough heat to make my night telephone box just tolerable.

Long story short: Since then I travel nowhere without a "Survival Candle".

These are easily made out of a can (with lid) approx. 6 tea lights and some cardboard.

Here is the wick: A ca 30 cm stripe of thin cardboard.

I folded one end upward to have a piece of wick sticking out of the wax:
 It just makes it easier to light:-)

Arrange the wick in the can so it forms a spiral, add wax pieces and let
the wax melt in hot (NOT boiling!) water. Turn off the heat when the
wax has liquefied. Do not move the candle before it is in a solid state!

Voila!

It does not matter where you light your candle, but my OCD demands that
I start from the center :-P

You get a nice hot flame....

You can put out the fire by putting the lid over.

Lets use it in anger!

Tea time!