Tag Archive: light

Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival eBooks & PDF’s for 08-01-18

Free Kindle Survival Homesteading Books

Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks and PDF’s? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks and PDF’s!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks and PDF’s, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks and PDF’s are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

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Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


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Free Homesteading, Cooking, Prepper, Survival Kindle eBooks for 02-15-18

Free Kindle Survival Homesteading Books

Free Homesteading, cooking, Survival, , and Prepping Kindle ebooks? Yes FREE Kindle ebooks!! Every now and then Amazon runs special offers on some of their Kindle ebooks, making them free for a limited time (usually just 24 hours).

I will check Amazon on regularly basis for their free Kindle ebooks in related subjects such as survival, homesteading and prepping etc. I will do all the leg-work for you so you don’t have to. You can just come back here regularly, so make sure to bookmark this blog.

These ebooks are only free for a limited time so if you are interested in one make sure you get it right away so you don’t lose out!

Remember you DON’T need a kindle to take advantage of these! There are FREE kindle apps for most major platforms!! iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac and Android. You can find those apps here!

Always check price before engaging, to make sure it hasn’t returned to full price.

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Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


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EMP Survival & The First 15 Things You Must Do Immediately After An EMP

Another great post from our friends at http://thesurvivalmom.com/

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I’ve been working on a book about EMP survival for the past couple of months. It hasn’t been an easy task, since much of what I’m researching involves scenarios that have never happened, or have happened only in third world countries. It’s been challenging to apply those scenarios to the world in which I’ve grown up.

In a weird way, this research has been fun. I feel a bit like Dr. David Livingstone venturing into parts of Africa that had never been imagined, much less explored.

Will my lovely next door neighbors really turn into cannibals, given enough time and lack of food?

Will the gangs and violent predators in the big city nearest me really begin going door to door, as a sort of perverse version of the Jehovah Witnesses, robbing, raping, and killing or will they end up killing each other first?

If well-prepared preppers have the perfect bug out location, equipped with every survival supply possible, how will they get there if the electromagnetic pulse has destroyed the electronic-based engines in their vehicles?

The approach I took to preparedness and survival in my first book,Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family For Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios, was all about common sense. My goal was to equip the average mom with information, checklists, and strategies for surviving the typical natural disaster, medical emergency, or job loss.

My second book is different. So far, it contains a lot of doom and gloom just because of the nature of a post-EMP world. However, it’s made me think twice about the predictions found in most EMP survival novels. I believe that desperate times encourage and, in fact, create just the type of environment that breeds innovation. In a post-EMP world, many communities may never need, or want, to go back to old systems once new and better ones have been devised.

Human beings are damn smart when they need to be.

EMP Survival for moderate preppers

That’s where, you, the moderate prepper can play an important role. Take practical steps now to prepare for everyday emergencies but also keep in mind that worst case scenarios are entirely possible.

  • Each month, you can add new skills and knowledge, which is why there is a Survival Mom Skill of the Month!
  • You can save money toward buying the gear and supplies that are truly necessary. (Have you joined my 52 Weeks Savings Club on Facebook?)
  • Prepare your body with exercise, training, and healthy eating so we are physically ready for difficult tasks, regardless of the crisis. (If you need a support group, join my Skinny Survival Moms group on Facebook!)

    I don’t believe that only Green Berets, Navy SEALS, and the most vicious, lawless predators will be the ones to survive. In fact, moderate preppers already have many advantages over these groups. We recognize warning signs that have led us to take proactive steps to prepare. We’ve incorporated both the mindset and lifestyle of preparedness into our daily lives and, by doing so, blend in with every other household around us.

    The “Gray Man“? Yeah, that’s us.

    Survivors of a worst case scenario will need to think on their feet, quickly adapt and improvise, and be willing to connect with others to form communities. Moderate preppers who continue to refine their skills and supplies, connect with like-minded people, and stay up to date with the world around them are excellent candidates for EMP survival.

