In the past, when I would go to a restaurant with my wife I would look for a candle for a little atmosphere at the table. If there wasn’t one I would take one of the complimentary bread buns and poke a hole into it with my table knife. I would put in a pad of butter and then twist up a piece of paper napkin to use as a wick and poke that into the butter. I would light it with my EDC lighter and Voilà! I had a candle!

With this experience as my inspiration I took a butter stick out of the fridge, set it on end in a small bowl, and let it warm up to room temperature. I cut a piece of paper towel and lightly buttered it on one side and rolled it up, flattening it with each round to create a wide vs. round wick. I used a spoon handle to poke down the center of the butter stick then I turned up the wick at the bottom end a little so that I could poke it down into the hole.

Once it was lit, it burned brightly at first and the butter began to melt. I had to attend to it by trimming the wick occasionally with some scissors along with the surrounding wrapping paper as it would burn off around the edge from time to time. It burned that way for over an hour. The butter would continue to leak into the bowl and gather at the bottom. When the cube burned down to a quarter inch in height and the wick began to have trouble staying upright I changed my strategy from candle mode to slush lamp! (See “Slush Lamp Basics“)
 

I decided to use a different wick for this approach and added a small strip of cotton from some scrap jeans and placed it inside the remaining square paper wrapper. Then I cut out a piece of scrap aluminum from a pet food cup and placed it on top. This effectively supported the new wick in addition to isolating the cotton wick from the melted butter. The new flame burned for 4 more hours!

In the end, the candle provided a quick usable flame but required constant maintenance. It also provided clarified butter at it’s base that worked wonderfully as fuel for a slush lamp. The slush lamp was virtually maintenance free. Depending on the emergency a person would have to decide on whether to use the butter as a fuel for light and warmth, or for using butter as a food, but then again, this was just a proof-of-concept project that was fun to do!

Unsalted / Salted

On one such occasion there was a mystery death at a home spa where many candles had been lit all around and were still burning but nearly out. There were traces of salt around which seemed out of place and mysterious at the time. The “six hour” candles established a timeline that gave everyone an alibi but the Chief Detective put “two and two together” and realized that the salt had been added to the candles to make them burn longer, thus altering the timeline of the suspects testimonies.

So, what does this have to do with survival skills? I was intrigued by the concept that the duration of burning candles could be altered and extended. In a power outage scenario such as one our community experienced recently, a candle could provide light longer or be used as an ignition source for other purposes, similar to keeping a live coal on hand.

I decided to try this out for myself. I took two tea candles and poured some salt on one, covering the top surface. I quickly discovered that the salted candle wouldn’t lite. The wick burned down and extinguished. It occurred to me that there needed to be enough wax exposed to allow the lit wick to melt enough wax to sustain the flame so I cleared the area around the wick and relit it. Although the candle remained lit it was obvious that the flames of the two candles were different. The salted candle’s flame was suppressed and smaller, thus consuming the wax fuel at a slower rate.

The effective light comes from the unaltered candle but depending upon your circumstances longevity might be a priority so it’s nice to know about this little technique that gives you an option when needed.

Most folks who demonstrate flint & steel fire making like to use jute fiber to make a flame from the glowing charcloth. It is quick and dramatic. A ball of fine natural fibers works quite well for this purpose. However, in this case, a candle is lit by igniting the vapor of super-heated wax which in turn lights the wick. In some circles of Civil War reenactors it has been a badge of pride to accomplish this skill.

In an article “Making Charcloth” I describe how to make charcloth by using small pieces of rolled up cotton fabric. I have found the finished charcloth rolls to be the key element to igniting a candle. Many flint & steel kits include candles as they are used to sustain a flame while starting a campfire and it is especially useful when using damp materials for tinder. I use a small birthday cake candle in my kit and for this candle lighting method.

