Home Front: candle powered convection heater

Here is a little trick that I saw and wanted to share it with you all. The good folks at Natural Cures Not Medicine posted this, and I was forwarded it by a few people when it did the rounds on Facebook. Now, I'm all in favor of natural and alternative treatments and traditional wisdom, but as Tim Minchen said, in "Storm"  ... ""By definition", I begin, "Alternative Medicine", I continue,"Has either not been proved to work, or been proved not to work. Do you know what they call 'alternative medicine' that's been proved to work? Medicine...."

Ikea GLIMMA unscented tealight candles

So, that aside .... here is the very cool trick.

Through the use of tea-light candles, which are pretty ubiquitous, two clay flower pots, which are even more ubiquitous and a cake tin it is possible to make a very simple radiant space hater. Obviously, as with any fire you will be wanting to do this in a ventilated area, carbon monoxide is not your friend. 

By placing one pot over the other, with the candle inside, you create a space that not only traps the radiant heat of the candle, as it heats up the inner pot, but all that heat is not only stored in that inner pot, but due to the air space between the two pots, convection takes hold and you get more bang for your buck. The cake tin gives you a stable, fireproof base,  allows you to move the rig once lit, and also provides a venting space for the candle to "breathe".

Cool air flows via the open top of the cake tin the two sets of nested posts are resting on, and between the base of the outer pot over and around the inner pot, then up through the drain holes and up into your room. This action not only draws heat from the inner pot heat-sink, but also moves that air through the room, spreading out all that heat more efficiently than a stand alone candle like a passive fan. 

The tea light candles are just a convenient size, cheep and plentiful but any candle that fits in the pots you use would do. 

Here's the original YouTube clip in the article, demonstrating the heater in effect.

Review: Peruvian Fleece Cap

So, I've made no bones about my disdain for winter, and am always on the look out for more cold-banishing gear to add to my collection. This winter I added some long Nomex gloves to couple with my Harry 1.2 softshell jacket. However, I wanted something to keep my head snug and toasty. When in Canada I often wore a tuque and when living in England I had a hunting cap with ear-flaps so when, I saw these come up on eBay, I got a set for myself, and one for Omega too (who is still acclimatizing to Melbourne from Brisbane, 5 years on)

This is apparently a "Peruvian Wool Fleece Cap" patterned after the traditional Chullo. Im pretty certain it isn't wool, so lets just say that it is fleece. The cap is topped by six triangular sections, much like most fabric hats, but is edged with an asymmetrical band that includes the "ear-flaps". A cord-locked drawstring is sewn in to assist with retention, and to keep the flaps tucked up to your chin in especially chilly conditions.

I tend to roll the ear flaps up and cinch the drawstring in a little, because I like to hear my surroundings more clearly,

However, when up at the snow, or in just a bitter wind, I am only too happy to protect me delicate flesh and roll them down. 

The snug fit lends itself to sitting under a hood, such as in my Harry 1.2 jacket, or even under a helmet, such as my Ops-Core knockoff bump helmet.

Thankfully there have been few days this season where I've felt like I've needed this cap, but I am vey glad to have it, packed and ready, for when I did. A great camping and wilderness survival addition. 

I'm thinking of doing Halloween as Angry Finland...

Side note, my mother had kept my ear-flap cap, I passed it on to Tactical Baby ... RLTW!