    Here’s an EMP Survival tool I have for you

    I wish I could say that my EMP survival handbook was ready to put in your hands today, but it’s not. I’m finishing the book now and then it will require editing and more.

    What are the first 15 things you must do immediately after an #EMP? Get this FREE report!

    However, here’s what I can give you now, via email: A special report that provides details for, “The First 15 Things You Must Do Immediately After an EMP.” As a mom, and knowing the fears that moms have for their kids, I’ve included information for when and how to retrieve your kids from school. I’ve listed items that should be in everyone’s Get Home Bag, tips for informing neighbors about what has happened and why this is a vital thing to do, and specific places to shop for last minute supplies, even if you’re already well-stocked.

    Along with this Special Report, I’ve prepared follow up emails that will answer some of your most difficult questions:

  • Should I immediately evacuate my home following an EMP?
  • I don’t have a survival group or community. Can I survive on my own?
  • What if I have a newborn? What can I do to make sure he/she survives in a post-EMP world?
  • What can I do if I’m stranded hundreds of miles from home?

    Along with these follow-ups that you’ll receive every 3-4 weeks, I’ll let you know when my book is ready for pre-order and how you can get a signed copy.

    If you already get my weekly emails and occasional exclusive articles, this Special Report is sitting in your email box! Otherwise, sign up here:

    There’s peace in being prepared and EMP Survival is possible!

    Download link to Special Report: http://thesurvivalmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/One-Second-After-the-Lights-Go-Out-Special-Report-5-11.pdf


    Get this FREE Special Report! Sign up via email.

     

     

    Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

    Via: thesurvivalmom


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How to Make a Candle Out of Anything

Guest post from The Ready Store

 

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Knowing how to make candles in an emergency is a great skill to have. With the right knowledge and skills, you can make a candle out of a wide variety of different objects including fruits, crayons, shotgun shells or even old candles.

Check out these tutorials below to see how you can make candles and become even more self-sufficient.

Bayberries
Early colonists would use berries to make candles. However, it wasn’t the most efficient processes – you need a lot of berries for it to work. With about 4 pounds of berries you can get about 1 pound of wax. Boil bayberries in water and cover. Once the water is boiling remove from heat and allow to chill. A thin layer of wax will form on the top – which you can scrape off and use to create the wax for your candle. Run the wax through a cheesecloth and allow to melt again if needed in order to form into your mold.


Olive Oil
Since olive oil is a fluid, it’s harder to “stick” a wick in of it. Flatten out a paperclip and form it into a shape that will hold onto the wick and the side of a jar. Then fill your jar with olive oil – allowing the oil to spread onto the wick.

Orange
First, locate a large orange and cut it in half. Gently pull away the peel so that it stay in one half-circle piece. You’ll have two orange peel halves – one with a little orange core attached to it. Add about a half inch of olive oil into the base of the orange peel half. Make sure the core gets soaked with olive oil too. Allow the oil to settle for a while and make sure that it’s crusting on the core. Light the “wick” and you’re set to go!

Crayons
Add a bunch of crayons into a bowl of water. Allow to soak for 5 minutes. Collect cookie cutters or any other type of molds you would like. Spray the molds with non-stick spray. This will allow you to easily remove the wrappers from the crayons. Place 10-15 candles in a container that you don’t want anymore. Place the candles in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until they are smooth. Quickly pour the candles into the form that you’ve created because it will harden fast. Let the candles settle for 5 minutes and then place the wick.

Old Candles
Once you’ve used your wax candles, don’t throw them away. You can reuse the wax to create new candles with new wicks that you buy. Make sure there are no wick pieces in the wax and cut the wax pieces into smaller chunks. Spray the inside of a shot glass or other mold lightly with non-stick spray. Set the pre-waxed wick at the bottom of the mold, extending to the top. Now that the mold is ready, set up your melting device (or a double boiler). Set a sauce pan inside of a larger pan filled with water and melt the wax inside. Once the wax is melted, pour into your mold and allow to set and cool.

