Survival Candle

[silentex]

Firstly, my name is Justin. I've been creeping around the forums for the past few weeks, absorbing as much as I possibly can. This forum has been an absolute blessing . . . The amount of things I have learned will likely save me a substantial amount of money when it comes to taking this hobby to the next step. So, I can't thank you guys enough for sharing your experiences with everyone!

I know the majority of threads in the candle sections are regarding HT, CT, etc . . . But, I'm going to throw something else out there. I'm an avid outdoorsman and spend quite a bit of time out in the woods. The thought of having a small candle to carry in my bag is one that I absolutely love. Essentially, this is where I'm at . . . I've seen existing candles out there that claim to be able to heat up enough to cook food and last a pretty good amount of time. But, I'm not entirely sure where to begin.

This is my take:

A) It would have to be paraffin. If the candle is going to be carried in a backpack in the Texas woods during summer, it needs to have a higher melting point.

I'd think the 8oz flat tins double wicked would be the best bet. But what wick would give off the most light while still keep burn time down?

And how hot do you typically think these candles are burning? It seems crazy to me that you'd be able to cook with them.

Thanks guys and I appreciate all of the help!

[rjdaines]

There is a similar thread/discussion here:

http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97337&highlight=survival

[EricofAZ]

That is a good thread to read.

Sometimes I use candles when camping. They heat up a small pot of water pretty quickly without any overwicking. Heck, tealights heat up wax in about a half hour.

As for cooking food, well, you will need to make a hot wick and that means an unsafe candle for normal purposes.

I think your choice of paraffin is OK, but not mandatory. There are some high melt soys and absolutely you will find Palm to be high melt. So also with beeswax (which is a bit easier to smell).

Additives like vybar raise the melt temp.

I am experimenting with some votives that use a gloss additive. The gloss additive has to be melted at 220 or higher and then added to the paraffin. It takes a larger wick for the same pool diameter which means something better for making coffee in the morning.

If you have temp variations and breezes, tin or aluminum containers may be fine. If you want a fun candle that is not going to be subjected to wild outdoor temp variations, and can handle a bit more wind, thick glass is something to consider.