Tea light candles

[Greta]

I have always liked tea light candles for some reason. Anyway, I found some on sale yesterday for 1/2 price so I bought six boxes. That gives me 600 tea light candles. They are obviously good for light if the power goes out. I prefer to use the lantern style holder like the one in the video. The tea light candles are so small and easy to carry I am thinking they would make good bartering items if SHTF. I was trying to think of other uses besides light. Any ideas? Has anyone tried cooking with these or heating water? I was planning to make some kind of cook stove and give it a try to see what happens.

Survival Mini Candle Lantern - YouTube

[FerFAL]

Nice but they are no good for cooking. The best results I ever got were with a tuna can candle that I did myself that had four wicks. This would have a cup of water boiling in 10 minutes or so.
FerFAL

[IdahoRebel]

Never thought of using tealights for anything except decoration. They are so small. Will have to remember to try them for other stuff, too. Thanks.

[SnakeRanch]

Little candles make very good firestarters...

[dw60]

used them for firestarting. I have the lantern too.

when they are burned out, I use the soft metal cups as targets. Also, use them to feed the bees by putting old honey in them. The old honey I get from coffee shops.

[FutureBloodline]

agree I only use them for firestarting.

[REM]

I find them very useful in a power outage. I light them and set them up wherever I need them. One trail to the bathroom, several around the sink, etc.

It would be nice if they were twice as deep, but as is they are cheap effective lighting for short term purposes.

[TXbookworm]

Would it be worth it to melt some down into larger containers for a bigger flame source? Sometimes these can be purchased for deep discounts, and they're a good wax product. Would they work to make the tuna can candles? I don't know how much wax it takes to make one of those. Would a tea light have enough?

[rokitman]

Originally Posted by TXbookworm

Would it be worth it to melt some down into larger containers for a bigger flame source? Sometimes these can be purchased for deep discounts, and they're a good wax product. Would they work to make the tuna can candles? I don't know how much wax it takes to make one of those. Would a tea light have enough?

I have made several tuna can candles using various sized wicks. Larger wicks like out of a lantern, of course produce the most heat and light but if left unattended, the wax will melt in the can and the wicks fall over. Smaller wicks will burn longer before falling over but prodiuce less heat. Neither are worth the effort in my opinion. I'd rather just use cardboard in tuna cans.

http://www.survivalistboards.com/sho...+buddy+burners

[Greta]

I have been experimenting with the tea light candles. I was able to cook Ramen Noodles. I used an Esbit stove and put 3 tea light candles in the stove. Then I used some tinfoil around the bottom to hold the heat in better. It took about 25 minutes to cook the noodles at a simmer with the lid on. If one was careful, this is something that could be done inside because there is very little smoke. If you don't know what an Esbit stove is, this video shows how they work. By the way, the fuel tablets for the Esbit stove really stink.

Esbit Pocket Stove from goFASTandLIGHT.com -...

The tea light candles will burn about 3 hours or maybe a little longer.

[McClarkus]

I was at a friends A Frame recently and the elec went out. We had 8 guests show up and were able to cook spaghetti on the wood stove but lighting was a problem. The host only had 2 candles. I had two flashlights and two cyalume light sticks with me. Long story short - After that, I went out and got 4 boxes of tea lights at the dollar store and now carry them in my truck.

[GPArcher]

I've boiled water with about 8 of them before. But it took an hour +. I did it for kicks.

In terms of stealth (PAW need to keep quiet, smoke/smell free), though, there's a reason I have about 300 of 'em.

[Jungleboy]

It's Shabbos Candles for me! 72 for $6.99, and each burns for 3.5 Hours.

[Writer's Block]

They are excellent fire starters. I have carried them for that purpose for ages.

they are also good to include in car kits for light, heat and more in a break down.

They also are great with candle lamps. I only looked into camdle lamps a few years ago and found they really are useful.

In the right kind of candle lamp, they can be used to heat foods and drink (though it takes some time and does not get really hot due to size of flame).

[Illini Warrior]

ShopRite sells the box of 70+ Shabbos candles for $4.99 ea .....

[lazyluke]

This thread reminded me that I had one of the little lanterns in a box with some of my backpacking gear from my younger days. It is now in my bugout bag with some tea candles.



Semper Fi

[Cahlan]

As a heat or cooking source, I've used two or three to boil water and it still takes a long time to do so. I have found that putting them in an improvised lantern (For me mostly a aluminum can with a side cut out) they tend to throw off a good bit of light and it's a little safer then having a trail of small candles throughout ones home.

[CBP]

http://www.buytpod.com/products-page

Saw this on a locally-produced outdoor show. The light looks like its quite bright. A bit spendy, but has possibilities and runs on the lowly tea candle.

[bltjr1951]

Depending on bag/pack size, I carry a paper towel/TP cardboard tube with stacked tealights inside, fold/tape ends.
I've got a pill bottle somewhere that should hold some too.
But for summer use, liquid candle works best, won't melt.