Crisco
This might be the easiest candle to create. Simply shove a candle wick (or a piece of string) into the middle of an open tub of Crisco. You’ll want to use a long stick or skewer to push it to the bottom. Hit the tub on a hard surface to settle the contents. Not only will the gigantic candle burn, but it will burn for 45 days.


Shotgun Shells
It’s probably a given: ONLY use shotgun shells that have been used and are empty. Do not light active shotgun shells.

Add wax to a double boiler – or into a sauce pot that is sitting inside of a larger pot of hot water. Turn to medium heat so the wax is melted but not burning. While that is melting, use an old toothbrush to clean and brush the inside and outside of the shotgun shell. Pour the melted wax into the empty shell and place the wick. Once the wax is cooled and settled, remove the plastic outer layer of the shell with an exacto knife and keep the wax candle on the metal base of the shell. Light-a-way!

Lipstick
We’ve even see someone make a candle out of lipstick! Just twist the lipstick out as far as it can go and lay sideways on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the side of the lipstick. Lay the wick into the slit and slide to the middle of the lipstick. Roll the lipstick back into it’s tube and light it up.

Other reading:

How to make a Pine Knot Torch for emergency light

DIY Emergency Lights from Solar Yard Lights

Quick tip for more light.

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via: thereadystore



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Solar AIR Lantern – Review

There have recently been a multitude of innovative preparedness products hitting the market and the Solar AIR Lantern is one of them.

Most any emergency generally ends up with the lights out. Ever get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and stub your toe navigating the darkness? Yeah – me too. Light is valuable and a redundant supply of multiple light sources should be a basic stored preparedness supply.



The Solar Air Lantern is a solar powered light source unique in that the body of it is blown up. Yeah – I said “blown up” – like a beach ball. This means the light will float. The 10 LED’s are surprisingly bright. On the bottom of the unit is a reflective surface to help spread the light out in all directions.

It is lightweight and when deflated is extremely compact. An integral handle is built in to the top and can be hung easily.

The light has three settings – High, Low, and Emergency Flash.

The Solar Air Lantern is charged with the built in solar panels on top of the unit. This allows for easy charging by leaving it exposed to sunlight.

Here are a few pictures:


Above: The pictures really do not do the Solar Air Lantern justice when displaying the level of brightness. The amount of light is not blinding however it does an great job lighting up an area.


Above: Light from fully charged batteries will last upwards of 12 hours.

Below: Like I said before – pictures do not do the Lanterns just. Here are two lighting up my garage. In person the garage was much brighter than what the picture conveys.


Below: The deflated Solar Air Lantern can be hung on a backpack and charged while hiking. Its lightweight and small footprint makes it perfect for inclusion in a survival or get home kit.


Summary:

The Solar Air Lantern is an area illumination option that is unique, portable, lightweight, and rechargeable via the sun – it works! It’s darn right pretty cool.

Did I mention that it is waterproof?

At $19.97 the price point is right on for the features provided.

For more information visit the following website – http://survivalfrog.com/products/solar-lantern.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


 

Via: modernsurvivalonline


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DIY Emergency Lights from Solar Yard Lights

When it comes to emergency lighting, flashlights and lanterns rule.  The problem, however, is that they require a power source, be it batteries, propane, or some other type of fuel.  There are candles, of course, but candles do eventually burn out, plus, in some environments and especially around children, candles can represent a safety hazard.

The option of choice, for many, is solar lighting.  Indeed, I have a SunBell that gives off a lot light and is easily recharged, even on a cloudy day.  That marvelous piece of gear comes at a price though.  At, $70, it is well worth the cost for one but just how many can I afford?  (In all fairness, the SunBell also charges my phone and other portable devices.)


With that introduction, today I am going to show you how to make your own DIY emergency lights from solar yard lights.  This is not a new concept and many of you are undoubtedly already using these lights yourself.

Before you yawn off though, let me explain that in this DIY, we will be adding a switch to those ubiquitous solar yard lights, so that once the lights are charged up, you can turn them on then off again, thus mitigating setting them out in the sun each day.