The procedure I follow is to catch a spark at one end of the charcloth roll, then place the seam of the charcloth roll against the candle (to avoid unraveling) with the spark end next to the candle wick. Tilt them slightly so that the charcloth is under the wick, enabling the heat to rise up to the candle. Blow gently from the charcloth side toward the candle. As the wax melts smoke will appear and with a gentle sustained breath the vapor will eventually ignite the candle wick. Good quality charcloth will make a positive difference.

Once learned, this method has a practical application besides exhibiting your flint and steel prowess, it offers an alternative ignition source in the event that you do not have fiber available.

My interest in removing bottle bottoms is that it provides material that I use to develop my flint knapping skills. Admittedly, a 40 oz. bottle is preferred because it provides the most glass to work with but requires a rod of some sort to strike it out from within the bottle. But a regular 12 oz. size bottle still has usable material for practice and is much more plentiful to acquire.

There are other uses for the remaining bottle. For instance, when inverted, the bottle becomes a funnel and can be strategic for adding fluids to your automobile in an emergency situation. Another use is as a stationary or mobile candle holder complete with integrated chimney and handle.

How do you remove the bottom? Begin by filling the empty bottle with water until it is 2 inches from the top. With one hand, use your thumb and fore finger to surround the lip of the bottle while holding the neck, and with the other hand strike the opening with the butt of your palm. It’s best to do this over a soft area like a lawn to prevent breakage of the released glass and to absorb the spilled water. Be sure to pick up any remaining glass shards that fell to the ground during the process. It’s important to note that thin glass bottles might crack upwards while releasing the bottom. I have had no problems from this but you should take any safety precautions that you deem necessary.

With a little practice you should experience success. I’m still working toward larger bottle sizes with hope of overcoming the 40 oz. barrier of resistance.Click HERE to view a short video demonstration.

It goes without saying that you should always be careful around an open flame, observing precautions to keep flammable objects at a safe distance and the flame source in a stable position. In tight quarters be sure to have adequate ventilation. The following is a set-up that I have used successfully that you may find helpful. The objects needed are a metal coffee can, a tea-candle, matches or a lighter, and a blanket, sheet, poncho or other body cover.

In a sitting position I place a coffee can on the floor between the heels of my feet with the open end up. Then I place a tea-candle inside the can along the bottom edge. This position allows room for my hand to reach in with a match or lighter to light the candle. Once lit, I reposition the candle to the center of the can to provide even heat and a safety zone. Next, I place the blanket around my shoulders and over my lap which forms a tent-like covering. This captures the heat that rises from the candle and holds it around my body. The can enclosure shields both the flame from the wind, and adjacent clothing from the flame.

This heating set-up would be good to store in your vehicle on the occasion that you might get stranded during a Winter storm.

The thing that struck me about this candle is it’s generous size and that it comes in a self-contained glass fixture. The wax is poured into a tall glass jar which is in effect a protective chimney. The volume of wax fills the cylinder measuring 6″ tall by 2″ diameter. I picked one up and headed for the checkout counter. When I got home I decided to light it up and record it’s rate of consumption. After 12 hours it had consumed about 1 1/8″ of wax. That equates to over 48 hours worth of burn time for the entire candle.

One advantage of candles is that the melted wax is quite small in volume so if it is accidentally spilled it is limited. In contrast, a liquid fuel such as oil or spirits can spread fast and wide if it spills and can be quite uncontrollable. It is advisable to place the prayer candle on a heat pad or some type of heat buffer so that when the flame burns down close to the bottom it will not damage the underlying surface.

Unlike liquid fuels, it won’t evaporate during storage. When kept in a moderate or cool storage area their shelf life is virtually unlimited. When not in use, protect the wicks from moisture. The wax is stable but the wick can be difficult to light if it becomes wet. Fortunately the wicks on new candles are generally well coated as a result of the manufacturing process.

Perhaps the best benefit of these candles is that whatever situation that you find yourself in, it’s a good reminder that prayer is always a good thing to do.