Since Dale and I are preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse
,we needed a cheap, small, and light fuel, to run our "Rocket Stove" and small foldaway backpack stoves.
Most tablet fuel is expensive, from a dollar to several dollars for a 1x1 square or just a little bigger, even though these "tablet" fuels will burn at 1200 plus degrees, they are short lived and may only boil a cup of water. Canned fuel doesn't work well in cold and are too bulky in your survival backpack.
We needed something that can cook a meal, start a log fire, and provide heat if needed, and be small, light, waterproof, and packable.
Dale and I have been reading about "homemade" tablets but they were still too small and couldn't give us what we wanted.
People were soaking Cotton balls in alcohol and burning them, soaking Cotton balls in wax, using paper and wax, wood chips and wax, etc...these didn't last long, didn’t get hot enough, or just couldn't do the jobs that we wanted.
I was in a store and found the small cheap tablets for 1 dollar, "lightbulbs" and "Bells and Whistles" started going off in my head.... I also found a nice sized bottle of gel fire starter for a buck...then I bought a huge bag of 100% Cotton Balls for a dollar also.
Found 8 plastic cups with lids for another dollar, and was off to create a "Masterpiece"!
I'm not ashamed to admit that I have 2 Candle melters to keep my house smelling nice...especially since my son sometime practices that the Apocalypse is already here and doesn't shower for days!
.... then after the smell is gone from the jar candles, I clip the wicks on a wooden stick across the top of the jar, and let them re-harden to burn for light.
I had Dale pour the gel fire fluid in a glass cup and soaked 16 Cotton balls in it...then he lined the bottom of the cups with 4 cotton balls each.
He then put 1 fire tablet in each cup, added both gel infused cotton balls, and packed in as many cotton balls as possible.
I then took an old melted candle and poured it into a plastic cup....then it was easier to fill the cups with the cotton balls, fire starters, and fire gel...I filled each cup to the top and worked the molten wax around so all of the cotton balls on the bottom were covered also...then we smashed on the lids to squish everything tight.
After a couple hours in the fridge, they popped out of the cups with a lift from a knife, and into the baggies they went.
We made another batch, and lit one with a mag starter, after an hour of intense flames we blew it out and saved the rest. These things are FANTASTIC! It boiled a pot of water in about 5 minutes.
We have enough material to make Fire logs if we want...with the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse, the uses of these New FIRE BLOCKS are endless!
Also, if you don't want unsightly burn marks, etc, on the flame side of your pots or skillets or a sooty film in your pack, put aluminum foil over the grate and then sit your pot or skillet on it. Aluminum foil is a must in your pack!
Saw Fritz (CJpolecat) and his beautiful bride this past Friday, at The Meadows Restaurant, and we talked for awhile...I'm blaming all this craziness on him! Either that or Cabin Fever is setting in!
Happy Zombie Hunting to all!