How to Make Emergency Lights from Solar Yard Lights

Using inexpensive solar yard lights for emergency lighting inside your home is an easy deal.  Charge them up in the sun, bring them inside, and you have light. The problem, however, is that once the activation tab is pulled on the lights, they have to be put in sunlight each day to ensure that the battery is charged up and ready to go during an emergency. This is not a practical solution.

To get around this, some people do not pull the activation tab until the light is actually needed in an emergency. This essentially is a onetime use. Again, not a practical solution.  We are going to solve this conundrum by installing a micro switch that can turn solar lights on or off whenever we want.

To being with, you are going to need a solar yard light.  There are various makes and models of solar yard lights available.  In this article, I am using a 1 lumen light purchased at Wal-Mart but you can find comparable solar lights just about anywhere, including your local hardware store or Amazon.


You are also going to need some “Micro Switches”.  If you can not find them locally, they can be purchased from Amazon (see these) or from eBay.  When shopping on eBay, search for “On Off Mini Push Button Switch for Electric Torch.” Usually you can buy 10 micro switches for $1.99 and that includes shipping. They are shipped directly to you from Hong Kong, so allow some lead time to get your micro switches.  Amazon is faster but still relatively inexpensive.

Step One

First remove the screws holding the base plate to the solar unit. There are 3 screws on the light shown.


Step Two

Carefully clamp the base plate in a vise. Drill a hole through the base plate, slightly larger than the diameter of the round part of the switch base. A ¼” drill bit was used on the light being modified. It is easier when you first drill a small pilot hole.



Step Three

Attach the micro switch to the base plate. Shoe Goo (good to have in your preps regardless), works very well. A hot glue gun would also work well.

Turn the switch so that one of the leads is as close to the small circuit board as practical. If necessary, trim the glue the manufacture used above the hole as shown so that the switch mounts flat to the base plate.

Step Four

Locate the wire that goes to the negative end of the battery. Cut this wire, leaving enough length to attach the wire coming from the circuit board to the closest terminal of the micro switch. Carefully remove enough of the wire insulation to expose a short length of bare wire.


Step Five

Locate some wire with about the same gauge as the wire cut. Don’t worry about the color of the wire as no one will ever see it. Solder about 1″ of additional wire to the wire coming from the ground end of the battery. You can insulate the wire splice if you wish with Shoe Goo or other cement.

Next, solder both ends of the cut wire to the micro switch terminals.


Step Six

Now you are ready to test the operation of the micro switch. Pull the actuating tab. The LED light should turn on and off when you toggle the micro switch


Bend the micro switch terminal connected to the battery ground and reposition the wire so that they fit inside of the solar unit. Lastly, place the base plate back on to the solar unit being careful not to allow any of the wires to be placed over the screw holes. Re-install the screws that attach the base plate to the solar unit.  You are done!

Using Your MacGyver’ed Solar Light

When you want to turn your modified solar lights on or off, simply push the micro switch button.

When turned on, you can expect it to provide light for up to eight hours.  Keep in mind, though, that lights having only 1 lumen do not put out a lot of light,  That said, if you place several in a dark room, you can see well enough to easily move about without running into things.  Also, if you turn the lights upside down, they stand up very well

Something to remember is that you will need to turn the light on when you take the light outside to recharge it in the sun. Likewise, turn the light off when you remove it from the sun light. The beauty of this is that when the solar light is not in use, the battery will stay charged for a long time before needing recharging.

Here is one last additional tip. If you have a lot of lights to charge up outside at once, create a charging stand by drilling holes in a board to hold the lights when the bottom of the solar light has been removed.

The Final Word

To be truly prepared, we all need options as well as redundancy.  The beauty of these DIY indoor emergency lights is that they are inexpensive if not downright cheap, and can be used over and over again without reliance on an outside power source.  In addition, although they do need to be charged in the sun, most of the better quality yard lights will also charge up in the shade.  They just need more time.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via: backdoorsurvival


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LED Lantern technology for Survival Preparedness

Being a bit of a geek for things like LED technology (which is now being designed into flashlights, lanterns, and other lighting products), I know that it is a perfect technology fit for anyone’s survival preparedness kit, emergency lighting situations, or any general purpose lighting application.

Present day LED lighting technology is enabling very bright and powerful light while consuming very little power. The power consumption of LED lamp products is a fraction of that from traditional types of bulbs.

The LED’s themselves will seemingly last forever without burning out like other bulbs and the batteries that are powering them will last for a very long time before requiring replacement or a recharge.

So let me tell you about this lantern that I bought some time ago, a Rayovac 300-lumen LED lantern. I believe this one is a great example of compact portable lighting, perfect for any emergency, and surprisingly small and light weight.

 


Rayovac 300 lumen lantern Review

It is much smaller than a traditional lantern, like the classic Coleman  lantern that many of us have or have had (the Coleman white fuel lantern has its own advantages and I still wouldn’t be without one).  However this Rayovac model is small enough to pack nicely into small spaces. It’s only 7 inches tall (3.5 inches square). It is perfect to stash into a survival kit.

Batteries

It takes three D-size batteries, and will power the LED on high brightness for about 3 days straight, 24 hours a day! Of course you wouldn’t have it turned on during the day, so if you ran it for 6 hours a night, the batteries would last for 12 days. On low brightness, this same scenario would last 25 days! If you use rechargeable batteries, and a solar powered battery charger, you would be set up for many years with ‘free’ light.

Brightness

This lantern is brighter than I expected. It is bright because of two reasons, 3 watt LED power (three 1-watt LED’s) and a very good reflector lens design. The plastic lens assembly spreads the light, seeming to magnify it so to spread around a 360 degree circle.

Light Settings

The settings seem ‘right’ with bright, low, and strobe. The strobe is very bright, and a great idea for an emergency survival situation where you are trying to be seen or located. Also, just above the on-off button is a small LED indicator that flashes dimly and unobtrusively about every five seconds to help you locate the lantern in the dark (great idea!).

Ruggedness

This lantern, although small in size, is rugged. All edges, and the bottom are rubberized for shock absorption, plus it will grip nicely on any surface. There is a traditional type of carrying handle as well as a clever folding hook on the bottom which allows you to hang it upside down, which better projects the light when it is up high. Nice touch.

 




 

Conclusion

I rate the Rayovac 300 lumen lantern with 5-stars for a perfect set of features for its intended purpose, rugged and compact design, LED technology, and reasonable price.

I highly encourage anyone who is survival preparedness minded, to get yourself some LED flashlights and – or a lantern similar to this one.

You can have a look at the Rayovac SE3DLN 300-Lumen LED Lantern here.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via :   modernsurvivalblog


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How to make a Pine Knot Torch for emergency light



For thousands of years prior to the invention of electricity and the kerosene lantern, pine knot torches were used to illuminate the darkness of night. Though candles and oil lamps were the preferred form of lighting, pine knot torches were sometimes used instead during times of economic hardship, or when candles or oil for lamps simply weren’t available.

An illustration of Swedish life in 1555, showing a husband and wife illuminating their cottage at night with pitchwood torches (taken from Olaus Magnus’s “History of the Northern Peoples” circa 1555).



What inspired me to investigate pine knot torches was a passage in JRR Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” in which Bilbo Baggins and the Thirteen Dwarves sneak around the dark tunnels of the Lonely Mountain, trying to figure out a way to steal back the Dwarve’s treasure from Smaug the Dragon:

“But in the end, when Bilbo actually began to stamp on the floor, and screamed out “light!” at the top of his shrill voice, Thorin gave way, and Oin and Gloin were sent back to their bundles at the top of the tunnel.

After a while a twinkling gleam showed them returning, Oin with a small pine-torch alight in his hand, and Gloin with a bundle of others under his arm. Quickly Bilbo trotted to the door and took the torch; but he could not persuade the dwarves to light the others or to come and join him yet.”

This mention of “pine torch” really piqued my interest, so I began researching old texts for references. To my surprise, I found that there were lots of references going back as far as the ancient Greeks, up until the 19th Century. Here are just a few that I found-

In his left hand he raised his curved shield, and in his right a huge pine-torch, and near him in front stood up his mighty spear.-Argonautica, 3rd Century BC

And directly there came out of the cabin a white-headed old man with a lighted pine-knot in his hand, and a blanket on his shoulders.-Jamie Parker, the Fugitive (1851)

It gives, in pictures, with only a line or two of description, the progress of different industries — such as the locomotive, from the clumsy engine of 1802 to the elaborate machinery of the present day; the evolution of lighting, from the pine-knot and tallow-dip to the electric light; methods of signalling, from the Indian fire-signal to the telegraph; time-keeping, etc.-Richard Rogers Bowker & Charles Ammi Cutter, Harvard College Library Journal, 1895

Another interesting thing I found was that the streets of New England were lit by pine fatwood knots in what were known as “basket torches,” as late as 1820.


HOW TO MAKE A PINE KNOT TORCH



NOTE: Before you read the instructions below, make sure to check out our “Wilderness Survival: An easy way to find Fatwood in the Rockies and Beyond….” article on how to find suitable pine knots for this technique.


*Tools for making a pine knot torch:

  • A good, sharp hatchet
  • A folding saw
  • A good, sharp knife
  • A way to light the torch (matches, firesteel, magnesium starter, etc)

A hatchet and saw are not absolutely necessary (a fixed blade bushcraft knife and a wooden baton would suffice if need be), but they make the job easier.

 

WARNING!- Do not ever attempt to carry a pine knot torch around during fire season! Pine knot torches drip flaming pitch while burning (think Mother’s Nature’s napalm) and they WILL ignite dry wood or grass almost immediately.

You will notice that the torches being demonstrated in this article are burning over large rocks and stone-lined fire pits, with both water buckets and shovels at hand in case of emergency. If you fail to heed the warning above, you will most likely start a forest fire and could be held criminally responsible for widespread death and destruction. During fire season, this technique can only be used in a true survival situation and only if you clear a wide area of dirt around the torch, or put it on top of large rocks or in stone-lined fire pits. Use extreme caution!

Ok, now that I’ve scared you straight, let’s get to the fun part- making a pine knot torch!

 

Find a suitable pine knot

 

Find a good, fatwood-laden pine knot and saw it off at the base.

 


 


 

Prepare the torch stave

 

Using your hatchet, remove the bark on both ends of the stave

 


 

On the knot end, split the stave into four sections

 

Using your hatchet, split the knot end of the stave into four sections

 


 


 

Stuff green twigs into the split to hold it open

 

Using your hatchet as a wedge to hold open the split, stuff green twigs towards the base of the split to open it up. This will allow tinder to be placed in the gap to ignite the torch, and also allows positive airflow while it is burning.

 


 


 

Score the outside of the knot-end with your hatchet to help the torch burn more efficiently

 


 

Stuff the inside of the split with fatwood shavings 

 

Stuff the inside of the split with fatwood shavings taken from another pine knot or the torch itself.

 



Also, add a large pile of pitchwood shavings on top of the torch end, at least 3 times the amount shown in the photo. I skimped when I conducted this experiment, and got lucky that the torch still ignited. In a survival situation, don’t take any chances. With a large piece like this, the pitchwood, though highly flammable, will have to heat up to release it’s combustible pitch. A large pile of shavings on top ensures that this process will take place when you need it most.

 


 

Igniting the torch

 

Ignite the pitch shavings from the top, being careful of wind gusts that could blow them away. For the first 2-3 minutes, try to keep the torch sheltered from the wind. You may have to hold the torch on its side or upside down to ensure that the initial flames heat the pitch enough to create a sustained burning process.

 


 


 


 

Once it’s going, you’ll have something that looks like this:

 


 

It will burn so intensely that neither rain nor wind will put it out. In fact, during one of my torch tests, a fast moving storm came through and dumped moderate amounts of rain on the torch for about 10 minutes. Incredibly, it managed to keep burning. NOTE: If you need to put out a pine knot torch, jam it into the dirt or snow until it is completely out.

 


 

This torch ended up burning for almost an hour and a half. It will easily illuminate the immediate vicinity of a camp site, enough to build an emergency shelter or render wilderness first aid.

 


 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via:   rockymountainbushcraft


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Make a candle out of Crisco or Olive Oil.

ITEMS NEEDED

1 Can Crisco

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1-3 Wicks (need to be longer than height of can, cut to match)

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INSTRUCTIONS

1)  Open a can of Crisco. The bigger the can, the better.

2) Insert the candle wick into the center of the can of Crisco. If the can has a large diameter, multiple wicks can be inserted. Leave a quarter of an inch of wick showing above the Crisco to make sure the flame is a manageable size.

3) Even out the top of the Crisco so the candle is smooth.

4) Light the wick and enjoy the candle.

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WATCH THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE THIS VERY CANDLE!

If you’re worried about the possible combustion of the shortening container which is made of Aluminum foil covered cardboard, transfer the shortening into a #10 can, a large can like is used in tomato sauce or is used in large cans of vegetables. Use 1/8″ to ¼” cotton rope / twine weighted / tied at the bottom of what will be your wick with an old washer / nut or a short nail. Only use cotton line / twine or rope for your wicks, no cotton blend stuff, cotton only.

Virtually any hardware store or hardware / camping / boating section of a store will carry 100% cotton line / rope. Any large margartine tub 3 Lb lid will fit a #10 can perfectly.

Common lard will also work in a #10 can with a cotton wick for your candle fuel.

You can use whatever you want for a wick, a string will work just fine, its all a matter of how much work you want to make for yourself and the metal base just makes it easier, trying to push a string centered down the candle so it will not not burn at odd angles would be difficult.
To use home cotton string and make it into a good wick this is what i do.

1. Cut three strips of cotton string to the length of the candle plus 4 inches.

2. Mix 1 tbsp. salt, 3 tbsp. boric acid and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Soak the strips in the mixture for 12 hours. Soak more strips if you are making more candles.

3. Dry the strings by hanging them or laying them out in the sun. Drying times depends on how warm the air is.

4. Braid three strips together tightly. Tape the end of the three strands to a flat surface to keep the braid from unraveling at one end. It also makes it easier to pull tightly.

5. Saturate the wick by dipping it in wax. Dipping the wick in wax makes it stiff. The wax coating also makes lighting easier. Use scissors to hold the wick to avoid burns. Let the wick dry.

6. Tie the wick to the metal or paper piece. This piece holds the wick in place when the wax is poured.

Another option is to make candles out of Olive Oil.

It’s a good idea to be able to know how to create your own light sources in case you ever need them. This is a simple candle that you can put together with things that you already have laying around the kitchen (besides the wick, but I’d recommend keeping that as a regular stockpiled item anyways!)

What you need:

  • Jar
  • Olive Oil
  • Wire or Paper Clip
  • Wick

Depending on how long you want your candle to burn you can pick different thicknesses of wick. The one I used here is the one I had on hand but I think for next time I will get some thicker wick or even lantern wick so it provides for light and burns longer.

Cut the wick a couple inches long. Wrap part of the wire or paper clip wire around one end of the wick. Wrap it tight enough that the wick can’t fall down but no so tight that you can’t move the wick up when you need to.

Bend the wire so it hooks onto the side of the jar.

Here’s a close up of the wick in the middle. You don’t want too much sticking above the oil because it needs to be able to soak the oil all the way up the wick to burn.

Add your olive oil and that’s it! To save money on olive oil you could buy the expired oils from surplus stores.

The awesome thing about this candle/lantern is that olive oil burns clean and doesn’t smoke. You can make these lanterns in any size of jar that you have on hand (the one I used here is a half pint). You may want to stick with a wide mouth jar though to make it easier to fix the wick when you need to. Also, if you want them to be scented you could just add essential oils (or even dried or fresh herbs!) right to the oil.

Via: greatnorthernprepper , littlehouseliving

 


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